Беседа 1

Why was the Holy Scripture given? – When and how the Old Law and the New Testament were given. – Why did Matthew call his work the gospel? – Why was the Gospel written by four people? – Minor differences in the narratives of the evangelists serve as proof of their truth. – In the main and essential things, the Gospels completely agree. – Differences in the purposes of writing the four gospels. – The agreement of the evangelists is confirmed by the affinity of each part of their writings with the whole, as well as by the acceptance of their preaching by the entire universe. – Truth evang. sermon is proven by its superiority over the teaching of philosophers and its acceptability for people of all ranks and ages. – Erroneous opinion about the simplicity and ease of explanation of the Gospel of Matthew. – An indication of the perplexities presented at the very beginning of the gospel. – An admonition to listeners to be attentive to the explanation, to diligently visit the church instead of spectacles, to study things related to heavenly life and to observe silence and silence in the church. IN REALITY, we should not have any need for the help of Scripture, but should lead a life so pure that instead of books, the grace of the Spirit serves our souls, and so that, just as those are written with ink, so our hearts are written with the Spirit. But since we have rejected such grace, we will at least use the second path. And that the first way was better, God showed this both in word and deed. In fact, God spoke with Noah, Abraham and his descendants, as well as with Job and Moses, not through writing, but directly, because he found their minds pure. When the entire Jewish people fell into the very depths of wickedness, then writings, tablets and instructions through them already appeared. And this happened not only with the saints in the Old Testament, but, as is known, in the New. Likewise, God did not give the apostles anything written, but promised to give the grace of the Spirit instead of the scriptures. “The Comforter, the Holy Spirit,” He said to them, “...will remind you of everything” (John 14:26). And so that you know that this way (of God’s communication with the saints) was much better, listen to what He says through the prophet: “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah... I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts...” (Jer. 31:31, 33) “and they will all be taught by God” (John 6:45). And Paul, pointing to this superiority, said that he received the law (written) “not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3). But since over time some deviated from the true teaching, others from purity of life and morality, the need for written instruction arose again. Consider, then, what folly it will be if we, who should live in such purity as to have no need for Scripture, but instead of books present our hearts to the Spirit, if we, having lost such dignity and having a need for Scripture, do not use, as we should, even this second medicine. If the fact that we need Scripture and do not attract the grace of the Spirit to ourselves is worthy of reproach, then what, think, will be our guilt if we do not want to take advantage of this benefit, but despise Scripture as superfluous and unnecessary, and thus incur even greater punishment on ourselves? To prevent this from happening, let us delve more carefully into what is written, and consider how the Old Law was given, and how the New Testament was given. So, how, when, and where was the ancient law given? After the death of the Egyptians, in the desert, on Mount Sinai, in the fire and smoke coming out of the mountain, with the sound of a trumpet, amid thunder and lightning, after the entry of Moses into the very darkness. But in the New Testament it is not like this: not in the desert, not on the mountain, not among smoke and gloom, darkness and storm, but at daylight, in the house, when everyone was sitting together, everything happened in deep silence. For rude and unbridled people, sensual amazing phenomena were needed, such as a desert, a mountain, smoke, the sound of a trumpet, and the like; for people who were more elevated, more submissive and who rose above sensual concepts, there was no need for anything like that. If there was a noise over the apostles, it was not for their sake, but for the sake of the Jews present, for whose sake the tongues of fire appeared. In fact, if the latter, despite this, said [about the apostles] that they were “drunk of sweet wine” (Acts 2:13), then all the more they would have said so if they had not seen anything like that. Further, in the Old Testament, God came down when Moses ascended [to the mountain] (Ex. 19:3); here the Spirit descended when our nature ascended to heaven, or better yet, to the royal throne. If the Spirit had been smaller, then the phenomena [that accompanied His coming] would not have been more majestic and wonderful, and yet the New Testament tablets are much more excellent than the Old Testament, just as the events are more glorious. In fact, the apostles did not come down from the mountain with stone tablets in their hands, like Moses, but carrying the Spirit in their souls, and went everywhere, exuding a treasure and source of teachings, spiritual gifts and all kinds of blessings, becoming by grace animated books and laws. Thus they attracted three thousand [to the faith], then five thousand, and thus all the nations of the world, because through their mouth God spoke to all who came to them (Acts 2:41, 4:4). So Matthew, filled with the Spirit of God, wrote a book - Matthew the Publican; I am not ashamed to call either him or the other apostles by occupation, because this most of all reveals both the grace of the Spirit and their own virtue. 2. Matthew rightly called his work the Gospel. In fact, he proclaims to everyone - the enemies, the ignorant, sitting in darkness - the end of punishment, the remission of sins, justification, sanctification, redemption, sonship, the inheritance of heaven and affinity with the Son of God. What can compare with such gospel? God is on earth, man is in heaven; everything is united: the angels have formed one face with people, people have united with angels and other heavenly forces. It became obvious that the ancient warfare had ceased, that the reconciliation of God with our nature had been accomplished, the devil was put to shame, demons were cast out, death was bound, heaven was opened, the oath was abolished, sin was destroyed, error was removed, truth returned, the word of piety is sown and growing everywhere, heavenly life is planted on earth, the powers on high are in friendly communication with us, angels continually descend to earth, and there was great hope for the future. That is why Matthew called his story the Gospel, as if [to imply that] everything else, such as rich property, greatness of power, superiority, glory, honors, and everything else that people consider to be good, constitutes mere empty words, and the promises given through the fishermen should be called in the proper and primary sense the gospel. And this is not only because they are lasting and permanent benefits and surpass our dignity, but also because they are given to us without any labor on our part. It was not through labor and sweat, not through effort and suffering that we got what we have, but solely because of God’s love for us. But why, let us ask, with such a large number of disciples, only two of the apostles and two of their companions write, since in addition to John and Matthew, one disciple of Paul and another disciple of Peter wrote the Gospels. Because they did nothing out of ambition, but everything for the benefit. What then? Couldn't one evangelist have written everything? Of course he could; but when four wrote, they did not write at the same time, not in the same place, without communicating or conspiring with each other, and, however, wrote as if everything was uttered by the same mouth, then this serves as the greatest proof of the truth. And yet, you will say, the opposite happened, since they are often exposed in disagreement. But this very thing is the surest sign of truth. In fact, if they had agreed exactly on everything - both regarding the time, and regarding the place, and the words themselves, then none of the enemies would have believed that they wrote the Gospels without agreeing with each other and not according to the usual agreement, and that such agreement was a consequence of their sincerity. Now, the disagreement that appears in small details frees them from all suspicion and speaks brilliantly in favor of the writers. If they wrote something differently regarding place and time, then this does not in the least harm the truth of their stories, which we will try, with God’s help, to prove later. Now we ask you to notice that in the main thing, which contains the foundation of our life and constitutes the essence of the sermon, they do not disagree at all with each other. What exactly? The fact that God became man, performed miracles, was crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended to heaven and will come to judge; that He gave saving commandments, introduced a law not contrary to the Old Testament; that He is the Son, the only begotten, true, consubstantial with the Father, and the like. In all this we find complete agreement among the evangelists. If, regarding miracles, not everyone said everything, but one described some, another described others, then this should not bother you. If one evangelist said everything, the rest would be superfluous; If each one wrote something different and new compared to the others, then the proof of their agreement would not be obvious. That is why they said a lot together, and each of them chose something special, so as not to turn out to be, on the one hand, redundant and writing without a purpose, and on the other, to present us with true proof of the truth of their words. 3. Thus Luke also indicates the reason why he begins to write the Gospel. So that you have, he says, “a solid foundation of the teaching in which you have been instructed” (Luke 1:4), that is, so that you are convinced of what you have often been taught and remain in firm confidence. John himself kept silent about the reason (for writing the Gospel), but, as the tradition that has come down to us from the fathers says, he began to write not without a reason. Since the first three evangelists primarily tried to expound the history of Christ’s earthly life, and the teaching about His deity was in danger of remaining undisclosed, John, prompted by Christ, finally began to write the Gospel. This is clear both from the story itself and from the beginning of the Gospel. He begins not with the earthly, like other evangelists, but with the heavenly, which he primarily had in mind, and for this purpose he composed the entire book. However, not only at the beginning, but throughout the entire Gospel he is more exalted than others. In the same way, Matthew, as they say, at the request of the believing Jews who came to him, wrote to them what he had spoken orally, and compiled the Gospel in Hebrew. At the request of his disciples, Mark did the same in Egypt. That is why Matthew, as writing for the Jews, did not try to show anything more than the origin of Christ from Abraham and David; while Luke, who wrote for everyone in general, raises the genealogy higher, reaching Adam. Then, the first begins with the birth of Jesus Christ, since nothing could be more pleasant for a Jew than to tell him that Christ is a descendant of Abraham and David, but the second does not begin like that, but first mentions many other events and then proceeds to genealogy. As for the agreement of the evangelists, we can prove it both by the testimony of the entire universe, which accepted their writings, and by the testimony of even the enemies of the truth themselves. After the evangelists, many heresies were born that taught contrary to their scriptures; some of them accepted everything said in the latter, while others accept only part of it, separating it from the rest. If there had been disagreement in the writings of the evangelists, then neither the heresies that affirm the contrary to them would have accepted the whole, but only the part that seemed to agree with them, nor those who accepted only a part would have been exposed by this part, since even the smallest parts in the writings of the evangelists clearly reveal their affinity with the whole. Just as if you take, for example, a part of a rib, and in this part you will find everything that makes up the whole animal - nerves, veins, bones, arteries, and blood, in a word, all the essential parts of the bodily composition, so exactly in Scripture you can see the same thing: and here every part of what is written clearly shows its affinity with the whole. If the evangelists had disagreed, then there would not have been such a similarity, and their very teaching would have collapsed long ago, since “every kingdom divided against itself” will not stand (Matthew 12:25; Mark 3:24). Now, if they have any disagreements, this only clearly reveals the power of the Spirit (Holy), convincing people so that they, holding on to what is necessary and important, are not at all embarrassed by insignificant disagreements. 4. Where each of the evangelists wrote, there is no particular need for us to deal with this issue; but that they did not contradict each other, we will try to prove this in all our interpretation. If you blame them for disagreeing, you are doing nothing more than forcing them to speak in the same words and use the same way of expression. I'm not even talking about the fact that many of those who boast of knowledge of rhetoric and philosophy, having written many books on the same subjects, not only disagreed, but also contradicted each other - it’s another thing to disagree, another thing to contradict. I’m not talking about this anymore: I don’t need to use their foolishness to protect (the evangelists) and I don’t want to confirm truths with lies. But this is what I would gladly ask: how did the discordant scriptures deserve faith? How did they win? How could people who contradicted each other deserve surprise, faith and glory throughout the universe? Many were witnesses to their preaching; many, moreover, were enemies and adversaries. Having written the Gospels, they did not hide them in one corner of the universe, but spread them everywhere, on land and sea, to the ears of all; as now, they were readable in the presence of enemies, and nothing said in them tempted anyone. And quite naturally, because everything in everyone was produced and accomplished by divine power. Otherwise, how could a publican, an unlearned fisherman, be so wise? What the pagan sages once could not even imagine in a dream, they preach with great confidence and persuasiveness - and not only during life, but also after death - not to two, not to twenty people, not to hundreds, not to thousands and tens of thousands, but to (entire) cities, tribes and peoples, land and sea, Greece and barbarian countries, inhabited land and desert, proclaiming a teaching that far exceeds ours nature. Leaving the earthly, they talk only about the heavenly, offering us another life and a new way of life, another wealth and another poverty, another freedom and another slavery, another life and death, another world, another rule of life - everything else. (They teach the rules of life) differently from Plato, who composed the notorious “Polity,” or Zeno and others who wrote about social order and compiled laws. All of them, by their very works, proved that their souls were inspired by an evil spirit, a fierce demon fighting against our nature, an enemy of purity, an opponent of good morals and a destroyer of all order. Indeed, what else can be said about them, when they ordered everyone to have wives in common, to parade naked girls to men during the lists, to arrange secret marriages, when they overthrew and destroyed all order and perverted the rules of nature itself? That all this is the invention of demons and is contrary to nature, nature itself can testify to this, which does not tolerate anything like that. And they wrote about this not amid persecution, not among dangers, not among battles, but with complete safety and freedom, often using, in addition, many other embellishments. Meanwhile, the preaching of the fishermen, persecuted, scourged, spending their lives amidst dangers, was eagerly accepted by simpletons and sages, slaves and freemen, barbarians and Greeks. 5. And you cannot say that the teaching of these fishermen was acceptable to everyone because it was unimportant and low. No, it is even much more sublime than the teachings of philosophers. They could not even think about virginity, for example, even in a dream, about such a name, nor about non-covetousness, nor about fasting, nor about any other highest virtue. Meanwhile, our teachers not only eradicate lust, not only punish (criminal) actions, but also condemn shameless looks, and insulting words, and obscene laughter, and clothing, and tread, and shouting, and extend severity even to the smallest. They planted the seeds of virginity throughout the universe. They instill concepts about God and heavenly things that could never even occur to any philosopher. And how could people who idolized images of beasts, reptiles and other despicable creatures have such concepts? And, however, such a lofty teaching (of the apostles) was accepted and deserved faith, flourishes to this day and grows every day, but the teaching of the philosophers has become obsolete, perished, disappeared more easily than a spider’s web. And quite rightly so, since it was preached by demons. That is why, in addition to shamelessness, it represents much that is dark and difficult to understand. What could be more ridiculous, for example, than that doctrine in which a philosopher, having spent thousands of words in showing what justice is, still tries to explain this question in a long and extremely unclear speech? Even if he had pointed out something useful, it would have remained completely useless for human life. In fact, if a farmer, or a sculptor, or a carpenter, or a helmsman, or anyone else who feeds on the labor of his hands, decided to lag behind his occupation and honest labors in order to spend many years studying what justice is, then before learning this, for the sake of this very justice, he would have exhausted himself with constant hunger and would have perished, ending his life with a violent death, having never learned anything useful. But our teaching is not like that. In short and clear words, Christ taught us what is just, and honest, and useful, and all virtue in general. So He said, for example, that in the two commandments “the whole law and the prophets are established” (Matthew 22:40), that is, in love for God and neighbor, or also: “As you want people to do to you, do so you do to them, for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). All this is understandable and easily understandable for the farmer, and for the slave, and for the widow, and even for the youth and the least understanding. This is the truth! The proof is experience. Everyone, indeed, learned what needed to be done, and not only did they learn, but also tried to carry out (what they learned), and not in cities, not only in market places, but also on the tops of mountains. And there you will see great wisdom, and there the faces of angels shine in human flesh, and heavenly life appears on earth. The fishermen outlined the image of this life for us, commanding us to begin (to learn it) not from childhood, as philosophers did, and not legitimizing a certain number of years to study virtue, but instructing every age without exception. The teaching of the philosophers is child's play, but the teaching of the apostles is the truth itself. They appointed heaven as the place for this life, and they recognized God as its leader and legislator, as it should be. The rewards for this life are not a laurel wreath, not an olive branch, not a feast in Prytanea, not copper images, not such empty and useless things, but endless life, adoption to God, rejoicing with the angels, standing before the royal throne and constant abiding with Christ. 6. The leaders in this life are publicans, fishermen and monasteries, who did not live for a short time, but always live, which is why even after their death they can provide the greatest help to their followers. Those who struggle in this life will have to fight not with people, but with demons and ethereal forces. That is why their leader is not some man, not an angel, but God himself. And the weapons of these warriors correspond to the nature of the battle: they are made not of leather and iron, but of truth, righteousness, faith and every kind of wisdom. This very life is also written about in the Gospel of Matthew, which we now have to talk about. So, let us carefully listen to the clear speeches of the Evangelist about her. Everything he says is not his words, but Christ himself, who legitimized this life. Let us be attentive, so that we too may be worthy of being included in this life and shining together with those who have already passed through it and received unfading crowns. For many, we note, this book seems easy to understand compared to the prophets, which are difficult to understand. But this is said by people who do not know the depth of the thoughts hidden here. Therefore, I ask you to follow me with all zeal, so that we can enter into the very depths of Scripture; Christ himself will be our guide on this path. And to make our word more understandable, we ask and urge you (as we did when explaining other Scriptures) to re-read in advance that section of the book that we will explain; let understanding be preceded by reading, as was the case with the eunuch (Acts 8:28ff); this will give us great relief. In fact, many questions arise here at every step. Look how many perplexities, for example, arise immediately at the very beginning of the Gospel. First, why is the genealogy of Joseph, who was not the father of Christ, set forth? Secondly, how can we see that Christ comes from David, when we do not know the ancestors of Mary, from whom He was born, since the genealogy of the Virgin is not shown? Thirdly, why is the genealogy of Joseph given, who was not at all involved in the birth, but from which parents, grandparents and great-grandfathers the Virgin, who was the mother of Christ, is not said? In addition, it is worthy of study why the evangelist, conducting the genealogy through the male line, also mentioned some wives. Then, if he thought so, then why didn’t he list all the wives, but keeping silent about the worthy ones, such as Sarah, Rebekah and the like, only listed those known for their vices, for example, a harlot, or an adulteress, a foreigner, or a foreigner? So it was he who mentioned the wife of Uriah, Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, of whom the last was a foreigner, the other a harlot, the third had a relationship with her father-in-law, and, moreover, not according to the law of marriage, but by stealing a bed under the guise of a harlot; As for Uriah’s wife, everyone knows about her by her out-of-the-ordinary actions. And, however, the evangelist, omitting all the others, placed only these wives in the genealogy. If it was necessary to mention wives, then everyone should have been mentioned; if not about all, but only some, then about those who became famous for their virtues and not vices. You see how much attention we need at the very beginning of the Gospel, although for others this beginning seems clearer than anything else, and for many it is even unnecessary, because it is just a simple listing of names. Further, why Matthew kept silent about the three kings deserves investigation. If he kept silent about them as too wicked, then he would not need to mention others like them. So another question arises: why did the evangelist, having divided the genealogy into parts of fourteen genera in each, not keep this number in the third part? Then: why did Luke mention other names, and not only not all those that Matthew has, but also indicated many more of them, and Matthew brought fewer and other names, although he ended with Joseph, with whom Luke also stopped the genealogy. See how much vigilance we need, not only in order to resolve confusion, but also in order to find out what requires a solution. It’s no small matter to be able to find perplexed questions. Here is another, for example, puzzling question: how could Elizabeth, coming from the tribe of Levi, be a relative of Mary? 7. But in order not to burden your memory with many questions, we will stop here. To arouse your attention, it is enough if you only find out what questions are presented here. If you want to know the solution, then this too will depend, before our instructions, on you. If I see your attention and desire to learn, then I will try to offer a solution, and if I notice laziness and inattention, then I will not show either the questions themselves or their solutions, following the divine commandment that says: “Do not give what is holy to dogs and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet” (Matthew 7:6). Who is this trampler? One who does not consider the Scriptures precious and important. But who, you say, is so unhappy as not to consider him important and most precious? The one who does not devote as much time to him as he spends on dissolute women at satanic shows. Many spend whole days there, completely neglect their household chores for the sake of such useless pastime, and what they hear there, they try to remember with precision and save for the destruction of their souls, but here, where God himself speaks, they do not want to spend even a short time. That is why we have nothing in common with heaven, and our (heavenly) life is only in words. However, for this, God threatens us with Gehenna - not in order to plunge us into it, but in order to give us the opportunity to avoid this grave punishment. But we do the opposite, and every day we strive on the path leading to Gehenna: God commands not only to listen, but also to do what we are told, but we do not even want to listen. When, tell me, will we begin to do what we are commanded, when will we get down to business if we don’t even want to hear about them, if we are indignant and annoyed even at the shortest stay in the church? When, while talking about worthless subjects, we notice inattention in our interlocutors, we consider this to be an insult. Don’t we think that we offend God when He speaks to us about such important subjects, and we neglect His words and look away? Some old man, who has walked many lands, tells us with all accuracy about the distances and the position of cities, about their views, piers, squares (and we listen to him with pleasure), but we ourselves, meanwhile, do not even know how far we are from the heavenly city. Otherwise, if we knew this distance, we would try to shorten the path. If, after all, we are careless, then the distance of this city from us is not only the same as between heaven and earth, but even much greater; on the contrary, if we make an effort, we can reach its gates in an instant, because this distance is determined not by the extent of space, but by the state of our morality. 8. You know perfectly well the affairs of this life, both new and old and ancient, you can list the commanders with whom you previously served in the army, and the managers of the games, and the winners in them, and the leaders, from which you have no benefit. And who is the leader in the heavenly city, who is the first, who is the second, who is the third, how long each one served and what glorious things he did, you have never even dreamed of this. You don't want to listen carefully to the laws that govern this city when others talk about them. How, tell me, do you hope to receive the promised benefits if you don’t even want to listen when they talk about them? But if we didn't care about it before, we'll at least try to do it now. So we intend to enter, God willing, into the golden city, even the most precious of all gold. Let us consider its foundations and gates, made of sapphire and margarites. Our best leader is Matthew. We enter through His door now; only great effort is needed on our part, because in whomever he does not see zeal, he expels him from the city. This is a royal and glorious city; there is no separation of the marketplace from the royal palaces, as in our cities; in it is the entire royal palace. So, let’s open the doors of the mind, let’s open our ears, and with great trepidation approaching the threshold of this palace, let’s bow to the King who lives in it, because even the first step can strike the viewer with fear. The gates are now still closed for us; when we see them open (that is, when the puzzling questions are resolved), then we will see the great light inside it. Enlightened by the spirit, this publican promises to show you everything: where the King sits, and what kind of warriors stand before Him, where the angels are and where the archangels are; what place is assigned in this city for new citizens, what path leads there; what lot did those who entered it first receive, what lot did those who entered it second, what lot did those who entered later receive; how many ranks there are among the citizens there, how many councils and how different the merits are. So, let us enter this city not with noise and confusion, but with reverent silence. If the royal letters are read in the theater when there is complete silence, then all the more in this city everyone should calm down and stand with tense souls and ears, because here the commands will not be read from the earthly king, but from the Lord of the angels. If we position ourselves this way, then the grace of the Spirit itself will most faithfully show us the way, and we will come to the very Royal Throne and receive all the benefits, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. The Prytana was a building where ceremonial dinners were given in honor of distinguished citizens. You might be interested in: