Беседа в неделю Ваий. Преподобного Иова, игумена Почаевского

If anyone is one of the prudent servants of Christ and rejoices in the honor of the Master, let him listen to this Gospel (John 12:1-18). The current Gospel, beloved, read with clear understanding, shows about our Master what the sisters of Lazarus prepared for Him, when one of them Mary, deeply honoring Him, washed His feet with precious myrrh, and with what answer He stops the mouth of Judas, who reproached this wife for her God-loving deed; what a solemn meeting He was honored with, when the people brought Him date branches as a gift and exclaimed Hosanna in a loud voice: just like Christ, fulfilling what was prophesied about Him and Himself mysteriously foreshadowing something, that is, the subjugation of the foolish pagans, riding on a donkey, thus comes to Jerusalem. And not only this, beloved, does the current Gospel show us, but by the way, it also shows the council that the elder priests held against Lazarus. If the bishop conferred, it is said, they will kill Lazarus (John 12:10). But it’s time to listen to the very words of the Gospel in order to accurately understand all the expressions. since the Jews had a custom, before celebrating the Passover on the twentieth day of the month, to begin and observe it on the fourteenth, and on the nineteenth day of the same month they consumed something more than ordinary food, while hitherto it was an unimportant festival (Ex. 12:18): therefore, the Lord, following these customs of celebration, since he did not want to break the law in anything, dined Himself with His friends, preceding two Easters. For before the six days of the Passover Jesus came to Bethany. What Easter? Obviously, legal: for the true Passover, which was Christ Himself, sacrificed for us, had not yet been taught: for our Passover, it is said, Christ was sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). And where did He come from? - From the desert. Having raised Lazarus from the dead - since they were looking to stone Him - He withdrew into the desert, not wanting them to perish. Then the Evangelist, showing us that Bethany was the fatherland of Lazarus, added: where Lazarus died (John 12:1). Then he, as if in passing, mentions the miracle of Lazarus: raise him from the dead, he said. In general, he narrates, as if with a tinge of disdain: I made that supper for Him. Obviously, this refers to Lazarus, since they received Him not only as a teacher of piety, and not as His friends, loved by Him, but also because He raised Lazarus from the dead. And Martha, it is said, served. This sister Lazareva is always more zealous in the work of service. Lazarus, it is said, was one of those who reclined with Him. The Evangelist seemed surprised and, having shown that Lazarus was not immediately given over to the earth and tomb again after his resurrection, but remained alive and ate and drank, he added this and said: “Lazarus,” he says, “was formerly stinking for four days, and he then reclined at supper with Jesus.” Mary, it is said, is also Lazarev’s sister, having received a liter of myrrh, spikenard, pistica, of great value, anointed with the nose of Jesus. When he speaks of the measure of the world, he shows the quantity of the world; and when he says: nard pistika (faithful), he shows the preciousness of this world: since pistika, he said, that is, genuine and pure from everything. I will say that the measure and dignity of the world, according to the wife's intention, indicate the price of the Savior. For it was not simply that she wanted to honor Christ, but she tried to point out His highest calling; but, not understanding how to properly honor her by leaving much, she accepted and treated Him to what she had. For, having taken the measure of the world, how much it was enough to anoint His feet, and a certain wonderful and pleasant-smelling world - for spikenard, - it is said, - a pistine of great value, - she anointed the feet of Jesus, believing that she would be blessed even from one touch. It was a great honor, a special expression of love for Christ, in the fact that she did not consider this ointment worthy of the nobler parts of His body, but sat with it only at His feet: for she lay at His feet, wanted to kiss His feet, but was afraid, in awe and trembled. And she did this in order to thank Him for the work that He had undertaken for them, and to pour myrrh on His feet. Then it is said: she wiped her hair off His nose, that is, rubbed it, stroked it with her hair, so that, as she thought, she would have Him in her head even when He left: so she was completely filled with love for Christ! - The church is filled with the stench of incense. So, it is said, the myrrh was of great value, and emitted such a fragrance that the whole house was filled with its smell. But the wife is like that, and what about Judas? The verb, it is said, is one of His disciple Judas Simon Iscariot. And we will hear what he says about this at the end of the word, and now it is timely to pay attention to how nothing brings any benefit, even if you are a disciple of Christ, when laziness comes: for the speaker was one of the disciples of Christ. He not only condemns the praiseworthy and God-loving act of his wife, but also intends to betray the Teacher Himself to the wicked. The first feature separating him from other disciples, the Evangelist pointed out was that he was called Judas Simonov - although there was another Judas by name, but was not called Simonov - and that he was by birth Iscariot, named after his fatherland, and added: whoever wanted to betray Him. Do you see what evil laziness is for you? But let's see what he says? Although he does not say anything sane, it is from his corrupted mind that we listen, not only to reproach the student, but so that we ourselves do not say such things for the same reasons. “For the sake of it,” he said, “this ointment was not sold for three times a penalty, and was given to the poor?” O untimely prohibition! O Christ-hating desire! It was fitting for us to be amazed at faith, it was fitting for us to increase the honor of the Teacher; and he indecently condemns her, and measures the ointment, and offers it to the poor. Why, he said, was so much peace shed in vain? Why wasn’t it sold to buyers at a high price? Why was none of this price given to the poor? And he does not say this by caring for the poor, but by revealing an addiction to acquiring his own property, as the Evangelist himself shows when he says: “This is not as if he cared for the poor, but as if he were a thief, and he had a name for an ark and a carried burden.” He makes the poor the pretext for his covetousness: for he said this not because he cared about the poor, but because, having an ark and carrying what was put in, he took from there. By “ark” we mean a certain vaginal vessel into which they put what someone gives. What about Jesus? He does not denounce him, wanting to shame him with long-suffering and call him with much humility, but points to the zeal of his wife and at the same time hints at his image, for the Evangelist added: Jesus said: Do not do this, so that he may observe it from the day of My burial. So, here He not only answers for the wife, but also reminds Judas of the tradition he is planning and that He is going there to suffering. Why are you weakening your wife’s faith like this? Don't bother her! For when I desire to die, you cannot do this, because you will not have time: let her do it without restraint. - Then, so that he would not think that he preferred the poor to Him, the Savior also gave some reason for His answer and said: for you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. What He says means the following: “When I am in the world, it is not fitting for you to leave Me and worry about alms; but when I am taken from you, then freely give everything that remains to the poor.” But the people were many of the Jews, as they were: and they came not only for Jesus’ sake, but also for Lazarus, and raised him from the dead. They wanted to see Lazarus, hoping to hear from him something new and unknown, and this attracted many to Jesus. Therefore, this also happened by design, so that in this way he could attract many to himself. But anger never rests. The bishops conferred, and they will kill Lazarus: because for his sake I came from the Jews, and believed in Jesus. Oh, their murderous and unseemly intention! Seeing, it is said, the elder priests, that out of a desire to see Lazarus many came to Jesus, and did not stop there, but came to Him by faith, they took counsel to kill Lazarus along with Jesus. However, see how Jesus, as God, directs this intention, not only deters murderers from their aspirations, but also makes the people bring praise to Him as God. On the morning of the day - obviously, after the rage had been quenched by withdrawal, which in the meantime would have given them time and the opportunity to deliberate about something worthy - many people came on the feast, hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, having received a tree of dates, and went out to meet Him. Oh, how rash are the intentions of the priestly elders! They tried to turn the people against Him, but this latter does not think of doing any harm to Jesus, but at His entrance he brings dates as a gift and praises the coming King of Israel. For many, it is said, of those who came to the festival in Jerusalem, hearing that Jesus was coming, took date branches and met Him with them, honoring Him as the conqueror of death: since it is the custom to give honor to the winners; Christ conquered death by raising Lazarus from the dead. Then it is said: I call saying: Hosanna, blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord. What does Hosanna mean? Save, or, as some think, praise and glory; and both preach Him as God. For the power to save, like praise, must be attributed to God's nature alone. What they said means the following: save as God; or, as others say, you alone are praised God, alone glorified, since You have conquered death. Then they added: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, meaning His first coming, or preaching the second. He is worthy of all praise, it is said, now as the Lord, who is coming to destroy the power of death, and who again has to come with glory to judge all human nature, the King of Israel, not only sensual, but also rational Israel, who clearly sees God. “Jesus will find,” it is said, “a donkey, riding on everything, giving us an example and a parable that everywhere we must prefer the bad and humble, and at the same time foreshadowing the calling of the pagans by Him: and according to the law, a donkey is something unclean. Such are the people of the Gentiles. But the Lord, having sat on him, not only raises him to the highest Jerusalem, but also fulfills the prophecy, for it is added: as it is written: Do not fear the daughter of Zion; Behold, your king comes, riding on the foal of a donkey. Fear not, it is said, Zion, but dare! This king is not like the ancient, unrighteous, covetous ones, but meek and humble; He comes not accompanied by a commander, but according to the commandment, riding on the foal of a donkey, as it is said, since such are the people of the pagans, untrained through wickedness, rushing without order and not taught by examples. For the prophecy now made by Christ was to be fulfilled later. But these, it is said, were prophetically spoken by Zechariah, but His disciples did not understand before that this refers to Christ, and that He is called the king of Zion, and that He is represented with glory entering Jerusalem. For, as they looked, their mind seemed to be hidden from them, so that they would be more tempted here about Him, seeing His suffering and the countless circumstances accompanying it. But when, it is said, Jesus was glorified, then I remembered that these things were written about Him, and I did these things to Him. Then, it is said, by looking, they did not understand when He was preparing for crucifixion. When He became glorified by the resurrection and appeared as the true God: then, since the Holy Spirit remembered them, they understood that this was written about Him and that therefore they did this to Him, so that nothing that was foretold about Him of old would remain unfulfilled. - Then the Evangelist reveals to us the reason why the numerous people hastened to meet Jesus, for he added: for the people who were before with Him testified when Lazarus... raised from the dead. Such a crowd, he says, was produced by the people who were with Jesus when He raised Lazarus from the grave and from the dead. In truth, he witnessed, and in any case attracted Jesus. Therefore, it is said: for this reason, you will meet His people, because they heard Him and performed this sign; that is, the reason for the crowd of people was the rumor that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead: for it is obvious that raising a four-day old man from the grave is characteristic of the One who owns all and is able to do everything. But look, what kind of prudence do people have? He, it is said, when he saw Lazarus risen from the dead, did not hide the miracle, but presented everything, testifying and preaching the truth. And again, having heard from an eyewitness, he did not stay at home out of laziness, but immediately hurried to Jesus, so that he could see Lazarus, and embrace Jesus Himself, and sincerely praise and honor Him as a common benefactor. So, we, beloved ones, will imitate them, we will not hide the miracles of God, but we will proclaim them to everyone: we will not tell about them with anger, we will not offend ourselves, but we will dare on the path, we will not spare labor, just to bring gifts to the Benefactor of all, and we will go out to meet Him, approaching harmlessly. With this we will bring gifts to Christ, with this we will make representations for Him, looking not down at the earth, but looking up at heaven, directing all our minds there. Ours, it is said, is life in heaven (Phil. 3:20). And one more thing: philosophize on high (Colossians 3:2). Who commands us? Paul, the great preacher of truth, came the voice at the end. We too will submit to Him, and we will not think about anything earthly, but we will all be in heaven. So, being on earth with our body, but striving upward and directing our soul there, like date branches, let us enter into the glory of the God who created us. For to Him is honor and worship, now and always and to the ages without end. Amen 176. “The Pochaevskaya Bee”, part 1. Pochaev. 1884, pp. 94–101. You might be interested in: