Origen's sixth homily on Luke, explaining why Elizabeth hid her pregnancy, why Mary was betrothed, and why Gabriel calls John 'great' before the truly great one arrives.
This homily is one of Origen's short sermons on the Gospel of Luke, preached to a congregation and later translated into Latin by Jerome. It works through Luke's infancy narrative from Elizabeth's concealed pregnancy to the angel's declaration that John "will be great," treating the text verse by verse as a preacher would, pausing to raise and answer questions a listener might have.
Origen asks two main interpretive questions. First, why did Elizabeth hide herself for five months rather than the whole term of her pregnancy? He reasons that an old married couple resuming marital relations would feel shame, so Elizabeth concealed herself until Mary's visit and the leaping of the infant John in her womb, after which she could reveal her pregnancy without shame, since it was now understood as prophetic. Second, why did God choose a betrothed virgin rather than an unattached one to bear the Savior? Origen answers that Mary's betrothal to Joseph was a deliberate concealment from "the ruler of this age," citing a letter of Ignatius of Antioch to the effect that Mary's virginity and the birth of the Lord were hidden from the devil because she appeared to have a husband. He extends this into a broader theme: Christ's identity was hidden from the hostile spiritual powers throughout his life, quoting Paul on the "wisdom of God, concealed within a mystery" that the rulers of this age did not know, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Origen also addresses the apparent problem that the demon in the Gospel calls Jesus "the Son of God" by torment, resolving it by arguing that a lesser evil more easily recognizes goodness.
The homily closes by turning to John's greatness ("he will be great") and contrasting it with the greater greatness of Jesus, which Origen traces spreading throughout the whole earth, into heaven and even into the depths, drawing on Ephesians and Philippians to describe Christ filling all things. This text matters as a specimen of early Christian close reading of Luke that already treats Ignatius as an authoritative source and works out a christological theme, the divine strategy of hiddenness from hostile powers, that recurs across patristic exegesis.
“The virginity of Mary was hidden from the ruler of this age; it was hidden on account of the marriage, it was hidden because she was thought to have a husband.”
— Homily on Luke 6 · read this chapter →
“we speak wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing”
— Homily on Luke 6 · read this chapter →
“It is also said of John: "he will be great," and the angel Gabriel testifies to this very thing; but when Jesus came, truly great, truly exalted, the one who had previously been "great" became lesser.”
— Homily on Luke 6 · read this chapter →
“Ascend into the heavens and see him, how he has filled the heavenly places”
— Homily on Luke 6 · read this chapter →
It is a sermon working through Luke's infancy narrative, from Elizabeth hiding her pregnancy through Gabriel's announcement that John 'will be great.' Origen asks why Elizabeth concealed herself and why Mary was betrothed rather than unattached, then develops a theme of Christ's identity being deliberately hidden from hostile spiritual powers until his death.
Origen argues that if Mary had appeared as an unattached pregnant virgin, the devil ('the ruler of this age') would have immediately suspected a divine conception. Because she was thought to have a husband, her pregnancy could pass unnoticed by hostile powers, a point Origen supports by quoting a letter of Ignatius of Antioch.
Yes. Origen cites a letter of Ignatius, whom he calls 'bishop of Antioch, second after Peter,' stating that Mary's virginity was hidden from the ruler of this age because she was thought to have a husband.
He reasons that Elizabeth and Zechariah, being elderly, felt shame at resuming marital relations, so Elizabeth concealed herself for five months until Mary's visit, when the infant John leaped in her womb and she prophesied; only then did Elizabeth reveal her pregnancy openly.
Origen resolves the apparent contradiction that a demon recognizes Jesus while the 'rulers of this age' did not, by arguing that a lesser degree of evil allows easier recognition of the Savior, while greater wickedness blinds the more powerful hostile power.
Though Gabriel calls John 'great,' Origen argues this greatness is relative and is eclipsed once Jesus appears, citing John's own words that he was 'a burning and shining lamp' in whose light people rejoiced only for an hour before the greater light of Christ appeared.
Commentary on John, Book 1 · Commentary on John, Book 10 · Commentary on John, Book 2 · Commentary on John, Book 4 · Commentary on John, Book 5 · Commentary on John, Book 6 · Commentary on Matthew, Book 10 · Commentary on Matthew, Book 11 · Commentary on Matthew, Book 12 · Commentary on Matthew, Book 13 · Commentary on Matthew, Book 14 · Commentary on Matthew, Book 15