Слово на Сретение Господа нашего Иисуса Христа. (О Пресвятой Богородице и о Богоприимце Симеоне). Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

Our Lord Jesus Christ not only puts on flesh, but also, in accordance with the law, is circumcised in order to take away the limit of Jewish unbelief. He goes to the law for the sake of the law, in order to free the disciples from the law through faith: he takes flesh and is circumcised along with the Jews. He had fellowship in the flesh, and had fellowship in circumcision: he strengthened the kinship, so that they would not be revealed from the seed of Christ who came from David, for whom they were waiting; showed proof of relationship. In fact, if they said, although He was circumcised, “We know not where we are from” (John 9:29), then if He had not been circumcised in the flesh, their denial would have had a solid pretext. So, when the eight days were fulfilled, that the child should be circumcised (Luke 2:21), Jesus expected the organ to enlarge. When the eight days are completed, since the law commands circumcision on the eighth day, and if the eighth day comes, then the doctor goes out into the middle and takes an iron instrument in his hands and shows his skill, and for the sake of circumcision he neglects the Sabbath. Let us ask the Jews: Saturday is rest: this day is perfect rest; Why does the eighth day replace the seventh? Why does the eighth day become higher than the seventh? But the Jews, of course, do not know about Jewish affairs; The Church of Christ knows Christ and Jewish teachings. The child is circumcised on the 8th day, because on the 8th day there was to be a resurrection, that is, the Lord's circumcision of the whole world. Why didn't Moses command circumcision on the sixth day? why not the ninth or tenth? The 8th day is clear, on which the Lord rises. So, if anyone does not believe in the resurrection, he is not circumcised in heart, he is alienated from God through unbelief. Circumcision is the true knowledge and understanding of faith. Therefore, beloved, circumcision is imparted to the faithful through holy baptism; and holy baptism is an image of Christ’s resurrection. Therefore, move from the flesh to the spirit, rise from the bodily to the spiritual, and you will find there carnal circumcision, and here spiritual circumcision and cleansing of sins. 8th day circumcision; 8th – also resurrection; and baptism is an image of resurrection; ascent occurs from small things to large ones, from bodily ones to more spiritual ones. Therefore, let the Jews come and succeed, since it is necessary to succeed in comparison with the physical, and not remain with the same thing. Of course, our Lord Jesus Christ, who came not to break the law, but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17), was circumcised along with the Jews. Therefore, the Evangelist says: when His eight days were fulfilled, let them circumcise Him, and having called His name Jesus, which was called by the angel before He was not even conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21). We are called after birth, but Jesus is called before birth, because He was before even being conceived. He was called Jesus because he had the work of a savior. And when, says (Scripture), the days of purification were fulfilled by her, according to the fold of Moses (Luke 2:22). Whose purification? Mary and Joseph, because the law commanded the wife-parent to remain apart from the pure, to wait for certain days and not to leave the house. So, when the days of purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled (although this was not necessary for the Virgin, the law was nevertheless fulfilled), He ascended to Jerusalem and set Him before the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord (Luke 2:22, 23). Where we talk about bodily cleansing, (Scripture) says: according to the law of Moses; where - about the presentation of the saint, he says: as it is written in the law of the Lord - not because the law of Moses was not the law of the Lord - after all, if the Prophet speaks, speaking with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, he speaks not himself, but the Lord inspires - however, since the cleansing had a bodily image, then (Scripture) speaks about the Mosaic law, and since the firstborn Child was coming, he says: according to the law of the Lord, honoring that which is born: as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male child, when he opens his womb, shall be called holy to the Lord. So, this word, and the whole law, and the reason for the law - everything was laid down for the sake of Him who opened it up to be false. All first-born beings from animals and people never opened their lies, but were only first-born; Whom did the Virgin give birth to, He alone opened the falsehood. So, pay attention, I ask, to the establishment of the whole law for the sake of Him alone who was born of the Virgin. How could the Jews understand this institution? Being carnal, they could not be further removed from comprehending thoughts that require spiritual understanding. Then they come and give a sacrifice, according to what is said in the law of the Lord, two turtle doves or two chicks of doves (Luke 2:24). This also happened transformatively in accordance with the law, so as not to leave anything in the law unfulfilled. These allegories agree with the law; but let's move on to the Gospel narrative. And there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon: and this man was righteous and pious: and the Spirit of God was in him. He was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he even saw Christ the Lord (Luke 2:25, 26). There was Elder Simeon, and he was waiting for the fulfillment of the gospel: he remained in the church, speaking to himself like this: “Wherever He is born, in any case he will come here.” This old man came in spirit to the church at the hour when his parents brought in the Child. He often came, but on his own business; then, guided by the Holy Spirit, he comes in due time so that what was promised to him would be fulfilled. He took Jesus in his hand, and blessed God, and said: Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace. Where are you releasing from? - From the ditch of this life, because its circumstances are sad: this life is a prison. So, he wanted to be released: if anyone considers removal from here to be a punishment, he is not yet perfect in faith. And behold, he says: now dost thou let thy servant go, O Master, according to thy word, in peace, because he who was to bring peace to the world has appeared: the Peacemaker has come, uniting heaven with earth, and he has appeared who makes the earth heaven through the teaching of the Gospel. Simeon exclaims: now dost thou let thy servant go, O Master, according to thy word, in peace: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, he says. What does what he said mean? (This means:) before I believed with my thoughts and knew with my thoughts, but now my eyes have seen; and what I expected in my heart, my eyes saw already accomplished. What then? You have seen (my eyes) Your salvation. Which? He has prepared this before the face of all people, not just one nation and not Israel only, but before the face of all people, because the one who is born is the Teacher of the whole universe. Light for revelation in the tongue, and glory for Your people Israel (Luke 2:27–32). Why light? because the nations were in darkness, and because He enlightened the nations immersed in darkness. Light for the revelation of the tongue and the glory of Your people Israel. Here is glory and there is revelation; there is the beginning of learning, and here is the subsequent teaching. Glory to Your people Israel. But, of course, someone will say: where are the Israelis? You have Peter, you have Paul, you have John, you have three thousand people, you have five thousand people (Acts. 2:41; 4:4), you have the Jerusalem church, you have Jews who believed, since these people were among those who believed. If only the Lord of hosts had not left us seeds. for as Sodom was made, and as Gomorrah was made like it was (Isa. 1:9), God says: Then I left for myself seven thousand men who did not bend the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Thus, the seed of faith was preserved in this people, and the whole people did not perish. It won't happen! And all the Jews did not perish, since even now in this blessed state and title, although many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16). Christ called the whole world and prepared the holy food of the Gospel. But when he comes the second time, he will enter and make a choice and carefully examine those reclining: and if he finds that one of those reclining does not have a wedding garment, then he will say to him: friend, why did you come in without a wedding garment (Matthew 22:12)? And he will reject him, just as we heard in the Gospels. So, there was a choice there, and there will be a choice here. Based on the fact that we are called, should we really behave arrogantly, as if we had achieved perfection? Let the fall of the first people be our safety. Thus, beloved, not all of this people perished, and not all of them were corrupted, and not all of them showed unbelief, and not all of them persecuted the apostles, but through the apostles three thousand believed, besides women and children (Acts 2:41; 4:4). And in Jerusalem there was a church of many thousands, when the church had not yet been destroyed, when the Jews had not yet been expelled, when Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. The church was created, and the words of John turned out to be the obvious truth: It is fitting for him to grow, but for me to grow small (John 3:30). Therefore Simeon, being a prophet, says: Glory to Thy people Israel. The glory of those who waited was the meeting of Him who was expected; and Joseph and Mary glorify what was said: the angel preached the gospel, the wise men knew, the shepherds listened, the armies of angels triumphed, the star from above pointed, Simeon prophesied, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, prophesied, the earth rejoiced, the sky through the star announced, the wise men refused to obey the tyrant, the shepherds bowed to the Archpastor, everything knew, the Mother knew, Joseph heard, they trembled at such deeds, by the outcome of the case they understood. And I bless Simeon, and speak to Mary His Mother: Behold, this One is appointed for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and is a sign that can be reproached (Luke 2:34). Whose fall? It is clear that - unbelievers, prophesies, crucifiers. Whose uprising? - those who recognize and prudently confess Him. And as a sign we can argue. What is a controversial sign? The sign of the cross, which the Church knows as saving the world, is a sign against which the Jews are at enmity, which was often proclaimed by heaven. Controversy meets this sign so that the truth may win, because without controversy, victory is not complete. It was necessary for a dispute to take place so that the Judge would patiently pronounce judgment throughout all eternity. Therefore (Scripture) says: and as a sign it is contradicted: but the disbelievers reveal the contradiction. And you, says (Scripture), are considered His Mother. So, will you find yourself immune to temptation, after you have confessed that You are the Mother, after you gave birth to Him, after, you believe, you contained Him for a while in Your womb? Your womb was the vessel of the action of the Spirit. Will you remain immune to temptation after you have become the Mother of God, after you have conceived without being unmade, after you have become the Mother of your Creator? Whether you remain immune to the latter, a weapon will also pierce your very soul (Luke 2:35). Why, Lord? How have I sinned? You, of course, have not sinned in anything; but when you see that He is hanging on the cross - when you see that He is suffering for the world - when you see that His hands are outstretched on the cross and nailed to the tree, then you will begin to doubt and say: is this really the One about whom the angel talked to Me? Is this really the One in relation to Whom My miraculous conception happened? I was a virgin and gave birth, and remained a virgin. Why is He crucified? And the weapon will pierce your very soul. So, no one remained immune from temptation, according to the prophecy of the righteous Simeon. Peter, the chief of the apostles, denied three times; the other disciples, leaving Christ, ran away. The shepherd did not need the protection of the sheep in driving away the wolves; and the Champion had no need of helpers, but everyone retreated; Christ was alone, like a hanging ram 117. So, the weapon and Her soul passed through: namely, temptation and doubt. And a weapon will pierce your very soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:35). So. Jesus suffers to expose unbelief, to confirm the good thinking of believers. The sign meets controversy, so that those who argue because of their depravity will be exposed. If the truth did not encounter any contradiction from people, then piety would have to be untested; and the admission of controversy means that the already tested truth is chosen. The sign is met with reproach, since otherwise how would the martyrs be tested during the persecution? How would they compete, showing themselves to be winners due to their toughness? Look how much benefit wrangling brought: it produced not just the faithful, as others might say, but also such witnesses who went forward to the point of torment and death and with their patience presented evidence in favor of Christ’s grace. Thus, when Simeon says: This One is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel and is reproachable as a sign, then one must think that He neither causes the fall nor forcibly causes the rising; but it is meant to fall for those who stumble over a stumbling block, and meant to rise for those who believe of their own free will; lies as if someone said: the light will shine, so that those who are healthy can see, and so that those with sick eyes will run away even more from the rays of light. How then would some who were worthy of exposure fall, and others would rise up, having good hopes of their own free will, if the sign were not contradicted? As Simeon says: and a sign can be contradicted? So that the bickering does not seem strange to believers. And that even the truth of God meets with contradiction with the permission of God is clear, since no one could show contradiction if God did not allow it; This permission is necessary so that those who are worthy become obvious. There will be a time when there will be no more room for quarreling, because when the sign shines from heaven, then every knee will bow, of those in heaven and on earth, and of those of all things: and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10, 11). The sign itself only appears and serves as a sign, and is a sign that can be contradicted until we in no way see the One who is being signified; and after the Signed One Himself reveals himself at His second coming, then no one will dare to contradict the sign, since the Signed One will appear against those who argue, having a Divinity obvious to everyone. Then those who received the sign will be glorified by the One who was signified, and those who contradicted the sign will be condemned by those who appeared; and then there will be an end to bickering, an end to error, an end to doubt, an end to unbelief, and the beginning of rewards for exploits and crowns, which, oh, that we would all achieve in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever! Amen 118. An allusion to the sacrifice of Abraham, who sacrificed a ram in place of his son. Complete Collection of the Works of St. Chrysostom, vol. II, ed. 1896, countries. 875–881. In the Migne edition this word is classified as Spuria. You might be interested in: