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Sermon 97

The rich man with no name: God beyond understanding

Sermon 97 (Evans numbering). On Homo quidam erat dives etc. (Luke 16)

In brief

Eckhart takes the opening line of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and uses it as a door into speaking about God himself. He sets aside the rest of the story, the beggar at the gate, the flames, the great gulf fixed between them, and stays with one detail: there was a certain rich man, and he had no name. For Eckhart this nameless rich man becomes a figure for the Godhead, the reality that lies behind every name we give it.

From there the sermon moves through familiar Eckhart ground in an unusually organized way. He explains why God cannot be known the way we know ordinary things, since God has no cause, no limit, and no activity we can point to and say, there it is. He then lists five ways God is rich, as first cause, as one, as source, as unchanging, as perfect, and ends with the image of a drop of water falling into the ocean and becoming the ocean rather than staying a drop.

In plain English

Sermon 97

Homo quidam erat dives etc, (Luke 16). There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted lavishly every day, and he had no name.

This applies equally to the causeless Godhead and to the loving soul. There was a rich man. Man means a rational being. A pagan philosopher says, By man in scripture we mean God. And St Gregory says that if there were in God one thing nobler than another, we would say it is his understanding, for in understanding God is manifest to himself, in understanding God proceeds within himself, in understanding God proceeds forth into all things. If there were no understanding in God there would be no Trinity and no coming forth of creatures.

He had no name. And so the threefold nature of God is nameless. Whatever names the soul gives him come from her own understanding. As the pagan philosopher says in his book, The Light of Lights, God is beyond being, beyond reason, and cannot be grasped by the mind, that is, by the natural understanding. I do not mean understanding by grace, for by grace we may come to know as much as St Paul did, who was caught up into the third heaven and saw things he neither would nor could put into words. He could not express them as he saw them, for when we know a thing we know it either through its cause, or through its mode, or through its activity. God remains unknown because he is first (that is, he has no cause), he is unconditioned (that is, unknowable), and he is without activity (hidden in his own stillness). He is beyond the names that are given to him. Moses asked his name. God answered, He who is has sent you. There was no other way for him to understand it. God as he is in himself cannot be given to creatures to understand, not because he withholds it but because no creature can grasp it. As the pagan philosopher says, God is beyond nature, beyond praise, beyond reason, and beyond understanding.

This man was rich. And so God is rich in himself and in all things. Note the fullness of God. It is fivefold. First, he is the first cause, so he pervades all things. Next, he is essentially one, so he is universal. Third, he is the fountain source, so he flows into all things. Fourth, he is unchangeable, so he is most to be desired. Fifth, he is perfect, so he is most beyond grasping.

Being the first cause, he gives himself. As the pagan philosopher observes, The First Cause pours into causes in general more than secondary causes pour into their own effects. Again, he is undivided. Bishop Albertus says a thing is undivided which is in itself one, without a second, and the sum of all divided things amounts to what he is. In him creatures are one and the same, they are God in God. In themselves they are nothing. Third, being the fountain source, he overflows into all things. Bishop Albertus says: Into things in general he flows in three ways, in being, in life, and in light, and into the rational soul in particular as the potential of all things, bringing creatures back to their original source. That is, the light of lights: all gifts and perfections flow from the Father of lights, as St James says. Fourth, being unchangeable, he is most comforting. Note here that God unites with things while keeping his own intrinsic oneness, and all things are one in him. Hence Christ's words, You shall be turned into me and I into you, because of his unchangeableness and the smallness of creatures. For as the prophet says, all things are to God as a drop to the ocean. And as the drop becomes the ocean, not the ocean the drop, so the soul that takes in God turns into God, not God into the soul. There the soul loses her name, her power, and her activity, but not her existence. The soul remains in God as God remains in himself. On this point Bishop Albertus says that the will a man dies in is the will he remains in for eternity. Fifth, being perfect, he is most beyond grasping. God is perfect in himself and perfect in all ways. What does perfection in God mean? It means he is utterly full of himself and is the sole good of all things. And because he is good, he is desired by all things.

Plain-English version by Gregory Lahn, from C. de B. Evans's translation of Franz Pfeiffer's edition (London, 1924), which is in the public domain.

Read the 1924 translation

DIVES

Homo quidam erat dives, etc. (Luc. xvi.) 'There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day and he had no name.'

This will equally apply to the causeless Deity and to the loving soul. 'There was a rich man.' Man means a rational entity. A heathen philosopher says, 'By man in the scriptures we mean God.' And St Gregory says, if there were in God one thing nobler than another we should say it is his understanding; for in understanding God is manifested to himself; in understanding God is proceeding in himself; in understanding God is proceeding forth into all things. Were there no understanding in God there would be no Trinity and no emanation of creatures.

He had no name. And so is the threefold nature of God nameless; such names as the soul gives him are gotten of her own understanding. As the heathen philosopher says in his book, The Light of Lights, 'God is superessential and superrational and unintelligible,' that is, to the natural understanding. I speak not of gracious understanding, for by grace we may be brought to know as much as St Paul did, who was caught up into the third heaven where he saw those things that he neither would nor could express. He could not express them as he saw them, for when we know a thing we know it either in its cause or in its mode or by its activity. God remains unknown because he is the first (i.e. he has no cause), he is unconditioned (i.e. unknowable) and he is inactive (in his hidden stillness). He is without the names that are applied to him. Moses enquired his name. God answered and said, 'He who is hath sent thee.' He could not understand it in any other form. God as he is in himself he cannot give creatures to understand, not that he cannot do it but creature cannot understand. As

the heathen philosopher says, 'God is beyond nature, beyond praise, beyond reason and beyond understanding.'

'This man was rich.' And so is God rich in himself and in all things. Mark the plenitude of God. It is fivefold. First, he is the prime cause, so he pervades all things. -- Next, he is essentially one, so he is universal. -- Thirdly, he is the fountain-head, so he is flowing into all things. -- Fourthly, he is unchangeable, so he is most desirable. -- Fifthly, he is perfect, so he is most incomprehensible.

Being the first cause he imparts himself. As the heathen philosopher observes, 'The First Cause pours into causes in general more than these secondary causes pour into their causes.' Again, he is indivisible. Bishop Albertus says a thing is impartible which is intrinsically one without a second. And the sum of all partibles amounts to what he is. In him creatures are one in the same, they are God in God. In themselves they are naught. -- Thirdly, being the fountain-head he is overflowing into all things. Bishop Albertus says: 'Into things in general he flows in three ways: in being, in life and in light; and into the rational soul in particular as the potentiality of all things, the bringing back of creatures to their original source.' To wit, the light of lights: 'All gifts and perfections flow from the Father of lights,' as St James says. -- Fourthly, being unchangeable he is most comfortable. Here note that God unites with things while keeping his intrinsic oneness, and all things are one in him. Hence Christ's words, 'Ye shall be turned into me and I into you.' Owing to his unchangeableness and the littleness of creatures. For as the prophet says, all things are to God as a drop to the ocean. And as the drop becomes the ocean not the ocean the drop so the soul imbibing God turns into God, not God into the soul. There the soul loses her name, her power and her activity but not her existence. The soul abides in God as God is abiding in himself. Anent which Bishop Albertus declares that the will a man dies in he abides in eternally. -- Fifthly, being perfect he is most incomprehensible. God is self-perfect and omni-perfect. What is perfection in God? It means that he is brim-full of himself and is the sole good of all things. And because he is good he is the desired of all things.

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