Do you wish to learn the symbolic meaning of Sarah’s sterility? The church was to bring forth the multitude of believers. In order, therefore, that you may not find incredible how one who was childless, fruitless and barren could have given birth, she who by nature was barren went ahead, paving the way for chosen sterility, and Sarah became a type of the church. For just as she gave birth in her old age when she was barren, so too the church, though barren, has given birth for these, the final times.^[1]

Let us ask the Lord lest, in accordance with the apostle’s word, even with us, when Moses is read the veil be upon our heart.^[1] For it has been read that Abraham begot a son, Isaac, when he was a hundred years old.^[2] And Sarah said, ‘Who will announce to Abraham that Sarah nurses a child?’ ^[3] And then, the text says, Abraham circumcised the child on the eighth day. Abraham does not celebrate his son’s birthday, but he celebrates the day of this weaning and makes a great feast.^[4]

Why? Do we think that it is the Holy Spirit’s intention to write stories and to narrate how a child was weaned and a feast was made, how he played and did other childish things? Or should we understand by these things that he wishes to teach us something divine and worthy that the human race might learn from the words of God?

Isaac means laughter or joy. Who is it, then, who begets such a son? It is doubtless he who said of these whom he begot through the gospel: For you are my joy and crown of glory.^[1] For sons of this kind, there is a feast and great joy when they are weaned, for these who no longer need milk, but strong meat, who by taking up their power have their senses exercised to the discerning of good or evil.^[2] There is a great feast for such as these, when they are weaned. But a feast cannot be offered nor joy possessed for those of whom the apostle says, I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for you were not able as yet, but neither indeed are you able still. And I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to little ones in Christ.^[3] Let those who wish the divine Scripture to be understood straightforwardly tell us what it means: I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to little ones in Christ; I gave you milk to drink, not meat.^[4] Can these words be taken straightforwardly?

Come now, today too, dearly beloved, let us take up the thread of yesterday’s remarks and thus set before you this spiritual meal so that we may once more come to learn, as you heard yesterday, the good God’s ineffable care and considerateness and the patriarch’s remarkable obedience and gratitude. Do you see how the birth of Isaac made Sarah joyful? She said, ‘The Lord brought laughter to me: whoever hears of it will rejoice with me.’ Everyone who hears of it, she is saying, I will convince to be a sharer of my joy. After all, the gift given me by God is wonderful, surpassing human limitations. I mean, who would not be struck, she is saying, to see me feeding and nursing a child in old age after being childless up to this stage of my life? As though surprised and amazed at the event, she added, Who will let Abraham know that Sarah is nursing a child, that I have borne a son in my old age? Since what happened was beyond the bounds of nature, she naturally demands, Who will let him know? as if to say, Who will imagine it? Who would entertain such an idea? What mind could grasp it? Is there any reasoning that could invent this happening in every detail? Not so remarkable was the incident of the flood of water gushing from the rock in the desert when Moses struck it with his rod^[1] as was this instance of a child being born of a womb already deprived of vitality and a ready flow of milk. You see, for the birth to be known to everyone and bring everyone to acceptance of the marvel, for those who heard of it both then and later, she feeds the child and insists on nursing it. She said, Who will let Abraham know that Sarah is nursing a child, that I have borne a son in my old age, this strange, surprising favor done me in my old age? What is the meaning of I have borne a son in my old age? That even without sterility my time of life was sufficient to make me despair of bearing children. But all these obstacles the Lord caused to disappear and has granted me the birth of the child and the flow of milk.

I have described sufficiently the origin of holy Isaac and the grace he received in my discussion of his father. He abounds in glory, in that he was born as a reward to Abraham, his incomparably great father. And no wonder, since there were prefigured in him the birth and the passion of the Lord. An aged woman who was sterile brought him to birth according to God’s promise,^[1] so that we might believe that God has power to bring it about that even a virgin may give birth. He was offered for sacrifice in a singular fashion, that he might not be lost to his father and yet might fulfill the sacrifice.^[2] Likewise by his very name he prefigures grace. For Isaac means laughter, and laughter is the sign of joy. Now everybody knows that he is the joy of all who checked the dread of fearsome death, took away its terror and became for all people the forgiveness of their sins. The one is named and the other demoted; the one portrayed and the other foretold.

You can search all of Scripture and you will never find it said about any unjust person that he grew. For the command increase and multiply is a blessing that reaches only those who are worthy of a blessing. But notice too that the weaning of Ishmael is nowhere mentioned in Scripture; this is why when he is already twenty years old, he is still called a child.

Isaac, Scripture says, grew and became strong; that is, Abraham’s joy grew as he looked not at those things which are seen but at the things which are not seen.^[1] For Abraham did not rejoice about present things or about the riches of the world and the activities of the age. But do you wish to hear why Abraham rejoiced? Hear the Lord saying to the Jews: Abraham your father desired to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.^[2] In this way, therefore, Isaac grew. That vision of Abraham, in which he saw the day of Christ and the hope which is in Christ, were increasing his joys. And would that you too might be made Isaac and be a joy to your mother the church!

Sarah is angry because the son of the bondwoman plays with the son of the free woman, and she considers that play to be a disaster. She counsels Abraham and says, Cast out the bondwoman and her son. For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac.^[1]

I shall not now consider how these words ought to be understood. The apostle discussed them in this way, saying, Tell me, you who have read the law, have you not heard the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman and the other by a free woman. But he indeed who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are allegorical.^[2] What then? Is Isaac not born according to the flesh? Did Sarah not bear him? Is he not circumcised? In regard to this very incident, that he played with Ishmael, did he not play in the flesh? This indeed is what is astonishing in the apostle’s understanding, that he called things allegorical that are quite obviously done in the flesh. His purpose is that we might learn how to treat other passages, and especially these in which the historical narrative appears to reveal nothing worthy of the divine law.

Ishmael, therefore, is born according to the flesh, the son of the bondwoman. But Isaac, who was the son of the free woman, is not born according to the flesh but according to promise. And the apostle says of these words that Hagar engendered a carnal people unto bondage.^[3] But Sarah, who was free, engendered a people which is not according to the flesh but has been called to freedom, by which freedom Christ has made him free.^[4] For Christ himself said, If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.^[5]

But let us see what the apostle adds to these words as he expounds them: But as then he, Scripture says, who was according to the flesh, persecuted him who was according to the spirit, so also it is now.^[6] Notice how the apostle teaches us that in all things the flesh is opposed to the spirit, whether that carnal people is opposed to this spiritual people, or even among ourselves, if someone is still carnal, he is opposed to the spiritual. For even you, if you live according to the flesh and direct your life according to the flesh, are a son of Hagar and for this reason are opposed to these who live according to the spirit. Or even if we inquire in ourselves, we find that the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary to one another,^[7] and we find a law in our members flighting against the law of our mind and leading us captive in the law of sin.^[8] Do you see how great the battles of the flesh against the spirit are?

There is yet also another battle more violent perhaps than all these. These who understand the law according to the flesh are opposed to and persecute these who perceive it according to the spirit. Why? Because the sensual man does not perceive the things that are of the spirit of God. For it is foolishness to him, and he cannot understand because it is spiritually discerned.^[9]

And nevertheless according to those things which are written I do not see what moved Sarah to order the son of the bondwoman to be expelled. He played with her son, Isaac. How did he injure or harm him if he was playing? As if this ought not to be pleasing even at that age, that the son of the bondwoman played with the son of the free woman. Next, I marvel also at the apostle who called this play a persecution, saying, But as then he, who was according to the flesh, persecuted him who was after the spirit, so also it is now,^[1] when certainly no persecution of Ishmael against Isaac is related to have been undertaken, except this play of the infant alone.

But let us see what Paul understood in this play and what angered Sarah. Already above in our spiritual exposition we set Sarah in the place of virtue. If therefore the flesh, which Ishmael, who was born according to the flesh, represents, attracts the spirit, which is Isaac, and deals with him with enticing deceitfulness, if it allures him with delights, if it mitigates him with pleasures, this kind of play of the flesh with the spirit especially offends Sarah, who represents virtue, and Paul judges allurements of this kind to be the most bitter persecution.

And you, therefore, O hearer of these words, do not suppose that alone is persecution whenever you are compelled by the madness of the pagans to sacrifice to idols. But if perhaps the pleasure of the flesh allures you, if the allurement of lust sports with you, flee these things as the greatest persecution if you are a child of virtue. Indeed, for this reason the apostle also says, Flee fornication.^[2] But also if injustice should attract you, so that, accepting the countenance of the mighty,^[3] and because of his artful twisting you render an unjust judgment, you ought to understand that under the guise of play you suffer a seductive persecution by injustice. But you shall also consider it a persecution of the spirit by individual guises of evil, even if they are pleasant and delightful and similar to play, because in all these virtue is offended.

Spiritually, therefore, all indeed who come to the recognition of God through faith can be called sons of Abraham; but among these some cling to God on the basis of love, others on the basis of dread and fear of future judgment. Whence also the apostle John says, He who fears is not perfected in love, but perfect love casts out fear.^[1] He therefore who is perfected in love is born of Abraham and is a son of the free woman. But he who keeps the commandments, not in perfect love but in dread of future torment and in fear of punishments is, indeed, also himself a son of Abraham. He too receives gifts, that is, the reward of his work (because even he who shall give a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward).^[2] Nevertheless he is inferior to that person who is perfected, not in slavish fear but in the freedom of love.

The apostle also shows something similar when he says, As long indeed as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but he is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father.^[3] He is a child, therefore, who is nourished with milk and is unskillful in the word of justice; nor is he able to receive the solid food of the divine wisdom and knowledge of the law.^[4] He cannot compare spiritual things with spiritual.^[5] He cannot yet say, But when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.^[6] He differs, therefore, nothing from a servant.^[7]

But if leaving the word of the first principles of Christ,^[8] he be borne to perfection and seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, not the things that are on the earth^[9] and look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen,^[10] nor in the divine Scriptures follow the letter which kills but the spirit which quickens,^[11] from those things he will doubtless be one who does not receive the spirit of bondage again in fear, but the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father.^[12]

Then the time came for Isaac to be born, and milk flowed in the breasts of the old woman. On the day of the great feast that Abraham prepared when he circumcised and weaned Isaac, Sarah noticed Ishmael playing.^[1] But Sarah also saw how much Ishmael shared the characteristics of his mother, for just as Sarah was despised in the eyes of Hagar, so too did Ishmael mock her son, and she thought, If he acts thus to my son while I am still alive, perhaps [Abraham] will make him coheir with my son when I die and even give him two parts according to [the laws of] the firstborn.

When Scripture speaks of playing here, it does so by way of covert allusion. Actually, while they were playing Ishmael struck Isaac. But Sarah got angry when she saw it, and this is why she says to Abraham, Cast out the slave girl.

See, I ask you, dearly beloved, in this instance once again Sarah not tolerating the brashness of Ishmael and unable to put up equably with the maidservant’s son being reared with Isaac. So just as she previously wished to check Hagar’s arrogance and in her extreme irritation had her sent packing, so in this case too she wanted to nip Ishmael’s forwardness in the bud. Not bearing to see the son born of grace and of the very gift of God being reared along with that of the Egyptian maidservant, she said to Abraham, Send away the maidservant and her son: surely the son of the maidservant will not share the inheritance with my son? Since she realized that she herself was in fact in extreme old age, and she saw the patriarch was well on (after all, they were both advanced in years), she was afraid that in the event of their sudden passing Ishmael would, on the score of his being born of an association of the patriarch, endeavor to thrust himself into his father’s inheritance and become a sharer of it with Isaac. Hence she said, Send away from here the maidservant and her son. Let her learn at this stage, she is saying, that the son of the maidservant has nothing in common with my son, Isaac. It is, in fact, not fair that the slave’s son should be reared with that of the mistress, my son.

Then Sarah, who showed no envy in any matter that concerned herself, became envious in this matter concerning her son. She was not envious of Hagar whom she had given to her husband. Since it was a matter of God’s promise, and the son of the concubine thought that he would be coheir with the son of the freewoman, Sarah said, Cast out the slave woman and her son, because it is not just that a son of a handmaid should have any inheritance together with that son of the promise, to whom it was promised by God. It is not right that you be opposed to God and make an heir him whom God has not made an heir.

For her part, however, Sarah was not guilty of acting unreasonably; she acted even quite logically, so logically that even God agreed with the words she spoke. The patriarch, being affectionate and well disposed toward Ishmael, did not take kindly to her remarks. This remark about his son . . . struck Abraham as severe. It was not, you see, that he took much interest in Hagar; rather, he was well disposed toward his son for the reason that he was then still in his youth. Consider in this case, however . . . the extraordinary considerateness of the loving God: when he saw Sarah apparently having a human problem in being distressed by the parity of esteem of the children and Abraham not taking kindly to the expulsion of Ishmael and the maidservant. (After all, even if in his great restraint he did not take issue with Sarah, it still struck him as severe, that is, harsh, repugnant, and oppressive.) At that point, in fidelity to his characteristic loving kindness and wishing to strengthen the bonds of harmony between them, the Lord said to Abraham, Don’t let the remark about the child and the maidservant strike you as severe. Whatever Sarah says to you, heed her.^[1]

Don’t object, he says, to what is said to you by her; instead, whatever Sarah says to you, heed her. Accept everything she now says to you about Ishmael and Hagar, and pay close attention. Don’t be ready to distress the woman who in all this period has given evidence of such great affection for you on more than one occasion so as to save you from death by surrendering herself for your welfare and proving the occasion of your wonderful prosperity. On the first occasion she caused you to leave Egypt with all that wealth, and later she was responsible for your being accorded remarkable esteem by Abimelech. So don’t allow yourself to follow a course of action contrary to what is advised by her; nor in fact will things turn out otherwise. You see, your descendants will be called after Isaac, the child born of her, and he will be your successor. But this son of the maidservant I shall cause to become numerous; I shall make him grow into a mighty nation since he is your offspring. So do what is said to you by her, and pay attention to her words.

Consider now, I ask you, how great was the peace and harmony that all at once began to reign over their life together, God’s goodness strengthening their relationship. He arose early next morning, the text goes on, remember, took bread and a bag of water, and gave them to Hagar; he then set the child on her shoulders and sent her off.^[1] Notice once again, I ask you, the good man’s utterly correct attitude in giving evidence in every way of his godly purpose. I mean, when he heard Sarah’s words, Send away the maidservant and her son, it struck him as severe, since he was kindly disposed toward Ishmael. But when the Lord gave him orders, he immediately carried them out and gave no further thought to his natural affections. In other words, he said to himself, When it is he that commands, let all feelings take no further part; after all, the one who commands is the Lord of nature. So the maidservant took the bread and the bag of water, the text says,^[2] and went off with her son.

Let us see what Abraham does meanwhile after Sarah is displeased. He casts out the bondwoman and her son, but nevertheless he gives him a bottle of water. For his mother does not have a well of living water, nor could the boy draw water from a well. Isaac has wells for which he also suffers strife against the Philistines,^[1] but Ishmael drinks water from a bottle. This bottle, as it is a bottle, fails, and therefore he is thirsty and does not find a well.

But you, who are a son of promise as Isaac,^[2] drink water from your own fountains, and let not the waters flow forth from your wells, but let your waters run in your streets.^[3] But one who is born according to the flesh^[4] drinks water from a bottle, and the water itself fails him, and he lacks in many things. The bottle of the law is the letter, from which carnal people drink and thence receives understanding. This letter frequently fails them. It cannot extricate itself, for the historical understanding is defective in many things. But the church drinks from the evangelic and apostolic fountains that never fail but run in its streets,^[5] because they always abound and flow in the breadth of spiritual interpretation. The church drinks also from wells when it draws and examines certain deeper things from the law.

On account of this mystery also, I think, our Lord and Savior said to the Samaritan woman, when, as if he were speaking with Hagar herself he said, Whoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again; but he who shall drink of the water which I give him shall not thirst forever.^[6] But she says to the Savior, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.^[7] After this the Lord says to her, There shall come to be in him who believes in me a fountain of water springing up into life everlasting.^[8]

But was the just Abraham inhumane in that he did not even supply Hagar and the boy with a donkey, with all the cattle he possessed? Some say it was a gesture of kindness, so that she would not have to look after the donkey; others say that he did this believing that God would protect the boy. But why does he throw her out in the first place? Was it not that he wished to have peace with his wife? And indeed he really did not want to send her away at all, for it is written that the thing appeared extremely harsh to Abraham. So he would not have done what he did except for the fact that God said to him, let not this matter trouble you, etc.

What loving kindness on the Lord’s part! Far from ignoring [Hagar] as a menial servant, he deigned to show her such wonderful concern for the reason that he had made the promise to the patriarch and the child was his. Hence the words What is it, Hagar? Don’t worry: God heard the cry of the child. Get up, pick him up, and take him by the hand; after all, I am to make him grow into a mighty nation. Don’t lose heart, he is saying, at being driven from home. He will enjoy such providence at my hands as to become a mighty nation, even he.

After this, when already he had been abandoned as dead and had wept, the angel of the Lord is present with him and opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well of living water.

How can these words be related to history? For when do we find that Hagar has closed eyes and they are later opened? Is not the spiritual and mystical meaning in these words clearer than light, that that people which is according to the flesh is abandoned and lies in hunger and thirst, suffering not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but a thirst for the word of God,^[1] until the eyes of the synagogue are opened? This is what the apostle says is a mystery: that blindness in part has happened in Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in, and then all Israel should be saved.^[2] That therefore is the blindness in Hagar, who gave birth according to the flesh, who remains blind until the veil of the letter be removed by the angel of God and she sees the living water. For now the Jews lie around the well, but their eyes are closed, and they cannot drink from the well of the law and the prophets.

But let us also beware, for frequently we also lie around the well of living water, that is, around the divine Scriptures, and err in them. We hold the books and we read them, but we do not touch upon the spiritual sense. And therefore there is need for tears and incessant prayer that the Lord may open our eyes, because even the eyes of those blind men who were sitting in Jericho would not have been opened unless they had cried out to the Lord.^[3] And what am I saying? That our eyes, which are already opened, might be opened? For Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind.^[4] Our eyes therefore are opened, and the veil of the letter of the law is removed. But I fear that we ourselves may close them again in a deeper sleep while we are not watchful in the spiritual meaning. Nor are we disturbed so that we dispel sleep from our eyes and contemplate things which are spiritual, that we might not err with the carnal people set around the water itself.

He opened her eyes, the text goes on, not because she couldn’t see before this but because even with her eyes open nothing was of any help to her before the visitation from on high. Hence, since his intention was to give evidence of care on his part, it says, He opened her eyes, that is, he made clear to her in her ignorance, he activated her mind, he showed her the way to find the place flowing with springs of water. She saw a well of running water, the text goes on, and she went and filled the bag, and gave the boy to drink. In her neediness the Lord granted her means, and when she found herself so much at a loss and lacking all hope of survival, he gave evidence in her case of his characteristic generosity by consoling her and at the same time exercising care for the child.

In like manner, whenever God wishes, even if we are utterly alone, even if we are in desperate trouble, even if we have no hope of survival, we need no other assistance, since God’s grace is all we require. You see, if we win favor from him, no one will get the better of us, but rather we will prevail against anyone. God was with the boy, the text goes on; he grew up and lived in the desert.^[1] In similar fashion, whenever we have God on our side, even if we are utterly alone, we will live more securely than those who dwell in the cities. After all, the grace of God is the greatest security and the most impregnable fortification.

Mindful of this, let us, I beseech you, shun the harm of this passion and with all our might exterminate it from our own souls. This, after all, is more deadly than all other passions and undermines our very salvation, being in fact the invention of the wicked demon. Hence a certain sage also said, Through the devil’s envy death entered the world.^[1] What is meant by through the devil’s envy death entered the world?

You see, since this wicked beast saw that the firstformed human being was created immortal, by his characteristic wickedness he led him on to disobedience of the command and in that way caused him to bring on himself the penalty of death. So envy caused deception, deception caused disobedience, and disobedience caused death. Hence the text says, Through the devil’s envy death entered the world.

Do you see the extent of the harm caused by this passion? It made the one given the privilege of immortality undergo death. The enemy of our salvation, however, introduced the envy characteristic of himself and caused the firstformed human being, immortal though he was, to come under sentence of death, whereas the caring and loving Lord by his own death once again bestowed upon us immortality, and so we found greater benefits than we had lost. The former took us out of paradise; the latter led us into heaven. The former caused us to be condemned to death; the latter bestowed upon us immortality. The former deprived us of the delights of paradise; the latter prepared for us the kingdom of heaven. Do you see the inventiveness of your Lord in that he directed against the devil’s head his own weapons of malice against our salvation? In fact, not only did he regale us with greater benefits, but also he made him subject to us in the words Behold, I have given you power to walk over snakes and scorpions.^[2]

Accordingly, keeping all this in mind, let us banish envy from our own souls and win favor from God. This, after all, is our invincible weapon; this, our greatest resource. Hence Ishmael too, young though he was and in utter isolation and neediness, suddenly grew in strength and developed into a great nation since, the text says, God was with the child. . . . Let us therefore, I beseech you, despise this present life, long for the future life, esteem favor from God above all other things, and, through an excellent way of living, lay up for ourselves great confidence, so that we may be able to pass this present life without distress and attain those future blessings, thanks to the grace and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen.

Abraham took it very hard when Hagar fled from him, though he had sent her off at God’s command. Similarly it was a great cause of sorrow to the holy apostles and evangelists when Israel fell. However, they were separated from them, not at all willingly but because of God’s will and out of love for Christ. For this reason the divine Paul writes, My sorrow is great, and I have continuous pain in my heart, for I would wish that I myself could be separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, who are from the same race as I according to the flesh; they are Israelites.^[1] So, when the mother of the Jews was sent away, she wandered for a long time in the wilderness, and there was some danger of her being wholly destroyed. But if she should begin to weep (like Hagar) in time and cry out to God, she will be shown mercy abundantly. For God will open the eyes of their understanding, and they too will see the fountain of living water, that is, Christ. And believing they too will rejoice, and having been washed they will be made clean, according to the saying of the prophet.^[2]