Беседа 20 на псалом 109 68

Ps.109:1. Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool. Arousing the attention of listeners by indicating the high significance of the Psalm, especially for denouncing various heretics and, firstly, the Jews: the Lord, to whom God speaks, is, contrary to the opinions of the Jews, the Only Begotten Son of God, and such an explanation does not disagree with the basic teaching of the Old Testament; the commandment to honor the one God was given for the sake of the weakness of the Jews; prophecies about Christ, as fulfilled, serve as irrefutable proof of the truth of the Old Testament, in which the Jews believe. Secondly, the Psalm serves as a denunciation of Paul of Samosata, Arius, Marcian, etc. - What does it mean: “sit at My right hand and until I make Your enemies Your footstool”? The “rod of power” means the divine power with which the Apostles went around the universe and conquered it to Christ, despite the opposition of kings and rulers. – The enemies of the Son are also the enemies of the Father. – The Son has power in Himself, which He showed during His earthly life and will show at His second coming; evidence of this same power is: the triumph of Christianity, travel to the Holy Sepulcher, the power of the Cross of the Lord, the greatness of the Christian righteous. – In the words: “From the womb before the morning star I gave birth to You” (Ps. 109:3) does not express the birth of Christ in the flesh, but the pre-eternal birth of the Son of God. – Prophecy of Christ as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. – Strengthening the flesh of Christ from God the Father and victory over the enemies of the Church. – The humility of Christ according to the flesh and glorification. – The exhortation is to despise pomp and vanity. 1. Let us stand up, I ask you, and increase your attention. This psalm proclaims to us very great truths and refutes not just one type of heresies, but various and varied ones. He refutes the Jews, and Paul of Samosata, and the Arians, and the Marcionites, and the Manichaeans, and all those who do not believe in the resurrection. If it is directed against so many, then we need to have many eyes in order to accurately notice the methods of this warfare. In worldly battles, even if something is left unchecked, there is no harm to the spectator, because there the spectacle is staged not for edification, but for pleasure. But here, if you do not notice with precision how the enemy attacks and how we can hit him, then you will suffer considerable harm. So, so that you do not experience this, awaken your mind, open your ears. First of all, we will defeat the Jews and rush against them, taking as our ally the prophet with the above words. When we assert that this is clearly said about Christ, the Jews do not accept this, but make up something else. Let us first refute their teaching, and then present ours. Let us ask them: Who is this Lord of the righteous? “He said,” he said, “The Lord is unto my Lord.” Here, not one person is mentioned, but a conversation between one and the other is presented. Who do they say is speaking here? God. Who's listening? Abraham. Others mean Zerubbabel, and others mean another person, without saying anything in agreement, as if they were drunk, or better, as wandering in the dark and pushing each other. Well, tell me, is Zerubbabel the Lord of David? Is this reasonable when he himself considered it a great honor to be called David? And what follows shows that nothing is said here either about Zerubbabel or about David, because neither of them was honored by the priesthood; and here it is said about a certain Person who has an Extraordinary and wondrous priesthood: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 109:4). But let's expand on what was proposed. They also say something more empty, namely: they claim that this was said about the people (the Jews), but the people were not priests, and the rest of what was said here cannot in any way be attributed to them. So, leaving this as empty and not requiring refutation, let us imagine what they also say. What is it? Some of them claim that the son of Abraham is speaking here about his master. What could be more unfounded than this? In fact, what does the son of Abraham want to say here? When was his master a priest who himself turned to the priest Melchizedek and asked for his blessing? Is it reasonable to refer to Abraham the words: “From the womb before the morning star I begat You” (Ps. 109:3)? How can this be applied to David, or Zerubbabel, or the people? What is being said here transcends human nature. And what meaning would the words have: “sit at my right hand” if these persons were meant here? None. How can one say: “Sit at my right hand” about Abraham, who considered it the greatest honor for himself to stand before the angels? But what basis do they have? They say: how do you allow another Lord, when the Scripture clearly says: “The Lord our God is one Lord; Serve Him alone; and there is none besides Him” (Deut.6:4, 13; Deut.4:39)? But for whose sake, tell me, is this said? Mainly for the sake of your, Jew, ignorance. Why was nothing like this said neither to Abraham, nor to Isaac, nor to Jacob, nor to Moses, but only to you alone, when you, having come out of Egypt, poured out the calf for yourself? Why, tell me? If you don’t know, then find out the reason from me. Since you, having left Egypt, merged yourself with a calf, began to serve Beelphegor and turn to many gods, allowing lawless polytheism, then, wanting to heal your illness, God said: “one,” to distinguish you from the imaginary gods, and not in order to reject the Only Begotten. Otherwise, why was it said at the beginning: “Let us make man in Our image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26), and again: “Let us go down and confuse their language there” (Gen. 11:7), and David also says: “Therefore, O God, Thy God has anointed Thee with the oil of gladness more than Thy fellows” (Ps. 44:8)? If Moses says: “The Lord our God is one Lord,” then the reason for this was your weakness. And is it surprising that this was the case with dogmas, if in deeds God reduced speech from the most perfect to the less perfect, condescending to your weakness? Thus, He allowed one wife to be let go and another to be taken, although in the beginning this was not the law he gave. And regarding food, He made a great distinction, although at first he said on the contrary: “I give you everything like green herbs” (Gen. 9:3). And regarding the place (of worship), He established many laws, not allowing prayers to be performed everywhere, although at first He did not give such a law, but He appeared to Abraham in the Persian land, and in Palestine, and everywhere, and subsequently appeared to Moses in the desert. 2. What do you say, Scripture contradicts itself? No; but it distributes everything for good, in accordance with the times, correcting the weakness of each generation. That is why it was said to you: “The Lord our God, there is one Lord.” And that He also has a Son, the prophets spoke about this in their books, but they did not say it very clearly, so as not to harm you due to your weakness, and did not hide it in order to give you the opportunity to come to your senses later and learn the dogmas of truth from their own books. By this we can primarily prove that the prophets are true prophets when we speak with the pagans, and show the reliability of the Old Testament. If you reject this, how will you stop the mouth of a pagan? What will you point to? Is it the exodus from Egypt and the prophecies concerning you? But he won't accept them. If you point to what was predicted in the Old Testament about Christ, and show true events testifying to the fulfillment of the prophecy, then he will not be able to resist. And if you, a Jew, reject our scriptures, how will you defend the Old Testament? When someone asks you: how is it clear that the writings of Moses are true, then what will you say? Won't you say: we believed in them? Our writings are all the more reliable, because we also believed in them; Moreover, you are only one people, and we are the whole universe; and it was not Moses who convinced you so much as Christ who convinced us; all yours has passed away, but ours remains. Can you point out the predictions? But we have more of them. Thus, if you reject what is ours, then you cast a shadow on yours. Or for miracles? But now you cannot show a single sign of Moses - they were and have passed; and we have many and various signs of Christ, which are still happening, and predictions that shine brighter than the sun. Or on laws? But ours contain more wisdom. Or that you left Egypt while the Egyptians were preventing you? But it is not the same thing to defeat the opposing universe or to overcome the Egyptians alone. However, I say this not in order to contrast the Old Testament with the new - no - but in order to curb the ingratitude of the Jews. Both this and this covenant were given by the same God and came from Him; but I want to prove that the Jew, by rejecting the prophecies about Christ, perverts most of the prophecies, and that he cannot prove the importance of the Old Testament unless he accepts the new. And that the above words were not spoken about man, this is obvious to those who have understanding from the words: “sit at my right hand,” and from the fact that He is called “Lord,” like the Lord who speaks to Him, and from the fact that He was born “from the womb before the star,” and from the fact that He is “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” and from the words: “with You is the power in the day of power.” Yours" (Ps. 109:3). Now another Jew appears before us, although he wears the appearance of a Christian, namely Paul of Samosata; and one can speak against it from the New Testament. But, so that it does not seem that we, having left one, are moving on to another part of the opponents, we will refute it from here too. What is he saying? He says that Christ is a simple man and exists only from the time he was born of Mary. And what, tell me, will you say against this saying: “From the womb before the morning star I begat You”? Everything else that is said against the Jews can also be said against his followers. It is not we who are guilty of this, but they themselves, having great similarities with the Jews in their teaching; That’s why we can use the same weapons against them; the same attackers must be repelled with the same arrows. So what does communion of the throne mean? This signifies the equality of honor (of the Father and the Son). This can block the lips of those who hold the thoughts of Arius. Therefore, Christ said to the Jews, who said that He was the son of David: “How then does David, by inspiration, call Him Lord, when he says: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” (Matthew 22:43, 44) And subsequently the Apostle Paul, expounding the doctrine of the economy and revealing this place more clearly, deals a mortal blow to both Marcion and Manichaeus, and all those who suffer from a similar disease; he, with his characteristic wisdom, explains how Christ became a priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7). But let's return to our subject. “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand.” Do you see equality of honor? The throne is a sign of reign; where there is one throne, there is the same honor of the same reign. Therefore, Paul says: “about the Angels it is said: You create flaming fire with Your angels and Your servants. But about the Son: Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Heb. 1:7–8). And Daniel saw all creatures, angels and archangels, coming, and the Son of man walking on the clouds and reaching even the “Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7). If these words offend some, let them know that He “sits at the right hand” and stop being offended. Just as we do not say that He is greater than the Father, although He has the most honorable seat “at the right hand,” so do not say that He is less and lower, but is equal and equal to the Father: this precisely means the communion of the seat. “Until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” What enemies? Listen to Paul, who says: “Christ the firstborn, then Christ’s at his coming, and then the end... He must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:23-25). 3. Do you see the agreement between the words of the prophets and the apostles? It says: “until I make Your enemies Your footstool”; and here: “until He puts all enemies under His feet.” But neither here nor here the word “until” means a limit of time. Otherwise, how would the prophetic saying stand: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion,” a kingdom that “will not be destroyed,” “and His kingdom will have no end” (Dan. 7:14; Luke 1:33), if He had to reign only until a certain time? Do you see that you need to pay attention not to expressions alone, but to ascend to their understanding? Hearing the words of the prophet that the Father puts enemies under His feet, do not be embarrassed; this is not said because the Son has no power. Paul says that He Himself puts His enemies under His Feet: “He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:25), and attributes everything to Him: “when He has delivered the kingdom to God the Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor. 15:24), i.e. When he establishes the kingdom, then he will cease all power. This is the meaning of the word: “abolish.” Attributing everything to the Son, he does not separate the Father from Him, just as he does not separate the Son from the Father, because everything that belongs to the Son belongs to the Father, and everything that belongs to the Father belongs to the Son. So Christ himself said: “And all that is mine is yours, and yours is mine” (John 17:10). So, when you hear that the Father has conquered, do not think that the Son is not involved in this matter; and when you hear that the Son has subdued, do not say that the Father is not involved in this, because these deeds are common to Him, just like all deeds. “The Lord will send you a rod of strength from Zion, and rule among your enemies” (Ps. 109:2). The prophet calls power itself the rod of power; and he mentions Zion because these works began from there: there He gave the law, there he performed miracles, from there the sermon began and spread throughout the entire universe. If you want to take this saying in a figurative sense, then listen to Paul, who says: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem... and the church of the firstborn” (Heb. 12:22, 23). “The Lord will send you a rod of strength from Zion.” The "rod" sometimes signifies punishment, sometimes goodness, sometimes consolation, and sometimes it is a sign of the kingdom. And that all this is really so, listen to the prophet, who says: “Your rod and Your staff - they comforted me” (Ps. 22:4), and also: “You will rule them with a rod of iron, as you will crush them with a potter’s vessels” (Ps. 2:9); Paul also says: “What do you want? shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness?” (1 Cor. 4:21) You see how he becomes a rod of punishment; Look how it is with the rod of the kingdom. Isaiah says: “and a branch (rod) will arise from the root of Jesse, and a branch will grow from his root” (Is. 11:1); and David: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” The scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Ps. 44:7). Here he called the rod the power with which the disciples went around the universe, correcting morals and raising people from unreasonable sin to rational human nature, according to the command of Christ: “Go, teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Moses also had a rod, but he received power from God, through which he accomplished everything. His rod divided the waters, but this one crushed the wickedness of the universe. It would not be a sin to call the cross a rod of power, because this rod changed the earth and the sea and filled them with great power. With this rod the apostles went throughout the entire universe and accomplished everything; with him they succeeded in everything, starting from Jerusalem. "And rule over Thy enemies." See the prophecy shining brighter than the sun. What does it mean: “rule over your enemies”? In other words: among the pagans, among the Jews. Thus churches were planted among the cities; This is how the apostles overcame and won. It is a sign of glorious victory to build altars among enemies, to be like sheep among wild beasts and like lambs among wolves. So Christ said, sending them: “I send you out like sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16). This is no less than a miracle; to overcome those who are surrounded on all sides means no less than for sheep to overcome wolves, even much more, because they, among the twelve, attracted the entire universe. "And rule over Thy enemies." He did not say: conquer among your enemies, but: “dominate”, to show that this is not a trophy acquired by battle, but dominion achieved by command. Indeed, this is how the apostles won, having Christ within them and doing everything as if by command. Therefore, every house was open to them, and the believers obeyed them more submissively than any slave, selling their possessions and laying their price at the feet of the apostles, not even daring to take anything for their needs and showing such respect for them that they did not even dare to join them (Acts 5:13). 4. And not only over the faithful did they have such power, but also over the infidels. In fact, tell me, what is the sign of a slave? Should he not do what his master commands? What is the sign of a master? Shouldn't he do what he wants through slaves? Who did what he wanted with the kings and rulers of that time? Aren't they the apostles? Obviously so. Kings and rulers wanted to keep the universe in wickedness and ordered to serve demons; but the apostles wished for the opposite - and their wish came true. If you point out to me their bonds, scourgings, and tortures, then you will further prove their dominance. How and in what way? Because even with all this, their wish came true. They did not achieve this dominance, not according to the law characteristic of many masters, but through virtue, which did not need any external assistance, but triumphed among the general intrigues. Slaves often brought ordinary masters to destruction with their machinations, because their dominance was imperfect and very weak; and no one could destroy the dominion of the apostles, but the intrigues themselves made it even more brilliant. Which master is more glorious: the one who needs countless benefits to keep his slaves in obedience, or the one who, without all this, acts with authority and disposes of his subordinates? Obviously the last one. Lords who have power, which is characteristic of many, would often be deprived of their life along with their power if they did not have laws to help them and did not live in cities, but Paul ruled in the deserts and everywhere. Do you want to see how he was even more glorious than kings? He introduced laws throughout the entire universe, so that people, leaving the laws of kings, began to obey his instructions. Moreover, kings have power only over bodies, but the apostles had power over souls. What slave to the master, or given to the king, obeyed with such a willingness as believers obeyed Paul, who wrote only letters to them? Who will express their love and zeal for him, when they were ready to tear out even their eyes for him? Has anyone ever had such slaves? That is why the prophet, imagining all this - how they subjugated the faithful, how terrible they were for the infidels, whom they put to flight with their power, and how Christ reigned through them - said not simply: be master (curíeue) among your enemies, but: dominate (catacuríeue), expressing especially strong power. The enemies, seeing this, could not do anything against them, although they had laws, executioners, and all power on their side. However, they were so powerful by the power of Him who dwelt in them. He ruled through them; He was not just a master, but he dominated and had great power. By the power of Him who dwelt in them, they boldly went against fire, and against iron, and against wild animals, and against everything. Truly, Christ was always with them, and that is why they rejoiced and admired so much, laboring as if in other people’s bodies, renouncing all worldly sorrows, submitting to the sovereignty of Christ, sparing neither property, nor body, nor real life. This is what those who were once enemies and adversaries did, but the invincible power of Christ not only delivered them from enmity, but also brought them to such obedience and devotion. That is why, although it is said that the Father puts enemies under His feet, it is not said in the sense that the Son does not act at all - all this was the work of the Only Begotten - but, as I said above, so that you honor the Father and the Son as one God, with the characteristics characteristic of each of them, and do not imagine two unborn beings. And that all this was done by the Son, you see from the deeds themselves, and do not accept what is said simply in a human-like sense, because otherwise many absurd consequences will come out. But to make sure of this, listen to what I have to say. Some of the people, who were previously enemies, became friends; while others remain enemies to this day. That He made His enemies friends is explained by Paul when he says: “When He delivers up the kingdom to God the Father” (1 Cor. 15:24); The Savior himself explains when he says to His Father: “I have glorified You on earth, I have completed the work that You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). And conquering enemies is the work of the Father. Meanwhile, the first is more important than the last, because it is not the same thing to punish stubborn enemies and make enemies friends. However, this makes neither the Son less than the Father, nor the Father less than the Son. And so that you know that the latter is just as characteristic of the Son as the former is of the Father, listen. “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). And He who sends the angels to gather the tares is also the Only Begotten (Matthew 13:30), and everywhere we see Him punishing the devil. The demons themselves admit this when they say: “You came here before the time to torment us” (Matthew 8:29), therefore He will torment them. Do you see that all this, although attributed to the Father, is also the work of the Son? And that the works of the Son also belong to the Father, listen to how He Himself says: “no one can come to Me unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44), and again: “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). So, one should not understand all this in a humanoid way. Therefore, the expression: “Thy enemies” should not be taken as if they were the enemies of the Son alone, because “whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father” (John 5:23). 5. Thus, the Jews are enemies not only of the Son, but also of the Father. Therefore, God subjected them to the greatest disasters, destroyed their city and turned it into ruins, however, not immediately after the crucifixion of Christ, but gave them a lot of time for repentance, if only they wanted to repent, and sent the apostles so that, through them, having learned His power, they would someday, although late, turn. But since they had an incurable illness, God sent extreme calamities upon them, wanting through this to call them to repentance, so that they, having lost their former life, would by necessity be brought to the truth, seeing that the One whom they insulted became an object of worship, and everything that belonged to them was destroyed. If even after this they do not become better, then, as unworthy of any pardon, they will be subjected to eternal punishment. When you hear the word “foot,” do not mean something sensual, but humility. And that the enemies will also submit to the Father, this is clear from further words, because just as there is one throne, so there is one footstool. “With You is the power in the day of Your strength” (Ps. 109:3). Since the prophet said above: “until I make your enemies your footstool,” so that no one thinks that the Son is not strong and needs assistance, like any of the apostles, listen; How does he resolve such bewilderment: “With You,” he says, “the power in the day of Your power.” What does “on the day of power” mean? It speaks in You, a superiority that does not come later, but always exists in You. Isaiah expressed the same thing when he said: “the government is on His shoulder” (Is. 9:6), i.e. in Himself, in His essence, in His nature, not like that of (ordinary) kings. The power of kings is based on the multitude of troops; but it is not so with the apostles. However, their power also came from an external force that assisted them; and Christ has power by His nature, in His being, not having received it after His birth and not having acquired it from outside, but also having been born with it. That is why, when He was asked about His kingdom, He said: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came” (John 18:37). "With You is the power in the day of Your strength." The expression: “the authority is with You” means not only that His authority does not depend on another, but also that it is constant and eternal. People are often deprived of power during their lifetime, and if not during their lifetime, then certainly after death, or - better to say - even during their lifetime, their power is not in them, but, as I said above, in armies, bodyguards, wealth, fortified fences and everything else; but God has nothing like this, but His power is in Him and, moreover, constantly; just as it is impossible for His being not to exist, so it is impossible for His kingdom not to exist. "In the day of Your power". By “day of power” we can mean both the day that has already passed and the day to come. Both prove the greatest power of Christ. Is it not the greatest proof of His power when by His death death is abolished, the brass gates are broken, sin is destroyed, the oath is destroyed, when all previous evils are destroyed, and new blessings are given instead? What can compare with this power - will you look at miracles, or at His other works? The dead rise, lepers are cleansed, demons are driven away, the sea is tamed, sins are forgiven, the paralytic are strengthened, paradise is opened, the stones are disintegrated, the veil is torn, the rays of the sun are hidden and darkness covers the universe, the bodies of departed saints are raised, the thief returns to his ancient fatherland, the vaults of heaven are opened, humiliated human nature rises above the heavens of heaven and, what else more importantly, he is seated on the royal throne, and angels and powers stand before him, every vice is expelled, virtue returns, the grace of the Spirit is given, fishermen, tax collectors and tabernacle workers stop the lips of philosophers, bridle the tongue of rhetoricians, destroy the dominion of demons, altars, temples, pagan holidays and celebrations are canceled, stench and smoke and all ungodly sacrifices are decisively stopped, all soothsayers, sacrileges, fortune-tellers and all the instruments of the devil take flight, churches grow throughout the universe, hosts of virgins and faces of monastics are formed, along with the cities the desert is filled with piety, the faces of righteous and holy men sing harmoniously, standing together with the highest angelic powers, hosts of martyrs and confessors appear in great numbers throughout the universe, virtue is fulfilled with with great ease, barbarian peoples learn wisdom, those who were fiercer than wild beasts compete with the lives of angels, and wherever the sun illuminates the earth, the teaching of Christ spreads, after the cross and resurrection. Presenting all this, the prophet says: “The power is with You in the day of Your power.” 6. If you want to see the future day and know that this day is the day of His power, then imagine how the heavens curl up, all damaged nature is resurrected, everyone appears at one wave, the devil is put to shame, demons come to despair, the righteous receive crowns, everyone gives an account of their sins, and receives rewards for good deeds, how another life begins, in which there is no longer death, illness, old age, poverty, or slander, no intrigues, no dwellings, no cities, no arts, no navigation, no clothing, no food, no drink, no roofing, no beds, no tables, no lamps, no evil intentions, no battles, no judgments, no marriages, no illnesses of birth, no births, but all this disappears like scattered dust, and another, better state of life comes, the body is granted incorruptibility, immortality and great power. Explaining this, Paul said: “The image of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31). If you do not believe what has been said because you do not see it in the present, then borrow evidence regarding the future from the present. Go around in your thoughts the entire universe, land and sea, Greece and the land of the barbarians, inhabited and uninhabited, cities on land, islands on the sea, mountains and forests, and seeing how the power of Christ shines everywhere, and how everyone glorifies His venerable name, realize that He, who had the opportunity to do all this, promised us the future. If you want to have the most personal proof, then imagine why the whole universe flocks to see the tomb, in which the body of Christ is no longer there, what force draws people from the ends of the earth to see where He was born, where He was buried, where He was crucified; Imagine the cross itself, what power it is a sign. This cross was formerly a sign of damned death, shameful death, the most shameful death; but now it has become more precious than life itself and more glorious than diadems, so that we all wear it on our foreheads, not only without being ashamed, but considering it our adornment. Not only simple people, but also those who put on diadems wear a cross on their foreheads above the diadems; and quite rightly so, because he is taller than countless diadems. The diadem adorns the head, and the cross protects the soul. He is a thunderstorm for demons, a medicine for illnesses of the soul, an invincible weapon, an impregnable wall, an insurmountable defense; he repels not only the invasion of barbarians, not only the attack of enemies, but also hordes of the most ferocious demons. "In the splendor of Thy saints." Another translator (Theodotion and unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.) says: “in the splendor of a saint.” Third (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.): “in the glory of the saints.” And this is also said about the present and future days. The prophet here calls the greatness of the saints “brilliance.” Who is more glorious than Paul, who is more famous than Peter, who went around the whole world, shining brighter than the sun, scattering the seeds of piety? They, like angels descended from heaven, were an unapproachable object of reverence for everyone. Expressing this, the writer of the book of Acts says that “from the outside no one dared to pester them” (Acts 5:13). Their very clothes were filled with great grace, and the shadows of their bodies exerted great power. If they were like this here, then imagine - on the day when they receive incorruptible and immortal bodies, shining brighter than any visible light, what they and similar prophets, apostles, righteous people, martyrs, confessors and all those distinguished by a virtuous life through faith in Christ will be like. Imagine this gathering, these luminaries, these rays, this glory, splendor, serenity, triumph. Who can depict all this? No word can; only experience itself can explain this “brilliance” (to people) worthy of such a spectacle. Then, I think, it will be something like many suns shining in the sky, or continuous lightning; or better yet, no matter how hard I try to describe this beauty in words, I will not be able to express it at its true worth. All such comparisons are sensory; and that lightness, that glory that will shine there, is more brilliant than any such beauty. Then the bodies themselves will not only be incorruptible and immortal, but will also be clothed with ineffable glory. "In the splendor of the saints x." In order not to present God only as terrible, the prophet also depicts Him as meek and beneficent and says: “in the splendor of the holy ones.” And this is a sign of His power to make them as bright as Paul says: “He will transform our lowly body so that it will be like His glorious body” (Phil. 3:21). 7. Having spoken about a subject so great and inexpressible, the apostle further adds: “by the power by which He acts and subdues all things to Himself.” Don’t ask, he says, how and in what way; for God anything He wants is possible. Why didn’t the prophet say: in the glory of the saints, but: “in the splendor of the saints”? Because their rewards are numerous and varied. “There is another glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another of the stars; and star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead" (1 Cor. 15:41-42). And Christ said: “in My Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2). Moreover, this lordship has no end. It does not give way to night and does not give room to darkness; but, being inexpressibly great and incomparably superior to all visible light, it is also distinguished by the greatest advantage that it has no end; and this again is the work of the inexpressible power of the King - to impart such strength and power to mortal and corruptible bodies. Having spoken about such lofty subjects, inspiring the listener with hopes, the prophet further shows that this was said not without reason, but because such is the One who does this. Who is the one doing it? Consubstantial with the Father. Expressing this, he continues: “From the womb before the morning star I begat You.” Those who reinterpret these words as they wish, claim that this speaks of the birth of Christ according to the flesh. But how, tell me, “before the morning”? This is what he called, they say, the night on which Christ was born, because He was born before dawn. But this is not what we were talking about here, and the prophet is not talking about historical events. On the other hand, they cannot prove that the prophets, who speak about many things in secret, spoke only about what the evangelists talked about. It says here: “before the morning star,” not before the rise of the morning star, but before the very beginning, before the origin of the morning star. Scripture usually distinguishes when it speaks of a time before the existence of something, or before activity. So, when the Wise One says: “so that it is known that the sun should warn the sun with thanksgiving to You and turn to You to the east of the world” (Wisdom 16:28), he means dawn here. He did not say: before the light, but: before the east (light), not before its existence - before the existence of the sun there was nothing - but before the sunrise, which indicates dawn. In another place, when the existence of the sun is spoken of, it is not said: before the east, but: before the sun. So, for example: “he will remain with the sun and before the moon throughout all generations of generations” (Ps. 72:5, 17). Thus, the expressions do not mean the same thing: before the sun and before the sun rises; the second refers to the activity of the sun and means the dawn, and the first to its existence. So it is exactly here, if the prophet wanted to mean night, he would not have said: “before the morning star,” but: before the rising of the morning day. On the other hand, Christ himself relates this psalm not to His carnal birth, but to His spiritual one. When He asked the Jews, “What do you think about Christ? whose son is He?.. and when they answered: David’s..., then He brought this psalm and said: how then does David, by inspiration, call Him Lord, when he says: The Lord said to my Lord: sit at My right hand... If David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son? (Matthew 22:42–45)? What do these words mean? Here His true birth (from God the Father) is depicted. Well, doesn’t He exist only before the morning star? No. And in another place it is said: “he will remain with the sun and before the moon throughout all generations” (Ps. 72:5); but this does not mean that only before the moon. And about the Father it is said: “before the mountains appeared and the earth and the universe were created, from century to century You exist” (Ps. 89:3); but He exists not only from eternity, but even before eternity, and not until eternity only, but infinitely. Do not be tempted by expressions, but understand them in a godly manner. And look at the wisdom of the prophet: he did not say at the very beginning of the psalm: “From the womb before the morning star I gave birth to You”; but first he showed His deeds, and then, when he depicted Him in deeds, he directly expresses His divine dignity. So Christ himself said: “If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me; and if I do, then if you do not believe Me, believe My works” (John 10:37, 38). This is so that you, having learned that He sits at the right hand of the Father, is called Lord in the same way as the Father, has authority in Himself, produces such lordship and rules among the nations, and will not be amazed when you hear that He is the Son of God and exists before all creation. It is also worthy of surprise how the prophet speaks one thing on behalf of God, and another on his own behalf. In the words: “sit at my right hand,” and: “from the womb before the star I begat you,” which are higher than him, he represents God himself speaking; and the rest he says himself. Notice also how precise the expressions he uses. It was enough to say: “The generation of You”; but he added: from the “womb,” for people creeping on the earth, wanting to show them His true birth. And just as when speaking about the hand of God, he does not say this so that we would admit God’s hand, but expresses His creative power, so here he mentions the womb in order to express His true birth. 8. Then, wanting to compose a prophecy in the form of a judge’s sentence, he turns his speech to Christ himself, as a sign of the strongest love and extreme joy of the soul, completely embraced by the Spirit of God, and says: “The Lord has sworn and will not repent: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 109:4). Do you see how he again reduces speech to a lower subject, talking first about the deity, then about the humanity of Christ? This is what the evangelists do in order to preserve both dogmas exactly. Why did he say: “according to the order of Melchizedek”? And because of the sacrament which Melchizedek typified when he offered bread and wine to Abraham, and because this priesthood does not depend on the law, and because it has neither end nor beginning, as Paul says. What was as a shadow in Melchizedek was fulfilled as truth in Jesus Christ. And just as the names “Jesus” and “Christ” were before, so is this. Melchizedek appears to have neither the beginning of his days nor the end of his life, not because he really did not have them, but because his genealogy is unknown. And Jesus Christ has neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, not in the same sense as Melchisidek, but in the sense that He has absolutely neither a beginning in time nor an end. There is shadow, and here is truth. Just as when you hear the name Jesus (in the Old Testament), you do not understand the true Jesus, but take this name only as a type and do not look for anything else, so when you hear about the beginningless and infinite Melchizedek, do not look for the truth in him, but be content with the name alone, and find the truth in Christ. When you hear about an oath here, do not understand a real oath. Just as anger in God is not anger or a passionate movement, but a punishing action, so is an oath. God does not swear, but pronounces what will certainly come true. Thus, the prophet, having spoken about the brightness (brilliance) of the saints, about the subjugation of enemies under His feet, about the day of power, now speaks about the present. Look at the order of speech he uses, wanting to touch the rude listener. Having first instilled fear in him with words about the trial, and thereby softened his stubbornness, he then spoke about the present. For this purpose, he uses a mixed composition of speech. Look. “Until I make Your enemies Your footstool” - this is about the future; then about the present: “The Lord will send you a rod of strength from Zion, and rule among your enemies”; further about the future: “with You is the power in the day of Your power in the splendor of Your saints”; then again about the present, but one in which there is no longer punishment, but benefit: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” It talks about forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. Having dwelled on this subject as much as he wanted, he again touches on the economy (of Christ), turning his speech to a lower subject: “The Lord,” he says, is at Your right hand (Ps. 109:5), although above he said that He sits at the right hand of the Father. Do you see that you don’t need to stick to expressions alone? What does it mean: “The Lord is at Your right hand”? Touching upon the economy, he speaks of the flesh (Christ's) being strengthened. We see that Christ was “in agony... and His sweat was like drops of blood falling,” and He was strengthened (Luke 22:44). This is the nature of the flesh. “He will smite kings in the day of his wrath.” The one who applies this both to the present enemies of the Church and to the future ones who will give account for their sins and wickedness will not sin. “He will execute judgment on the nations, fill (the earth) with corpses, and crush the heads of many on the earth” (Ps. 109:6). What does it mean: “He will execute judgment on the nations”? He will judge, he says, he will condemn the demons themselves. And that He really judged them, listen to what Christ himself said: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me” (John 12:31, 32). If he uses a somewhat sensual expression, do not be tempted by this: such expressions are often used in Scripture. "He will crush the heads of many on earth". If we take this in a figurative sense, then we can say that He will put down pride; and if taken literally, then one can understand the disastrous fate of the Jews, whom He struck with great power. “He will drink from the stream along the way, therefore he will lift up his head” (Ps. 109:7). Here the prophet points to the modest way of life of Christ, to His humble conversion, to the fact that He did all these things without any pomp, not having spearmen, not surrounding Himself with sensual splendor, but leading a very simple life, so simple that He even drank from the stream. As was His food, so was His drink; His food was barley bread, and His drink was stream water. He led such a wise life in order to teach others to abstain from gluttony, to despise pomp, and to turn away from vanity. Further, wanting to show the fruits of such a life, the prophet says: “therefore he will lift up his head.” This is the fruit of humility and strict life. 9. This is not said about the deity, but about the flesh of Christ, which drank from the stream, which was exalted. The simplicity of life not only did not cause her any harm, but also raised her to inexpressible heights. And you, beloved, having such examples, despise a life full of vanity and pomp, lead a simple and unrefined life, if you want to become glorious and great. Your Lord came to teach you to walk this path. Therefore, the prophet, having spoken about His deeds, adds this, and seems to say: when you hear about victory and trophies, then do not expect to see weapons, warriors, chariots, horses, horsemen, shield bearers, to hear noise and confusion; The one who does such things is so humble, so modest that he drinks water from the stream; yet, being such, He will accomplish all these things. Let those who have sumptuous tables, invent all kinds of dishes and seasonings, gather all sorts of cooks from everywhere, send sailors, helmsmen and rowers to bring them an unusual kind of wine, incense and sweets, and at the same time cast themselves into the abyss and make them more despised than everyone else, listen to this. It does not make a person high that he needs a lot, and it does not make him low that he is content with little. If you want, we will present examples of both. Let someone have a multitude of people who provide him with everything, sailors and helmsmen, artists and domestic servants, weavers and dyers, shepherds and cattle drivers, grooms and horse-watchers, and let them all render him great services; let another have nothing of the kind, but be content with just bread, water and simple clothing. Which one is tall and which one is short? Is it not clear that he who has only clothes is tall? He may not feel at all submissive even to the king himself, and he is the slave of everyone who provides him with what he needs; he humiliates himself, flatters, serves everyone, fearing that someone will leave him and thereby cause him significant harm. Truly, nothing makes a person a slave more than a multitude of needs; and nothing makes you free like contentment with only what is necessary. The same can be seen in dumb animals. What good is it for a donkey to be burdened with a heavy load, even if he could use it countless times? And what is the loss for another donkey, who is free from all burdens, if he has the necessary food? Therefore, Christ, wanting to make His disciples high, as those who were preparing to preach throughout the entire universe, freed them from all worries, and thus inspired them and made them harder than adamant. Truly, nothing gives the soul so much strength as freedom from worries, and nothing makes it weak as much as the burden of worries. Just as one cannot soon find sadness there, it is not so soon one can find pleasure here. One of them has many cruel and inhuman masters and mistresses; and the other does not serve anyone, but he himself rules over everyone, enjoying the rays of the sun with great freedom, using the air and not having anyone to upset him. He is not tormented by anger, envy, or hatred; he is not tormented by care, jealousy, vanity, pride, or anything else like that - but like a quiet pier, free from excitement, so his soul is in a calm state and easily strives towards heaven, not being delayed by anything real. So, in order for us to enjoy such freedom, tranquility in this life and serenity upon departure from it, let us lead such a life that we will be worthy of eternal blessings, surpassing all word, all mind and understanding, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The psalms in the text are translated by P. Yungerov - Editorial office of the ABC of Faith You might be interested in: