Беседа на слова: „Тогда Ирод видев, яко поруган бысть от волхвов, разгневася зело, и послав изби вся дети сущия в Вифлееме, и во всех пределех его, от двою лету и нижайше, по времени, еже известно испыта от волхвов» (Матф. 2:16). Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

Without a doubt, Herod should not have been angry, but had fear, humbled himself and realized that he was undertaking an impossible task; however, he does not humble himself. When the soul is insensitive and incurable, it does not accept any healing given by God. See how Herod again strives in his former deeds, adds murder to murder, and goes mad. Overwhelmed by anger and envy, like some demon, he does not look at anything, rages over nature itself, and his anger, excited by the wise men who laughed at him, pours out on innocent babies, and thus now commits in Palestine an atrocity similar to what once happened in Egypt: having sent all the living children to Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and The lowest, in time, hedgehog test from the Magi (Matthew 2:16). “Many people are outraged by the injustice of beating these children. “Even though the bloodthirsty Herod acted unjustly, why, they say, did God allow this?” How should we answer this question? The fact that there are many who offend, but there is not one who is offended. Insults that we unjustly suffer from anyone, God imputes to us either as remission of sins or as reward. To make my words clearer, I will explain them with an example. Let us suppose that a slave owes his master a large sum of money; Let us further assume that this slave is offended by dishonest people, and some part of his property is taken away. So, if this master, having the opportunity to restrain the kidnapper and covetous man, instead of returning the money stolen from him to the slave, counted it against his debt, would the slave be offended? No way. What if the master had given him even more stolen goods? would he not have gained even more than he lost? This is obvious to everyone. We must think in the same way about our sufferings: with these sufferings we either atone for our sins, or, if we have no sins, we receive the most brilliant crowns for them. To bring the word closer to the subject of our study, let us recall David, who, seeing Shimei attacking him, mocking his misfortune and showering him with countless curses, restrained the commanders who wanted to kill him, saying: Leave him to curse me, so that the Lord may see my humility and return my goodness, instead of this oath to the day (2 Sam. 16:11, 12); and in the Psalms, chanting, he said: my enemies have seen how they have multiplied, and hated me with unrighteous hatred, and have forgiven all my sins (Psalm 24:19, 18). And Lazarus achieved peace because in his present life he suffered countless calamities. So, those who seem offended are not actually offended, if only they endure all misfortunes with courage: on the contrary, they gain even more, whether they receive blows from God Himself, or from the devil. “What sin did the babies have, you say, that they had to wash away with their blood? The above is true because it can only be applied to people of age who have sinned a lot; and those who suffered such an untimely death, what sins did they atone for with their suffering"? But have you not heard what was said, that if there are no sins, then there will be a reward for the suffering here? So, what damage did the children suffer who were killed for such a reason and soon reached the deceased pier? You will say that they would have accomplished many, and perhaps even great things, if their lives had continued. But God offers them not a small reward for the fact that they lost their lives for such a reason; otherwise He would not have allowed their early death if they had become great. If God already allows those who spend their whole lives in evil to live with such long-suffering, then even more so He would not have allowed these children to die if He had foreseen that they would do something great. However, these are not all of our reasons, but there are others, the most hidden ones, which only He knows completely. The one who arranges it himself. So, having provided Him with the most perfect knowledge of this, let us pay attention to what follows, and from the misfortunes of others we will learn to endure everything courageously. Truly, considerable sorrow befell Bethlehem when children were torn from their mothers' breasts and put to an unrighteous death. If you are still faint-hearted and unable to rise to such wisdom, then find out the end of the one who dared to commit such an atrocity, and calm down a little. In fact, the judgment very soon befell Herod for his act, and he was adequately punished for his villainy: he ended his life with a grave death, and even more pitiful than the one to which he condemned the infants, while suffering countless other sufferings. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet will be fulfilled, saying: a voice was heard in Rama: Rachel wept for her children, and did not want to be comforted, for they were not (Matthew 2:17, 18). Since the Evangelist filled the listener with horror with the narration of this violent, unjust, cruel and lawless beating, he consoles him, saying that this happened not because God could not prevent it, or did not foresee it, but that He foresaw and foretold about it through the mouth of the Prophet. So, do not be embarrassed and do not lose heart when you look at His ineffable Providence, which can clearly be seen both in His action and in His permission. This is what Christ made clear to the disciples when one day, in a conversation with them, foretelling to them about judgments, bonds, the enmity of the entire universe and irreconcilable warfare, he said for their inspiration and consolation: are not two birds valued by a single assar? and not one of them will fall on earth apart from your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:29). With these words He wanted to show that nothing happens without His knowledge, but that He knows everything, although He does not do everything. Therefore, he says, do not be embarrassed and do not be afraid: if the One who knows your sufferings and can avert them, however does not avert them, then, without a doubt, because He provides and cares for us. This is how we should reason in our own temptations, and from here we will receive considerable consolation. Rachel. It is said that your children weep. But maybe someone will say what Rachel has in common with Bethlehem? What also does Rama have in common with Rachel? Rachel was the mother of Benjamin, and upon death she was buried on the path of the hippodrome (Gen. 35:19) near Ramah. So, since her tomb was near Rama, and this place went to the inheritance of Benjamin, her son (Rama was in the tribe of Benjamin), then both by the ancestor and by the place of burial, the Evangelist rightly calls the beaten children the children of Rachel; then, showing that the grief that happened was heavy and inconsolable, he says: he did not want to be consoled, as if it were not the point. And from here we learn again the same thing that was mentioned above, namely, that we should not be embarrassed when circumstances seem inconsistent with the promise of God. Look what the beginning was like when the Lord came to save His people, or better yet, to save the entire universe. The mother runs away, the father is subjected to unbearable suffering, a murder is committed, the worst of all murders; everywhere there is crying, sobbing and much crying. But don't be embarrassed! The Lord, as the clearest proof of His power, usually fulfills His intentions by means that are always opposite. So He raised up His disciples, taught them and prepared them for all sorts of exploits, doing this for the sake of a greater miracle by means of opposite means. Therefore, they too, being tortured, persecuted and enduring countless disasters, remained victorious over those who tortured and persecuted them. When Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: Arise, understand the Child and His Mother, and go to the land of Israel (Matthew 2:19, 20). Now he no longer says, “Run,” but walk. Do you see how temptation is again followed by peace, and peace is again followed by danger? His exile ended, he returned to his country and learned about the death of the infant killer: but, having entered his native land, he still finds remnants of the former dangers, finds the son of the tyrant alive - and on the throne. Herod had just died, and the kingdom had not yet been divided into parts, and since immediately after Herod’s death his son took power instead of his father, and meanwhile Archelaus’ brother was also called Herod, the Evangelist added: instead of Herod, his father. “But,” you say, “if Joseph was afraid to go to Judea because of Archelaus, then he should have been afraid of Galilee because of Herod.” No, with the change of residence the matter was already hidden. The entire attack was on Bethlehem and its borders, and since the beating had already been carried out, Archelaus, the son of Herod, thought that everything was already over, and that among many the One Whom they were looking for had been killed. Moreover, perhaps, seeing such an end to his father’s life, he was afraid to extend further and still persist in lawlessness. Thus, Joseph comes to Nazareth, both to avoid danger and to desire to live in his homeland, and for greater encouragement he receives notification of this from an angel. And this did not happen simply, but according to prophecy: let it be fulfilled, says the Evangelist, that which was spoken by the prophets, that he shall be called a Nazarite. Which prophet said this, do not be too curious and do not investigate. As can be seen from the history of Chronicles, many prophetic books have been lost. The Jews, being careless and often falling into wickedness, allowed others to get lost, others themselves burned and tore to pieces. If the Jews were so careless about the sacred books when there were no enemies yet, then even more so during the invasion of enemies. However, in accordance with the prophecies of the prophets, the apostles often call Christ a Nazarene. “But did not this, you say, obscure the prophecies about Bethlehem?" No. On the contrary, this especially prompted a careful study of what was said about Him. So Nathanael begins his study about Him with the words: can anything good come from Nazareth (John 1:46)? Indeed, Nazareth was not an important place; and not only he, but the entire region of Galilee. That is why the Pharisees said: try and see, for the prophet does not come from Galilee (John 7:52). And yet, the Lord is not ashamed to be called by the name of this place, showing that He has no need for anything human: He also chooses His disciples from Galilee, thereby destroying all excuses of lazy people and showing that for the achievement of virtue we do not need anything external. That is why He does not choose houses for Himself: the Son of man, He says, has no place to bow His head (Luke 9:58). That is why He flees from the wiles of Herod, and at birth is placed in a manger, and chooses the poor Mother, thereby teaching us not to consider anything so shameful, trampling on human pride from the very beginning and convincing us to one virtue. And why are you proud of your fatherland, He says, when I command you to be a wanderer of the whole universe, when you can become such that the whole world will not be worthy of you? Where you come from is so unimportant that the pagan philosophers themselves do not attach any importance to it, call it external and give it last place. What benefit did the children of Samuel have in the nobility of their father, when they themselves did not inherit his virtues? What good is it for the children of Moses who were not jealous of his strict life? They did not inherit his power. On the contrary, did it hurt Timothy that he had a Gentile father? What again did the son of Noah benefit from the virtue of his father if he became a slave from a free man? Do you see how little protection children have in the nobility of their father? But what am I saying about individuals? The Jews were sons of God, and yet they acquired nothing from this dignity. So, if someone, even being a son of God, is punished even more for not showing virtue worthy of such nobility, then why show off the nobility of grandfathers and great-grandfathers? And not only in the Old, but also in the New Testament one can find the same thing. Elena, it is said, having received Him, gave the name to the region to be a child of God (Jn. 1:12); Meanwhile, for many of these children it is completely useless that they have such a Father. If you are circumcised, says the Apostle, Christ will profit you for nothing (Galatians 5:2). If Christ is completely useless for those who do not want to listen to themselves, then what is the use of human intercession? So, let us not be proud of either nobility or wealth, but let us despise those who are puffed up by such advantages: let us not be discouraged because of poverty, but let us seek that wealth that consists of good deeds, and flee that poverty that leads us into sin. Why do we covet money when it does not take us to heaven? Tell me, if any earthly king said that a rich man could not shine in his royal palaces, or achieve any honor, would not everyone throw away their possessions with contempt? If we are ready to despise possessions when they deprive us of honor from the king of the earth, then with the voice of the Heavenly King, Who daily cries out and says that it is not convenient to ascend into those sacred vestibules with wealth, shall we not despise everything and reject wealth in order to freely ascend into His kingdom? And are we worthy of any forgiveness when, with great diligence, we burden ourselves with what blocks our entry there, and hide our wealth not only in chests, but also in the ground, then how could we put it in a heavenly storehouse? In this case, you act like that farmer who, having taken wheat, instead of sowing it in a fruitful field, throws it into the lake, which is why he himself does not receive any benefit, and the wheat, having spoiled, is lost. He who desires the kingdom of heaven laughs at greed; The servant of Christ will not be the slave of wealth, but its master. Wealth usually itself seeks the one who runs around it, and runs away from the one who seeks it - it does not so much honor the one who seeks it as the one who despises it - it mocks no one as much as its seekers - and not only mocks them, but also entangles them with countless bonds. Let us free ourselves now from these destructive chains. Why enslave the rational soul to irrational matter, the mother of countless evils? But isn't it funny? we argue against it with words, and it argues against us with deeds; - takes us everywhere and, to our disgrace, argues with us as with slaves and indecent slaves. What is more shameful and dishonorable than this? If we do not overcome insensible substances, then how will we overcome incorporeal forces? If we do not despise base matter and despicable stones, then how can we subjugate principles and powers? How will we practice chastity? If the shine of silver amazes us, then how can we despise the beauty of a face? Looking at the gold did not allow the unfortunate Judas to heed the voice of the Lord, and even brought him to the point where he hanged himself, was torn apart in the middle, and finally fell into Gehenna. So, what could be more wicked than this look? What's worse? I am not talking about the substance of money, but about the immense and unbridled passion for it. She sheds human blood drop by drop, has a murderous appearance, fiercer than any beast, since she torments the fallen, and, even worse, does not allow them to feel these torments. Those possessed by this passion should stretch out their hands to those passing by and cry out for help; and they still give thanks for this torment. Let us run away from this incurable disease, let us heal its remorse and avoid such an ulcer, so that we can spend our life here safely and calmly, and inherit future treasures, of which we will all be worthy, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen 54. In short. See IX demon. per ev. Matt. in Full collection creativity St. John Chrysostom. 1901, G. VII, pp. 89–99. You might be interested in: