Caput 11
The Inquisitive Heart
A seeker questions the divine economy of Christ's life, and the Judge responds by exposing the seeker's hidden malice.
Then the religious man who appeared earlier in his rank came forward and said, "O Judge, I ask you this: since you are both God and man, why didn't you show your divinity just as you showed your humanity? If you had, everyone would have believed in you." Why didn't you make all your words heard in a single moment, so there wouldn't have been any need for them to be preached over intervals of time? Also, why didn't you do all your works in a single hour? “Also, why did your body grow over intervals of time, and not in a single moment?” "Also, as death approached, why didn't you show yourself in the power of your divinity, or why didn't you show your severity toward your enemies when you said, 'It is finished'?'" The judge replied, "Friend, I am answering you, and yet I am not." I answer you so that the malice of your thoughts may be made known to others, but I do not answer you for your own sake, because these things are not shown for your progress, but for the benefit and caution of those living now and those yet to come. You don't intend to change your stubbornness; that's why you won't pass from your death into my life, because in your life you hate the true life. Nevertheless, others will hear of your life—or rather, of your death—and will pass over and fly to my life, because, as it is written, all things work together for good for the saints, and God permits nothing without a reason.1 I answer you, then, not as those who speak in the human way when we deal with spiritual matters, but so that the things you think and feel may be expressed to others through comparisons.
The Veiled Divinity
The Judge explains that his divinity remained veiled during his earthly life to protect human frailty and uphold divine goodness.
So you're asking why I didn't show my divinity openly, just as I did my humanity. The reason is that divinity is spiritual, while humanity is physical. Yet, from the very beginning of their union, the Godhead and the humanity have been and remain inseparable. The Godhead is uncreated, and everything that exists was created in and through it; in it, too, is every perfection and beauty. If, then, such beauty and perfection were to be shown visibly to eyes clouded by mud, who could bear to look at it? Or who would be able to gaze at the sun itself in its full brightness? And who wouldn't be terrified by the sight of lightning and the sound of thunder? How much more so if the Lord of lightning and the Creator of all things were seen in His glory! There are two reasons why my divinity isn't shown openly. First, because of the weakness of the human body, which is made of earthly substance. If any human body were to see the Godhead, it would melt like wax before a fire, and the soul would rejoice with such exultation that the body would be reduced to nothing, as if to ash.✦ Second, because of the divine goodness and its unchanging stability. For if I were to show my divinity to physical eyes—which is incomparably brighter than fire and sun—I would be acting against myself, for I have said: 'No one shall see me and live.'✦ But not even the prophets themselves saw me as I am in the nature of my divinity, because even those who heard the voice of my divinity and saw the mountain smoking were terrified, saying, 'Let Moses speak to us, and we will listen to him.' That is why I, a merciful God, showed myself to humanity in a form like their own so they could better understand me—a form that could be seen and felt. I appeared in my humanity, where my divinity is present but as if veiled, so that people wouldn't be terrified by a form completely unlike their own. Because I, as God, am not physical and have no physical form, it was more bearable for people to hear and see me in my humanity.
The Wisdom of Time
Christ justifies the gradual unfolding of his words and works as a necessary pedagogical process for human salvation.
As for why I didn't speak all my words in a single hour, I answer you: Just as it is physically contrary to the body to take in as much food in one hour as it could live on for many years, so it is against the divine plan for my words, which are the food of the soul, to all be spoken in one hour. But just as physical food is taken little by little so that it may be chewed and, once chewed, passed into the body, so my words were not to be spoken all in one hour, but at intervals of time according to the understanding of those who were progressing, so that those who were hungry would have something to be satisfied with, and once satisfied, be stirred to reach for higher things. As for why I didn't perform all my works in a single moment, I answer: of those who saw me in the flesh, some believed in me, while others did not. That’s why it was necessary for believers to be instructed by words over time, to be stirred up now and then by examples, and to be strengthened by deeds. As for those who didn't believe, it was only right that they should show the direction of their malice, and be endured only as far as my divine justice allowed. If, therefore, I had performed all my works in a single moment, everyone would have followed me out of fear rather than love; and how, then, would the mystery of human redemption have been fulfilled? Just as everything was accomplished at the beginning of creation at distinct times and in distinct ways—even though, in the foreknowledge of my divinity, all things were to be done simultaneously and without change—so too, in my humanity, all things had to be accomplished reasonably and distinctly for the salvation and instruction of all.
The Path of the Cross
Christ explains the necessity of his growth, suffering, and death as the fulfillment of prophecy and the ultimate act of redemptive love.
As for why my body grew over a number of years rather than in a single instant, I answer: the Holy Spirit, who is eternally in the Father and in me, the Son, showed the prophets what I, in the flesh, was to come, to do, and to suffer. Therefore, it pleased the Godhead that I should take on such a body, in which I could labor from morning until evening, and from year to year, right up to the end of my life.2 So that the words of the prophets wouldn't seem empty, I, the Son of God, took on a body like Adam's, but without sin. In it, I could be like those I was to redeem, so that through my love, the person who had turned away might be brought back, the one who was dead might be raised to life, and the one who had been sold might be redeemed. As for why I didn't show the power of my divinity to everyone and prove that I was truly God when I said on the cross, 'It is finished,' I answer: everything that was written about me had to be fulfilled.✦3 That is why I fulfilled everything down to the last detail. But because many things had also been predicted about my resurrection and ascension, it was necessary that those, too, should be fulfilled. If, then, the power of my divinity had been displayed in my death, who would have dared to take me down from the cross and bury me? After all, it would have been a small thing for me to come down from the cross and strike down those who crucified me; how, then, would the prophecy have been fulfilled, or where would the power of my patience have been? And even if I had come down from the cross, would everyone have believed then? Wouldn't they have said I did it through some dark magic? For if they were indignant because I raised the dead and healed the sick, they would have said even worse things if I had come down from the cross. So, to set the captive free, I, who am free, was taken captive; and to save the guilty, I, who am innocent, stood firm upon the cross. And through my steadfastness, I have made all things that are unstable stable, and I have strengthened the weak.
Read the original Latin
Item apparuit religiosus qui supra in gradu suo dicens: "O iudex, quero a te: Cum Deus sis et homo, cur non ostendisti deitatem tuam sicut et humanitatem, et tunc omnes credidissent tibi?"
"Item cur non fecisti audiri omnia verba tua in vnico puncto, et tunc non fuisset necesse ea per interualla temporum predicari?"
"Item cur non fecisti omnia opera tua in vna hora?"
"Item cur corpus tuum crescebat per interualla temporum et non in vno puncto?"
"Item appropinquante morte cur non ostendisti te in potencia deitatis tue aut cur non ostendisti seueritatem tuam super inimicos tuos, quando dixisti: 'Consumata sunt omnia'?"
Respondit iudex: "O amice, respondeo tibi et non tibi. Tibi autem respondeo, vt innotescat aliis malicia cogitatus tui, non autem respondeo tibi, quia non ad profectum tuum ostenduntur ista sed ad futurorum et presencium vtilitatem et cautelam.
Non enim mutare intendis pertinaciam tuam; ideo nec transibis a morte tua in vitam meam, quia in vita tua odis vitam veram.
Verumptamen alii audita vita tua, ymmo morte tua, transibunt et volabunt ad vitam meam, quia, sicut scriptum est, omnia sanctis cooperabuntur in bonum et nichil sine causa permittit Deus.
Respondeo ergo tibi non sicut qui humano more loquuntur, cum spiritualia aguntur inter nos, sed vt ea, que cogitas et affectas, per similitudines aliis exprimantur.
Queris ergo, cur non ostendi deitatem meam in aperto sicut et humanitatem. Racio est, quia deitas spiritualis est, humanitas vero corporalis.
Attamen deitas et humanitas a principio coniunccionis sue inseparabiles sunt et fuerunt. Et deitas increata est et omnia, quecumque sunt, in ipsa et per ipsam condita sunt et in ipsa est omnis perfeccio et pulchritudo.
Si ergo tanta pulchritudo et perfeccio ostenderetur visibiliter lutosis oculis, quis videre sustineret? Aut quis ipsum materialem solem in claritate sua valeret aspicere?
Aut quem non deterreret visus fulguris et sonitus tonitrui? Quanto magis, si dominus fulgurum et omnium creator in claritate sua videretur!
Ideo duplici de causa non est in aperto ostensa deitas mea. Primo propter humani corporis debilitatem, cuius substancia est terrea.
Si enim corpus alicuius hominis videret deitatem, liquesceret sicut cera ante ignem animaque tanta exultacione gauderet, quod corpus quasi cinis annichilaretur.
Secundo propter diuinam bonitatem et eius immutabilem stabilitatem. Si enim ego corporalibus oculis ostenderem meam deitatem, que est incomparabiliter fulgencior igne et sole, facerem contra me ipsum, qui dixi: 'Non me videbit homo et viuet'.
Sed nec ipsi prophete viderunt me, sicut sum in mee deitatis natura, quia eciam illi, qui audiebant vocem mee deitatis et videbant montem fumigantem, terrebantur dicentes: 'Loquatur nobis Moyses et audiemus eum'.
Ideo ego Deus misericors, vt homo melius intelligeret me, ostendi me illi in quadam forma ei simili, que videri et sentiri posset scilicet in humanitate mea, in qua deitas est sed tamquam velata, ne homo a forma ei dissimili terreretur.
Quia ego in quantum Deus cum corporalis non sim nec corporaliter effigiatus, ideo in humanitate tollerabilius ab hominibus audiri poteram et videri."
"Item, cur omnia verba mea non fui locutus in vna hora, respondeo tibi:
Sicut materialiter contrarium est corpori, vt tantum cibi accipiat vna hora, quanto multis annis contentari posset, sic contra diuinam disposicionem est, vt verba mea, que sunt cibus anime, in vna hora omnia dicerentur.
Sed sicut cibus corporalis paulatim sumitur, vt masticetur et masticatus ad interiora trahiciatur, sic verba mea non in vna hora sed per interualla temporum dicenda erant iuxta intelligenciam proficiencium, vt esurientes haberent, vnde saciarentur, et saciati ad alciora excitarentur."
"Item, cur non omnia opera mea feci in vno puncto, respondeo: Illorum, qui me in carne videbant, quidam erant, qui michi crediderunt, quidam vero non credebant.
Ideo hiis, qui credebant, necesse erat, vt per interualla temporum erudirentur verbis et quandoque excitarentur exemplis et operibus confirmarentur.
Qui vero non crediderunt, iustum fuit, vt affectum malicie sue ostenderent et, quantum mea diuina iusticia permitteret, tollerarentur.
Si ergo omnia opera mea fecissem in vnico puncto, omnes secuti me fuissent timore magis quam caritate, et quomodo tunc misterium redempcionis humane fuisset impletum?
Sicut ergo in primordiis creacionis mundi omnia distinctis horis et modis patrata sunt, quamuis omnia facienda erant tunc sine vicissitudine simul in presciencia deitatis mee, sic et in humanitate mea omnia erant racionabiliter et distincte facienda ad omnium salutem et erudicionem."
"Item, cur corpus meum per numerum annorum creuit et non in vno puncto, respondeo: Spiritus Sanctus, qui est eternaliter in Patre et in me Filio, ostendit prophetis, que ego in carne venturus facturus essem et passurus.
Ideo placuit deitati, vt tale corpus assumerem, in quo laborare possem a mane vsque ad vesperam et ab anno in annum vsque ad finem mortis.
Ergo, ne verba prophetarum viderentur inania, ideo ego filius Dei corpus assumpsi simile Ade absque peccato, in quo similis essem eis, quos redempturus eram, vt per caritatem meam homo auersus reduceretur, mortuus suscitaretur et venditus redimeretur."
"Item, cur non omnibus ostendi potenciam deitatis mee et quod eram vere Deus, quando dixi in cruce: 'Consumatum est', respondeo: Omnia, quecumque scripta erant de me, oportebat, quod adimplerentur.
Et ideo ego omnia illa compleui vsque ad vltimum punctum. Sed quia eciam multa predicta erant de resurreccione et ascensione mea, ideo necesse erat, vt eciam illa haberent effectum.
Si ergo in morte mea ostensa fuisset potencia deitatis mee, quis fuisset ausus me deponere de cruce et sepelire? Denique pro minimo michi fuisset descendisse de cruce et strauisse crucifixores; quomodo ergo tunc impleta fuisset prophecia aut vbi tunc virtus paciencie mee?
Quod et si descendissem de cruce, numquid omnes tunc credidissent? Numquid non dixissent me fecisse arte maligna? Nam si indignabantur, quia suscitaui mortuos, sanaui infirmos, maiora dixissent, si descendissem de cruce.
Et ideo, vt solueretur captiuus, ego liber captus sum, et vt nocentes saluarentur, ego innocens steti stabiliter in cruce. Et per stabilitatem meam omnia instabilia stabiliui et infirma confirmaui."
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩The phrase 'all things work together for good' is a clear allusion to Romans 8:28.
- 2 ↩The Latin 'finem mortis' literally means 'the end of death,' but in this context, it refers to the conclusion of the mortal life and the moment of death itself.
- 3 ↩The Latin 'Consumatum est' is the standard Vulgate rendering of John 19:30, 'It is finished'.
Revelationes (Heavenly Revelations) companion
Keep going — one revelation a day
The full 496-chapter Revelationes lives in the Chosen Portion app, served as free daily portions.
Birgitta's revelations arrived over three decades of daily attentiveness, and the Chosen Portion app lets readers receive them the same way — one portion per day.
- Finish the guided path in 8 weeks at roughly 15 minutes a day
- All 8 books, 496 chapters, in modern English — the complete transmitted text
- Daily delivery so a 30-year masterwork becomes a sustainable habit