Chapter 2

The Babe Lying in a Manger

1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2. This enrolling was  first  made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3. And all went to be enrolled, everyone to his own city.

4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David,

5. To be enrolled with Mary his betrothed wife, being great with child.

6. And it came to pass, [that] while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should bring forth;

7. And she brought forth her firstborn

Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling-clothes, and laid Him in the manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Whereas chapter one focused on the birth of John the Baptist, chapter two focuses on the birth of Jesus the Christ. It begins with a simple description of  Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem. This journey was necessary because a proclamation had gone out from Caesar Augustus, declaring that all people must return to their city of birth to be registered. So “Joseph went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem … to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child” (Luke 2:4-5). 

In contrast to the royal decree of Caesar Augustus, proclaiming that “all the world should be registered,” we are given the simple story of Mary and Joseph seeking lodging in Bethlehem, and finding none. The only thing they could find was the shelter of a lowly stable, and the only crib for their baby was a manger—a feeding trough for animals.

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in the manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

The story of God coming to earth and finding “no room” in the inn is rich with spiritual meaning. It symbolizes the way in which our lives can become so busy, so filled with the concerns of daily living, that we have no room — no place in us — where Christ can be born. It also symbolizes how quietly and unobtrusively the miracle birth takes place in our lives.

There is something profound about Christ being laid in a place where animals feed.

Interestingly, this is the only gospel that mentions the manger, and it does so three times. In verse seven we read that “they laid Him in a manger.”

In verse twelve we read, “This will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And in verse sixteen we read, “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in a manger.” The symbolic picture of the Holy Babe, lying in a feeding trough, foreshadows a great reality—that Jesus is the very source and sustenance of our spiritual lives, even as food is the source and sustenance of our natural lives. This is why He would later say to His disciples as He invited them to eat the Passover bread, “This is My body” (Luke 22:19).

In a gospel which focuses on the development of the understanding, it is most appropriate to understand the significance of a “manger” — a place where animals feed. Our own understanding feeds on truth that comes to us from God. This is the truth that will nourish us on our spiritual journeys, feed our hunger for spiritual knowledge, and help us to develop a strong inner spirit. Again, it warrants repeating that this is the only gospel that mentions the “manger.” ¹

Keeping Watch

8. And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, and keeping watch  over their flock by night.

9. And behold, the angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared with great fear.

10. And the angel said to them, “Fear not; for behold, I bring  you  good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people.

11. “For to you is born  this day a savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.

12. “And this [shall be] the sign to you: you shall find [the] babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger.”

13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

14. “Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace, good will among men.”

15. And it came to pass, as the angels went away from them into heaven, the men, the shepherds, said one to another, “Let us now go  even to Bethlehem, and see this saying that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16. And they came in haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.

17. And when they had seen, they made known abroad the saying which was spoken to them concerning this little Child.

18. And all who heard marveled at those things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

19. But Mary kept  all these sayings, pondering [them] in her heart.

20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, as it was spoken to them.

The setting for the next episode shifts from the stable to the countryside: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night” (Luke 2:8). A key phrase here is “keeping watch.” Once again, as in the prologue where it is said that they were “eyewitnesses” (Luke 1:2), there is a reference to sight — this time in the phrase, “keeping watch.” This corresponds to the operation of the intellect, the part of our mind that understands, reasons, analyzes, and “watches.” In this case, watching over the “flocks,” refers to our God-given ability to watch over and guard those tender, innocent thoughts and feelings that God has given us. These are the states in us that want to follow God and live according to His Word. Like sheep who follow their shepherd, we follow where God leads, receiving both goodness (green pastures) and truth (still waters) from Him. Then, like a shepherd who guards the flock and watches over them, we make sure that false thoughts and negative emotions do not break in to harm the “sheep” — especially at night. And so we read that these shepherds were “keeping watch over their flocks by night.” ²

On an individual level, we must be ever vigilant, keeping watch over the “flocks” within us. We need to observe our thoughts and feelings, noticing the subtle changes as they occur. This kind of self-examination is essential; without it we open ourselves to be preyed upon by wolves of every sort, the kind that would sneak in and destroy every innocent thought and tender emotion we might have. We must, therefore, be good shepherds, guarding our heavenly thoughts and feelings. We must learn to “keep watch.” ³

In addition to protecting our innocent states, keeping watch also helps us to be aware of the noble thoughts and benevolent emotions that are flowing in from God. This is the light which is given while we are watching for the coming of the Lord, even in our darkest states. As it is written: “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9)

The great light which shone upon the shepherds was accompanied by a wonderful proclamation: “Behold,” says the angel, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10).

This is only the beginning of the proclamation, but it is interesting to compare it to the proclamation that began this chapter, announcing that all the world should be registered. The contrast between the two proclamations is striking. The royal decree of Caesar Augustus is about the census, civil government, and taxation. But the angelic proclamation is about the advent of the Lord in our lives. “I bring you good tidings of great joy,” says the angel, “which will be to all people.”

The wonderful proclamation continues: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

The proclamation is accompanied by another  burst of light and there is even greater glory as the words of the angel are supported by a host of other angels: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Luke 2:13). In words of highest praise, now proclaimed by a multitude of angels, the angelic proclamation continues: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to all people” (Luke 2:14).

This was the manner in which the miraculous birth of Jesus was proclaimed to the shepherds. In response, the shepherds promptly went to Bethlehem to visit Mary, Joseph, and the Christ-child. After their visit, they made widely known all things told them concerning the child. Their immediate willingness to proclaim the Good News everywhere is contrasted to Mary who “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

The response of the shepherds reminds us of the Gospel of Mark, so full of the spirit of evangelization and proclamation. At the end of that gospel the disciples “went out and preached everywhere” (Mark 16:20), just as the shepherds do in the Gospel of Luke: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Luke 2:20).

But with Mary, it is very different. Instead of going out to preach the gospel, as do the shepherds, Mary is quiet, contemplative, and reflective. She ponders all these things in her heart. Her actions represent a key theme in this gospel: reflection, thought, and the development of a deeply spiritual understanding.

Simeon and Anna

20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, as it was spoken to them.

21. And when eight days were fulfilled for the circumcising of the little Child, His name was called Jesus, which He was called by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22. And when the days of her purification were fulfilled, according to the Law of Moses, they brought  Him  up to Jerusalem, to present [Him] to the Lord,

23. Even as it is written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;

24. And to give the sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves, or two young doves.

25. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name [was] Simeon; and this man [was] just and circumspect, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26. And a response  was  made to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27. And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents were bringing in the little Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,

28. He even received Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29. “Now Thou sendest Thy servant away in peace, O Lord, according to Thy saying;

30. “For my eyes have seen Thy salvation,

31. “Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;

32. “A light for a revelation for the nations, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”

33. And Joseph and His mother marveled at the things which were spoken concerning Him.

34. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this [Child] is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against.

35. “And also a sword shall pass through thine own soul, that the reasonings of many hearts may be revealed.”

36. And there was Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was advanced in many days, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

37. And she [was] a widow of about eighty-four years, who stood  not  back from the temple, serving [God] with fasting and prayers night and day.

38. And she, standing by at the hour itself, confessed the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those that waited for redemption in Jerusalem.

39. And when they had finished all things according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

As we have pointed out, the central theme of Luke is the development of the understanding. In keeping with this theme, it is appropriate that the next scene takes place in the temple. This time the occasion is the ritual of purification which normally took place forty days after a birth.  It is here, where an old man named Simeon first encounters the Child Jesus. As we read the description of Simeon’s experience, we note how often the story focuses on his “sight” and on what he “sees.” We read that “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seenthe Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). And when Simeon comes into the temple, he takes the Child up in his arms and says, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to your Word. For my eyes have seenYour salvation” (Luke 2:29-30).

Just as Zacharias had prophesied about “a light” that would shine in the darkness,(Luke 1:79), just as the shepherds beheld a great light — the “glory of the Lord” — shining upon them, the true Source of that light is now shining upon Simeon as he gazes upon the face of the Child. Deeply inspired, Simeon continues his prophecy: “My eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).

Turning to Mary, Simeon says, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against (yes, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35).

Simeon’s words are full of prophecy. There is a power that enables each of us to live according to the truth we know. And those who receive this power shall “rise,” while those who reject it shall “fall.” It is exactly as Simeon says: “Behold this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel.”

Because none of us is perfect, we will all undergo times of doubt and times of trial. There will be times when we feel the “piercing of the sword.” Even Mary would not be exempt. She would witness the horror of her own Son’s crucifixion, and feel a mother’s pain and anguish. Indeed, as Simeon had told her, “a sword shall pierce through your own soul also.”

It’s part of the journey. While our suffering might not be as great as Mary’s when she stood near the cross, nor as grievous as Jesus’ as He was crucified, there will be times when we too will experience sorrow, loss, and grief—times that may be so painful that it will feel as though a sword has pierced through our own soul. But these times are not to be avoided or feared. They can instead be opportunities to renew our faith, confirm our belief in God, and resolve to go forward. These are the times when our most cherished values will be challenged, and our deepest thoughts will be made manifest. These times and these trials are allowed to come into our lives so that our true nature may be exposed and “the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

But no matter how desperate our situation, or how grievous our trials, there is still a quiet place in our hearts that waits patiently for God. This faith is represented by Anna the prophetess, who, like Simeon, is led to the temple at that very moment. After a seven-year marriage, she remained as a widow for many years. Now, at the age of eighty-four, she has never departed from the temple. Instead, she has chosen to remain faithful, “serving God with fasting and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37).

It is noteworthy that both Simeon and Anna were drawn to the temple presentation at the very same time. Together they represent the essential spiritual affections—the affection for truth (Simeon) and the affection for goodness (Anna), which are necessary for “the performance of all things according to the law of the Lord” (Luke 2:39). Whenever these two qualities combine in us, we know we are in the presence of God, that the Holy Spirit is upon us, and that our eyes have seen His salvation. ⁴

This is not a one-time experience. It is an experience which continues to grow within us, an experience which becomes stronger over time. As it is written, “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:39).

In the Temple with the Scholars

40. And the little Child grew, and became strong in Spirit, filled full with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

41. And His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the festival of the Passover.

42. And when He was twelve years [old], they went to Jerusalem according to the custom of the festival.

43. And having finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and His mother knew [it] not.

44. But supposing Him to be among those on the way with [them], they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among [their] kinsfolk and acquaintances;

45. And finding Him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

46. And it came to pass, after three days, that they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

47. And all that heard Him were amazed at His understanding and answers.

48. And seeing Him they wondered; and His mother said to Him, “Child, why hast Thou done this to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee, grieving.”

49. And He said to them, “Why [is it] that you have sought Me? Knew you not that I must be in what [is] My Father’s?”

50. And they understood not the saying which He spoke to them.

51. And He came down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in age, and in grace with God and men.

As the narrative continues, the language of scripture reflects the gradual development of Jesus from the “Babe” (Luke 2:12), to the “Child Jesus” (Luke 2:27) to the “Boy Jesus” (Luke 2:43). In the next episode, we discover that the “Boy Jesus” is now twelve years old. His parents have taken Him to the temple at Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover: “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast” (Luke 2:42).

But when Joseph and Mary departed, and were already on their way back home, they discovered that Jesus was not with them. In fact they had already gone a whole day’s journey before they realized that Jesus was missing. Most likely, they had been traveling with many other people and had therefore assumed that Jesus was somewhere among them. But after inquiring among their traveling companions, and still not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem. “And so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46).

Jesus is “in the temple.” He is listening to the learned men and asking them questions. The theme of the understanding, its growth and development, continues: “And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers” (Luke 2:47).

When Joseph and Mary return to Jerusalem and find Jesus tarrying in the temple, Mary says, “Son, why have you done this to us?” She then continues, with another reference to sight: “Look,” she says. “Your father and I have sought You anxiously” (Luke 2:48). Jesus replies with words that reveal His true identity: “Why is it that you sought Me?” says Jesus. “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). As the episode comes to its conclusion, Jesus returns to Nazareth with his parents, and is obedient to them, but “His mother kept all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51). Jesus knew that it was altogether fitting and proper to obey the commandment, “Honor your father and mother.” But He also knew that His higher duty was to honor His Father in heaven.

This is why Jesus said, “I must be about My Father’s business.” His parents, however, “did not understand the statement which He spoke to them” (Luke 2:50).

Even though His words must have been confusing to them, Mary continued to ponder their meaning. It is interesting to recall that Mary had a similar response after the visit of the shepherds. There we read that “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). In both cases, Mary’s response becomes emblematic of that deeper response to Jesus’ words that we are each called to make. It is a calling that invites us to ponder, reflect, and meditate on the meaning and significance of Jesus’ words in our own lives.

It should also be noted that apart from the birth in the stable and the appearance of the angels to the shepherds, the temple remains the focal point of most of the episodes in these first two chapters. Luke begins with Zacharias in the temple. Then, in chapter two, the Child Jesus is presented in the temple and Simeon prophesies in the temple. Then there is Anna “who did not depart from the temple but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.” And now, at the end of this second chapter, when it was time to leave the temple, we read that Jesus did not want to leave the temple, Jesus did not want to go. Instead, He chose to remain in the temple where He could, as He put it, “Be about My Father’s business.”

When we reflect on Zacharias’ prayers in the temple, when we consider Mary’s role as the pondering, thoughtful mother, and when we think of Jesus, even as a young child, sitting in the temple, listening to the law, and asking questions, we cannot help but wonder about these references to a contemplative, prayerful, truth-seeking, life — devoted to the development of the understanding. The emphasis is upon the contemplative aspect of our lives, a commitment to prayer, and a willingness to “ponder in our heart” all the things of God. In this stage of our spiritual development, our focus is on learning and understanding the Word of God. Like Jesus, we must be “about our Father’s business.”

Footnotes:

506. The fourth experience. ¹

I saw in the spiritual world two flocks, one of goats, the other of sheep. I wondered who they were, since I knew that when animals are seen in the spiritual world, they are not animals, but correspondences of the affections and from these the thoughts of those who are there. So I went nearer, and as I approached, the likenesses of animals disappeared, and I saw human beings in their place. It became clear that those who made up the flock of goats were those who had convinced themselves of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and those who made up the flock of sheep were those who believed that charity and faith are one, just as good and truth are one.

[2] Then I spoke with those who had appeared like goats and said: 'Why have you met together?' Most were clergy who had prided themselves on their reputation for learning, because they knew the secrets of justification by faith alone.

They said that they had met together to hold a council, because they had heard that Paul's statement that man is justified by faith without the deeds prescribed by the law (Romans 3:28) had not been properly understood. For by faith there Paul did not mean the faith of the present-day church, in three Divine persons from eternity, but faith in the Lord God, the Saviour Jesus Christ. By the deeds prescribed by the law he did not mean the deeds prescribed by the law of the Ten Commandments, but those prescribed for the Jews by the law of Moses. Thus from those few words people had come to two monstrously false conclusions by incorrect interpretation: that faith meant the faith of the present-day church, and the deeds meant those prescribed by the Ten Commandments. 'Paul did not mean these,' they said, 'but those prescribed by the law of Moses which were intended for the Jews; and this is clearly established from his saying to Peter, whom he criticised for following Jewish practices, although he knew that no one is justified by the deeds prescribed by the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:14-16).' The faith of Jesus Christ is faith in Him and from Him, see above 338. Because by the deeds prescribed by the law Paul understood the deeds prescribed by the law of Moses, he made a distinction between the law of faith and the law of deeds, and between Jews and gentiles, or between circumcision and lack of circumcision. Circumcision means the Jews, as everywhere else. And he ends with these words:

Are we then abolishing the law by faith? By no means, we are reinforcing the law, Romans 3:27-31.

(He says all this in a single passage.) He also says in the preceding chapter:

It is not those who hear the law who will be justified by God, but those who keep it, Romans 2:13.

He says elsewhere that God will repay each according to his deeds (Romans 2:6), and:

We must all be put on show before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be rewarded for his bodily acts, whether good or ill. 2 Corinthians 5:10.

There are many more passages showing that Paul rejected faith without good deeds, just as much as James did (James 2:17-26).

[3] Further evidence that Paul meant the deeds prescribed by the law of Moses for the Jews can be drawn from the fact that all the statutes for the Jews are called in the writings of Moses the law, and so these are the deeds prescribed by the law; e.g.:

This is the law of the grain offering, Leviticus 6:14, 18ff.

This is the law of the burnt-offering, the grain-offering, the sin-sacrifice, the guilt-sacrifice and the consecration, Leviticus 7:37, This is the law of beast and bird, Leviticus 11:46ff.

This is the law for one who bears a child, a son or a daughter, Leviticus 12:7.

This is the law for a leprous disease, Leviticus 13:59; 14:2, 32, 54, 57 This is the law of the person with a discharge, Leviticus 15:32.

This is the law in cases of jealousy, Numbers 5:29-30.

This is the law for the Nazirite, Numbers 6:13, 21.

This is the law of cleansing, Numbers 19:14.

This is the law concerning the red cow, Numbers 19:2.

The law for the king, Deuteronomy 17:15-19.

In fact, the whole book of Moses is called 'the Book of the Law' (Deuteronomy 31:9, 11-12, 26; also Luke 2:22; 24:44; John 1:45; 7:22-23; 8:5). They went on to say that they had seen in the writings of Paul that the Law of the Ten Commandments was to be observed in living and to be fulfilled by charity (Romans 13:8-11). He also says that there are three things, faith, hope and charity, and that the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinthians 13:13). So it is clear he did not put faith first. They said that these subjects were what they had been summoned to debate.

[4] However, not to disturb them, I went away; and then again they looked at a distance like goats, sometimes lying down and sometimes standing. But they turned their backs on the flock of sheep. When they were debating, they seemed to be lying down, but standing up when they reached a conclusion. But I kept my gaze fixed on their horns, and was surprised to notice that at one time the horns on their foreheads appeared to point forwards and upwards, at another time curving away towards their backs and eventually pointing completely the other way. Then they suddenly turned to face the flock of sheep, but they still looked like goats. So I went up to them again and asked: 'What are you doing now?' They replied that they had reached the conclusion that faith alone produces the good deeds of charity, as a tree produces fruit.

Then a clap of thunder was heard, and a flash of lightning was seen coming from above. Following this an angel appeared, standing between the two flocks, who shouted to the flock of sheep: 'Do not listen to them. They have not abandoned their former faith, which is that faith alone brings justification and salvation, and the practice of charity plays no part. Neither is faith a tree; it is man who is the tree. Repent and look to the Lord, and you will have faith; before doing that, the faith you have is not a faith with any life in it.'

Then the goats whose horns were curved backwards wanted to join the sheep. But the angel who stood between them divided the sheep into two flocks. He told those on the left: 'Go and join the goats; but I warn you, the wolf will come and seize them, and you with them.'

[5] After the two flocks of sheep had been separated, and those on the left had heard the angel's threatening words, they looked at one another and said: 'Let us talk with our former companions.' Then the left-hand flock spoke to the right-hand one and said: 'Why have you abandoned our shepherds ² ? Are not faith and charity one, as a tree and its fruit are one? The tree extends through its branches into the fruit; if you break a piece off a branch which forms the connection between the tree and its fruit, the fruit will be lost, won't it, and together with the fruit all the seed which might grow into a new tree? Ask our priests if that isn't so.'

So they asked the priests, and they looked around at the rest, who were winking at them to get them to say that they had made a good point. After this they replied: 'You have made a good point, but as regards the extension of faith into good deeds, like that of a tree into its fruit, we know many secrets, but this is not the occasion to divulge them. The chain or thread which links faith and charity has many knots on it, and only we, the priests, are able to undo them.'

[6] Then one of the priests, who belonged to the right-hand flock of sheep, got up and said: 'Their answer to you was Yes, but to their own party No, for they do not think as they speak.' 'How then do they think?' the others asked; 'Don't they think as they teach?'

'No,' he replied, 'they think that every good of charity, what is called a good deed, which a person does for the sake of salvation and everlasting life, is not in the least good, because by doing the deed himself the person wants to save himself, claiming for himself the righteousness and merit of the one Saviour. They think that this is true of every good deed in which a person is aware of his volition. They hold therefore that there is no link at all between faith and charity, not even that faith is retained and preserved by good deeds.'

[7] But those who belonged to the left-hand flock said: 'You are telling lies to accuse them. Don't they preach charity and its deeds, what they call the deeds of faith, openly in our hearing?'

'You do not understand their sermons,' he replied; only a clergyman who is present can grasp and understand them. What they have in mind is merely moral charity, and its social and political good deeds.

They call these the good deeds of faith, but they are certainly not. For an atheist can do them just as well and in the same guise. They say therefore with one voice that no one is saved by any deeds, but by faith alone. Let us take a comparison to illustrate this. They say that an apple-tree produces apples, but that if a person does good for the sake of salvation, just as the tree by a continuous extension of itself produces apples, then the apples are rotten inside and full of maggots. They say too that a vine produces grapes, but if a person were to do spiritual good deeds as a vine makes grapes, he would make bitter grapes.'

[8] Then they asked: 'What for them are the good deeds of charity, those that are the fruits of faith?'

He replied that perhaps they lurk out of sight somewhere near faith, but are not attached to it. 'They are,' he said, 'like a person's shadow, which follows behind him when he is looking towards the sun, and which he cannot see unless he turns around. Or rather I might say that they are like horses' tails, which in many places are docked nowadays, because people say: "What use are they? They serve no purpose, and if they remain attached to the horse, they easily get dirty."'

On hearing this someone in the left-hand flock of sheep became indignant and said: 'There certainly must be some link, else how could they be called the deeds of faith? Possibly the good deeds of charity are introduced by God into what a person does of his own will by some influence; let us say, by some affection, some afflatus, inspiration, urging and excitation of the will, some silent perception in thought, leading to exhortation, contrition and so to conscience, and thus leading to compulsion, obedience to the Ten Commandments and the Word, either like a child or like a wise man, or by some other means resembling these. How else could they call them the fruits of faith?'

To this the priest replied that they could not. 'And,' he said, 'if they do say that something like this happens, they still stuff their sermons full of words which prove that it is not from faith. There are still others who teach that such things occur but only as signs of faith, not as bonds linking it with charity. There are some, however, who have devised a theory of linking by means of the Word.'

Then they said, 'Isn't this how a link is made?' But he answered, 'That is not what they think, but they imagine it happens just by listening to the Word. For they claim that man's whole rational and voluntary faculty is in matters to do with faith impure and merit-seeking, since in spiritual matters a person cannot understand or will anything, work or co-operate, any more than a stick.'

[9] However one, on hearing that man was believed to be like this in all matters to do with faith and salvation, said: 'I heard someone saying: "I have planted a vineyard. Now I shall drink wine until I am drunk." But another man asked: "Surely you will drink wine out of your goblet by the use of your right hand?" "No," he said, "I shall drink out of an invisible goblet by means of an invisible hand." "Then," said the other man, "you certainly won't get drunk."'

A little later the same man said: 'Please listen to me. I tell you, drink the wine which comes from understanding the Word. Don't you know that the Lord is the Word? Is not the Word from the Lord? Is He not thus in it? If therefore you do good from the Word, are you not doing it from the Lord, in accordance with His words and His will? If you then look to the Lord, He will also guide and teach you, and you will do it of yourselves from the Lord. Can anyone who does something at a king's behest, in accordance with his words and his instructions, say: "I am doing this in accordance with my own words or instructions, and of my own will."'

[10] After this he turned to the clergy and said: 'You ministers of God, do not lead the flock astray.' On hearing this the majority of the left-hand flock went away and joined the right-hand flock.

Then some of the clergy began saying: 'We have heard things we never heard before. But we are shepherds, and we shall not abandon the sheep.' So they went away with them, saying: 'This man has uttered a true saying. How can anyone say "I do this of myself" when he does it in accordance with the Word, so at the Lord's behest, in accordance with His words and His will? Can anyone who does something at a king's behest, in accordance with his words and his will, say: "I am doing this of myself"? We now see it was by Divine providence that the link between faith and good deeds, which is recognised by the members of the church, was not discovered. It could not be, because it could not exist; for there was no faith in the Lord, who is the Word, and so there was not either any faith coming from the Word.'

But the rest of the priests, who belonged to the flock of goats, went off waving their hats and shouting: 'Faith alone, faith alone, long live faith alone.'

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