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Chapter 39MedVC.1.39

De retributione relinquentium omnia

The Hundredfold Promise

Christ promises a hundredfold reward in this life and eternal life to come for those who leave all to follow him, and Bernard of Clairvaux is invoked to address the skeptic who demands proof before believing.

When Simon Peter, a faithful and prudent disciple, asked the Lord Jesus on behalf of himself and his companions about their reward, the Lord answered, among other things, that all who leave behind the things of this age to follow him will receive a hundredfold in this world, and eternal life in the age to come.✦✦ Take careful note of this reward, and rejoice with great joy, and return thanks and praise to the Lord with your whole heart, because he has led you to such a bargain that you gain a hundred for one, and nonetheless also eternal life. This hundredfold, however, is a hundredfold of spiritual things, not of material things — namely, of interior consolations and of the virtues, which we come to know through experience, not through teaching alone. — virtues, which we come to know through experience, not through teaching. For when the soul tastes the fragrance of poverty, the purity of chastity, the beauty of patience, and the other virtues, and delights in them — doesn't it seem to you that it has already received the hundredfold? And if it rises further still, to receive the Bridegroom's visit and to glory in his presence — doesn't it then receive more than a thousandfold of all things whatsoever they may be and however they may be, which it had given up for his sake? You see how true is what Truth himself speaks: he does not fail to repay a hundredfold in this age — and not only once, but many times and often — to the soul devoted to him, so much so that he affects it in such a way that it comes to regard not only what it left behind, but the whole world, as dung, in order to gain its Bridegroom.✦✦ But so that you may be more fully instructed about this hundredfold, hear what Bernard says on the subject: 'If perhaps some person still living in the world should say, "Show me the hundredfold you promise, and I will gladly leave everything" — what should I show?'

The Hidden Manna of Faith

Bernard teaches that the hundredfold cannot be demonstrated by human reason but is known only through faith, and that the indwelling of Christ and the visitation of the Paraclete far exceed any material reckoning.

Faith, you see, has no merit when human reason can offer proof of the thing believed. Would you rather believe a man who shows you proof than believe Truth itself when it makes a promise? You fail when you try to scrutinize by investigation alone. Unless you have believed, you will not understand.✦ It is hidden manna — the manna promised to the victor in the Apocalypse of John: a new name that no one has known except the one who receives it.✦ And a little further on: 'Doesn't such a person finally possess all things, for whom all things work together for good?'✦ Doesn't such a person have a hundredfold of all things — the one who is filled with the Holy Spirit, who holds Christ in his heart? Except that the visitation of the Paraclete Spirit and the presence of Christ are far more than a hundredfold.✦

The Abundance of Hidden Sweetness

The soul overflows with praise at God's hidden sweetness, recognizing the hundredfold as adoption, the Spirit's firstfruits, interior joy amid tribulation, and the fire of love that empowered the martyrs.

How great is the abundance of your sweetness, Lord — how deeply you have hidden it from those who fear you! You have brought it to completion for those who hope in you. You see how a holy soul pours forth the memory of this abundance of sweetness — how, yearning to give expression to it, it multiplies its words.✦ How great, it says, is this abundance! This hundredfold return, then, is the adoption of sons, the freedom and firstfruits of the Spirit, the delights of love, the glory of conscience, the kingdom of God that is within us.✦✦ Not food or drink, certainly, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.✦ Joy, indeed — not only in the hope of glory, but in the midst of tribulations.✦✦ This is the fire that Christ longed to see blazing fiercely.✦ It is this power that made Andrew embrace the cross, Lawrence mock his executioners, and Stephen in death bend his knees in prayer for those who stoned him.✦

The Peace That Surpasses All

Christ's peace, given to the elect, surpasses every worldly pleasure; it is the grace of devotion known only through experience, and the reader is called to rejoice and enter this paradise through prayer.

This is the peace Christ left to his own.✦ — Not far from the end. — From the Gospel. When Christ gave his own — and indeed his gift and peace belong to the elect of God — it is surely the peace of the Father and the gift of future glory.✦✦ That peace surpasses every sense; but even beside it, whatever pleases under the sun, whatever is desired in the world — none of it can be compared.✦✦ This is the grace of devotion, the anointing that teaches about all things — what the one who has experienced it knows, the one who hasn't been through it is ignorant of. No one knows it except the one who receives it.✦ Thus far Bernard. Rejoice, then, and be glad, as I have said, and give thanks — because you have been called to receive this hundredfold. And enter this paradise often, which you'll be able to obtain through the devotion of prayer.✦✦

Read the original Latin

Cum fideUs et prudens discipulus Simon Petrus, queereret a Domino Jesu pro se et sociis de retributione ipsorum; respondit Dominus inter aUa '•', quod omnes qui temporaUa dimittentes ipsum sequerentur, centuplum accipient in hoc mundo, et vitam seternam in futuro. Nota bene hanc retribufionem, et gaude gaudio magno, et gratias et laudes Domino referas toto affectu, quod ad talem negoUationem te adduxit, ut manuaUter de uno centum lucreris, et nihilominus etiam vitam aeternam. Hoc autem centucentuplum spirituaUum, non corporaUum re- p^"°° _ rum est, videUcet consolationum internarum et lii. virtutum, quas per experienfias cognoscimus, non per doctrinam. Cum enim anima gustat odorem paupertatis, castilatis nitorem, et patientiee caeterarumque virtutum, et delectatur in eis; nonne centuplum recepisse videturtibi? Et si ulterius ascendat, ut visitationem Sponsi recipiat, etad ejuspraesentiamglorietur; nonne tunc recipit plus quam millecuplum omnium quaecumque fuerint, et quomodocumque fuerint, quae pro eo dimiserat? Vides quomodo verum est quod loquitur \eritas; non fallit quin centuplum reddat in hoc saeculo, etiam non tantum semel, sed pluries et saepe animae sibi devotae, adeo ut sic afQciat eam, ut non solum quae reliquit, sed totum mundum arbitretur stercora, ut sponsum suum lucrifacere possit. Ut autem super hoc centuplo plenius instruaris, audi quid inde dical Bernardus *: " Si forte adhuc saecularis quispiam dicat: Ostende mihi centuplum quod promittis, et libens universa relinquo; ut quid ostendam?

Fides enim^ non habet meritum, cui humana ratio praebet experimentum. An homini potius ostendenti, quam veritati crederes promittenti? Deficis scrutans scrutinio. Nisi credideris, non intelliges. Manna absconditum est, quod in A^pocalypsi Joannis victori promittitur; nomen novum, quod nemo novit, nisi qui accipit. " Et paulo post: " An non denique omnia possidet, cui omnia cooperantur in bonum? An non centuplum habet omnium, qui impletur Spiritu sancto, qui Christum habet in pectore? Nisi quod longe plus, quam centuplum est visitatio Paracleti Spiritus, et praesentia Christi.

^ Quam magna multitudo dulcedinis tuce, Bomine, quam abscondisti timentibus te! Perfecisti eis, qui sperant in te. "Vides quomodo memoriam abundantiae suavitatis hujus eructet anima sancta; quomodo exprimere gestiens verba multiplicet. Quam, inquit, magna multitudol Hoc ergo centuplum adoptio filiorum est, hbertas et primitiae spiritus, deliciae charitatis, gloria conscientiae, regnum Dei quod intra nos est. 'Non utique * esca vel potus, sed justitia, et pax, et gaudium in Spiritu sancto. Gaudium sane non modo in spe glorise, sed in tribulationibus. Hic est ignis, quem voluit Christus ^ vehementer accendi. Heec virtus, quae Andream fecit amplecti crucem, Laurenlium deridere carnifices, Stephanum in morte pro lapidantibus flectere genua ad orationem.

Haec illa pax, quam suis reliquit Muith. , X, non longe a fine. — "^ Ex in Evang. , Christus, quando dedit et suam, siquidem donum et pax est electis Dei: pax utique Patris, et donum futurae gloriae. Illa superat omnem sensum; sed et huic quidquid sub sole placet, quidquid in mundo concupiscilur, non potest comparari. Haec gratia devotionis, et unctio docens de omnibus, quam expertus novit, inexpertus ignorat, quam nemo scit nisi qui accipit.)) Hucusque Bernardus. Gaude ergo, et laetare, ut dixi, et gratias age, quod ad hoc centuplum recipiendum vocata es; et hunc paradisum saepe ingredere, quem ex orationis studio consequi poteris

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.19.29 — And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
  2. ↩Mark.10.30 — whoever does not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, along with persecutions — and in the coming age, eternal life.
  3. ↩John.14.6 — Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'
  4. ↩Phil.3.8 — But more than that—indeed, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost everything and consider it all rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.
  5. ↩Isa.7.9 — And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not believe, surely you will not be established.
  6. ↩Rev.2.17 — The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written that no one knows except the one who receives it.
  7. ↩Rom.8.28 — And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good — for those who are called according to his purpose.
  8. ↩John.14.16-John.14.17 — And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. John.14.17 — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he abides with you and will be in you.
  9. ↩Ps.44.2 — God, we have heard with our own ears—our ancestors told us what you did in their days, in days of old.
  10. ↩Luke.17.21 — nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
  11. ↩Rom.8.15-Rom.8.23;Gal.4.4-Gal.4.7 — For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, in which we cry, "Abba, Father." Rom.8.16 — The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Rom.8.17 — And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Rom.8.18 — For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is about to be revealed to us. Rom.8.19 — For the eager longing of creation waits for the revelation of the sons of God. Rom.8.20 — end with a comma, not a full stop: "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it, in hope," so v.21 completes the thought. Rom.8.21 — that the creation itself also will be set free from its bondage of decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Rom.8.22 — For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together and suffering birth pangs until now. Rom.8.23 — Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Gal.4.4 — But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, Gal.4.5 — in order to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Gal.4.6 — And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father.' Gal.4.7 — So you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
  12. ↩Rom.14.17 — For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
  13. ↩Rom.5.2-Rom.5.3 — through whom also by faith we have obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom.5.3 — And not only that, but we also boast in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces endurance.
  14. ↩Jas.1.2-Jas.1.4 — Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, Jas.1.3 — because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Jas.1.4 — And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
  15. ↩Luke.12.49 — I came to cast fire upon the earth, and what do I wish? If only it were already kindled!
  16. ↩Acts.7.59-Acts.7.60 — And they were stoning Stephen, who was calling upon the name of the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts.7.60 — Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And having said this, he fell asleep.
  17. ↩John.14.27 — Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
  18. ↩John.14.27 — Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
  19. ↩Rom.8.30 — And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
  20. ↩Eccl.1.2 — Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
  21. ↩Phil.4.7 — And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  22. ↩1John.2.27 — And as for the anointing you received from him, it remains in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and it is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in him.
  23. ↩Matt.19.29 — And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
  24. ↩Luke.23.43 — And he said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

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