Беседа VIII

“And God said: Let us make man in our image and likeness: and let them have 44 the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the cattle, 45 and all the earth, and every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth” (Gen. 1:26). 1. Since yesterday you listened to our words with great diligence, today we will offer your love what we read again, asking you in advance to diligently listen to what is said, and to put together the previous things in your mind, so that we do not undertake such work in vain and in vain. We make sure that you know exactly the power of Scripture and thus not only understand it yourself, but also teach others, so that you can, according to Blessed Paul, “build one another up” (1 Thess. 5:11). If you excel in the Lord and show success in studying spiritual things, then you will bring us great joy, since this is all our happiness and greatest triumph. “What is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting,” says Paul? Isn’t it you too” (1 Thessalonians 2:19) and your success in God? And every teacher, when he sees that the student firmly holds in his memory the previous lessons and actually shows the fruit (from them), with great diligence teaches him further information. So we, the more we see how your mind is excited, how your disposition increases and your thoughts become inspired, the more zealous we become to present the teaching to you more fully. And the more we shed these spiritual streams on you, the more their currents multiply for your edification, for the benefit of your souls: here, after all, what usually happens with money cannot happen here. There, whoever gives silver to his neighbor reduces his property, and the more he gives, the more his property decreases. But here it’s the opposite: then our wealth increases more, then this spiritual wealth increases more, when we abundantly shed the teaching for those who wish to draw it. So, if this serves us to increase wealth and wealth, and you insatiably desire this spiritual food, then let’s see what blessed Moses teaches us in today’s reading, or better, through his lips the grace of the Holy Spirit speaks to all of us. “And God said,” he says: “Let us create man in our image and likeness.” Let us not let these words go unnoticed, beloved, but let us consider each utterance and, descending into the depths, we will explore the power hidden in these short words. Although there are not many words, the hidden treasure (in them) is great, and the attentive and prudent should not stop at the surface. After all, those who want to dig up a sensual treasure not only dig and search on the surface, but, having descended to great depths, explore the very depths of the earth and thus, with the help of their art, separate gold from the earth and often with great difficulty and zeal barely manage to find small grains. But here there is nothing like that; on the contrary, there is less labor and inexpressible wealth: such is everything spiritual. 2. Let us not be worse than those who covet sensual things; but let us also look for the spiritual treasure contained in these words. And firstly, let’s see what is new and special said here, and why this blessed prophet, or better yet, the man-loving God who spoke through the prophet, used such a new way of speech. He says: “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” Recently we heard how He, after creating heaven and earth, said: “let there be light,” and: “let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters”; and also: “let the waters be gathered into one congregation, and let the dry land appear,” and: “let there be lights,” and: “let the waters take away the creeping things of the living souls.” Did you see that the whole creation was created within five days by one word and command? Look now what a change in words. He no longer says: “let there be man”; but what? “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” What kind of news is this? What is this feature? Who is this being created, that the Creator needed such advice and reasoning to create it? Don't be amazed, beloved. Man is the most excellent of all visible animals; It is for him that all this was created: the sky, the earth, the sea, the sun, the moon, the stars, reptiles, cattle, all dumb animals. Why, you say, was he created later, if he is superior to all these creatures? For a fair reason. When the king intends to enter the city, then the armor bearers and everyone else need to go forward so that the king can enter the palace after preparing them: so now God, intending to establish a kind of king and ruler over everything earthly, first arranged all this decoration, and then created the ruler, and thus actually showed what honor He bestows on this animal. But let’s ask the Jew and see what he says about the one to whom it was said: “Shall we make man in our image?” This is the scripture of Moses, which they say they believe, but (in fact) do not believe, just as Christ said: “If they believed quickly in Moses, they quickly believed in Me also” (John 5:46). So, the writing is theirs, but the meaning is ours. To whom was it said: “Let us make man,” and to whom does the Lord offer such advice? This is not because He needed advice and reasoning; no, with this way of speaking He wants to show us the extreme honor that He shows to the created man. What do these (Jews) say, who hitherto have a veil over their hearts and do not want to understand the meaning of these words? They say that (God) said this to an Angel or Archangel. Oh madness! Oh, great shamelessness! How is it possible for an Angel to enter into conference with the Lord, a creature with the Creator? The work of the Angels is not to enter into conference (with God), but to stand and serve. And in order for you to be convinced of this, listen to how the most powerful Isaiah says about the highest angelic powers that he saw Cherubim standing at the right hand of God, and Seraphim covering their faces and feet with wings (Is. 6:2). This is because they could not bear the radiance emanating from there, but stood with great fear and trembling. Thus it is fitting for creatures to stand before the Lord. 3. But the Jews, not understanding the meaning of the words, speak indiscriminately, whatever they have to. Therefore, having rejected their idle talk, it is necessary to show the children of the Church the true meaning of this saying. So, who is this to whom God says: “Let us make man?” Who else if not “the great Angel of counsel, the Wonderful, the Counselor,... the mighty,... the Prince of Peace, the Father of the age to come” (Is. 9:6), the Only Begotten Son of God, equal to the Father in essence, “to whom all things were made?” (The Father) says to him: “Let us create man in our image and likeness.” Here He deals a mortal blow to those who think in an Arian way. He did not say imperatively: “Create”, as if he were inferior or lesser in essence, but as if he were speaking of equal honor: “Let us create.” And the following words also show us the same essence: “Let us create,” he says, “man in our image and likeness.” But here again other heretics rise up, distorting the dogmas of the Church, and say: here He says: “according to our example” - and as a result they want to call God humanoid. But it would be extremely crazy to reduce the One who has no image or form, and who is unchangeable, into a human form, and to give the incorporeal features and members (bodily). What can compare with this madness, when (the heretics) not only do not want to use the teaching of the Inspired Scripture, but also turn it to their greatest harm? They look like patients and those who have poor physical vision. Just as these latter, due to the weakness of their vision, cannot tolerate sunlight, and just as the sick avoid even the healthiest food, so these people, sick in soul and having lost the eyes of the mind, cannot use the light of truth. Therefore, we will do our duty and give them a hand, talking to them with great meekness. And Blessed Paul exhorted thus, saying: “I will punish those who are contrary with meekness, so that God may give them repentance into the mind of truth, and they will arise from the devil’s snare, living caught by him, according to his own will” (2 Tim. 2:25-26). You see how he showed with these words that they seemed to be plunged into some kind of intoxication; the word “will arise” made it clear that they were immersed in some depth. And again, “catch”, he says, is from the devil, i.e. as if entangled in nets. Therefore, great meekness and long-suffering are required from us so that we can snatch them up and extract them from the snares of the devil. So, let us tell them: come to your senses a little, look at the light of truth, think about the true meaning of the words. Having said: “Let us make man in our image and likeness,” (God) did not stop there, but with subsequent words explained to us in what sense he used the word image. What does he say? - “And let them have possession of the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So, He sets the image in dominion, and not in anything else. And in fact, God created man as the ruler of everything that exists on earth, and there is nothing on earth higher than him, but everything is under his authority. 4. If, even after such a disclosure of words, those who love to argue say that the external image is of course 46, we will tell them: so (God) then looks like not only a husband, but also a wife, because both have the same image? But that would be ridiculous. Listen to what Paul says: “A man must not eat to cover the head, which is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man” (1 Cor. 11:7). He possesses, and this one is placed in subordination, just as God said to her from the beginning: “Your turn is to your husband, and she will possess you” (Gen. 3:16). Since (man) received the image (of God) in the right to rule, and not in (external) form, and the husband rules over everything, while the wife is placed in subordination, then Paul says about the husband that he is “the image and glory of God, and the wife is the glory of the husband.” And if he were talking about (external) appearance, he would not have made such a distinction (between husband and wife), because the appearance of both husband and wife is the same. Do you see the completeness of the truth, how it leaves no excuse for those who love empty disputes? But, however, even with all this, we will not cease to show them great patience, “as God will give them repentance to the understanding of truth” (2 Tim. 2:25). Let us not cease to use all measures of meekness; Maybe we’ll have time to rescue them from the devil’s seduction. And, if you wish, let us again introduce to them Blessed Paul, who spoke thus to the inhabitants of Athens: “We must not eat nothing... of gold or silver, or of stones more artistically engraved and the understanding of man... To be like the Divinity” (Acts 17:29). Do you see how carefully the wise teacher eradicated their error? He said that not only does the Divine not have a bodily image, but that human invention is not able to invent anything like that 47 . Constantly saying this to them, do not stop doing what only depends on you: maybe they will listen to you; they may want to open their eyes to the truth. But while you say this to them with great meekness and prudence, you yourself, I pray, firmly adhere to the dogmas of the Church, without violating the consistency of what was said. Speak accordingly to the Jews, explaining that these words 48 were spoken not to any of the ministering spirits, but to the Only Begotten Son of God himself; To those who think in the Arian way, prove from here the equality of the Son with the Father; and to those who represent the Divine in a human form, quote the words of Blessed Paul, destroying the destructive ailments that arise like tares with the dogmas of the Church, and try to root pious teaching in yourself. I wish and pray that you all fulfill the duties of teachers, so that you not only listen to our words yourself, but also pass them on to others, and turn those who go astray to the path of truth, just as Paul says, “Build up everyone’s neighbor” (1 Thess. 5:11); and: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). In this way, our Church will increase in number, and you will receive great mercy from above for your great care for your fellow members. 5. God wants a Christian not only to take care of himself, but also to edify others, not only through teaching, but also through life and behavior. Nothing leads to the path of truth like an immaculate life, because people look not so much at our words as at our deeds. And so that you can be convinced that this is so (after all, no matter how much we philosophize in words and talk about patience, but if, when the time comes, we do not show patience in deeds, the word will not benefit so much as it will harm the deed; on the contrary, if both before and after the words we present proof in deeds, then we will appear worthy of faith, inspiring others with what we ourselves do in deeds, just as Christ appeased such people, saying: “Blessed is he who does and teaches” (Matthew 5:19) - look how He put the work first, and then the teaching. If action precedes, then although teaching does not follow it, the actions themselves teach much more clearly than words to those who look at us. So, let us always try to teach first by deeds, and then by words, so that we do not hear from Paul: “When you teach another, do you not teach yourself” (Rom. 2:21)? And when we want to inspire someone to do something necessary, let us first try to do it ourselves, so that we can teach the doctrine more boldly: and let all our concern be about the salvation of the soul and how we, having curbed bodily lusts, can commit true fasting, i.e. abstaining from evil, because this is what fasting consists of. And abstinence from food is adopted in order to weaken the strength of the flesh and make this horse submissive to us. The one who fasts most of all needs to curb anger, learn to be meek and forgiving, have a contrite heart, drive out unclean desires by representing that never-ending fire and impartial judgment, be above monetary calculations, show great generosity in almsgiving, and drive out from the soul all anger toward one’s neighbor. This is true fasting, just as Isaiah speaks on behalf of God: “I have not chosen this fasting,” says the Lord, “if you put on your neck like a sickle, and put on sackcloth and ashes, then you will call it a pleasant fast” (Is. 58:5). Which one, tell me? “Destroy,” he says, “the obligations of forced writings,... break your bread for the hungry; Bring a bloodless beggar into your house." And when you do this, he says, “then your light will open early, and your healing will quickly shine” (Is. 58:6-8). 6. You see, beloved, what true fasting consists of. We will perform such and such a fast, without relying on it, like many, only to remain without food until the evening. This is not the main thing, but that we should combine conversations on the Book of Genesis with abstinence from foodstuffs and abstain from what is harmful (to the soul) and show great concern for the accomplishment of spiritual affairs. The fasting person should be calm, quiet, meek, humble, despising the glory of this life. Just as he despised his soul, 49 so he must despise vain glory and look only to the One who tests hearts and bellies, make prayers and confessions with great zeal before God, and, as much as possible, help himself with alms. This, this particular virtue can especially blot out our sins and snatch us from the fire of Gehenna if we perform it generously 50 and not for show to people. And what am I saying: not for show? If we judge well, then we should do alms for the sole reason that it is a wonderful deed, and out of compassion for our brothers, and not for the sake of the rewards promised by the Lord. But since we are not able to think sublimely, we will give alms, albeit for the sake of a reward, but not at all seeking glory from people, so that, in addition to wasting money, we will not lose the reward. And we will observe this not only regarding alms, but also in every spiritual matter; We will not do anything because of human glory, because there is no benefit for us either from fasting, or from prayer, or from alms, or from other deeds, if we do not do it for the sake of the One Who knows both the secret and hidden in the depths of our soul. If you, man, expect reward from Him, then why do you seek praise from your neighbor? And what am I saying – praise? Often he doesn’t (just doesn’t) praise you, but also blames you. Many are so evil that they even misinterpret our good deeds. So, why, tell me, do you highly value the perverse judgment of these people? From that ever-watchful eye, no action of ours is hidden; and thinking about this, we must arrange our lives with such care as those who will soon have to give an account of their words, their deeds, and their very thoughts. So, let us not neglect our salvation. There is nothing equal to virtue, beloved! In the next century, she will snatch us from Gehenna and open the way to the Kingdom of Heaven, and in this life she puts us above everyone who plots evil against us in vain and in vain, makes us stronger not only people, but also the demons themselves, and the enemy of our salvation, i.e. the devil. So, what can compare with her when she makes her performers superior not only to evil people, but also to demons? And virtue consists in despising everything human, thinking hourly about the future, not clinging to anything present, but knowing that everything human is a shadow and a dream, and even more insignificant than that. Virtue consists in being as if dead in relation to the things of this life, and also in relation to those harmful to the salvation of the soul, to be inactive, as if dead, but to live and act only for the spiritual, as Paul said: “I live not for anyone, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, we, beloved, will do everything as it is fitting for those who have put on Christ, and we will not offend the Holy Spirit. When we are disturbed by passion or unclean lust, or anger, or rage, or envy, then let us think about who lives in us and drive away every such thought. Let us be ashamed of the abundant grace given to us from God, and let us curb all carnal passions, so that, after the proper deeds in this short and fleeting life, we may be rewarded with great crowns on that coming day, terrible for sinners and longed for for those clothed with virtue, and receive those unspeakable benefits, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom the Father, with By the Holy Spirit, glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Zlat.: καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν according to Lucian. and other lists, as well as the Jewish-Masoretic text. Contrary to this, in Elizave. Bible: “and let him possess.” After: καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν at Zlat. reads: καὶ τῶν θηρίων – “and by beasts,” which is a word found in Elizabeth. The Bible before "and the beasts" is missing from Lucian. and other lists. (κατὰ τὴν τῆς μορφῆς εἰκόνα εἰρῆσθαι) What i.e. it would be like a deity Words: “Let us create man,” etc. τῆς ψιχῆς ὑπερεῖδεν i.e. desires and passions of your sinful soul. John 12, etc. You might be interested in: