Беседа на слова: „Разуме же народ мног от Иудей, яко ту есть: и приидоша не Иисуса ради токмо, но да и Лазаря видят, егоже воскреси от мертвых» (Ин. 12:9). Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

Just as wealth usually destroys unwary people, so does power. The former leads to covetousness, and the latter to madness. Look: the subordinates of the Jewish people judge soundly, but the superiors judge wrongly. That the people believed in Christ, the evangelists often say about this: many of the people believed in Him (John 7:31). And some of the leaders did not believe. The leaders themselves, and not the people, say: food is from the prince, he has faith in him! But who? The people, they say, who do not know God, are cursed (John 7:48–49). Believers were called damned; and themselves, the murderers, - prudent. So now, having seen the miracle, many believed; and the leaders not only were not satisfied with their atrocities, but also attempted to kill Lazarus. Let it be Christ because He violated the Sabbath, because He created Himself equal to the Father, because of the Romans, as you say; but what can you blame Lazarus for? Why do you want to kill him? Is it really his fault that he received a benefit? Do you see how murderous they are? (Christ) performed many miracles, but not a single one hardened them to such an extent - neither a miracle over the paralytic, nor a miracle over the blind. This is because the miracle over Lazarus was, by its very nature, more amazing, and was performed after many miracles. And it was amazing to see that a four-day-old dead man could walk and talk. But it’s a wonderful thing for a holiday, isn’t it, to add murder to the celebration! Moreover, in those cases they thought to accuse Christ of violating the Sabbath and thereby distract the people from Him; but here they could not accuse Him of anything, and therefore they are plotting against the one whom He raised. Here they could not even say that He was opposing the Father, because His prayer blocked their lips. And since the usual pretext for accusation was now taken away from them, and meanwhile the miracle was obvious, they decide to kill. Of course, they would have done the same with the blind man if they had no reason to accuse him of violating the Sabbath. And besides, the blind man was ignorant, and they kicked him out of the church; and this (Lazarus) was a famous man, as can be seen from the fact that many gathered to console his sisters. And the miracle was performed in the sight of everyone and in the most extraordinary way, which is why everyone rushed to see it. This is what tormented them, that at the onset of the holiday, everyone, leaving the celebration, went to Bethany. So, they planned to kill Lazarus, not even thinking that this was a crime: before that they were inclined to murder! That is why the original law begins with the commandment: Thou shalt not kill (Ex. 20:13). And the Prophet convicts them of this: their hands are filled with blood (Is. 1:15). But how can Christ, who did not walk openly in Judea and withdrew into the wilderness, now boldly enter again? By His departure He quenched their rage and returns to them only after they have calmed down. On the other hand, they had to fear the people who preceded and accompanied Him, because not a single miracle attracted the people to Him like the miracle over Lazarus. Another Evangelist also notes that the people spread their vestments under His feet (Luke. 19:36), and that the whole city was shaken (Matthew 21:10): with such honor He entered! And He entered in this way in order to foreshadow one prophecy and fulfill another - so that one and the same event served as the beginning of one and the end of the other. The words: Rejoice, for your king is coming to you meek (Matthew 21:5) mean the fulfillment of prophecy; and that He sat on a donkey, this prefigures a future event, namely, that He had to subdue the unclean tribe of the pagans to His power. But how do others (evangelists) say that He sent disciples and said to them: put away the donkey and the lot (Matthew 21:2); and (John) does not say anything like that, but what is it that He, having found a donkey, does not have to do with everything (John 12:14)? It was probably both; while the disciples, having released the donkey, were leading her to Him, He probably found the donkey and sat on it. Meanwhile, the people took branches of date and olive trees and spread their clothes, showing that they already had a higher understanding of Him than of the prophet - and said: Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (John 12:13). Do you see how they were most offended by the universal conviction that He was not God’s adversary? How did the people most divide by the fact that He said about Himself that He came from God? What does it mean: rejoice greatly, daughters of Zion? Since all their kings were for the most part unjust and selfish, betrayed them to their enemies, corrupted the people and subjugated them to their enemies, the Prophet says: do not be afraid; this (King) is not like that, but is meek and gentle, as the donkey shows. For He did not enter surrounded by an army, but having with Him one donkey. But His disciples did not understand these things, because these things were written about Him (John 12:16). Do you see that the disciples did not understand much when He Himself did not reveal it to them? So when He said: Destroy this church, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19), the disciples also did not understand. And another Evangelist says that His word was hidden from them (Luke 9:44), and that they did not know that He must rise from the dead. But this was rightly hidden from them, which is why another Evangelist says that every time they heard about it, they grieved and were sad, because they did not understand the mystery of the resurrection. This, I say, was rightly hidden from them, since it exceeded their understanding. But why wasn’t the sign of the donkey revealed to them? - because this was a great thing. Notice the wisdom of the Evangelist: he is not ashamed to expose their former ignorance. They knew what was written; but that what was written related to Christ, they did not know. They would be tempted by the fact that He, as a king, had to endure so much and be subjected to such betrayal. On the other hand, they would not suddenly understand the teaching about the kingdom that He spoke about. According to another Evangelist, they thought He was talking about this kingdom. For your people bear witness that He raised Lazarus (John 12:17, 18); the people, he says, would not have suddenly converted in such numbers if they had not believed in a miracle. The Pharisee decided to himself: Do you see how there is no benefit? All the world walks after Him. It seems to me that these words belonged to those who reasoned sensibly, but did not dare to speak openly, and therefore, by pointing to events, they wanted to deter others from their undertaking, as from a useless undertaking. And by the name of peace they mean here the same people. (Scripture also calls people living in vices the world, when it expresses itself: the world cannot hate you: but it hates me (John 7:7). You need to know this well so that by misunderstanding words you do not give the heretics a reason to arm themselves against us). Let the non-Greeks from those who came, let them worship on the feast (John 12:20). Being already close to becoming proselytes (converting to Judaism), they came to the holiday and, when the rumor about Christ reached them, they said: we want to see Jesus. Philip comes to Andrey, as the eldest, and informs him about this. But Andrei himself does not decide this, since he has already heard: do not follow the path of the tongue (Matthew 10:5). Therefore, after talking with Philip, he and he bring the matter to the Teacher; they both told Him about it. What does Christ say? The hour has come, that the Son of man may be glorified. Until a grain of wheat falls on the earth and dies, it remains alone (John 12:23, 24). What does it mean: when the time has come? Previously He said: Do not follow the path of the tongue, and thereby restrained the disciples in order to take away from the Jews any pretext for ingratitude. But since the Jews continued to persist, and the pagans wanted to come to Him, He says: “It’s time to go to suffering, since everything has already been fulfilled.” If we continue to take care of the Jews, despite their stubbornness, and do not allow the pagans to come to us, no matter how much they desire, then this will be unworthy of our providence." And so, since the Savior intended to send His disciples to the pagans after the cross, and meanwhile sees that the pagans themselves were coming to Him, he says: "it is time to go to the cross." Not before His suffering, the Lord sent them - so that this served as a testimony against the Jews. Until (the Jews) actually rejected Him, until they handed Him over to crucifixion, He did not say: go, teach all tongues (Matthew 28:19), but on the contrary: do not go into the way of the tongue (Matthew 10:5), and: I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and: it is not good for children to take away their bread, and treacherous with a dog (Matthew 15:24, 26). But when they hated Him to the point of betraying Him to death, it was no longer useful to continue to deal with them while they rejected Him. And they really denied Him, saying: “They are not the imams of the king, but of Caesar” (John 19:15). That is why He says: “Your fellow children have desired as much as you have desired, but have not desired” (Matthew 23:37)... What does it mean: even if a grain of wheat falls on the ground, it will not die? It is He who speaks of the cross. So that (the disciples) would not be embarrassed by the thought that the Lord was killed at the very time when the pagans began to come to Him, He says that this very thing in particular will contribute to the conversion of the pagans and the spread of His preaching. But just as words did not convince them so much, He assures them of the same thing by actual experience, saying what happens with wheat - it bears more fruit when it dies. “If this happens to seeds, then how much more does it happen to Me.” After this, what justification will those who do not believe in the resurrection have, when it is presented daily in seeds, and in plants, and at our birth? After all, the seed must first decay, and then birth occurs. However, generally speaking, where God acts, there is no need for speculation. How did He create us out of nothing? This I say to Christians who say of themselves that they believe the Scriptures; but I will say something based on human speculation. Some people live viciously, others virtuously: and among the vicious, many live to a ripe old age, enjoying happiness, while the opposite happens to virtuous people. When will each of them get what they deserve? what time? “This is so, they say: but there will be no resurrection of bodies.” But don’t they hear what Paul said: it is fitting for this corruptible to put on incorruptibility (1 Cor. 15:53)? Here we are not talking about the soul, because the soul is not subject to corruption. And rebellion is characteristic of what has fallen: and the body has fallen. And why do you not want to (allow) the resurrection of bodies? Is this impossible for God? But to say so is a matter of extreme madness. Or is it not decent? Why is it not proper that a perishable being, who participated in labor and death, should also take part in crowns? If it were not decent, then it would not have been created in the beginning, and Christ would not have taken on flesh. And that He accepted and resurrected her - listen to how He says: put your fingers and see, for the spirit has no bones and lived (John 20:27; fn. Luke 24:39). Why also did He resurrect Lazarus, if it is better to be resurrected without a body? Why puts this among miracles and blessings? Why did he give food at all? No, beloved, do not be deceived by heretics. There is truly, there is both resurrection and judgment; they are rejected only by those who do not want to give an account of their affairs. And moreover, the resurrection must be the same as the resurrection of Christ was, because Christ is the firstfruits and the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). In their opinion, Christ either was not resurrected, or, if he was resurrected, then he sinned before the resurrection. But He rose again and did not create sin; therefore, resurrected in body. And that ungodly teaching is nothing more than a product of vanity. Let us avoid this disease: for it is said that good customs and conversation are evil (1 Cor. 15:33). This is not apostolic teaching. Let us therefore flee from this teaching, beloved. After all, with wrong dogmas there is no benefit from a good life, just as vice versa - sound dogmas are useless with a vicious life. We must heed the Divine Scripture and not enter into useless disputes of words. The apostle also inspires this. Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 2:14), despite the fact that the latter was filled with great wisdom and had the power to work miracles. So, let us follow his suggestion and, leaving idle talk, let us engage in business, that is, brotherly love and hospitable love, and especially take care of alms in order to achieve the promised benefits, according to the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen 162. See the 66th conversation of St. Chrysostom on Evang. John the Theologian, in Complete. Assembled. Created. St. Chrysostom, in Russian. translation Published. 1902, vol. VIII, countries. 442–448. You might be interested in: