Homilies on Luke — Homily 3 (Luke 1:11)
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: "an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense".
Things that are corporeal and lacking in sense-perception, so as to be seen by another, contribute nothing of themselves, but only the eye of another, intent upon them—whether they will it or not—sees them, wherever it has directed its gaze and contemplation. For what can a man, or any other thing surrounded by a gross body, do, when it is present, to keep from being perceived? On the contrary, those things which are heavenly and divine, even when they are present, are not seen unless they themselves will it; and it lies in their will to be seen or not to be seen. It was the grace of God that He appeared to Abraham or to the rest of the prophets—not because the eye of Abraham's heart alone was the cause of his beholding God, but because the grace of God freely offered itself to be looked upon by the just man. And this you are to understand not only concerning God the Father, but also concerning the Lord the Savior and concerning the Holy Spirit and—to descend to lesser beings—concerning the Cherubim and Seraphim. For it can happen that even now, while we are speaking, an angel is present, and yet, because we do not deserve it, we are unable to see him. For although the eye whether of our body or of our soul strains itself to contemplate, unless the angel appears of his own accord and offers himself to be seen, the one who desires to see will not see. And so, wherever it is written: "God appeared" to this or that person, and, as now: "an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense", understand it as I have said. Whether God or an angel, to Abraham or to Zechariah, whether he is unwilling or willing, either will not be seen or will be seen. And this we say not only in the "present age", but also in the age to come, when we shall have departed from the world: that not to all do either God or the angels appear—that is, that he who has gone out from the body should straightway deserve to see both the angels and the Holy Spirit and the Lord the Savior and God the Father Himself; rather, he alone will see who has a clean heart and has shown himself such as to be worthy of the sight of God. And although he who is clean of heart and he who is still bespattered with some filth may be in the same place, the one place will be able neither to harm nor to help anyone, because he who has a clean heart will see God, but he who is not such will not see that which is beheld by another. Something of this kind I think must also be understood concerning Christ, when He was seen in the body: that not all who saw Him were able to see Him. For they saw only His body, but according to that which Christ was, they could not see Him. The disciples, however, saw Him and contemplated the greatness of His divinity. On which account I think that to Philip too, who entreated and said: "show us the Father, and it is enough for us", the Savior replied: "am I so long a time with you, and you have not known me? Philip, he who sees me sees also the Father". For neither did Pilate, who was seeing Jesus, behold the Father, nor did the traitor Judas—since neither Pilate himself nor Judas saw Christ according to that which Christ was, nor did the multitude that pressed upon Him. Those alone saw Jesus whom He judged worthy of His sight. Let us therefore, we also, labor that even in the present God may appear to us—for the holy word of the Scriptures has promised: "because He is found by those who do not tempt Him, and He appears to those who are not unbelieving toward Him"—and that in the age to come He may not be hidden from us, but that we may see Him "face to face" and have confidence of a good life and enjoy the sight of Almighty God in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit: to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.