Homilies on Luke — Homily 21 (Luke 3:1–4)
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: "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar", up to the place where it says: "make his paths straight".
When the prophetic word was sent to the Jews alone, Jewish kings were set at the heading. For example: "The vision which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw against Judea and against Jerusalem, in the reign of Uzziah and Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah"; nor do I see anyone else, apart from the kings of Judea, designated in Isaiah's time. In certain of the prophets we read also the kings of Israel, as in that place: "and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel". But when the mystery of the Gospel was to be proclaimed and the Gospel was to be spread throughout the whole world, whose herald John was in the wilderness, and the empire of Tiberius ruled the world, then "in the fifteenth year" of him "the word of the Lord" is described as having "come to John". And if salvation had had to be announced only to those who were about to believe from among the nations, and Israel had had to be wholly excluded, it would have sufficed to say: "In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea". But because from Judea also and from Galilee many were about to believe, therefore these kingdoms too are set at the heading, and it is said: "Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert". Of old "the word of God came to Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, who was of the priests" in the time of this or that king of Judah; now "the word of God comes to John, the son of Zechariah", which never came to the prophets "in the desert". But because "the children" of the desolate one "were to be more" than of "her who has a husband", therefore "the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert". And at the same time consider that it has more reason in it, if the desert is understood mystically and not according to the simple letter. For he who preaches "in the desert" acts to no purpose in crying out there where no one hears him speaking. The forerunner of Christ, therefore, and "the voice of one crying in the desert", preaches "in the desert" of the soul that does not have peace. And not only then, but also in the present, first "the burning and shining lamp" comes and "preaches the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins"; then "the true light" follows after, when "the lamp" itself says: "he must increase, but I must decrease". The word of God comes "in the desert", and "he came into all the country round about the Jordan". For what other places ought the Baptist to have gone around, except those neighboring the Jordan, so that whoever wished to do penance might be at hand for the washing of water? Moreover, "Jordan" is interpreted "descending". And the river "descending" and running with a great rush is God our Savior, the Lord, into whom we are baptized with true water, with saving water. Baptism is preached also "for the remission of sins": Come, catechumens, do penance, that you may obtain baptism "for the remission" of sins. He receives baptism "for the remission of sins" who ceases to sin. For if anyone comes to the washing while sinning, no remission of sins is made for him. Therefore I beseech you, do not come to baptism without caution and careful circumspection, but first show "fruits worthy of repentance"! Spend some time in good conduct, keep yourselves clean from all filth and vices, and then remission of sins will be made for you, when you yourselves also have begun to despise your own sins. Forgive your offenses, and they will be forgiven you. But this very thing, which is now set down from the old instrument, we read written in the prophet Isaiah. For there it is said: "The voice of one crying in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight". The Lord wishes to find ways in you—he who, that he may be able to enter into your souls and make his journey, prepare for him the path of which it is said: "make his paths straight". "The voice of one crying in the desert". "The voice" cries: "prepare the way"; for first "the voice" reaches the ears, then after the voice—rather, together with the voice—the word penetrates the hearing. According to this sense Christ was announced by John. Let us see, therefore, what "the voice" announces concerning the word. "Prepare", it says, "the way for the Lord". What "way for the Lord" are we to prepare? Surely not a bodily one? Or can the word of God travel by such a road? Or is the way to be prepared for the Lord within, and straight and even paths to be laid out in our heart? This is the way by which the word of God enters, which consists in the capacity of the human heart. Great is the heart of man, and spacious and capacious, if only it be clean. Do you wish to know its greatness and breadth? See how great a magnitude of divine perceptions it can contain. It itself says: "he gave me true knowledge of the things that are: to know the constitution of the world and the operations of the elements, the beginning and the end and the middle of the ages, the changes of the seasons and the transitions of the months, the circuits of the years and the positions of the stars, the natures of living creatures and the ragings of beasts, the violences of spirits and the thoughts of men, the diversities of trees and the power of roots". You see that the heart of man is not small, which can contain so much. And understand its greatness not in the quantity of the body, but in the strength of perception, which can contain so great a knowledge of the truth. But that I may also lead the simpler folk by everyday examples to believe that the heart of man is great, let us look at what follows. Whatever cities we have passed through, we have them in our mind, and the qualities and situations of the streets and the walls and the buildings are turning over in our heart. The road that we have entered upon we retain in the picture and description of memory; the sea that we have sailed we embrace in silent thought. It is no small thing, as I have said, the heart of man, which can contain so much. But if it is no small thing, containing so much, consequently in it the way of the Lord is prepared and a straight path is made, so that the word of God and wisdom may walk in it. Prepare the way for the Lord through good conduct, and by outstanding works wear smooth the path, so that the word of God may walk in you without any stumbling and may grant you the knowledge of his mysteries and of his coming: to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.