Беседа на слова: „Прежде же шести дней Пасхи прииде Иисус во Вифанию, идеже бе Лазарь умерый»... (Ин. 12:1). Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

Before the six days of Passover, the Lord Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, and dined with them, with Martha serving and Lazarus reclining (John 12:1, 2). Here is proof of the undoubted resurrection (of Lazarus): after many days he was alive and eating. From here it is also clear that the supper was in Martha’s house, because they receive Jesus as His friends and favorites (some, however, say that it was in someone else’s house). Maria did not serve, but was a student. Again, here she (is) more spiritual: she does not serve as a guest, and does not provide services to everyone, but gives honor to only one, and approaches Him not as a person, but as God. Therefore, she poured out the ointment and wiped it with her hair; this shows that she had a different concept of Him than others had. Meanwhile, Judas, under the pretext of piety, reproached her. What is Christ? “She did a good (he says) work for My burial" (John 12:7). Why did He not rebuke the disciple for this wife and say what the Evangelist said, that is, that Judas reproached her because he was a thief? He wanted to touch Him with great patience. And since He knew that Judas was a traitor, He first repeatedly denounced him, saying: those of you who do not believe, and of you alone is the devil (John 6:64, 70). By this the Lord showed that he knew Judas as a traitor, but did not openly expose him, but showed him leniency, wanting to turn him away. How then does the other (Evangelist) say that all the disciples said so (Matthew 26:8)? It’s true, that’s all, and him; but others are not from the same motive. If anyone asks why (Christ) entrusted Taty with the ark of the poor and made the money-lover the manager, then I will answer that God knows the hidden reason for this. But if something should be said to us based on considerations, then this is in order to take away (from Judas) any excuse. Indeed, he could not say that he did this (betrayed Jesus) for the love of money, since he found sufficient satisfaction of his passion in the ark; no, he did this out of great wickedness, which Christ wanted to curb by showing him leniency. Therefore, the Savior did not accuse Judas of stealing, although he knew about it, in order to curb his evil desire and take away all justification from him. Don't let her. says, because she did it for My burial (John 12:7). Having spoken about the burial, He again made a hint about the traitor; however, this reproof does not touch him, these words do not soften him, although they could arouse compassion. He seemed to be saying: “Am I unpleasant and burdensome? But wait a little, and I will go away.” He led to the same thought with the words: You do not always have me (John 12:8). But all this did not bend the bestial and frantic man. However, (the Lord) said and did even much more than this: He washed his feet that night, and made him a participant in the meal and salt - which could have tamed the souls of the robbers - and said other words that could have softened the very stone. And all this not for a long time, but on the same day, so that time itself would not lead it to oblivion. But (Judas) persisted despite everything. The love of money is scary, truly scary. It closes both eyes and ears, makes people more ferocious than animals, does not allow one to think about conscience, or friendship, or communication, or the salvation of one’s own soul, but, once turning away from everything, it makes those captives its slaves, just like a cruel tyrant. And the worst thing about this bitter slavery is that it even forces one to enjoy oneself, so that the more one indulges in it, the more the pleasure increases. That is why this disease is predominantly incurable; That is why this beast is indomitable. The love of money turned Gehazi from a disciple and prophet into a leper; it destroyed Ananias; it made Judas a traitor; it corrupted the Jewish leaders, who accepted gifts and became accomplices of thieves. It gave birth to countless wars, filled the roads with blood, and the cities with cries and tears. It made the suppers unclean, the meals defiled, and the very dishes filled with iniquity. That's why ap. Paul called it idolatry (Eph. 5:5), but this did not deter him either. Why does he call it idolatry? Many, having wealth, do not dare to use it, but consider it a shrine and pass it on intact to their grandchildren and their descendants, not daring to touch it, as if it were something dedicated to God. And if they are forced (to touch him), they are in such a state as if they had done something inappropriate. On the other hand, just as a pagan protects an idol, so you protect the gold with doors and locks, instead of a temple you build an ark for it and put it in silver vessels. But do you not worship (gold) as he did his idol? Nevertheless, you show every respect towards him. Further, (the pagan) would rather give his eyes and soul than an idol: so are those who love gold. “But you say I don’t worship gold?” And he says that he worships not an idol, but a demon living in him. So you, if you do not worship gold, then the demon who invades your soul from looking at gold and from passion for it. The passion of love of money is worse than a demon, and many are more submissive to it than others are to idols. In many ways they do not listen to idols, but they obey the love of money in everything and do whatever it orders them to do. What does it say? “Be,” he says, “an enemy and adversary to everyone; forget nature; despise God; sacrifice yourself to me,” and in all this they obey. They sacrifice oxen and sheep to the idols; and the love of money says: “Sacrifice your soul to me!" - and this is also fulfilled. Do you see what altars it has, what sacrifices it accepts? The covetous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10) - but they are not afraid of this either. However, this passion in itself is weaker, because it is not innate to us and does not come from our nature (otherwise it would have been in us from the very beginning), but in the beginning it was not gold, and no one loved gold. If you want, I will tell you where this evil came from. Each, competing with those who lived before him, increased this disease, and the predecessor aroused even against his will. People, as soon as they see bright houses, many fields, silver vessels, a large collection of clothes, try in every possible way to have even more, so that the first are the reason for the second, these for the subsequent. Meanwhile, if they wanted to live modestly, they would not be teachers for others. However, there is no excuse for these latter either, because there are also those who despise wealth. “But who, you say, despises?” The trouble is that evil has increased to such an extent that (the virtue of non-covetousness) has apparently become impossible - and that it is not even believed that anyone follows it. Now we are not talking about you wasting your property! Since this burden is beyond your strength, I only urge you not to covet someone else’s, but to give of your own. After all, there are many who are content with their own, take care of their own and live by righteous labors. Why aren't we jealous and imitate them? Let us remember those who lived before us. Do not their estates still stand, on which only their names are preserved? Seeing this, don’t we immediately sigh, imagining how much labor he endured, how much theft he committed, and - he himself is nowhere to be found; and his acquisitions are enjoyed by others about whom he never thought - perhaps even his enemies - while he himself suffers the greatest punishment. This awaits us too: we will certainly die; and we will certainly meet the same end. Tell me, how much anger did they endure, how many costs, how much enmity? And what fruit? Endless punishment, deprivation of all consolation and condemnation from everyone, not only during life, but also after death. But what about when we see images of many placed in houses, doesn’t that make us cry the more? Truly, the Prophet said well: otherwise every living person is troubled in vain (Psalm 38:6, 7). Worrying about such things is truly confusion and vain worry. But this is not the case in the eternal abodes and in those villages: here some worked, and others enjoyed; and there everyone will be the master of his own labors, and will receive a manifold reward. Let us strive for that acquisition. There we will build our homes, so that we may rest in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory forever. Amen 161. From the 65th conversation of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of John on the Theologian. See the Complete Works of St. Chrysostom, in Russian. translation. Ed. 1902, vol. VIII, pp. 436–442. You might be interested in: