Homilies on Luke — Homily 2 (Luke 1:6)
Latin source: Origen's Greek homilies on Luke, surviving only in Jerome's Latin translation (c. 391), from the reading text of M. Rauer (ed.), Origenes Werke IX (GCS 35, Leipzig, 1930). This English translation is released into the public domain.Concerning what is written: "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord without reproach".
Those who wish to spread over their sins some excuse suppose that no one is without sin, and they make use of the testimony written in Job: "No one is clean from filth, not even if his life upon the earth should be but of a single day; his months, moreover, are numbered". Of this passage they bring forward only the sound, being wholly ignorant of its interpretation. Against them we shall reply briefly, that to be without sin is understood in the Scriptures in two ways: the one, never to have sinned at all; the other, to have ceased from sinning. If, then, they say that he is called without sin who has never sinned, we too agree that no one is without sin, since all of us as human beings have at some time sinned, even though afterward we have pursued virtue. But if they so understand a man not to be without sin as to deny that anyone, after his vices, so betakes himself to the virtues that he never sins at all, then their opinion is false. For it can come about that one who has sinned before, when he ceases from sinning, is said to be without sin. Thus also our Lord Jesus Christ "presented to himself a glorious Church, not having spot", not because the churchly man has never had a spot, but because he is by no means spotted any longer: "not having wrinkle", not that the wrinkle "of the old man" was never at some time in him, but that he has ceased to have it. In this manner also that which follows is to be understood: "that it may be holy and unspotted", not that from the beginning it was unspotted — for this indeed cannot be supposed of a man, that his soul was not spotted — but that it is reckoned pure and sincere, having ceased to be spotted any longer. We say these things for this reason, that we might teach that a man can, on the ground that he has ceased to sin, be called without sin and "unspotted". Hence also it is most plainly written concerning Zechariah and Elizabeth: "they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord without reproach". Let us more carefully contemplate the praises of Zechariah and Elizabeth which holy Luke writes in his history, not only that we may know that they were praiseworthy, but that, taking up their holy zeal, we too may be made worthy of praise. He could have written simply: "they were both righteous, walking in all the commandments"; but now it is necessarily added: "they were both righteous before God". For it can indeed come about that someone is righteous before men, but is not so "before God". For example: when a man has nothing evil that he might speak about me, and, considering everything about me, finds nothing to disparage, I am righteous "in the sight" of men. Suppose that all hold the same opinion of me, and seek what they might disparage, and yet cannot find it, but praise me with one accord — I am righteous "in the sight" of very many men. But the judgment of men is not certain: for they do not know whether in the hidden part of my heart I have at some time sinned, whether I have looked upon a woman to lust after her, and adultery has been born in my heart. Men are ignorant, when they have seen me give alms according to my means, whether I did it because of God's commandment or sought the praise and favor of men. It is a difficult thing to be righteous "before God", so that you do some good for no other cause than for the sake of the good itself, and seek God alone as the rewarder of your good work. Something like this the Apostle also says: "whose praise is not from men, but from God". Blessed is he who is righteous and praiseworthy "before God". For men, although they may seem to have a certain judgment, nevertheless cannot pronounce with clarity. For it happens sometimes that they praise one who is not praiseworthy, and disparage one who is by no means worthy of disparagement. God alone is a righteous judge both in praise and in blame.
Hence worthily now also it is added in the praise of the righteous: "they were both righteous before God". To something like this Solomon too exhorts us in the Proverbs, saying: "provide good things in the sight of God and of men". There follows another commendation of Zechariah and Elizabeth: "walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord". When we judge well and rightly concerning any matters, we walk "in the ordinances of the Lord"; when we do this or that, we walk "in his commandments". Hence I think that holy Luke also, wishing to proclaim them with perfect praise, said: "they were both righteous, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord". Let someone say to me: if this praise is perfect, what does this mean, that it is said: "without reproach"? For it was enough to say: "walking in all the ways and ordinances of the Lord", unless it could come about that one walks in all the commandments of God, and yet does not walk "without reproach". And how can it happen that one walking "in all the commandments and ordinances of God" should be under reproach? To this I shall briefly say: unless this were so, we should never know it recorded, written in another place: "justly pursue that which is just". For unless there were something just which we might pursue not justly, it would by no means be enjoined upon us that we should justly pursue that which is just. For when we do the commandment of God and in our conscience are bespattered with the filth of vainglory, so as to please men, or some other cause which does not please God goes before as the motive of the good work, then, although we do the precept of God, nevertheless we do not do it "without reproach", and we pursue unjustly that which is just. It is therefore difficult to walk "in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord without reproach", according to the testimony and praise of God in Christ Jesus, which is to be rendered on the day of judgment by him before whom "all of us must be made manifest before his tribunal, that each one may receive the things he has done through the body, whether good or evil". "For we shall all stand before the tribunal of God", that we may receive what we deserve in Christ Jesus: to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.