45. СЛОВО в день Вознесения Господня 248

(Printed in the 1844 and 1848 collections). He will be taken away by those who see him, and the cloud will be lifted from their sight. Acts 1:9. The Lord ascended to the watching eleven Apostles. He rose without witnesses; he ascended before witnesses. The stone, sealed tomb hid the glory of the resurrection at the moment of resurrection: a bright, transparent cloud reveals the glory of the ascension when it takes place. Why this difference? - It may be that, as the resurrection of the Lord, after His descent into hell, there was a procession from hell to Paradise, there was nowhere to place witnesses 249, and the Patriarchs and Prophets who departed from earthly life should have been witnesses to it: the ascension of the Lord, as a procession from earth to heaven, naturally could have as witnesses the Apostles standing on earth and looking at heaven. Moreover, it was enough to see the Risen One after the resurrection in order to testify about the resurrection itself: and the ascension with earthly flesh into heaven had to be seen in the action itself in order to testify about it afterwards. Is it possible, the carnal mind will say, for earthly flesh to ascend to heaven? “We answer: there is no need to speculate about the possibility of the deed, when the deed itself was seen and testified by people who did not deny dying for the truth of this testimony. “They will be taken by those who see.” But did the Lord show His ascension only to reassure unbelievers? – Without a doubt, and to encourage believers. “If you then rise again with Christ,” says the Apostle; if, let’s say again, you saw Him ascending into heaven, and you also want to participate in this new triumph of Him: “Seek ye those on high, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; be wise on earth, not on earth” (Col. 3:1-2). What does it mean to “philosophize on high”? Isn't it true that this is not quite clear? And if you don’t understand this, then, whether you want it or not, you must admit that you are not doing this, that is, you are not the wiser on high: for whoever does it already knows the work that he is doing. If you do not philosophize on the high, then you will not ascend to the high, there, “where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” But if you do not ascend to where Christ is at the right hand of God, then think, earth-born, what will happen to you when visible heaven and earth pass away, and nothing will remain outside the heavenly kingdom of Christ except hell? See how the earth 250 collapses under you and hell opens up: there is no other means of salvation than to hold on to what is above with all your strength. We must learn to “philosophize on earth, not on earth.” Learn to “be smart”! - No one would be afraid of this demand. I would not have thought 251 that they wanted to subject him to the many different difficulties that are associated with the acquisition of what is called wisdom on earth; and to which we should include the very means of worldly wisdom - many teachers, contradicting one another, many books, often acting only as harmful dust on both the eye and the mind 252 . Don't be afraid. Learning to be wise according to the Gospel is not the same as learning worldly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is not so dependent on external means, does not require so many aids, is not so protected by difficulties as worldly wisdom, although it also uses external means, does not reject aids, and is not exempt from difficulties of its kind. The Apostle, who wrote to us the commandment above, “to be wise,” used the means and benefits of earthly wisdom, having been “brought up at the feet of the learned Gamaliel”: but then he rejected all this, as well as other advantages, as “vanity” and “skills,” “for the surpassing understanding of Christ Jesus,” and “that he might gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7-8); Consequently, he rose in heavenly wisdom, despite the fact that at the same time he rejected the means and aids of earthly wisdom. The other Apostles learned only to knit fishing nets, and not to unravel the wisdom of books: but this did not prevent them from not only succeeding in heavenly wisdom for themselves, but also becoming instructors of it for the wisest. So it was after the Apostles. Basil the Great acquired Athenian wisdom and gave it as a slave to the wisdom of the Gospel. Arseny, also the Great, possessing Greek and Roman learning, found himself quite ignorant, and the old man, an uneducated Egyptian, knowledgeable enough to learn from him the rudiments of spiritual wisdom 254. And so the wisdom of the heavenly, although for the wise, is still high, but at the same time for infants it is quite simple. For You, “Father Lord of heaven and earth, have you hidden this from the wise and prudent, and have revealed it as a child” (Matthew 11:25). What does it mean to “philosophize on high”? – I repeat: if you don’t understand this; it is clear that you are not doing this. And if you are not being wise “on high”, then there is no doubt that you are being wise “on earth”, and therefore you already know this. So, what do you do when you think about earthly things, for example, when you manage to become rich? – You want wealth; you think about him often; you invent means to acquire and multiply it; you actually use these means; whatever you do, you do with the intention of acquiring and increasing wealth; In the possession of wealth you place your well-being. Based on this example, we can generally say that “to be earthly minded” means to desire earthly things, to think about earthly things, to do earthly things, to have earthly things in intention, to believe well-being in earthly things. Change the subject, and it turns out what it means to “philosophize on high.” This means heavenly things, that is, heavenly things, or in other words, spiritual and Divine things, to desire, to think about heavenly things, to do heavenly things, or, according to the saying of the Gospel, “to do the works of God” (John 6:28), to have heavenly things in intention, to posit bliss in heavenly things. How difficult! - some will think. In order to have heavenly things in thoughts, desires, and deeds, for this an earthly person needs to change his deeds, his desires, and his very thoughts. I don’t argue that this is necessary, and that it is not entirely easy 255. But what to do? It is more difficult to rise to heights than to fall into the abyss. So is it better to fall into the abyss? It is difficult to philosophize on things above: but isn’t it difficult to philosophize on earthly things too? Is it easy, for example, for a covetous person to adopt the wisdom he has adopted? He works day and night; deprives himself of food and rest; sometimes leaves home; moves away from those close to the heart; passes land; goes to sea; descends into the depths of the earth; he is tormented either by the greed of acquisition, or by the concern of saving, or by the fear of a possible or the despair of an actual loss. If such difficulties force one to endure the thought of enriching ourselves on earth with perishable treasure for a short time: is the thought really not worth the feat of acquiring a heavenly treasure, incorruptible, forever? It is difficult for an earthly person to philosophize the things above, but the grain of wheat buried in the ground at your feet, doesn’t the thing above philosophize in its own image? It opens up; a sprout makes its way up through the ground, struggling with its and its own gravity; grows higher and higher; and, constantly striving for grief, it prospers and bears fruit. Do you really think that earthly man, less than a grain of wheat, has been given the power to arise into the mountainous region according to his kind? It is difficult for an earthly man to philosophize on things above: but are you full of earthly things, man? Is it really man who comes from the earth and returns to the earth? Is this not only your clothing, or, if you like, your prison? And you yourself, a true man, are the breath of life that came from the mouth of God Himself, according to what was said: “I will breathe into his nostrils the breath of life, and he will become a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). And so, if, as someone on earth, it is difficult, then as someone above, isn’t it easy for you to philosophize on high? Is it difficult for fire to go where its natural region is? Is it difficult for a stone to fall to the ground where it was born? Is it difficult for the human spirit to strive for the heavenly, to approach the Almighty? If the fall of the old Adam turned man’s striving from above to below and below, then the resurrection and ascension of the new Adam, the God-man, Jesus Christ, did not with great force turn this striving into its original direction, did it set the ladder to heaven? Didn't the descent of the Holy Spirit kindle a spiritually burning fire in humanity, which naturally comes with grief, and grief attracts that in which it dwells? Is it still difficult even after this to philosophize on high, even if for this it would be necessary to change one’s deeds, desires, and thoughts? But how can we leave earthly affairs, desires and thoughts when earthly things surround us, when we need earthly things for earthly life? Notice how you leave things above for earthly wisdom, and you will find a very simple way to leave earthly things for above. You shorten your time for 256 works of piety in order to have more time for worldly affairs; sometimes you go to the church of God, and meanwhile you still think about what occupies you in your house, even sometimes while you stand with your body in the church of prayer, your thought goes where it is drawn by earthly wisdom, or the passion that dominates you; Your most spiritual exercises are damaged by the earthly memories that come among them. Do the opposite of this. Do the things necessary for earthly life: but try not to extend them beyond necessity, and, as far as possible, free yourself from this work into the freedom of works of piety. Not only when standing before God in the church, keep your thoughts from deviating towards earthly things, but also outside of it, when, of necessity, you are busy with earthly things, distract your thoughts and desires from them, and lead them to heaven and to God. When you go to worldly work: - remember God and ask for His blessing and help; when you come to rest from this task, remember God and thank Him for your help in your work and for the gift of peace. So you can combine spiritual wisdom with any earthly exercise that is not contrary to God’s law, and, so to speak, transform everything earthly and visible into something higher and spiritual. “Whenever you look at the sun,” teaches Saint Macarius, “seek the true sun, for you are blind. When you open your eyes to the light, turn your eyes from there to your soul, and see if you have in it the true and good light, that is, the Lord” (Conversation 33). May the light of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten, may His spirit strengthen, and following His word and life may it lead each of us to heavenly wisdom on earth, and through this to the blessed sight of Him in heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God 257. Amen. According to Jew. collection: spoken in the Ascension Monastery on May 7th day. According to Jew. collection: earthly witnesses... According to Jew. collection: then, when the visible heaven and earth pass away, and outside the heavenly Kingdom of Christ there will be nothing left except hell, think, earthly one, where will you remain then? When the earth... According to Jew. collection: others will be afraid of this demand. He'll think... According to Jew. collection: that he will need to take many teachers, whose words, not without justice, can be called golden, although not by their inner dignity, but by the price they pay for them; that he will certainly be plunged into a pile of dusty books, and forced to draw from them knowledge, which is often for the mind what dust is for the eye. According to Jew. collection: consequently, the higher he ascended in heavenly wisdom, the more decisively he rejected.... According to Jew. collection: Anthony, also great in heavenly wisdom, did not read, according to his own legend, any book except the unwritten and open book for the unlearned, the first leaf of which is heaven, and the other is earth. According to Jew. collection: it’s not easy. According to Jew. collection: You try to reduce the time for yourself... According to Jew. collection: May the Light of our Lord enlighten, may His spirit strengthen, may adherence to His word and life lead each of us to heavenly wisdom on earth, and through this to a blissful residence with Him in heaven. You might be interested in: