Беседа о честном и животворящем Кресте. Св. Григория Паламы, архиепископа Фессалоникийского

The Cross of Christ was foretold and mysteriously foreshadowed from ancient times, and no one was ever reconciled to God regardless of the power of the cross. After the ancestral crime that occurred in the paradise of God from the tree, sin came to life, and we died, and before bodily death we were subjected to spiritual death, which consisted in the removal of the soul from God. And no matter how much we lived after the ancestral crime, we lived in sin and a carnal life: sin is not subject to the law of God, for it has no power to do so: and those who live according to the flesh cannot please God, which is why the Apostle said: the flesh lusts against the spirit, but the spirit against the flesh (Galatians 5:17). God is spirit, true goodness and virtue: our spirit is created in His image and likeness, but it is disfigured by sin. Therefore, how was it possible for any of all people to please God in spirit and become a friend of God, when sin was not abolished and life according to the flesh was not driven out? The abolition of sin is accomplished by the cross of Christ. Therefore, one of our God-bearing fathers, when asked by one of the infidels whether he believed in the Crucified One, answered: “yes, in the Crucified One there is sin.” However, many of God’s friends were attested by God Himself both before and after the law, when the cross had not yet been announced, and the prophet King David, one of such friends of God, says: I was greatly honored by Your friends, O God (Psal. 138:17). How could those who lived before the cross be friends of God? Just as before the appearance of the man of sin, the son of lawlessness, that is, the Antichrist, the Theologian beloved of Christ says: and now there is already an Antichrist (1 John 4:3); so the cross existed among the forefathers before its fulfillment. The great Paul teaches us more clearly how the Antichrist exists before his appearance among us, saying that his secret is already being worked out (2 Thessalonians 2:7); so the cross of Christ existed among the forefathers, not yet appearing, since its mystery was already in action among them. Leaving now Abel, Seth, Enos, Enoch, Noah and the men of their day who pleased God, I will begin with Abraham, who became the father of many nations, Jews in the flesh, us by faith - I will begin with this father of ours in spirit, who was worthy of the first calling from God. What was this calling? “Get out from your land, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you (Gen. 12:1). This saying already contains the mystery of the cross, which is directly pointed out by Paul, who, boasting about the cross, says: by whom the world has been crucified to me (Galatians 6:14). For whoever leaves the fatherland or the world irrevocably, his fatherland according to the flesh and the world are killed and abolished: this is the cross. Further, when Moses fled from Egypt and ascended Mount Horeb, what was the first word from God to him? - Cut the boots from your feet (Exodus 3:5). And this is where the mystery of the cross is revealed. “If you (says the Lord) left Egypt and left the service of Pharaoh; if you, as far as possible, rejected that world of sinful service; then you must add the following: - they will remove the boots from your feet, put aside the leather garments that you have put on, in which sin operates and does not allow you to enter the holy land; that is, do not live any more in the flesh and sin, let the law no longer reign in the world, who fights against the law of the mind and takes captive by the law of sin (Rom. 7:23), let him act no more, mortified by the power of the vision of God.” And this is the cross, which, according to the divine Paul, consists in the crucifixion of the flesh with passions and lusts (Galat. 5:24). The mystery of the cross was also manifested in the life of Isaac. Isaac was the image of Abraham reclining and, being, like Christ, obedient to death and giving a lamb as a burnt offering in his place, he represented the Son of God, the Lamb, who gave Himself to be slaughtered for us; and the very tree under which the ram stood prefigured the mystery of the image of the cross, which is why it was called the “tree of scapegoat,” just as the cross is the tree of salvation (Gen. 22:8, 13). The mystery of the cross was also revealed in Isaac’s son Jacob, who multiplied his flocks with wood and water (Gen. 30:37–43); This tree was a transformation of the wood of the cross, and the water was of Divine baptism, which contains the mystery of the cross, for, according to the Apostle, we are baptized into the death of Christ; Yes, and Christ multiplied His spiritual flocks on earth with wood and water, that is, with the cross and baptism. Jacob represented the cross both when he bowed down on the top of the staff (Gen. 47:31; Heb. 11:21), and when he blessed his sons, laying his hands in the shape of a cross (Gen. 48:14); Jacob was also vouchsafed the great mystery of the cross, i.e. vision of God (according to which a person is crucified and dies to sin, but lives for virtue): for I saw, he said, God face to face, and my soul was saved (Gen. 32:30). Moses was saved by wood and water (Ex. 2:3–6), swimming on the streams of the Nile; and he saved the people of Israel with wood and water, showing the cross with wood, and baptism with water, as the seer Paul says: they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Cor. 10:2). And even before the sea and before the rod, Moses testified of himself that he carried the cross of Christ by will, since “he considered the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Heb. 11:26); the cross is revered as the reproach of Christ by fools. Moses very clearly depicted the very image of the cross and the salvation that would be accomplished on it, when, having placed the rod and made a cross having spread out his hands on it, he completely defeated Amalek (Ex. 17:11); and also when, having lifted up the copper serpent on a banner, and thus erecting the image of the cross, he commanded those who had been bitten by the Jews to look at him with boldness and healed the wounds of those wounded by serpents (Num. 21:9). But I will not have time to talk about Joshua, David and others who, guided by the power of the cross, divided rivers, stopped the sun, conquered the cities of the wicked, were strong in war, drove out foreign armies, escaped the edge of the sword, quenched the power of fire, stopped the mouths of lions, denounced kings, raised the dead, with a word they bound the sky and loosed it again, transforming in him the barren clouds into fruitful ones (Heb. 11:33–34). If all this was accomplished by faith, as Paul said that faith is power for salvation (Rom. 1:16); therefore, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). Such is the cross of Christ for believers, as Paul testifies: the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). But let us leave behind all those who lived before the law and under the law. The Lord Himself, through whom all things are, said before the fulfillment of the cross: whoever does not accept his cross and comes after Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:38). Do you see how before the erection of the cross it already served as salvation? When the Lord, without hesitation, spoke to the disciples about His suffering and death on the cross, Peter did not refrain, but, knowing His inherent power, began to ask, saying: You are merciful, Lord: You should not have these things (Matthew 16:22), but the Lord convicted him as thinking about this not in a Divine way, but in a human way. Having called the people with His disciples, the Lord said to them: if anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and come after Me. 6o If anyone wants to save his soul, he will destroy it: and if anyone destroys his soul for My sake, he will find it (Matthew 16:24–25). So, the Lord calls the people together with the disciples and then already proclaims these great, extraordinary and, truly, not human, but Divine verbs: this means that He demands this not only from His chosen disciples, but also from everyone who believes in Him. And following Christ means living according to His Gospel and practicing all virtue and piety; to deny oneself and take up one’s cross means not only not to spare oneself, according to the demands of the time, but also to be ready for a shameful death for virtue and the truth of Divine teachings. It is a great and unusual thing to deny oneself and give oneself over to extreme dishonor and death, but it is not strange. The kings of the earth, going to war, never allow those who are not ready to die for them to follow them. Is it surprising if the King of Heaven, who lived on earth according to the flesh, is looking for those who would follow Him to counter the common human enemy? Neither the kings of the earth can bring back to life those who perish in war and give them credit for the danger (for what can one who is no longer alive receive from them?): for these, if they died righteously, there remains hope in the Lord; The Lord gives eternal life to those who followed Him and suffered death for others. Further, the kings of the earth are looking for followers who would be ready to die for them, but the Lord gave Himself up to death for us and calls us to be ready to die not for Him, but for ourselves, saying: whoever wants to save his life will destroy it: and whoever will lose his soul for the sake of Me and the Gospel, he will save it (Mark 8:35). What does it mean? – Man is double, one external is the body, and the other internal is the soul. Every time our outer man gives himself up to death, he also destroys his soul, which is separated from him. And whoever lost his soul for Christ and the Gospel will truly gain and save it, having prepared for it heavenly and eternal life, and will receive it again in the resurrection, having through it become heavenly and eternal in body. Whoever loves his soul and is not ready to destroy it for Christ because he loves this temporary world will destroy it, depriving it of true life, and he himself will have to punish it along with himself, consigning it to eternal torment. Our merciful Lord grieves over such people and, pointing to the abyss of misfortune, says: What good is it for a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what will a man give to betray his soul (Mark 8:36–37)? - Nothing more than the seemingly beautiful blessings of this world, which he preferred to saving death. What ransom can be found among worldly goods for a rational soul, to which this whole world is not equal in dignity? So, if one person gained the whole world, but lost his soul, it would not benefit him at all. What a misfortune it is when a person, having the opportunity to acquire only the smallest part of this world, must destroy his soul for it, choosing it instead of the cross and following the Giver of life! Therefore, Paul, boasting only about the cross (Galat. 6:14), decided to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and crucified him (1 Cor. 2:2). What is he talking about? The cross is, first of all, the crucifixion of the flesh with passions and lusts (Galatians 5:24). But the Apostle here means not only bodily pleasures and passions, since he wrote to the Corinthians: envy and zeal and strife are in you, are you not of the flesh, but walk after men (1 Cor. 3:3)? Thus, whoever loves glory, or simply wants to do as he pleases and gains victory through argument, is carnal and walks in the flesh. This is where disputes arise, as James, the brother of the Lord, says: where does the fighting and quarrel come from among you? Is it not from here, from your delights that fight in your fortunes? You desire and do not have it: you kill and envy, but cannot gain it: you fight and fight, but do not have it, do not ask (James 4:1-2). To crucify your flesh with passions and lusts means to become inactive in relation to everything that is not pleasing to God; and if the body is carried away to this, then one should, contrary to one’s desire, lift it to the height of the cross, fulfilling the Lord’s instruction: whoever does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:33). But, brethren, listening to our sincere preaching of the good, pleasing and perfect will of God, let no one grieve or be upset at the thought that these instructions are unattainable, but first of all let him remember that the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it away (Matthew 11:12), and let him listen to Peter, the supreme apostle of Christ, who says: Christ suffered for us, for us leave the image, that we may follow His steps (1 Peter 2:21). Then, everyone, having justly learned everything he owes to the Lord, let him conscientiously think about it and, if he cannot give everything, let him humbly bring as much as he can and take from himself, and for the rest, let him humble himself again before Him and through this humility make up for what is missing. Therefore, if anyone notices that his thought is striving for wealth and acquisition, let him know that this thought is carnal, and not a godly one, and therefore must be rejected: for the one who is nailed to the cross cannot strive for anything like that. So, one must lift it (the thought) to the height of the cross, so as not to fall down and move away from Christ Crucified on it. How can one lift him to the height of the cross? He who has the thought, hoping in Christ as the Giver and Nourisher of everything, let him refrain from unrighteous means of enrichment and let him enjoy righteous gains, and he should not cleave to these too much; but let him use them correctly, having as accomplices those in need as far as possible. Further, whoever sees that the thought of fornication is intensifying in him, let him know that he has not yet crucified himself. How will he crucify? Let him avoid curious views of women, indecent interactions with them and inappropriate conversations, let him reduce substances that excite passion, abstain from excessive food, drink and sleep, let him add humility to these deprivations, calling on God in contrition of heart against this passion; Then he himself will say: I saw the wicked exalting himself, and standing tall like the cedars of Lebanon: and I passed by, and behold, I was not, and I sought him with humble prayer, and his place was not found in me (Psalm 37:35-36). Then, if the thought of ambition bothers you, you, being in the congregation and in the seat, remember the instruction given by the Lord in the Gospel about this: in assemblies do not seek to appear above others, and, as far as you can, do deeds of virtue in secret, looking to God alone and visible to Him alone - and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you in reality (Matthew 6:4). If, after eliminating the causes of each of the passions, a thought begins to disturb you again, do not be afraid: this provides you with a crown, because the thought can neither convince you nor call you to action, but the passionate movement has already been lulled and defeated by your struggle in the name of God. This is the meaning of the cross and such is its great and truly divine mystery, which was equally manifested both before and after its fulfillment. Which one exactly? – Judging by human understanding, it seems that whoever humiliates himself and humbles himself before everyone prepares dishonor for himself; whoever avoids bodily pleasures leaves himself toil and sorrow, and whoever gives away his property becomes the author of his own poverty. Meanwhile, by the power of God, this poverty, sorrow and dishonor creates eternal glory, inexpressible joy and unsquandered wealth both in the present age and in the future. And those who do not believe this and prove their unbelief by deeds, the Apostle Paul places along with the lost and with the Greeks themselves. We preach, he says, Christ crucified, the Jews are tempted because of their lack of faith in saving suffering, and the Greeks are foolish, because they, due to complete unbelief in the Divine gospel, do not place anything above temporal blessings, but for those who are called Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom (1 Cor. 1:23). So, God's wisdom and power are manifested in overcoming with weakness, exalting with humility and enriching with poverty. Not only is the mystery and meaning of the cross so powerful, but also the image of the cross is divine and venerable and serves as a sacred and saving sign that sanctifies and accomplishes the wonderful and ineffable benefits bestowed by God on the human race - which abolishes punishment and condemnation, delivers from corruption and death, brings eternal life and blessing. The cross is a saving tree, a royal scepter, a divine sign of victory over enemies visible and invisible, although heretics do not honor it, to the detriment of their souls, for they have not yet implemented the apostolic instruction: that you may understand with all the saints that breadth and length and depth and height (Eph. 3:18); that is, the cross of the Lord clarifies the entire economy of His appearance in the flesh and contains all this mystery, extending to all limits and embracing everything that is above and below, what is around and in the middle. The Lord Himself calls the cross His height and glory (John 12:32; 13:31) and proclaims that at the time of His future coming this sign of the Son of Man will appear with power and much glory (Matthew 24:30). “But, they say, Christ was nailed to the cross: therefore we do not endure to see the tree on which He died." And where is the handwriting that was written against us by the hand of our forefather, as a result of his disobedience, nailed? How was it destroyed, so that we could again receive God’s favor? How did Christ expel, completely reflect and solemnly destroy the principles and powers of the spirits of evil that have settled in us since the fall through the tree, and again granted us freedom? Where is the mediastinum of the fence destroyed, where is our enmity with God abolished and put to death? How did we make peace with God and accept the gospel of peace with Him? – Only on the cross and through the cross! Listen to the Apostle who writes to the Ephesians: He (Christ) is our peace, having destroyed the middle wall of the fence, so that He may build both into one new man, creating peace: and He will reconcile both in the one body of God by the cross, killing the enmity therein (2:14-16); and to the Colossians: And you who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He brought you to life with him, giving us all your sins: having destroyed the handwriting against us by the teachings, which was not contrary to us, and that was taken from the environment, nailing it to the cross: he stripped off the principalities and powers, brought them to shame with boldness, exposing them to Himself (–2:13–15). So, shall we not honor and resort to this divine sign of universal human freedom, the very sight of which drives away, defeats and puts to shame the culprit of evil - the serpent, announcing his defeat and crushing, and glorifies and exalts Christ, testifying to the world of His victory? Of course we will. For if we did not recognize the cross as worthy of veneration (as heretics do) because Christ accepted death on it, then His death is not saving and is not worthy of veneration. But how, according to the Apostle, were we baptized into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3)? How would we be redeemed by His resurrection if we were not united with Him in the likeness of His death (Rom. 6:5)? In addition, if anyone worships the image of the Cross, on which the name of the Lord is not written, he justly deserves reproach for acting contrary to what is due: in the name of Jesus Christ, every knee will bow to those in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:10); and the cross has this venerable name on it: it means that not to bend the knee before the Cross of Christ is complete madness. But we, bowing our hearts along with our knees, will begin with the psalmist and prophet David to worship that place where His nose stood (Psalm 132:7), where His all-encompassing arms were stretched out, and His life-giving body was nailed for our sake. Bowing and kissing him with faith, let us draw abundant sanctification from this source and preserve it, so that during the future glorified coming of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, having seen Him coming in glory, we can forever rejoice and triumph, having reached the standing on the right hand, having heard the promised blessed voice and blessing, to the glory for us according to the flesh of the crucified Son of God, To whom belongs glory with His beginningless Father, with the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, always now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 21. In short. See Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, series græce, vol. CLI col. 123–146; Wed Rukop. Moscow Synod. librarian 69–LXX. l.l. 41 – 46: “St. Our Father Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, ten conversations in Russian translation.” Moscow. 1785, pp. 35–67; Church Led. 1899, No. 11, pp. 441–448. You might be interested in: