Беседа 24

“Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Exposition 7:21–27. Neither right faith nor the gift of miracles are of any use in the absence of virtue. – Grace often works in those unworthy for the benefit of others. – One virtue brings security in real life. “No one can harm a righteous person.” – Numerous labors do not bring any benefit to the vicious. – The example of the apostles and Jews shows the power of virtue and the powerlessness of vice. – Vice is powerless against virtue. – The life of a vicious person is full of sorrows and fear. 1. Why didn’t the Savior say: but he who does my will? Because for the first time it was enough that the first thought was accepted by the listeners; and the latter was too high for their weakness. However, the first thought also contains the last one. Moreover, it must also be said that the will of the Son is not different from the will of the Father. But here it seems to me that the Savior mainly concerns the Jews, who believed everything in dogmas, but did not care at all about life. That is why Paul rebukes them, saying: “Behold, you are called a Jew, and you take comfort in the law, and you boast in God, and you know [His] will” (Rom. 2:17–18). But there is no benefit for you when it is not visible from your life and deeds. However, Christ did not stop at these words, but said much more: “Many will say to Me on that day: Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name” (Matthew 7:22)? That is: not only the one who has faith but does not care about life is deprived of the kingdom of heaven; but the one who, with faith, even performed many signs, but did nothing good, will equally be removed from its sacred gates. “Many will say to Me on that day: Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? Do you see how in an inconspicuous way the Savior already introduces His own face and, having finished the entire conversation, declares Himself the Judge? That punishment will befall sinners, He announced this above; and whoever will punish, He reveals this already here. However, he did not say directly: I will punish; but - “Many will tell Me,” through which it suggests the same thing. In fact, if He himself were not the Judge, he would have said to the listeners: “And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; Depart from Me” (Matthew 7:23) - that is, not only during the judgment, but even when you performed miracles? That is why He said to His disciples: “Do not rejoice that the spirits obey you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). And everywhere He commands us to have great care for life. It is impossible that a man who leads a virtuous life and is free from all passions should ever be despised; although he happens to fall into error, God immediately draws him to the truth. But some say that the people represented by the Savior will not receive salvation because they falsely confess the Lord. If so, then the Savior speaks against His intention. In fact, He wants to show here that faith without works means nothing; extending this thought further, He added miracles, showing that not only faith, but even miracles do not bring any benefit to the one who performs them if there is no virtue. And if the people in question did not perform miracles, then Christ would not have mentioned miracles here; on the other hand, they would not have dared to tell Him about miracles during the trial. And their very answer, and what they say in the form of a question, shows that they really worked miracles. Since they see an end completely contrary to their expectations, and after here, by their miracles, they were the object of surprise for everyone, and there they see themselves destined for punishment, then, as if in amazement and surprise, they say: “Lord! Have we not prophesied in Your name? How can You now turn away from us? What does this strange and unexpected ending mean? But let them be surprised that, having performed so many miracles, they were punished; Don't be surprised. All this grace was nothing more than the gift of the One who gave it, and they brought nothing of themselves, which is why they are justly punished, since they became ungrateful and insensitive before Him who honored them so much that He gave them, although unworthy, the grace of working miracles. So is it really possible, you say, while committing acts of wickedness, they performed miracles together? To this, some say that they did not behave wickedly at the time when they worked miracles, but only afterwards they became corrupt and committed crimes. But this is also completely contrary to the Savior’s intention; He wanted to show that neither faith nor miracles mean anything without a virtuous life. Paul says the same thing: “If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that [I can] remove mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). Who, you ask, are those whom Jesus Christ, despite their miracles, presents as worthy of torment? Many of those who believed received gifts: such was the one who cast out demons without being a follower of Jesus Christ; such was Judas, because he, too, being evil, had the gift of working miracles. The same thing can be found in the Old Testament, that is, that grace often worked in the unworthy, for the benefit of others. Since not everyone was capable of everything, but some led an immaculate life and did not have such faith, while others, on the contrary, the Lord both encouraged the first through the latter to show great faith, and called the latter through this unspeakable gift to correction. 2. That is why the Lord gave grace in great abundance. “Many miracles,” they say, “worked.” “And then I will declare to them: I never knew you”: that is, now they consider themselves My friends, and then they will know that I did not give them grace as friends. And is it surprising that He gave gifts of grace to people who believed in Him, but did not have a life consistent with faith, when He appears to act in those who had neither one nor the other? So Balaam was alien to both faith and virtuous life; and yet grace was operative in him to bring about the salvation of others. Pharaoh was the same; however, God showed him the future (Gen. 41). Nebuchadnezzar, the most lawless man, also revealed what was to happen after many generations; He also revealed the future to his son, who surpassed his father in his wickedness - and all for the wonderful and great works of His providence (Dan. 2). So, since even then, at the beginning of the gospel preaching, many proofs of the power of Christ were needed, many from among the unworthy received gifts. However, from such miracles they did not receive any benefit for themselves, but only brought upon themselves even greater punishment. That is why the Savior spoke this terrible word to them: “I never knew you”! So, He already hates many here, and is already averse to judgment. So, beloved, let us be afraid and put great effort into our lives, and let us not think that because we are not now performing miracles, we ourselves therefore have less grace. We will never gain anything from miracles, just as nothing will be lost from the fact that we do not perform them, if only we care about all virtue. For miracles, we ourselves remain debtors to God, but for life and deeds we are in debt to God. So, when the Savior had already finished everything, and, having offered a conversation about virtue in all detail, at the same time showed the difference between those who take on its guise, some of whom fast and pray to show themselves, others come in sheep's skins, others, whom he called pigs and dogs, denigrate it, then, finally showing how useful virtue is in this life, and how harmful vice is, he says: “Everyone who listens to these words of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a prudent man” (Matthew 7:24). You have heard what punishment those who do not keep His words will suffer, even if they perform miracles. Now you should also know what blessings those who obey all His words will enjoy not only in the age to come, but also in the present: “Everyone,” He said, “who hears these words of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man.” Do you see how He diversifies His speech? First he says: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord! ", and thereby reveals Himself; then he says: “But he who does the will of My Father,” and again introduces Himself as a Judge: “Many will say to Me in that day: Lord! Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name”? - and I will say: “I did not know you.” Finally, here again He shows that He has power over everyone, which is why He says: “Everyone who listens to these words of Mine.” Since He has already told everything about the future, having mentioned the kingdom, and the unspeakable reward, and consolation, and everything else like that, then after this, wanting to bring fruit to His listeners, he shows how strong virtue is in real life. What does this power of virtue consist of? In that they live safely with it, do not hesitate from any misfortunes, stand above all persecutors. What can not even the adorned one acquire for himself? a diadem, but the virtuous one achieves. He alone has acquired such security in abundance, enjoying great peace in the abyss of real life. And truly, it is an amazing thing that he cannot hesitate at all, not in pleasant weather, but during a severe storm, with great confusion and constant temptations. “The rain fell, and the rivers flooded,” says the Savior, “and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, because it was founded on rock” (Matthew 7:25). Here, by rain, rivers and winds, He allegorically calls human misfortunes and misadventures, such as: slander, slander, sorrow, death, the death of neighbors, insults from others and any other evil that only happens in real life. But the soul of the righteous, He says, is not overcome by anything. The reason for this is that it is based on stone. Here Christ calls the rock the firmness of His teaching. And truly, His commandments are much harder than stone: with their help, the righteous becomes above all human waves, since whoever carefully observes these commandments overcomes not only the persecution of people, but also the wiles of the devil. 3. And that what was said is not just pompous words, Job is a witness to this, who, despite all the wiles of the devil, remained unshakable. The apostles can testify to the same thing, who, when all the waves of the universe, peoples and tyrants, both their own (compatriots) and strangers, demons and the devil, rushed at them, and despite all the tricks, they stood firmer than stone, and destroyed it all. So, what could be more blessed than such a life? And nothing can promise us this - neither wealth, nor physical strength, nor glory, nor power, nor anything else, but only the acquisition of virtue. Apart from one virtuous life, it is absolutely impossible to find another that would be free from all evils. Witnesses of this are you - you who see slander in the royal palaces, and riots and indignation in the houses of the rich. But with the apostles there was nothing like this. How? Didn't anything like that happen to them? Was there really no misfortune with them? No, but what is most surprising is that they were subjected to many slander, many clouds burst over them - and yet all this did not in the least shake their courage and did not plunge them into despondency, but, fighting without any external aid, they won and overcame everything. In the same way, you will laugh at everything if you want to carefully fulfill the commandments of Christ. Once you protect yourself with these wise instructions, then nothing will be able to sadden you. What harm can someone who wants to deceive you cause you? Will he take away your property? But even before his threat, you were commanded to despise wealth and to be so disgusted by it that you would never ask anything like that from the Lord. Will you be thrown into prison? But even before prison, you are commanded to live in such a way that the whole world will be crucified. Does he slander you? But Christ freed you from sorrow here too, when, even without your labor, for mere kindness, He promised you a great reward, and He made you so free from vexation and grief that He even commanded you to pray for your enemies. Does he persecute you and surround you with countless evils? But in doing so he weaves a brilliant crown for you. Does it kill you and stab you? And through this again it brings you the greatest benefit, since it prepares martyrdom rewards for you, speeds up your path to a serene haven, provides you with an opportunity to receive a great reward, and helps you pay off the general judgment. This is what is most surprising, that people who slander not only do not in the least harm those they are trying to harm, but also make them more glorious through it. What can be compared with the good when we choose such a life - only a virtuous life? Having said that the path of virtue is narrow and sorrowful, the Savior immediately, in order to encourage His listeners to work, shows great safety and great pleasure on this path, while on the other path there is great danger and harm; With these comparisons He showed both the rewards for virtue and the rewards for vice. What I have always said, I will say now: the Savior everywhere creates the salvation of his listeners in two ways - both by zeal for virtue and hatred of vice. Since there were those who, although they would begin to show respect for the words of the Savior, would not prove this by deeds, He first frightened them with the words: although what was said is good, hearing alone is not enough for salvation; What is also needed is obedience, expressed by deeds, and this is primarily the essence of everything. And here he ends his speech, leaving his listeners in great fear. Just as the Savior encouraged them to virtue not only with future blessings, mentioning the kingdom, heaven, unspeakable reward, consolation and other countless blessings, but also with the present, when he pointed out the hardness and steadfastness of the stone, so he deviates from vice not only by the fear of the consequences that will happen, speaking of a tree being cut, an unquenchable fire, a closed entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven, but as well as with the words: “I did not know you,” but also with real disasters, represented under the image of the fall of the church. That’s why I used more expressive speech, presenting it in the form of a parable. If the Savior had simply said that the virtuous is irresistible, and the vicious soon exhausts, then His speech would not have had the same power that it now has, when He used a stone, a house, rivers, rain, winds and the like to express His thoughts. “But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26). The Savior rightly called such a person reckless. In fact, what could be more reckless than the one who builds a house on the sand, who raises labor, but does not receive fruit and peace, but instead suffers punishment? And everyone knows that those who are devoted to vice work. And the predator, the adulterer, and the slanderer endure a lot of labor and anxiety in order to carry out their wickedness; but from these labors they not only do not receive any benefit, but also suffer great harm. So Paul, hinting at this, says: “He who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption” (Gal. 6:8). Those who build on sand are like such and such a sower, such as: on fornication, luxury, drunkenness, anger and everything else. 4. Таков был Ахав, но не таков Илия. Противоположивши пороку добродетель, мы тем лучше увидим различие между ними. Elijah built his house on a rock, and he built it on sand, and therefore, being a king, he feared and trembled at the prophet, who had only one mantle. Таковы были иудеи, но не таковы апостолы. Therefore, the latter, despite their small number and being in chains, showed the hardness of stone; and those, with all their multitude and weapons, showed the weakness of the sand, and said: “What should we do with these people” (Acts 4:16)? Do you see that it is not those who were detained and bound who are in bewilderment, but those who detained and bound them? Что может быть страннее этого? Ты держишь – и недоумеваешь? That's how it should be. Так как иудеи все построили на песке, потому они и были слабее всех. This was also the reason for their other words: what are you doing, wanting to “bring the blood of that man upon us” (Acts 5:28)? What are you saying? Ты мучишь, и ты же страшишься? Ты гонишь, и ты же ужасаешься? Ты судишь, и сам же трепещешь? That's how powerless vice is! But that’s not what the apostles said: “We cannot help but say what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Видишь ли высокий их дух? Do you see the stone laughing at the waves? Видишь ли дом неподвижный? And, what is most surprising, the apostles not only were not afraid of all the slander of the enemy, but they became even more bold and plunged their enemies into great anxiety. He who strikes adamant is himself struck; the one who goes against the pricks himself is perforated and receives cruel wounds. Likewise, he who slanders the virtuous is himself exposed to danger. Vice is the weaker the more it is armed against virtue. And just as the one who takes fire into clothing does not extinguish the flame, but burns the clothing, so the one who persecutes the virtuous, oppresses and imprisons them, through this makes them more brilliant, but destroys himself. And truly: the more misfortunes you suffer while leading a strict life, the stronger you become; The more you adhere to wisdom, the less you will have needs, and the less you have needs, the more you will become stronger and surpass everyone. Таков был Иоанн, почему его никто не мог опечалить; напротив, он опечалил Ирода. Тот, не имея ничего, восстал против властелина; and this one, clothed in a diadem and scarlet and other countless ornaments, trembles and fears the one deprived of everything; и даже не мог взирать без ужаса на отсеченную голову его. And that Herod had great fear even after the death of John, then listen to what he says: this is John whom I killed (Luke 9:9). The word “killed” shows that Herod was not proud of this, but tamed his fear and encouraged his restless soul to remember that he had killed John. Virtue is so strong that even after death it is more powerful than the living. That is why, during John’s life, those who possessed great wealth came to him and asked him: “What should we do” (Luke 3:10)? Do you have so much and want to learn the way to your happiness from someone who has nothing? Богатые – от нищего? Warriors - from someone who doesn’t even have a home? This was also Elijah, which is why he spoke to the people with the same boldness. Иоанн говорил: «порождения ехиднины» ( Мф. 3:7 ); а этот: «Долго ли вам хромать на оба колена» ( 3Цар. 18:21 )? This one said: “Killed him, and are you still inheriting?” (1 Kings 21:19); and he: “You should not have it” (Matthew 14:4). Do you see the stone, do you see how easily a church built on sand falls apart? How easily does she succumb to adversity? How easily does it change, even if it belonged to the king, even to the people, even to the ruler? Vice makes its followers more reckless; and the church, built on the sand, falls apart not simply, but with great disaster. “And his fall was great,” says the Savior. And in fact, here the danger threatens not unimportant things, but the soul, and, moreover, the deprivation of heaven and those incorruptible blessings. But even before that, the wicked will lead a most miserable life, associated with continuous sorrows, fear, worries and strong worries, as pointing out, the Wise One says: “The wicked flees when no one pursues [him]” (Proverbs 28:1). Indeed, such people tremble at the shadows, suspect friends, enemies, slaves, known and unknown, and thus, before eternal torment, they still suffer the most severe torment here. Showing all this, Christ said: “And his fall was great.” Thus, and by real disasters, strongly convincing the most stubborn infidels to avoid vice, He made a decent conclusion to His good commandments. Although the word about the future is more important, the image of the present was more likely to curb and deviate people from vice. That is why the Savior concluded His sermon with such an image, so that the benefit of fulfilling His commandments would be more tangible for the listeners. So, knowing all this, both present and future, let us flee from vice and be zealous for virtue, so that we will not labor in vain, but in order to enjoy security in this present life and to become partakers of the glory in the future, which may we all be deemed worthy to receive through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: