Exaltations

Ego si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia traham ad me ipsum. In verbis istis duo praedicit Dominus: primo, passionis suae modum, cum dicit: Cum exaltatus fuero; secundo, passionis suae fructum, cum dicit: Omnia traham ad me ipsum. Ait ergo: Cum exaltatus fuero a terra. Nota, quod multiplex est exallatio. Est enim exaltatio hominis-Christi et hominis iusti et hominis mali. De exaltalione Christi nota, quod Christus fuit exaltatus in passione, in ascensione et in Apostolorum praedicationce. In passione fuit exaltatus in poena; de qua hic: Cum exaltatus fuero etc.; et loannis tertio: Sicut exaltavit Moyses serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis. In ascensione fuit exaltatus in gloria. Tunc enim Deus exaltavit illum et dedit ille nomen, quod est super omne nomen, ut in nomine lesu omne genu flectatur caelestium , terrestrium et infernorum, et omnis lingua confiteatur, quia Dominus lesus in gloria est Dei Patris, ad Philippenses secundo. In Apostolorum praedicalione fuit exaltalus in fama ; de quo in Psalmo: Exaltabor in gentibus et exaltabor in terra; et iterum: Exaltare super caelos Deus; quod factum est in ascensione; et in omnera terrara gloria tua; quod factum est in Evangelii promulgatione. Sequitur de exaltatione hominis iusti, quae. multiplex est. Exaltat enim Deus hominem iustum in gratia, in gloria et in fama. In gratia exaltat, quando de culpa ad gratiam vocat; unde Psalmus: Qui exaltas me de portis mortis. Portae mortis, quibus intratur ad mortem, peccata sunt; portae vero vitae, gratia et virtutes. Tunc ergo exaltatur homo de portis mortis, quando revocatur de statu peccati ad statum gratiae. De hac exaltatione Lucae decimo octavo: Omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur. In gloria exaltat, cum de miseria ad regnum vocat, secundum illud Psalmi: Cornu eius exaltabitur in gloria. De hac exaltatione Lucae decimo quarto: Omnis, qui se humiliat, exaltabitur, et qui se exaltat humihabitur. In fama exaltat, quando eius gloriam in Ecclesia manifestat, cum facit, ut exaltent eum in ecclesia plebis et in cathedra seniorum laudent eum, secundum quod dicitur in Psalmo; et Matthaei vigesimo tertio: Omnis, qui se humiliat, exaltabitur etc.; ubi praedicat Dominus de non quaerenda fama in praesenti sive gloria. Nota, quod meretur quis exaltari per tria. Solet enim exaltari servus, quia est officiosus in domo; solet exaltari amicus, quia est familiaris in consilio; solet etiam exaltari miles, quando probatus est in proelio. Ista tria genera hominum solent reges exaltare, videlicet fideles servos, amicos familiares et probatos milites: primos propter suum ohsequium, secundos propter suum consilium, tertios propter nam fortitudinem. Nota igitur, quod activi exaltabuntur , sicut servi, ratione obsequii; Isaiae quinquagesimo secundo: Ecce, servus meus intelliget et exaltabitur et elevabitur et sublimis erit valde; Matthaei vigesimo quinto: Euge, serve bone et fidelis, quia super pauca fuisti fidelis etc. Exaltantur amici, scilicet contemplativi, propter suam sapientiam. Proverbiorum quarto: Arripe sapientiam, et exaltabit te, et glorificaberis ab ea, cum eam fueris amplexatus. Exaltantur perfecti, sicut Martyres, quasi propter suam militiam, secundum illud Psalmi: De torrente in via bibet, propterea exaltabit caput. Omnibus istis dicitur primae Petri quinto: Humiliamini sub potenti manu Dei, ut vos exaltet in tempore visitationis. Sequitur de exaltatione hominis mali, quae multiplex est. Exaltantur enim mali in corde per superbiam in ore per iactantiam, in conversatione per pompam. Exaltantur ergo in corde per superbiam, quod prohibetur in Psalmo: Qui exasperant non exaltentur in semetipsis; et lob decimo quinto: Quid te elevat cor tuum, et quasi magna cogitans attonitos habes oculos? Exaltant se in ore per iactantiam, sicut ille Pharisaeus, de quo dicitur Lucae decimo octavo: Quia omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur. lactabat enim se de bonis suis. Exaltantur in conversatione per pompam, licet non diu; unde in Psalmo: Inimici Domini mox, ut honorificati fuerint et exaltati, deficientes, quemadmodum fumus deficient.Talis exaltatio fugienda est, quia ignominiosa, momentanea et periculosa. Ignominiosa, quia, quanto magis exaltantur, tanto magis eorum crimina conspectius videntur, secundum illud: Omne animi vitium tanto conspectius in se Crimen habet, quanto maior qui peccat habetur Exemplum de simia, quae, quanto plus ascendit tanto plus apparent posteriora eius. Et hoc probatur, Isaiae decimo quarto, de lucifero, qui dixit: Conscendam, super astra caeli exaltabo solium meum etc.; et sequitur statim, quomodo apparuerunt posteriora eius. Item momentanea, quia non habet permanentiam secundum illud: Invidia fatorum numini summisque negatum Stare diu. Et ideo dicitur in Psalmo: Vidi impium elevatum et superexaltatum sicut cedros Libani, et statim sequitur : Transivi, et ecce, non erat. Exemplum de fumo, qui quanto magis ascendit, tanto magis dispergilur et evanescit ; unde Psalmus: Mox ut honorificati fuerint et exaltati, deflcienles, quemadmodum fumus deficient. Item, periculosa, quia sic exaltati descendunt cum praecipitio, secundum quod descendit lucifer, qui dixit: Exaltabo sohum meum » ; et statim dictum est ei :usque ad infernum detraheris; Abdiae primo: Si exaltatus fueris ut aquila , et si inter sidera posueris nidum tuum; inde detraham te; e t in lob dicitur in persona talium: Elevasti me, et quasi super ventum ponens, elisisti me valde. Exemplum de stulto, qui dixit, quod bonum erat volare, sed occidebat eum residere. Sanctus Bonaventura, Collationes In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput XII Source: Here, p595-6

If I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all things to myself. 1 With these words the Lord foretells two things, firstly the manner of His Passion, when He says, 'If I am lifted up,' secondly the fruit of His Passion, when He says, 'I shall draw all things to myself.' Therefore He says 'If I am lifted up from the earth.' Note that there are numerous exaltations. There is the exaltation of the man Christ, and of the righteous man, and of the wicked man. Note in the exaltation of Christ that Christ was exalted in His Passion, in His Ascension and in the preaching of the Apostles. In the Passion He was exalted in punishment concerning which He says here, 'If I am lifted up.' And in the third chapter of John, 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so it is necessary for the Son of man to be exalted.' 2 In the Ascension he was exalted in glory. 'Then indeed God has exalted Him and given Him the name which is above all other names, so that in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of heaven, of earth, and of hell, and every tongue shall confess Him, because the Lord Jesus is in the glory of God the Father,' as it is said in the second chapter of the letter to the Philippians. 3 He was exalted in the preaching of the Apostles in fame, concerning which the Psalm says, 'I shall be exalted among the nations, I shall be exalted on the earth.' And again, 'God is exalted over the heavens,' which He was at His ascension. 'And in all the earth His glory.' 4 which was done by the promulgation of the Gospel. It follows that the lifting up of the righteous man is manifold. For God lifts up the righteous man in grace, in glory and in fame. He exalts with grace when He calls to grace from fault, hence the Psalm says, 'He who lifted me up from the gates of death.' 5 The gates of death are sins by which one enters into death, but the gate of life is grace and the virtues. Therefore a man is lifted up from the gates of death when he is recalled from a state of sin to a state of grace. Concerning this lifting up it says in the eighteenth chapter of Luke, 'Every man who exalts himself shall be humbled.' 6 He exalts in glory when He calls a man from wretchedness to the kingdom, according to that Psalm which says, 'His horn shall be lifted up in glory.' Concerning this exaltation it says in the fourteenth chapter of Luke, 'Every man who humbles himself shall be lifted up, and he who exalts himself shall be humbled.'7 He lifts up in fame when He manifests his glory in the church, when He makes it so that the assembly of the people exalt him and  the seats of elders praise him, according to which it is said in the Psalm and in the twenty third chapter of Matthew, 'Every man who humbles himself will be exalted,' 8 where the Lord preached they no one should seek fame or glory in the present. Note that a man merits lifting up in three ways. A servant will be exalted when he is dutiful in the home, a friend because he is useful in counsel, and a soldier when he is proven in battle. There are three types of men kings are accustomed to exalt, that is, faithful servants, useful friends, and proven soldiers. First on account of service, secondly on account of counsel, thirdly on account of fortitude. Therefore note that there is an exaltation for activity like the servant, by reason of his service, as it says in the forty second chapter of Isaiah, 'Behold my servant shall understand and he shall be exalted and lifted up, and he will be truly sublime.' 9 In the twenty fifth chapter of Matthew, 'Come, good and faithful servant, because in a few things you were faithful.' 10 Friends are exalted as contemplatives, on account of their wisdom. In the fourth chapter of Proverbs, 'Lay hold of wisdom, and she shall exalt you, and you will be glorified by her when she embraces you.' 11 The perfect are exalted as Martyrs, on account of their bravery, according to which the Psalm says, 'From the torrent in the way he shall drink, on account of which he shall lift up his head.' 12 All these are spoken of in the fifth chapter of the first letter of Peter, 'Humble yourself beneath the hand of God, and He shall exalt you in the time of visitation.' 13 It follows that the exaltation of the wicked man is manifold. The wicked are exalted in their hearts through pride, in their mouths through boasting, and in their way of living by pomp. Therefore they are exalted in their hearts through pride which is forbidden in the Psalm, 'Those who exasperate, let them not exalt themselves.' And in the fifteenth chapter of Job, 'Why do you lift up your heart, and as one who thinks great thoughts have wondering eyes?' They who exalt themselves through boasting are as the Pharisee who is spoken of in the eighteenth chapter of Luke, 'Because he who exalts himself shall be humbled.' He boasts of himself because of his goods. They are also exalted in their way of living in pomp, which is not to be done, hence the Psalm, 'As soon as the enemies of God are honoured and exalted they fall, just as smoke that blows away.' 14 Such exaltation must be avoided, because it is shameful and burdensome and perilous. It is shameful because the more a man exalts himself, the more his evils become apparent, according to which, Every vice of the soul, the more it is seen in itself to be wicked, the more he does evil who has it. 15 As in the example of the monkey, the higher he goes, the more exposed is his posterior. And this is proved in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah concerning Lucifer, who says, 'I shall go up, I shall lift up my throne above the stars.' And it immediately follows, 'How apparent his posterior is.' 16 The same thing is burdensome because it has no permanence, according to which, The envy of the Fates has denied to those with greatest power that they might stand for long.. 17 Therefore it is said in the Psalm, 'I saw the impious man lifted up and exalted like the cedars of Lebanon,' and immediately it continues, 'and I passed by and, behold, he was not.' As with the example of smoke, which the higher it rises, so the more it is scattered and disappears. Hence the Psalm says, 'As soon as they have been honoured and exalted, they perished.' as smoke the blows away. 18 Likewise it is perilous because those exalted in such a manner fall headfirst, just as with Lucifer's fall, he who said, 'I shall lift up my throne.' And instantly it was said of him, 'even to hell I shall drag you.' In the first chapter of Obadiah, 'If you exalt yourself like the eagle, and if you place your nest among the stars, I shall drag you from there.' And in Job it says in the person of such people, 'You lifted me up and set me as if on the winds, then you utterly cast me down.' 19 The fool gives an example, he who said 'How good it would be to fly!' But he killed himself trying. Saint Bonaventura, Observations On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 12 1 Jn 12.32 2 Jn 3.14 3 Phil 2.9 4 Ps 45.11, Ps 56,6 5 Ps 9.15 6 Lk 18.14 7 Ps 111.9, Lk 14.11 8 Ps 106.32, Mt 23.12 9 Isaiah 42.13 10 Mt 25.21 11 Prov 4.8 12 Ps 109.7 13 1 Pet 5.6 14 Ps 65.7 Job 15.12, Lk 18.14, Ps 36.20 15 Juv Sat 8.1400-1 16 Isaiah 14.13 17 Lucan Phar 1.70-1 18 Ps 36.35, 20 19 Obed 1.4, Job 30.22