Беседа 4 на псалом 6

Ps.6:2. God! Do not rebuke me in Your wrath, and do not punish me in Your anger. In what sense should we understand the rage and anger attributed to God by the Psalmist? – All people, as weak creatures, need to ask the Lord for mercy. Why do those guilty of the same sins often receive different punishments? – Contrition for sins and uncomplaining enduring of sorrows attract Divine mercy to a person. – The Psalmist instills special concern in real life for the salvation of the soul through an indication of the impossibility of repentance after death and – the Psalmist’s own example of the tearful, deep, contrition during the night. – What is meant by the eye that has come into confusion and “dilapidation” from enemies? - Avoiding vicious people, even if they were wearing a diadem, is also the path to virtue. – An exhortation to stop sinful desires at the very beginning. 1. When you hear the words: rage and anger, in relation to God, then do not understand anything human by them: these are words of condescension. The Divine is alien to all such things; It is said this way in order to bring the subject closer to the understanding of cruder people. So we, when we talk with barbarians, use their language; or when we speak to a baby, we babble like him, even if we ourselves were wise men, condescending to his youth. And what wonder if we do this in words when we do the same in deeds, biting hands and showing an appearance of anger in order to correct a child? In exactly the same way, God used similar expressions to influence more rude people. When he spoke, he cared not about his own dignity, but about the benefit of those listening. In another place, suggesting that anger is not characteristic of Him, He said: “But do they grieve Me? says the Lord; not themselves to their shame?” ( Jer.7:19 )? Would you really want Him, talking with the Jews, to say that He is not angry and does not hate the evil, since hatred is a passion, that He does not look at human affairs, since vision is characteristic of bodies, that He does not hear, since hearing belongs to the flesh? But from here another impious doctrine would be derived, that everything happens without Providence. By avoiding such expressions about God, many would then be completely ignorant of the existence of God; and if they did not know this, then everything would perish. When the doctrine of God was introduced in this form, its correction soon followed. He who is convinced that there is a God, although he has an inappropriate concept of Him and believes in Him something sensual, will eventually become convinced that there is nothing of the kind in God. And whoever is convinced that God does not provide, that He does not care about existing things, that He does not exist, what benefit will he receive from dispassionate expressions? That is why God, having first talked with them in this way and instilled in them the concept of His existence, then little by little purified them, leading them to the true teaching, speaking sublime things about Himself, and mentioning His dispassion. So another prophet says: (God) “does not grow weary or faint” (Is. 40:28). And the same prophet who said that God is angry, further, wanting to convey that the Divinity is impassive, adds: “But do they grieve Me..., or not themselves” (Jer. 7:19)? And the one who said that God dwells in the church himself later says: “For I am God, and not man; The Holy One is in your midst; I will not enter the city” (Hos. 11:9), i.e. I'm not limited by location. If He did not refute all this, then with the spoken words He made it clear to the most prudent that He who is free from the most ordinary passions, without which it is impossible to live, is even more free from others. Is this why the prophet says: “You are like an astonished man” (Jer. 14:9)? And often he talks about the impassivity of God. Thus, here too, if you hear about anger, do not understand passion. Indeed, if people devoted to wisdom abstain as much as possible from anger, then how much more is the Being unchangeable and incorruptible, ineffable and incomprehensible. Don’t you see that doctors, when cutting off or cauterizing, do it not out of anger, but for the purpose of correction, not because they are angry with the sick, but out of compassion for them and to save them from illness? So, when the prophet said: “Do not rebuke me in Your wrath,” he said the following: do not punish me for my sins, do not take revenge on me for my iniquities. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak” (Ps. 6:3). We all must pronounce such a proclamation, even if we have performed thousands of good deeds, even if we have achieved the highest truth. That is why he later says: “Not one living will be justified before You” (Ps. 143:2); and again: “If You, Lord, notice iniquities, - Lord! who can stand?" ( Ps.129:3 )? And Paul says: “Although I know nothing about myself, I am not justified by this” (1 Cor. 4:4). And another says: “Who can say: “I have cleansed my heart, I am clean from my sin?” ( Proverbs 20:9 ) So, we all have a need for mercy, but not everyone is worthy of mercy, because it, although mercy, seeks the worthy, as God himself said to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” ( Exodus 33:19 ). Therefore, whoever has done something worthy of mercy, let him say: “Have mercy on me”; and whoever has deprived himself of the opportunity to receive forgiveness will say in vain: “Have mercy.” If mercy were extended to everyone, then no one would be punished; but she makes some choice, looking for someone worthy and capable of accepting her. 2. Often many were guilty of the same sins, and received unequal punishment, because different causes influenced them. If you like, let us now dwell on this subject. All the Jews sinned when they worshiped the idol, and, however, not all received the same punishment, but some fell, while others received forgiveness. In sins, not only the essence of the matter is taken into account, but also the spiritual disposition, and the time, and the occasion, and the actions following the sin, namely: whether someone remained in sins, or repented, whether he sinned by accident, or by deception, or with intent. And much more is taken into account - both the difference in time and the social structure. For example: those who lived in the Old Testament sinned, and those living in the new also sin; but both receive unequal punishment, and the latter receive a more severe punishment. Paul also shows this when he says: “If he who rejects the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is punished without mercy with death, then how much more severe punishment do you think will be liable to the one who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider as holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?” ( Heb. 10:28, 29 ) With the words: “how much more severe punishment will he be guilty,” he expresses increased punishment. Those who lived before the law sinned, and those who lived under the law also sinned; but the former are subject to lighter punishment. Showing this, Paul says: “those who sin without the law are without the law and will perish,” “not having the law,” i.e. not in a grave way, but in a lighter way - “but those who have sinned under the law will be condemned by the law” (Rom. 2:12). Why? Because some have nature as their accuser, while others, along with nature, have the law; those who received greater instruction will receive greater punishment. Also, the dignity of persons has an influence on this, as can be seen from sacrifices. The same sacrifice was made for the entire sinned people as for one priest. This shows that the higher the dignity of persons, the more severe the punishment for their sins. That is why a simple woman who committed adultery was killed, and the priest’s daughter was burned. And in other circumstances there is forgiveness, or increased punishment - when, for example, the sinner suffers punishment here, while the other enjoys pleasures. The latter will receive greater punishment there, and the former less, if he does not repay everything here. Explaining this, Christ imagines Abraham saying to the rich man: “Remember that you have already received your good things in your life, but Lazarus received your evil things; now he is comforted here, but you suffer” (Luke 16:25). This one received full punishment for the suffering that he endured here; others receive not the full amount, but partly, which is why they are punished lightly there too. Also, the difference in punishment comes from greater or lesser knowledge, as the Lord says: “But that servant who knew the will of his master, and was not ready, and did not do according to his will, will be beaten a lot; But he who did not know, and did something worthy of punishment, will receive less punishment” (Luke 12:47, 48). And many other things can be imagined that produce a difference in punishment and a difference in mercy and philanthropy. Look at the primordial people. Eve sinned, Adam also sinned, committing the same sin; both ate from the fruit of the tree, but both received unequal punishment. Cain committed murder, and Lamech committed it too; but one was pardoned, and the other was punished. A man collected wood on the Sabbath and was not forgiven; and David committed murder and adultery, and was worthy of forgiveness. Let us begin to study this, because it is much better to study than to engage in idle talk and spend time in meetings in the squares. And it is very useful not only to find a solution to this, but even to look for it, even if it is not found. Let’s force ourselves to do this and spend all our time doing it. So, why (we need to refer to the above), why, of all the Jews who made the calf, some were punished and others were not? Because some repented and, despite their nature, out of pious jealousy killed their loved ones, while others remained in sin; the sin was equal, but the consequences were unequal. Why were Adam and Eve not punished with the same punishment, although their sin was the same? Because it is not the same thing to be deceived by a woman or by a serpent. That’s why Paul called it deception: “And Adam was not deceived; but the woman was deceived and fell into transgression” (1 Tim. 2:14). Why didn’t the one who collected the wood receive forgiveness? Because to break a commandment, as soon as it was given, was a great crime; Moreover, it was necessary to instill great fear in others. The same thing happened with Ananias and Sapphira. So, when we sin, we will look to see whether we are worthy of mercy, whether we have done anything for which we would receive pardon, whether we have repented, whether we have become better, or whether we have abandoned sin. After all, the salvation of the repentant is a matter of mercy. So the Psalmist here asks for salvation for tears, for sobs: “every night I wash my bed, I wet my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7), i.e. for crushing. “My bones are shaken; and my soul is greatly troubled” (Ps. 6:3, 4). He does not say this suddenly, but points out in advance the weakness of nature: “Have mercy on me, says, Lord, for I am weak.” This is what he said, suggesting that the weakness of nature alone is not enough, because if this were enough, then we would all be saved, since we are all people. 3. However, to be more precise, perhaps the prophet does not mean this here, but points to the weakness that comes from temptation, presenting in this a considerable reason for receiving mercy and condescension. He further expressed the same thing in the words: “I have grown old from all my enemies” (Ps. 6:8). After all, sorrow, endured with gratitude, can serve as a basis for great condescension and make God merciful to us. This, it seems to me, is what he means here when he says: “Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken” (Ps. 6:3). He did not say: let me go, or: forgive me, but: “heal” asks that the previous wounds be healed. By “bones” here he means all the strength; “shocked” means defeat, punishment, torment. “Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken; and my soul is greatly shaken." In the matter of healing, three, or - better - four or even five objects come together: the doctor, art, the patient, the disease and the power of medicine, and they have some resistance and struggle: if the will of the patient acts together with the doctor, art and medicine, then the disease is overcome; and if the patient does not act together with them, he will intensify his illness; or, if, in his weakness, he begins to act against the doctor, medicine and art, he will destroy himself. This is exactly what happens to us here, or - better - not like this, but much more surprising. Doctors often, despite the fact that the patient acts in accordance with the disease, art and medicine, there is no success, because when the nature weakens, then the art is invalid and the power of the medicine disappears for some reason. This does not happen with God, but if you begin to act together with the Physician, then every wound will certainly be healed, because here is not human art, which can remain ineffective, but divine power that conquers nature, and diseases, and vices, and all evil. Therefore, the prophet, resorting to God as a doctor, says with tears: “Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaken.” However, some believe that he is talking here about the confusion that comes from sin, because just as at a time when strong winds attack the sea, everything is indignant, the sand from the depths rises up, and those sailing are in danger, so in our case here the soul is indignant, the body trembles, everything is filled with confusion, our boat is completely upset, great darkness and great confusion spreads, and everything is agitated, having lost its way. places. This especially happens during times of evil desires, anger and misfortune. From all this, both the soul and the bones become confused, and the gaze is perverted, and the eyes look randomly. Just as horses, when the driver becomes confused, rush in disorder, so with us, when the mind is upset, everything becomes disordered, everything is perverted and goes astray. At the same time, it is necessary to say how such confusion occurs. It occurs in the soul not as in the sea - from the pressure of the winds, from some unexpected event - but from our carelessness. Truly, we ourselves are the cause of whether it is in us or not. Namely: when lust is aroused, the furnace will not flare up if you do not add fire, if you do not give it food; and this furnace will not flare up if you do not stare at beautiful faces, if you do not chase other beauties, if you do not go to spectacles of wickedness. If you do not fatten the flesh with satiety, if you do not drown the mind in wine, then this flame will not rise, this furnace will not flare up, this beast will not become furious, and the purity of the soul will not perish from it, as from violent winds. So, you say, is this enough to escape the flames of sin? No, this alone is not enough, but something else must be added: unceasing prayer, communication with saints, consistent fasting, constant abstinence, proper studies, and above all else, the fear of God, remembrance of future judgment, unbearable punishments and promised benefits. By observing all this, you can curb your raging lust and stop the stormy sea. “How long are you, Lord? Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul, save me for the sake of Thy mercy” (Ps. 6:4, 5). The Prophet constantly says: “Lord,” citing this word as some right to leniency and mercy. And indeed, our greatest hope is in His inexpressible love for mankind, in the fact that He is so ready to show condescension. And the word: “until” is the expression of a person not offended or indignant, but grieving, lamenting and exhausted under the burden of temptation. 4. “Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul.” The prophet speaks about two things here: that the Lord should turn, and that he would deliver his soul. The righteous were especially concerned that the Lord would be reconciled with them, be merciful and favorable to them, and not turn away from them. Another thing follows: so that the soul may be delivered. This is not what many people do, especially the rude ones - they seek only one thing, how to arrange their real well-being. But the righteous, on the contrary, were concerned about how to obtain the salvation of the soul, which was more precious to them than anything. “For in death there is no remembrance of You: in the grave who will glorify You?” ( Ps.6:6 ) Look how many reasons he gives for salvation. “For I, he says, am weak...; for my bones are shaken because I ask this of the Lord; for in death there is no remembrance of You,” expressing with these words not that our existence ends with real life - no, he knew the doctrine of resurrection - but that after leaving here repentance can no longer take place. So the rich man confessed his sins and repented, but this did not bring him any benefit due to the inopportuneness (Luke 16). And the virgins desired to receive oil, but no one gave it to them (Matthew 25). Therefore, the prophet asks that his sins be washed away here, so that he can stand before the terrible judgment seat with boldness. Further, wanting to teach that with God’s love for mankind there must also be our own efforts - because if we pointed to our weakness, and to our confusion, and to the goodness of God, and to everything that he said, but did not do the due on our part, then there would be no benefit to us - look what he adds: “I am tired, he says, with my groanings: every night I wash my bed, I will wet my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7). Let those living in a low state hear what repentance the king, clothed in purple, offered; Let us also listen to this and be moved. He not only worked, but was weary with sighs, not only wept, but washed his bed with tears, and not one, two or three days, but every night; and not only speaks about the past, but also about the future. Do not think that he, having done this once, then gave himself up to peace; no, all his life he constantly acted in this way - not like us, who often, having done it just one day, or even without doing it even once, indulge in laughter, luxury and pleasures. This is not what he did, but he spent his life in constant tears. Let us also imitate his confession. If we do not want to cry here, then of necessity we will have to sigh and cry there; moreover, there without benefit, and here with benefit, there with shame, and here with great decency. And that this will certainly happen, listen to what Christ says: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). Those who mourn here will not experience this, but they will receive great consolation: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4); “Woe to you, rich people! for you have already received your consolation” (Luke 6:24). Let those who have golden beds hear what the king's bed was like - not decorated with precious stones, not speckled with gold, but washed with tears. For him, the nights were not nights of rest, but of sighs and tears. Since during the day he was entertained by many worries, he made the time that everyone uses for rest a time of confession, then shedding the hottest tears. And it’s always good to cry, but especially during the night, when no one interferes with this wondrous pleasure, when anyone who wishes can indulge in it with complete freedom. Those who have experienced it understand what I am saying, they know what joy these sources of tears bring. These tears can extinguish the unquenchable flame, the river that flows before the judgment seat. That is why Paul wept day and night for three years, correcting the shortcomings of others (Acts 20:31); and we do not cry for our own, but, indulging in laughter and voluptuousness, at night we plunge into deep sleep. With us, when some indulge in sleep, a semblance of death, others remain awake in a wakefulness that is worse than death, thinking at this time about profits and income and arranging intrigues for others. Those who are truly awake are not like this, but they cultivate their souls, sprinkling them with tears like rain, and cultivating the seeds of virtue. No vice and debauchery can reach a bed that receives such tears. He who sheds these tears does not think at all about earthly things, rids his soul of all anxiety and makes his mind brighter than the sun. Don't think that I'm only talking to monks; This admonition applies to the laity, and to them even more than to those, because they especially need the medicines of repentance. Whoever cries in this way will rise with a soul that surpasses a quiet pier, rejecting all passions; filled with great joy. He will go to the house of God boldly; he will talk with his neighbor with pleasure, because anger does not nest in him, neither lust, nor love of money, nor envy, nor anything like that is inflamed. This nightly moaning and tears drive away all this, like wild beasts hiding inside. “My eye is withered with sorrow” (Ps. 6:8). Do you see a broken soul? Having expressed repentance, the prophet again speaks of suffering, of confusion of the soul, of fear that comes from imagining the wrath of God. 5. By “eye” he here means the spiritual eye, that discriminating and rational faculty of the soul, which is usually indignant at the presentation of its sins. Since he constantly had his sins before his eyes and imagined the wrath of God, he lived his life with fear and not in carelessness, as many live, but in exploits and contrition. Such confusion is the source of peace; such fear is the key to security; one who indulges in such excitement prevents every storm, and one who does not have such a soul will be subject to a terrible crash. Just as a ship, unladen and left to the flow of violent winds, soon sinks, so a soul living carelessly is subjected to countless passions. That is why blessed Paul, expressing such a suffering state of soul, said: “having reached the point of insensibility, they gave themselves over to debauchery so that they commit all uncleanness with gluttony” (Eph. 4:19). And just as a helmsman, while he is worried about worries about those sailing, brings calm to everyone, and when he frees himself from worries and falls asleep, he creates great confusion, so in the same way a person, indulging in exploits, fear and trembling, brings calm to his soul, and indulging in sleep carelessness. sinks the boat. “It has become dilapidated from all my enemies.” What does it mean: “dilapidated”? I am exhausted, he says, from my enemies. Truly, our life is full of exploits and is surrounded by countless enemies, who are even stronger when we fall into sins. Therefore, you need to do everything to avoid their hands and never enter into communication with them; this is the guarantee of the greatest security for us. Pointing to the host of these enemies, Paul says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). If such is the host of our enemies, then we must always and constantly be armed and avoid reasons for sin. Nothing makes us old like sin. That is why Paul, commanding us to protect ourselves from the decay that results from this, says: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). So, if you have become old through sin, renew yourself with repentance. “Get away from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my crying, the Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will accept my prayer” (Ps. 6:9, 10). This path to virtue is also important in order to avoid vicious people. Christ demands this from us, and with such force that he commands us to reject even friends so close to us, as the most necessary members, if they seduce us and communication with them brings us any harm. “If your right eye causes you to sin,” He says, “pluck it out and throw it away...; If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you” (Matthew 5:29, 30), meaning here not bodily members, no, but close friends, whose friendship should be rejected if it does not benefit them or us, but causes harm. Thus, while practicing virtue, the prophet himself not only did not look for such societies, but carefully removed them from himself. 6. This is the fruit of repentance, this is the benefit of tears! The soul, crushed in this way, no longer indulges in any passion. We will do the same. If a person who causes us harm is even wearing a diadem, we will not value our friendship, because there is nothing worse than a person given over to vices, even if he were a king; and on the contrary, there is nothing higher than a person who has acquired virtue, even if he were a prisoner. “For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.” He did not simply say: “for the Lord heard my voice,” but: “the voice of my weeping.” Do you see how abundantly he expresses both his actions, his voice, and his crying, calling here the voice not the sound of a cry, but the disposition of the soul, and we cry - not only the tears of the eyes, but also the tears of the soul? Whoever surrenders to repentance and is heard by God, he can easily achieve this good - to avoid communication with wicked people. “Let them be ashamed and cruelly struck.” let all my enemies return and be ashamed immediately” (Ps. 6:11). so that they will be ashamed and return back, because if those who walk badly are ashamed and return back, then they will abandon their vices. How do we, seeing a person striving for the abyss, keep him from further striving and say: “man, where are you striving? “There is an abyss before you,” just as the prophet wants the evil ones to return back. Likewise, a mad horse, if someone does not quickly restrain it, will soon die. Likewise, doctors, with great haste, try to stop the further spread of the poison of some poisonous animal, which often infects the entire body, stopping the harm that occurs from it. We will do exactly the same, we will destroy vice in ourselves with great haste, so that this disease, as it develops, does not intensify. Sinful wounds, when left neglected, become larger, and these illnesses and infirmities are not only limited to wounds, but give birth to immortal death, whereas, being plucked out at the beginning and when they are still small, they will not become great. Look: whoever tries not to offend will not quarrel; he who does not know quarrels will maintain friendship; whoever maintains friendship will have no enemies; He who has no enemies and nourishes love will fulfill every virtue. Let us not neglect the beginning of evils, lest they increase further. Judas, if he had stopped his love of money, would not have reached the point of sacrilege; and if I had refrained from this, I would not have achieved the greatest evil. That is why Christ prohibits not only fornication or adultery, but also immodest looks, destroying vice at the very root, so that it can be more easily overcome (Matthew 5:28). This is what God did with the Jews; although it was more sensual and educational, because he spoke to carnal people, he nevertheless acted. How and in what way? He did not allow any mixing of different kinds between working animals (Deut. 22:10); did not allow eating the blood of dumb animals (Lev.17:10); did not allow pledges to be kept after the evening (Deut. 24:12, 13), thus preventing important crimes, namely: first - sodomy, second - murder, third - cruelty and inhumanity. And now everything is done openly and with great shamelessness; That’s why everything was perverted. So, when a small passion arises in you, do not look at the fact that it is small, but imagine that, when fed, it produces the greatest disasters. In the house, when we see a small piece of flax on fire, we get embarrassed and make a fuss, because we are not looking at the beginning, but from beginning to end, we worry and run around to put out the fire. But vice spreads stronger than fire in the soul; therefore it is necessary to warn him. If we remain careless, correction will be more difficult. The same can be seen on a ship: those sailing do not begin to worry when the sea is already excessively agitated, but when they see that it is ready to become agitated. Let us not remain careless with small sins, but let us destroy them with great power in order to avoid big ones, and to be worthy of future blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: