Jacob of Sarug's Homily on the Love of God towards Humanity and of the Just towards God

Jacob of Sarug’s (d. 521) homily 63 “On the Love of God towards Humanity and of the Just towards God,” chronicles the unravelling of God’s love in sacred history – a common topic in the Late Ancient Syriac tradition. The homily, written in dodecasyllabic verse, builds itself around the metaphor of debt: the inability of humankind to return God’s love and grace resounds throughout the pages of Jacob’s work.1 Jacob’s narrative progresses from accounts in the Old Testament about sacrifice and worship and culminates in God’s revelation of His love in the incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The homily rests on the principle that God’s love, revealed through His sacrifice, is unmatchable. The homily opens: “The heavens and the earth along with the angels and humanity, are insufficient to glorify you because of your love.” "Jacob of Sarug's homily chronicles the unravelling of God's love in sacred history and the inability of humankind to return God's love and grace"-- Provided by publisher