The Sermons of Johannes Tauler · 52 of 124

Fifth Sermon for the Feast of the Ascension

In those days Peter, rising up In the midst of the brethren, said, etc. — Acts I, 16-28.

On the return of oar Lord’s disciples to Jerusalem after His ascension into Heaven, Peter addressed them about choosing someone to take the place of Judas, who had fallen away. Two disciples, Joseph, called the Just, and Matthias, were then set apart, and the latter was selected to hold that high place of an apostle, and to become a witness of Jesus Christ.

Mark well, beloved children, that the disciples came to Jerusalem, which in our previous discourse today we have called a place of holy peace, and also a place of unrest. And we have explained how no one can come to true peace except in two ways — he must gain peace through conflict, as well as joy through sorrow; and he must learn to possess abundance through suffering want. The disciples returned to Mount Sion. And so must we go upward with all our powers and all our mind to the eternal festival of God, rising high over all lower and created existence, leaving all things as Abraham did, when he left his servant and his ass behind, and took his son up the mount of vision to sacrifice him. This upgoing is led by the will, which commands all the faculties of man as a prince in his kingdom and a father in his house. This prince, our will, should always command a man to go upward above all created things.

The disciples went to the cenacnlum, which may be taken to mean a banquet hall, for coena means a supper. Now after supper there is no other meal that day, nor is there any real labor done; repose now has its place — a fact carefully to be noted. For as the disciples abide in the banquet hall, their minds and all their faculties should be at rest: the

When one’s soul is in the cenaculum, then Peter rises up; and Peter may be taken to mean a man who confesses God. His purpose is to choose a true witness to take the vacant place of Judas, for it much distressed Peter that Judas was a thief and a traitor. And so we, too, have a Judas within us, namely, our miserable tendency to appropriate to ourselves by theft and treason all the good that God by His free gift works within us. This Judas-like trait in us would cause us to unjustly assume ownership of God’s work in us. Now that distresses the sense of right in us, which confesses God,, inclining us to choose another state of soul to take the place of the Judas-like one which is to be expelled from within us. Lots are cast between Joseph, who was called and really was a just man, and Matthias. Joseph was also called Barsabas, which may be taken to mean obedient. Against him is placed Matthias, and he may be taken to mean a man who is little in the sight of God. And upon which of these two did the choice fall, in order to fill this holy apostolio vacancy? Not upon obedient and just Joseph, with all his merit, but it fell upon him who was little before God. Ah, children, this quality outweighed justice and obedience, great as may be the merit of these virtues. The little and the humble surpass all others in worth. And such a man it was that was chosen.

Insight

We have a Judas within us, namely, our miserable tendency to appropriate to ourselves by theft and treason all the good that God by His free gift works within us. Tauler is making the betrayal-figure into a structural feature of every interior life. The Judas-move is what happens whenever you take credit for a grace that came through you — the quiet slide from received to owned, from gift to possession. Notice the language of theft: the inner Judas does not produce the good, it only steals the name on the deed. The Sufis call the same tendency riya, the secret showing-off that contaminates even authentic devotion; the Cloud of Unknowing warns against the same possessive subtle pride that follows close behind any real consolation. The cure here is not flagellation but accurate accounting — keeping straight who is the artist and who is the canvas.Cloud of Unknowing chs 44-46 on subtle pride after consolation; cf. Ghazali, Ihya 'Ulum al-Din III on riya.

And wilt thou reach the highest perfection by the shortest way? Wilt thou be chosen God’s disciple, and be made in the highest degree His true witness? Then thou must confess thyself before the face of God the least and the littlest of all mankind, and sincerely hold thyself to be so. Then and not till then will the lot fall upon thee. Let all thy diligence be exerted, that thou mayst be considered little and mayst be despised. Then shalt thou be raised to the greatest place, and be set nearest to God, and given the most honorable position God can bestow, namely a place among the apostles. To this thou canst never come except by thorough-going belittling of self.

And this must be no mere apparent humility, or one of imagination, for that delusion is but a sister of pride, and a mere play-acting of humility. In this condition pride is very deep-rooted; and the soul has often the very reverse of a real sentiment of littleness before God, nor

Now, children, the man who is fully determined to make of himself real nothingness before God, has entered on the truest preparation for receiving the Holy Ghost He has begun to tread the shortest path to God, and God’s grace will meet him and conduct him forward. That we may thus be made ready for the Holy Ghost, and that we may finally receive Him in all reality, may God grant. Amen.