Беседа 27

“When Jesus came to the house of Peter, he saw his mother-in-law lying in a fever, and he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose and served them." (Matt. 8:14–15) Exposition 8:14–22. With what speed the healings were accomplished by Christ. – Bodily diseases are the consequences of sins. – Christ did nothing out of vanity. – Christ attracted the people not only by his miracles, but also by the pleasantness of his appearance. – Christ gave answers to those who asked in accordance with their inner disposition. – Concerns about the spiritual should be preferred to everything else. - Those living in sins are worse than the dead. 1. Mark, wanting to show the time, says: “and immediately” (Mark 1:30); and Matthew described only the miracle, without indicating the time. Others say that the sick woman even asked Him; but Matthew kept silent about this too. However, there is no disagreement in this: one comes from brevity, and the other from the completeness of the narrative. But why did Christ enter the house of Peter? It seems to me for eating; The evangelist also pointed out this when he said: “she stood up and served them.” Christ stayed with the disciples, like Matthew, for example, when he called him, in order to honor them and make them more zealous. But here too you will notice Peter’s respect for Him. Having a mother-in-law lying at home in a severe fever, he did not bring Him into his house, but waited until the teaching was completed and everyone else was healed; and then, when He entered the house, He began to ask Him. Thus, from the very beginning, he learned to prefer the benefits of others to his own. So, it is not Peter who brings Him into the house, but He himself came of his own free will, after the centurion said: “I am not worthy that You should come under my roof,” showing how much He favored the disciple. But imagine what the houses of these fishermen were like; despite all this, Christ did not hesitate to enter their poor huts, teaching you to trample on human pride in everything. Sometimes He only heals with words, sometimes He stretches out His hand, and sometimes He does both, so that His healing can be seen. He did not always want to perform miracles in an extraordinary way. But He still had to hide, and especially in front of the disciples, because they would have told everything in great joy. And this is evident from the fact that, upon ascending the mountain, He considered it necessary to announce to them that they should not tell anyone. So, touching the body, He not only stopped the fever, but also completely restored health. Since the illness was insignificant, He showed His power in the method of treatment, which the art of medicine could not have done. You know that even after being freed from fever, it takes a long time for patients to return to their former health. But then everything happened at once. And not only did it happen here, but also at sea. And there He not only tamed the winds and the storm, but immediately stopped the very movement of the waves, which was also strange. (Usually) even after the storm stops, the waves fluctuate for a long time. But this is not the case with Christ; Everything stopped with Him. This is exactly what happened with this wife. Pointing to this, the evangelist says: “she stood up and served them,” which was a sign of both the power of Christ and the disposition of the wife that she showed towards Christ. From here we can see together that Christ, through the faith of some, gives healing to others (here it was others who asked Him, as was the case with the centurion’s youth). However, He is beneficial unless the one who desires healing persists in unbelief, but either because of illness cannot come to Him, or because of ignorance and immature age does not have a high concept of Him. “When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying: He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our diseases” (Matthew 8:16–17). Do you see how many finally believed? They did not want to leave, although time urged them to do so, and they did not consider it untimely to bring their sick in the evening. Notice how many healed people the evangelists are silent about when they do not tell us or tell us about each one separately, but with one word cross the indescribable sea of ​​miracles. Then, so that the greatness of the miracle does not plunge into disbelief that He freed and healed such a multitude from such various diseases in one instant of time, the evangelist brings a prophet testifying to what happened, showing that the proof borrowed from Scripture is, in any case, important and not lower than the signs themselves. Isaiah said, he says, that Christ “took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” The prophet did not say: he freed, but he took and bore: this, it seems to me, was said by the prophet more about sins, in accordance with the words of John: “behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). 2. So, why does the evangelist here relate this prophecy to diseases? Either because he took this testimony literally, or in order to show that most illnesses are a consequence of spiritual sins. In fact, if death itself, the establishment of diseases, has sin as its root and beginning, then even more so many diseases. In the same way, the fact that we can be susceptible to illness was born from sin. “When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He commanded the disciples to sail to the other side” (Matthew 8:18). Do you see how again He is a stranger to vanity? Other evangelists say that He forbade the demons to tell who He was; and Matthew says that He removed the people from Himself. He did this, on the one hand, in order to teach us modesty, on the other hand, in order to tame Jewish envy and convince us not to do anything out of vanity. He not only healed bodies, but also corrected the soul, teaching piety; He showed Himself both in that he healed diseases and in that he did nothing out of vanity. Indeed, many, out of love and wonder for Him, and wishing to always enjoy seeing Him, persistently remained with Him. And who would distance himself from one who performed such miracles? Who would not simply want to look at His face and lips uttering such words? He is worthy of surprise not only for his miracles, but even His very appearance was filled with great pleasantness, as the prophet shows when he says: “more beautiful than the sons of men” (Psalm 44:3). When Isaiah says: “there was no appearance in Him that would attract” (Is. 53:2), then he speaks either about the incomprehensible and ineffable glory of the Divine, or about what happened to Him during suffering, and precisely about the dishonor that He suffered during the crucifixion, or about the humility that He showed in everything throughout his entire life. Further, the Savior not before commanded the disciples to cross to the other side, as after the healing of illnesses. Otherwise the people could not bear it. Just as on the mountain he not only stayed with Christ when He preached, but also followed Him when He was silent, so here he was attached to Him, not only when He worked miracles, but also when He stopped working miracles, and received great benefit from His very presence. Indeed, if Moses had a glorified face, and Stephen had an angelic face, then imagine what the appearance of the common Lord must be like then! Perhaps many were inflamed with a desire to behold His image; but if we wish, we will see a much better image. If we live our present life with hope, we will see Him in the clouds, meeting Him in an immortal and incorruptible body. Look with what prudence the Savior sends the people away, so as not to frighten them. He did not say: go away; but he ordered us to swim to the other side, hoping that He would certainly come there. But while the people showed so much love for Christ and followed Him with such zeal, one slave of wealth and a very arrogant man came up to Him and said: “Teacher! I will follow You wherever You go” (Matthew 8:19). Do you see what pride is like? Considering it unworthy to consider himself among the common people, but showing that he is much higher than the mob, with such thoughts he approaches Jesus. Such are already Jewish morals; they are usually filled with untimely boldness. In the same way, later, someone else, when everyone was silent, came up and said: “What is the first commandment” (Matthew 22:36)? However, the Lord did not condemn him for his inappropriate insolence, teaching us that we would tolerate such people as well. That is why He does not openly reprove those who had evil intentions, but directs His answers against their thoughts, leaving them alone to see the reproof, and giving them a double benefit: firstly, by showing in Himself the knowledge of what is hidden in conscience; secondly, by the fact that, despite such knowledge of the heart, he allowed them to hide their intentions and gave them the opportunity to correct themselves if they wanted to. This is exactly what He did with those who approached Him now. The latter, seeing many signs, and the fact that many were attracted to Jesus by them, hoped to be enriched from such miracles, which is why he hastened to declare his desire to follow Him. But how is this known? From the answer that Christ gives, conforming not to the words of the question, but to the thought. What, - Christ says to him, - do you hope to collect money by following Me? Do you not see that I do not have a dwelling even like the birds? “The foxes,” He says, “have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). However, He said this not in order to alienate him from Himself, but in order to expose his bad intentions and provide an opportunity to follow Him with such hope, if he wants. And to know his craftiness, watch what he does. Having heard the words of Christ and being convicted, he did not say: he is ready to follow. 3. Christ often acted in a similar manner on other occasions. Although He clearly did not denounce, His answer showed the thought of those who came to Him. So to the one who said: “The good teacher” (Matthew 19:16) and thought with this flattery to win Him over, He, bearing in mind his intention, answered: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Matthew 19:17). And when they said to Him: “Behold, Your Mother and Your brothers” are looking for You (Matthew 12:47) (since the latter still had something human in them, and did not want to hear something useful, but to show that they were close to Him, and thereby be vain), listen to what he said: “Who is My Mother? and who are my brothers” (Matthew 12:48)? And again to His brothers themselves, who said to Him: “Show yourself to the world” (John 7:4), and wanted to gain vain glory through this, He said: “My time has not yet come, but for you there is always time” (John 7:6). He does the same on the opposite side. So he says about Nathanael: “This is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47). And again: “go, tell John what you hear and see” (Matthew 11:4). And here He gave an answer not to the words, but to the thought of the one who sent. In a similar way, he speaks to the people in accordance with their internal disposition: “Why did you go into the wilderness to see” (Luke 7:24)? Since the people probably thought of John as a simple and ordinary person, then, correcting this opinion, they say: “What did you go into the desert to see? Is it a cane shaken by the wind? or a man clothed in soft garments” (Luke 7:24–25)? - showing through both that he is firm in himself and cannot be relaxed by any pleasures. Likewise, here Christ gives an answer consistent with the thought of the speaker. Take note of the meekness He shows in the present case. He did not say: although I have, yet I despise; but he said: I have not. Do you see how great prudence and at the same time forbearance He had? Whether He ate, drank, or seemed to be doing something in disagreement with John, He did this for the salvation of the Jews, or better, for the salvation of the whole universe, and, together, stopping the mouths of heretics, and strongly desired to attract to Him those who were then with Him. Someone else, the evangelist continues, said to Him: “Lord! let me first go and bury my father” (Matthew 8:21). Do you see the difference? He shamelessly says: “I will follow You wherever You go”; and this one, even asking permission for a pious deed, says: “let me.” However, Christ did not allow it, but said: “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their dead” (Matthew 8:22). The Savior paid attention to intention everywhere. But why, someone will say, didn’t he allow it? Because even without him there was someone to carry out that work, and the deceased would not have been left without burial; Meanwhile, the student should not have withdrawn from work that was more necessary. Having said: “his dead,” he shows that the dead man is not His. The deceased, in my opinion, was one of the unbelievers. If you are surprised at the young man that he asked Jesus about such a necessary matter and did not leave without permission, then marvel all the more that he remained with Jesus even when he received a prohibition. But someone will say: wasn’t not being at your father’s burial a sign of extreme ingratitude? If he had done this out of laziness, he would have been ungrateful; but if he did this in order not to interrupt the most necessary work, then in that case leaving would be a sign of the greatest unreason. Of course, Jesus forbade him not because he commanded him not to pay respect to his parents, but in order to show that nothing should be more necessary for us than heavenly things, and that we should strive with great care for heavenly blessings and not forget about them even for the shortest time, even if the most necessary and inevitable matters distract us from it. In fact, what could be more necessary than burying a father and what would be easier? This took a little time. If it is not safe to leave spiritual objects for as long as it takes to bury your father, then imagine what we will be worthy of, who always abandon Christian affairs and prefer the most unimportant to the necessary, and without any prompting indulge in negligence. Further, one should be amazed at the wisdom of the Savior’s teaching because He strongly attracted the young man to Himself with a word and, at the same time, freed him from countless evils, such as sobbing, crying and everything that happened from here. Indeed, after the burial it was necessary to consider wills, deal with the division of inheritance and everything else that happens in such cases - and thus, wave after wave, carrying him further and further, would have carried him very far away from the haven of truth. That is why Christ attracts and attaches him to Himself. If you are still surprised and embarrassed by the fact that he was not allowed to be at the burial of his father, then imagine that many do not let the faint-hearted know about the death of their loved ones and do not allow them to be at the grave, even if the father, or mother, or son, or any other relative has died, and for this we do not accuse them of cruelty and inhumanity - and quite rightly so. On the contrary, allowing the faint-hearted to indulge in crying would be a matter of cruelty. 4. But if it is bad to cry and grieve for relatives, then it is much worse to move away from spiritual instructions. That is why the Savior in one place says: “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 9:62). Truly, it is much better to preach the kingdom of God and deliver others from death than to bury a dead person who is useless, and especially when there are people who can carry out this work. So, from here we learn that we should not waste even a little time, even if there were countless incentives to do so, but we should prefer the spiritual to everything, even the most necessary, and to know what life consists of and what death consists of. After all, many of those who apparently live are no different from the dead when they live in evil; or rather, they are even worse than the dead. “He who died was freed from sin” (Rom. 6:7), says the apostle. And the one who lives in evil serves sin. Don't tell me that he is not eaten by worms, does not lie in a coffin, does not close his eyes and is not wrapped in swaddling clothes. He endures greater torment than the deceased, not because worms eat him, but because spiritual passions torment him more fiercely than animals. And if his eyes are open, then this is again much worse than if they were closed. The eyes of the deceased do not see anything bad; and this one, having open eyes, exposes himself to countless diseases. He lies in the coffin feeling nothing; and this one is imprisoned in the coffin of countless diseases. But don't you see the rotting of his body? What then? His soul was corrupted even before his body, died and is subject to greater rotting. This one stinks for ten days, and this one breathes a stench all his life, having a mouth worse than any unclean place - so they differ from each other only in that one is subjected only to natural corruption, and the other adds to it the rotting that comes from an ungodly life, daily inventing for himself countless causes of corruption. But this one rides a horse? What then? The deceased lies on the bed. But what is more important, no one sees him decaying and rotting, because he has the coffin as his cover; and this one stinks everywhere, carrying a dead soul in his body, as if in a coffin. And if you could see the soul of a person living in luxury and wickedness, then you would see that it is much better to lie bound in a tomb than to be bound in sinful chains; It is better to have a stone lying on you than a heavy blanket of insensibility. That is why the relatives of these dead people, when they are in such insensibility, especially should approach Jesus with prayer for them, just as Mary prayed for Lazarus. Even if it stinks, even if it lasts four days, don’t despair, but go ahead and roll away the stone first, and then you will see it lying as if in a coffin and wrapped in shrouds. And, if you wish, I will introduce one of the great and noble men. Don't be afraid: I will present an example without pointing out a name; - however, if I had revealed the name, then even then there would be no need to be afraid. Who, really, has ever feared a dead person? No matter what he does, he always remains dead. The dead cannot do any harm to the living. So, let's look at the bound head of such dead people. In fact, since they are constantly drunk, then, just as the dead are bound by many veils and shrouds, all their senses are enclosed and connected. If you want to look at the hands, you will see that they, just like those of the dead, are tied to the womb and tied not with swaddling clothes, but what is much worse, with the bonds of covetousness. It does not allow them to reach out to alms or any other good deed, but makes them much more useless than the hands of the dead. Do you want to see your legs tied? Look - they are also bound by worries and therefore can never run to the church of God. You saw the dead; now look at the burying one. So who buries these dead? The devil, carefully binding them and not allowing a person to seem like a person, but a dry tree. How can someone who has neither eyes, nor arms, nor legs, nor other members appear to be human? Thus, one can see that their soul is wrapped in shrouds, and is more an idol than a soul. So, since they remain insensible, having become in some way dead, we will approach Jesus, we will pray to Him for their resurrection, we will roll away the stone, we will untie the shrouds. As soon as you roll away the stone, that is, take away the insensibility that they show in evil, you will immediately bring them out of the grave, and by bringing them out of here, you will much more easily free them from their shackles. When you are resurrected, then Christ will know you; when you are released from your bonds, then He will call you to His supper. So, you, friends of Christ, His disciples, you who love the deceased, come to Christ and pray! Let the deceased be filled with excessive stench; his relatives should not leave him in this case either, but should come to God all the more (the more corruption increases), just as the Lazarus sisters did; We must until then ask, pray and propitiate God, until we see him alive. If we try so hard for ourselves and for our neighbors, then we will soon achieve the future life, which we all may be deemed worthy to receive through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: