Homilies on Luke — Homily 36 (Luke 17:20–37)
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: "Whoever wishes to save his soul will lose it", up to the place where he says: "the kingdom of God is within you".
"Whoever seeks", he says, "to save his soul will lose it, and whoever loses it will save it". The martyrs seek "to save their soul"; and for this reason they lose it, in order to save it. But those who wish "to save their soul" and do not "lose" it, these "lose both body and soul" alike "in hell". Wherefore, he says, "do not fear those who can kill the body, but rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell". This much we have said briefly on the point at hand, according to the strength of our talent; but "the natural man does not receive the things that are of the Spirit", and therefore he cannot be saved. "A natural body is sown, a spiritual body rises". Further, "he who cleaves to the Lord becomes one spirit" with him. If, then, "he who is joined to the Lord", though he was natural, is by that very thing turned into a spiritual man and "is one spirit", let us too lose our soul, so that, cleaving to the Lord, we may be transformed into one spirit. But indeed, when the Savior was asked by the Pharisees about the kingdom of God, "when it would come", he replied: "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor do they say: behold, here, or behold, there. For the kingdom of God is within you". The Savior does not say to all: "the kingdom of God is within you", since in sinners there is the kingdom of sin, and without any ambiguity either the kingdom of God rules in our heart or the kingdom of sin. Whence, whether it be the things we do, or the things we speak, or the things we think, let us contemplate them more attentively, and then we shall see whether the dominion of God reigns in us or the dominion of sins. The Apostle, knowing that this diversity exists, admonishes certain people, saying: "let not sin reign in your mortal body". If any one of us desires the kingdom of God, he is ruled by it; if anyone is tormented by the ardor of avarice, he is ruled by avarice. Further, he who is just has justice as his queen; he who is exalted by the ambition of vainglory, the breath of popular favor reigns over him. He who mourns, he who dreads something, he who loves, he who desires — each of these things commands him, according as he is possessed by various disturbances. Recognizing all these things, and how many kinds of kingdoms there are, let us rise up and pray God to take away from us the kingdom of the enemy, that we may be able to be under the kingdom of God almighty, that is, under the kingdom of wisdom, of peace, of justice, of truth — all of which are understood in the only-begotten Son of God: to whom is glory and dominion for ages of ages. Amen.