Homilies on Luke — Homily 39 (Luke 20:27–40)
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.On the question of the Sadducees, which they put to the Lord, concerning the woman who had seven husbands, and again on the coin which the Savior ordered to be shown to him.
There is a sect among the Jews which is called the sect of the Sadducees: this sect denies "the resurrection of the dead" and supposes that the soul perishes together with the body, and that after death no faculty of perception any longer remains. These men, then, in putting a question to the Lord, made up the tale of the woman with seven husbands, who after her first husband, in order to raise up seed for the former, married a second, and when he had died a third also, and again a fourth, and in this manner arrived at the seventh. The question, therefore, is which of the seven brothers will claim her as his wife "in the resurrection of the dead". Now they proposed this problem, laying a snare for the words of the Savior, at that time when they saw him teaching his disciples about the resurrection. Answering them, the Savior said: "You are in error, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection of the dead they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but they will be like the angels in heaven". Those who will be like the angels will certainly be angels. And at the same time it must be learned that the angels have no marriages. Here indeed, where there is death, both marriages and children are necessary; but where there is immortality, there is need neither of wedlock nor of sons. Let me set before myself a very troublesome question, one that is not easily solved, in the person of those who are most zealous for the Scriptures and who "meditate day and night in the law of the Lord". Where, they say, is it written that "they will neither marry nor be given in marriage"? Passing through both the Old and the New Testament in memory and mind, I do not recall that anything of the kind is anywhere reported. But if perchance it escapes me, let him who knows more teach me; I gladly learn what I do not know; yet as far as I judge, he will find nothing of the sort in either the Old or the New instrument. All their error, therefore, has crept in from the reading of the prophets, which they do not understand — among which is that passage in Isaiah: "my chosen ones will not have children for a curse", and in Deuteronomy among the blessings: "blessed are the children of your womb" — and they suppose that these things are to be in the resurrection, not understanding that spiritual blessings were foretold. For Paul, "the vessel of election", interpreting spiritually all these blessings that are set down in the law, and knowing that they are not carnal, speaks to the Ephesians: "blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing". And so all these blessings will be spiritual, when, rising from the dead, we attain eternal blessedness. But in the Psalms too, finding something similar, they slip into the same error: "your wife", it says, "like a fruitful vine on the sides of your house, your children like young olive shoots around your table", up to that place where it says: "may the Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good things that are of Jerusalem". Therefore, when Jerusalem has been furnished and restored to its ancient state, then the holy one will see the good things which the Scripture mentions. Those who understand Jerusalem spiritually, and know that it is said of her: "which is heavenly, which is above, which is our mother", will see her good things, of which we have often spoken, and that which we have now cited from the psalm: "your wife like a fruitful vine on the sides of your house, your children like young olive shoots around your table". To the Sadducees, who were a portion of the Jews, understanding all these things bodily, the Savior says: "you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God". Let these things be said briefly concerning the question which the Sadducees put to the Lord. Furthermore, since something was added about the image of Caesar, we must also touch briefly upon this. Some suppose that it was said by the Savior simply: "render to Caesar what is Caesar's", that is: pay the tribute which you owe. For who among us objects to paying tribute to Caesar? Therefore the passage holds something mystical and hidden. There are two images in man: one, which he received from God when he was made in the beginning, as it is written in Genesis: "according to the image and likeness of God"; the other "of the earthy" ("choici"), which afterward, when he had been cast out of paradise because of disobedience and sin, he took on, persuaded by the enticements of "the prince of this world". For just as a coin or denarius bears the image of the emperors of the world, so he who does the works of "the ruler of these darknesses" bears the image of him whose works he has: which image Jesus here commanded to be rendered back and cast off from our face, and that image to be taken up according to which from the beginning we were fashioned to the likeness of God. And thus it comes about that we render "what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God". "Show me", he says, "the coin", for which in Matthew is written "denarius". And when he had received it, he said: "whose inscription does it have?" They answering said: "Caesar's". To them again he said: "render what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God". The logical sequence of these things Paul too has expressed, saying: "as we have borne the image of the earthy ("choici"), let us also bear the image of the heavenly". So then, what he says: "render what is Caesar's to Caesar", this he means: lay aside the person of the earthy ("choici"), cast off the earthly image, so that, putting upon yourselves the person of the heavenly, you may be able to render "what is God's to God". God demands us back. What does he demand back? Read Moses: "and now what does the Lord your God demand back from you?" and the rest that follows. God therefore requires of us and beseeches us, not because he has need of anything that we might bestow upon him, but so that, after we have given it to him, he may bestow that very thing upon us for salvation. And that this may become clearer, let me set down the parable of the minas. He who had received one mina and had made ten and offered it to the Lord, by whom the mina had been entrusted to him, received also another which he had not had before. For the mina of him who had not multiplied what he had received the Lord orders to be taken away and given to the one who has others; "take away", he says, "the mina and give it to him who has ten minas". And in this manner, the things we have given to God he will restore to us, those very things, together with the things we had not had before. God exacts and requires of us, so that he may have occasion for giving, so that he himself may bestow, who paid it out. For by his own grace the mina was doubled, and to each of the worthy more was given than they hoped for. Wherefore, rising up, let us pray to God that we may be worthy to offer him gifts which he may restore to us, and that in exchange for earthly things he may lavish heavenly ones upon us, in Christ Jesus: to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Here end the thirty-nine homilies of Adamantius Origen on the Gospel of Luke, translated from Greek into Latin by the blessed presbyter Jerome.