Беседа 34 на псалом 124 89

Ps.124:1. Song of Degrees. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion; he who lives in Jerusalem never moves. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion”: why did the prophet add the word “Zion” here? – A Christian should not desire a calm and comfortable life, but not one shaken by danger. – The power of the righteous who trusts in God is invincible; hesitation consists in the destruction of the soul and falling away from virtue. – What makes Jerusalem especially strong and why? - And whether to receive benefits or be punished depends, first of all, on us. – Whom does the prophet call upright in heart? - “Peace to Israel! (Ps.124:5) 1. Why did the prophet add: “Zion”? Why didn’t he simply say: “like a mountain,” but mentioned exactly this mountain? In order to teach us not to lose heart in misfortunes, not to plunge into despondency, but, holding on to hope in God, courageously endure everything - wars, battles, and turmoil. Just as this mountain, having once become deserted and devoid of inhabitants, again achieved its former prosperity and regained its ancient prosperity due to the return of its inhabitants and the revelation of miracles, so a courageous man, even if he suffered countless disasters, will not be shaken. So you too do not want a life that is safe, inactive and comfortable, but that does not waver from danger. It is not equally possible to show your art while remaining calm in the pier or while swimming across the rough sea. One becomes lazy, careless and weak; and the other, having experienced many pitfalls, many rocks, many stormy winds and other sea dangers, and having endured all this, makes his soul stronger. You were brought into this life not in order to be inactive, lazy, or not endure any disasters, but in order to become glorious through suffering. Let us not seek peace or a luxurious life; the desire for this is not appropriate for a courageous person, but for a worm, more of an unreasonable animal than one with reason. Pray earnestly so as not to fall into temptation; but when you fall, do not grieve, do not be embarrassed, do not be discouraged, but use all your strength to become glorious. Don't you see how the most courageous of warriors, hearing the calling trumpet, look at trophies, at victories, at crowns, at valiant ancestors? So you too, at the sound of the spiritual trumpet, stand up and be more courageous than a lion; go to both fire and iron. The elements themselves are ashamed of truly courageous people. And the animals are afraid of such brave men; even if they are enraged from hunger, or from their natural properties, they forget everything when they see the righteous man, and restrain their rage. So, protect yourself with this weapon, and you will not be afraid even of fire, even if you saw the flame ascending to the sky. Your Leader is valiant, omnipotent and destroys danger with one wave. Everything is His, the sky, the earth, the sea, the animals, and the fire; everything is easy for Him to change and move. Why, tell me, are you afraid? For nothing other than laziness and one’s own carelessness. Isn't death higher than all disasters? But it is also a duty of nature. Why don't you benefit from this debt? If, willingly or unwillingly, it is necessary to follow this path, then why not go with benefit, with exploits that bring not temporary benefits, but joy that exceeds the sorrows here? If these words seem difficult to you, then imagine people who, without expecting a reward, are subjected to prolonged suffering, constantly struggling with hunger, and have incurable and long-lasting illnesses that make them often wish for the end of life, and sometimes throw themselves into a noose and onto the sword. Heaven and heavenly blessings await you, and you do not tremble, do not fear, indulging in carelessness and, moreover, having such a Helper? Do you not hear the words of the prophet: “those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion”? In a word: “mountain” he expresses the steadfastness of hope in God, its firmness, inaccessibility, invincibility. Just as no one can move or shake mountains, even if he uses countless means, so he who attacks one who places his hope in God will return home empty-handed. Truly, hope in God is much stronger than a mountain. “He who lives in Jerusalem shall never move.” Another translator (Symmachus) says: “the one who lives around Jerusalem is unshakable forever” (άπείτρεπτον ... οίκούμενον περὶ Ί ερυσαλὴμ). But, you say, didn’t the three waver? the youth and Daniel? No. They lost their fatherland, were subjected to captivity, but they never showed any hesitation; on the contrary, among such a multitude of waves, as if standing on a rock and being in a quiet harbor, they did not suffer anything unpleasant. Do not call the unfortunate circumstances hesitation; wisdom and shine even more. If you want to take these words in a figurative sense: “he who lives in Jerusalem does not move forever,” then imagine the state there, in the mountainous fatherland. Verily, those who have achieved it are free from all vicissitudes. There is nothing tempting there, no lust, no pleasures, no reasons for sin, no sorrow, no illness, no danger; all this is completely absent there. “The mountains are around him, and the Lord is around his people, from now on and forever” (Ps. 125:2). Here the prophet also speaks of the protection afforded to the city by its very location; but does not allow one to hope for this, but leads one to invincible help - to God. 2. Although the mountains, he says, protect him, he needs that (higher) protection: it makes him invincible. Therefore, another (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.) translator says: “The Lord is around his people” (περὶ), i.e., do not rely on the surrounding mountains, because what makes this city invincible is that “the Lord will not leave the rod of sinners over the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to iniquities” (Ps. 125:3). Shows a good reason for God's help, which they can hope for. Which one? God will not allow, he says, the blessings of the righteous to be in the hands of sinners. He says this both so that they hope for God’s help, and so that they remain in virtue if they want to constantly receive His help and have their own benefits. By this he shows that both the possession of goods and security depend on their own will. He calls the kingdom of enemies “the rod of sinners.” And the meaning of these words is as follows: he will not allow the inheritance of the righteous to be possessed; if He allowed it for a while, it was for correction, suggestion and admonition. “Lest the righteous stretch out their hands to iniquity.” Another (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.): “therefore the righteous do not stretch out their hands to iniquity” (διὰ του ουκ εκτείνουσιν). Why? Because, as it was said above, God will protect, take revenge, repel, drive away enemies from their possessions. He seems to be saying this: taught by temptation and improved by a number of blessings, they will constantly live in virtue, and, admonished by both, will not touch vice. So everything served to ensure that their soul became better, receiving correction from the misfortunes that befell them and intensifying their zeal from the blessings given. “Show, Lord, goodness to the kind and right hearted!” (Ps. 124:4). Another (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.): “do good” (αγαθοποίησον). “But the Lord will punish those who are inclined to cunning along with those who commit iniquity. Peace to Israel!” (Ps. 124:5). Do you see that the beginning of everything depends on us - both to receive benefits and to receive punishment? But although the beginning is from us, yet at the same time the great light of God’s love for mankind shines. He conquers us with great abundance with His rewards; For sins He imposes proportionate punishment, and for good deeds He gives the most excellent reward. The prophet here calls “right” people who are not wicked, simple-hearted, and have nothing secretive or insidious in them. God especially looks for such righteousness everywhere. This is virtue: it is simple and open, but vice, on the contrary, is changeable, tortuous and confused; this can be seen from experience. So, whoever wants to lie and deceive, imagine how much effort he must use, how much he must come up with various means and cunning words, how much dexterity he must have. And whoever speaks the truth needs no labor, no worry, no hypocrisy, no tricks, or anything like that, because it shines by itself. Just as ugly faces need many external decorations and coverings to cover up their natural ugliness, while those beautiful by nature, on the contrary, artlessly shine on their own, so it is with lies and truth, with vice and virtue. From this it is obvious that vice, even before punishment, itself causes punishment, and virtue, even before reward, itself delivers reward. Just as virtue contains within itself a reward even before crowns, so vice contains within itself torment even before punishment. Indeed, what could be more intolerable than the punishment that comes from sin? That is why Paul, who mentioned the debauched people who corrupt their beauty and pervert the laws of nature, says that this is the greatest torment even before punishment. “Men,” he says, “make shame on men and receive in themselves the due retribution for their error” (Rom. 1:27), calling their very debauchery and action the retribution of sin. "Peace to Israel!" . The prophet concludes his speech with prayer. Such are the souls of saints: they combine prayer with exhortation and advice, delivering the greatest help to those who listen. “The world” here he means not only the sensual, but also the higher, from which it also comes; prays that the soul does not rebel against itself, raising a struggle of passions. We will also seek such peace, so that we may achieve the promised blessings, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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: