Беседа 54

“When Jesus came to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples: Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?” . (Matt. 16:13) Exposition 16:13–23. Why does Christ ask the disciples first about the people’s opinion of Him? – In what sense did Peter confess Christ as the Son of God? - Christ is one in essence with the Father. – Why, before suffering, did the Savior forbid it from disclosing that He is Christ? – The mystery of the cross and resurrection was unknown to the apostles. – One should not be ashamed of the cross of Christ. – With what thoughts and dispositions should one perform the sign of the cross? - The power of the cross. - A Christian should have nothing to do with the earth. - The ease of fulfillment of the commandments. 1. Why did the evangelist mention the founder of the city? For the fact that there was another Caesarea, namely Stratonov; and Jesus Christ asked the disciples not in Stratonova, but in Philippi, taking them far from the Jews, so that they, freed from all fear, would boldly express everything that was in their thoughts. Why did He first ask not about their opinion, but about the opinion of the people? So that they, having spoken the popular opinion, are then asked: “Who do you say that I am?” - by the very order of the questions they were raised to a higher understanding, and they did not think of Him as lowly as the people. For the same reason, he does not ask them at the beginning of the sermon, but when he has performed many miracles, talked with them about many and lofty truths, and has repeatedly proven His divinity and unity with the Father, then he asks them this question. And he does not say: Who do the scribes and Pharisees say that I am? - although they often came to Him and talked; but he wants to know the unfeigned opinion of the people: “Who do people say that I am?” The opinion of the people, although much lower than proper, was without any guile; the opinion of the scribes and Pharisees was inspired by strong malice. And showing how much he wants His incarnation to be confessed, he says: “Son of man,” meaning by this also deity, as He often does in other places. This is what he says: “no one has ascended into heaven except the Son of Man, who is in heaven, who came down from heaven” (John 3:13); and in another place: “if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before” (John 6:62). Then, when the disciples said to Him: “Some for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah, or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:14), and declared to Him the false opinion of the people, then he added: “Who do you say that I am” (Matthew 16:15)? With this second question He encourages them to think higher of Him, and makes it clear that the first opinion is very little consistent with His dignity. For this purpose, He demands from them a different opinion, and proposes a different question, so that they do not think about Him in the same way as the people who saw miracles that exceeded the strength of man, and considered Him a man, although one who rose from the dead, as Herod said. But He, rejecting such guesses, says: “Who do you say that I am?” - you, who were always with Me, saw My miracles and yourself performed many miracles through Me? What does Peter, the mouth of the apostles, always fiery, the head of the apostolic face, answer to this? To the question proposed to everyone, he answers from himself. When Christ asked about the opinion of the people, then everyone answered His question; when it’s about their own, Peter does not tolerate it, warns and says: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16)! What did Christ say? “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you” (Matthew 16:17). Of course, if Peter had confessed Him as a son not in the proper sense and not born of the Father himself, then this would not have been a matter of revelation; if he had considered Him a son like many, then his words would not have deserved beatitude. And before, those who were still on the ship, after the storm, said: “Truly You are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33), but they were not called blessed, although they spoke the truth. They confessed Him not to be such a son as Peter, but they recognized Him as truly a son like many, even more excellent than many, but not born from the very essence of the Father. 2. And Nathanael also said: “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel” (John 1:49), however, not only is he not called blessed, but he is also rebuked by the Lord for the fact that he has not yet told much of the truth. That is why Christ added: “You believe because I told you: I saw you under the fig tree; you will see greater things than these” (John 1:50). Why is Peter called blessed? Because he confessed Him to be the true Son. For this reason, Christ did not call others blessed, but, speaking to Peter, showed who revealed it to him. So that Peter’s confession does not seem to many to be spoken out of friendship and flattery, and as a sign of special affection towards Him - because he loved Christ very much - and indicates the One who inspired him, so that you understand that Peter only spoke, but the Father taught him, and so that you believe that these words do not express human opinion, but divine teaching. But why doesn’t Christ reveal Himself—doesn’t say: I am Christ—but achieves this with His question and forces the disciples to make a confession. Because it was more fitting and necessary for Him then, and they were more encouraged to believe what was said. Do you see how the Father reveals the Son? How does the Son reveal the Father? “No one knows the Father,” it is said, “except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal it” (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). Thus, the Son cannot be known through anyone other than through the Father himself; and through no one else can one know the Father except through the Son, so from this it is clear that They are equal in honor and consubstantial. What does Christ say? “You are Simon, son of Jonah; you will be called Cephas” (John 1:42). Since you preached My Father, I also name him who gave birth to you, and as if he were saying: Just as you are the son of Jonah, so am I the Son of My Father. Otherwise it would be unnecessary to say: “You are the son of Jonah.” But when Peter called Him the Son of God, then Christ, in order to show that He is also the Son of God, like Peter the son of Jonah, i.e., of the same essence with Him who gave birth, added: “And I say to you, you are Peter, and on this rock” - that is, in confession - “I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18). With these words, the Lord shows that from now on many will believe, encourages the spirit of Peter and makes him a shepherd: “and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.” If they do not overcome it, then how much less Me. Therefore, do not be embarrassed when you hear that I will be betrayed and crucified. Further he promises another honor: “and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19). What does it mean: “and I will give it to you”? As the Father has given you the knowledge of Me, so will I give it to you; did not say - I will beg the Father, although this would be an important proof of His power and an indescribably great gift; but: “I will give it to you.” What are you giving, tell me? The keys of heaven, so that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” How then cannot He who says: I will give it to you, to sit on the right hand and on the left? Do you see how Christ, with these two promises, raises Peter to a high opinion of Him, how He reveals Himself and shows Himself to be the true Son of God? He promises to grant him what actually belongs to God alone, namely: to resolve sins, to make the Church unshakable in the midst of all unrest, and to make a simple fisherman stronger than any stone, when the whole universe rises up against him. In a similar way, God the Father said, talking with Jeremiah, that he builds him up like a bronze pillar and like a wall (Jer. 1:18); but Jeremiah was appointed for one people, and Peter for the whole universe. I would like to ask those who humiliate the Son: which gifts are greater - those that the Father gave to Peter, or those that the Son gave? The Father gave Peter the revelation of the Son; The Son sowed open knowledge about the Father and about Himself throughout the entire universe, and handed over to a mere mortal, giving him the keys, power over everything heavenly; and he spread the Church throughout the entire universe, and showed it to be stronger than heaven itself. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). How can the One who gave such power and performed such deeds be less? In saying this, I do not separate the works of the Father from the works of the Son: “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made” (John. 1:3); but I want to curb the shameless tongue of those who dare to humiliate the Son. 3. From all this know the authority of Christ. “And I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Then,” having said this, “Jesus forbade His disciples not to tell anyone that He is Jesus Christ” (Matthew 16:18–20). Why did He forbid? So that, after the removal of the seducers, after the completion of the feat of the cross and at the end of all His sufferings, when there was no longer anyone to hinder and harm the faith in Him of many, then the true concept of Him would be purely and firmly imprinted in the minds of those listening. His power was not yet so clearly revealed. Therefore, He wanted the apostles to begin preaching about Him then, when the obvious truth of what was preached and the power of events would confirm their words. Indeed, it was another thing to see that He either worked miracles in Palestine, or was subjected to reproach and persecution (especially when the miracles were to be followed by the cross), and another thing to see that the entire universe worshiped Him and believed in Him, and that He no longer endured any of the suffering that He endured. That is why He commanded not to tell anyone. Once rooted and then uprooted, it is difficult to plant and maintain in many; on the contrary, what has once been accepted and remains in its place and is not damaged by anything, easily vegetates and grows. If those who saw many miracles and heard so many unspeakable mysteries were tempted at the mere rumor of suffering, not only the other apostles, but also the chief of them, Peter, then imagine what kind of temptation the people would be subjected to if they knew that Christ is the Son of God, and then saw that He was being crucified and spat upon, while not understanding the hidden things in these mysteries, having not yet received the Holy Spirit? If Christ said to his disciples: “I still have much to say to you; but now you cannot contain it" (John. 16:12), then the rest of the people would be all the more confused if the highest of secrets were revealed to them before the proper time. That's why He forbade telling! And indeed, how important it was to learn the full teaching not until after these events, when the temptations had passed, learn this from the example of the Supreme Apostle. The same Peter, who after so many miracles turned out to be so weak that he even denied Jesus and was afraid of a simple maid - when the sufferings of the cross had already taken place, when he saw clear evidence of the resurrection and when nothing tempted or frightened him, the same Peter defended the teaching of the Spirit with such steadfastness that, despite all the dangers that threatened him and thousands of deaths, he rushed stronger than a lion against the Jewish people. So, He rightly forbade telling the people before the cross, when before the cross he was afraid to reveal everything to those who should be teachers. “I still have much to say to you,” says Christ, “but you cannot bear it now.” And indeed, they still did not understand much in His words, which He had not clearly revealed to them before the cross; after the resurrection they understood some of His words. “From that time Jesus began to reveal to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things” (Matthew 16:21). “Since that time”: since when? From the time when he instilled in them the teaching of His divinity, when he began the conversion of tongues. But even then they did not yet understand His words - it is said: “but they did not understand any of this” (Luke 18:34); they still remained, as it were, in a certain darkness, not knowing that He was about to be resurrected. That is why Christ dwells on this difficult subject for them, spreading His word in order to open their minds and let them understand what His words mean. But they “did not understand,” but “these words were hidden from them”; They were even afraid to ask Him, however, not about whether He would definitely die, but about how and in what way, and what does this secret mean? They did not know what it meant to be resurrected, and they considered the most important thing to never die. That is why, with the general confusion and bewilderment of the disciples, the ardent Peter again alone dares to continue the conversation about this, but not in front of everyone, but in private, that is, moving away from the other disciples; And he says: “Be merciful to yourself, Lord! let this not happen to you” (Matthew 16:22)! What does it mean? The one who received the revelation, was called blessed, so quickly stumbled and fell so that he was afraid of suffering? But is it surprising if this happened to a person who did not receive a revelation about it? To let you know that he did not utter the words on his own ("You are Christ, the Son of the Living God") - look how he is embarrassed and perplexed about what has not yet been revealed to him, and, having heard it a thousand times, does not understand what is being said to him. He knew that Jesus was the Son of God; and what the mystery of the cross and resurrection was, he did not yet know. It is said: “these words were hidden from them.” Do you see that Christ rightly forbade telling others about this? If what was said so confused those who needed to know it, then what would not have happened to others? But Christ, wanting to show that He was not going to suffer against His own will, even denounced Peter and called him Satan. 4. Let all those who are ashamed of Christ’s suffering on the cross hear this. If the Supreme Apostle, even when he did not yet understand everything clearly, was called Satan because he was ashamed of the cross, then what excuse will those who, despite all the obviousness, reject this sacrament find? If someone who is called blessed and has confessed the divinity of Christ hears such a reproach, then think about what will those who even now reject the sacrament of the cross be subjected to? Christ did not say: Satan speaks through your mouth; but: “Get away from Me, Satan”! because the enemy precisely wanted Christ not to suffer. This is the reason why He rebuked Peter with such force; He saw that Peter and the others were more than anything afraid, and could not hear calmly. For this reason, He also reveals his secret thoughts, saying: “You think not about the things of God, but about the things of men.” What does it mean: “you think not about the things of God, but about the things of men” (Matthew 16:23)? Peter, concluding the matter according to human and carnal reasoning, thought that suffering for Christ was shameful and unusual. So, penetrating his thoughts, Christ says: suffering is not at all unusual for Me, but you judge this way from the carnal mind; on the contrary, if you, in the divine Spirit, freed from carnal thoughts, expressed what I said, you would understand that it is very fitting for Me. You think that it is low for Me to suffer, but I tell you that this thought - not to suffer for Me - is from the devil. So He dispels Peter’s fear with the fear of the opposite. Like John, when he considered it low for Christ to be baptized by him, He convinced him to baptize, saying: “So it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15); just as Peter himself, when he did not allow Him to wash his feet, said: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8), so here He admonished Peter with the fear of the contrary and the power of reproof, destroying the fear excited by the thought of suffering. So, no one should be ashamed of the venerable signs of our salvation by which we live, and the beginning of all good things by which we exist. But we will wear the cross of Christ as a crown. Everything we need is accomplished through him. Do we need to be born - we are offered a cross; whether we want to be nourished with mysterious food, whether we need to accept ordination, or do something else - everywhere this sign of victory is before us. That is why we inscribe it with all care on houses, and on walls, and on doors, and on the forehead, and on the heart. The cross is a sign of our salvation, the common freedom and mercy of our Master, who “was led like a sheep to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7). Therefore, when you sign yourself with a cross, imagine the full meaning of the cross, extinguish anger and all other passions. When you signify yourself with the cross, let living hope be expressed on your forehead, and let your soul become free. Without a doubt you know what gives us freedom. Therefore, Paul, inclining us to this - I mean the freedom that is decent for us - mentioning the cross and the blood of the Lord, convinces us with these words: “you were bought with a price; Do not become slaves of men" (1 Cor. 7:23). Think, he says, about the high price that was paid for you, and you will not be the slave of a single person; and by dear price he means the cross. It should not just be depicted with a finger, but it should be preceded by a heartfelt disposition and complete faith. If you depict it on your face like this, then not a single unclean spirit will be able to approach you, seeing the sword with which he was wounded, seeing the weapon from which he received a mortal wound. If we look with trepidation at those places where criminals are executed, then imagine how horrified the devil is, seeing the weapon with which Christ destroyed all his strength and cut off the head of the serpent. So, do not be ashamed of such a great good, so that Christ will not be ashamed of you when he comes in His glory, and when this sign appears before Him, shining brighter than the very rays of the sun. Then this cross, by its very appearance, will, as it were, say in the justification of the Lord before the whole universe and as a testimony that on His part everything was done that was necessary. This sign, both in former and present times, opened closed doors; it took away the power of harmful substances, invalidated poison; it healed the deadly remorse of animals. If it opened the gates of hell, opened the firmament of heaven, reopened the entrance to heaven and crushed the fortress of the devil, then what is surprising if it defeats the power of poisonous substances, animals and the like? 5. So, imprint the cross in your mind and embrace the saving sign of our souls. This very cross saved and transformed the universe, drove out error, introduced truth, turned the earth into heaven, and made people angels. When we have the cross with us, then demons are no longer scary and dangerous; death is no longer death, but a dream. By the cross, everything hostile to us is overthrown and trampled under foot. So, if someone says to you: you worship the Crucified One, answer him with a joyful voice and with a cheerful face: I worship and will not stop worshiping. If he laughs, you mourn his madness and thank the Lord that He has shown us such benefits that no one can know without revelation from above. Such a person laughs, after all, only because “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14). The same thing happens to children when they see something great and amazing; if you explain a secret to a child, he will laugh. And the pagans are like such children, or better yet, they are more reckless, which is why they are more worthy of regret, as they act childishly not in childhood, but in adulthood. That's why they don't deserve any apology. But we cry out and speak with a loud, strong and high voice, and when all the pagans appear, we cry out even more boldly that the cross is our praise, the beginning of all good things, boldness and all our adornment. Oh, that I could say with Paul: “By whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14)! But I can’t, being obsessed with various passions. Therefore, I admonish you, and before you myself, to be crucified to the world and have nothing in common with the earth, but to love the heavenly fatherland, the glory and blessings of heaven. We are warriors of the King of Heaven, we have put on spiritual weapons. Why do we live like innkeepers, vagabonds, and even like worms? Where there is a king, there must be a warrior. We are warriors not of some distant king, but close to us. The earthly king will not allow everyone into his palace and to his person; but the Heavenly King wants everyone to be near His royal throne. But how is it possible, you say, that we, being here, stand before His throne? Just as Paul, while on earth, was where the seraphim and cherubim were, and was even closer to Christ than the shield-bearers were to the king: these latter turn their gaze to many objects, but Paul was not interested in anything, nothing entertained him, but his whole thought was directed towards the King Christ. If, therefore, we want, it will be possible for us. If the Lord were a distant place, then you would have reason to doubt; if He is present everywhere, then He is close to everyone who directs all their attention to Him. That is why the prophet said: “I will fear no evil, because You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). And God himself says: “Am I God only near, and not God far away?” (Jer. 23:23). Because just as sins remove us from Him, so good deeds bring us closer to Him: “When again you speak,” 18 it is said, “he will say: Here am I!” (Isa. 58:9). What father has ever been so attentive to his children? What kind of mother is so caring and always waits for her children to call her? You will not find a single such father, not a single such mother; only God alone constantly waits to see if one of His servants will call to Him, and never abandons our requests when we ask Him properly. That is why He says: “When you speak again,” you will not yet finish your petitions, and I will already listen. So, let us call on Him as He wants. But how does He want? “Loose,” he says, “the chains of unrighteousness, untie the bonds of the yoke, and set the oppressed free, and break every yoke; divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into your home; When you see a naked person, clothe him, and do not hide from your half-blood. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly increase, and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Then you will call, and the Lord will hear; You will cry, and He will say: Here am I!” (Isa. 58:6-9)! But who is able to do all this, you say? And I ask you: who is not able to? Really, what's so difficult about that? What's painful? What's inconvenient? On the contrary, this is not only possible, but also so easy that many even did more: they not only tore apart the unrighteous scripture, but also gave up their all; not only did they shelter and feed the poor, but they worked until they sweat to feed them; They did good not only to their relatives, but also to their enemies. 6. And really, what is difficult about the above? They don’t tell you: go up the mountain, cross the sea, cultivate so many acres of land, fast for a long time, put on sackcloth; but (it is said): give to your neighbors, give bread, tear up the unrighteously compiled scriptures. What is easier than this, tell me? If it seems difficult to you, then look at the rewards - and it will be easy for you. Just as kings offer crowns, rewards and clothes to those who labor in horse races, so Christ places rewards in the middle of the field, showing them in every word of the prophet, as if in a special hand. Earthly kings, even if they are kings a thousand times over, are still people: their wealth is wasted, and their generosity is exhausted, and therefore they try to show small things to the great, which is why they hand each thing over to a special servant, and thus put it on display. This is not what our King does: since He is very rich and does not do anything for show, He displays the gifts by putting them all together, and if these gifts were laid out separately, they would be innumerable and many hands would be required to hold them. To make sure of this, look carefully at each of the awards. “Then it will be revealed,” it is said, “your light is like the dawn.” Don't you think there is one gift here? No, not alone; it contains many honors, crowns and other awards. If you wish, we will lay out and show, if possible, all the wealth; just don't get bored. And, firstly, let's see what it means: “will open”? It is not said: will appear, but: “will be revealed.” This shows us speed and abundance, and how much He desires our salvation, how intensified and hastens to give birth to these blessings - shows that nothing can hold back this ineffable effort; all this expresses an abundance of gifts and countless wealth. What does it mean: “like the dawn”? This means that rewards are given not after temptations or disasters experienced, but even before. Just as we call fruits that appeared ahead of time early, so here, again expressing speed, He also says, as He said above: “Then you will cry, and He will say: Here am I!” What kind of light is He talking about? What kind of light is this? Not this sensual one, but another, much better one, in which we see heaven, angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, all the army, palaces and royal courts. If you are worthy of this light, then you will see all this; you will get rid of Gehenna, the poisonous worm, gnashing of teeth, insoluble bonds, groaning and sorrow, impenetrable darkness, cutting in two, the river of fire, curses and places of torment, and you will go where there is no illness or sorrow, where there is great joy, and peace, and love, and fun, and pleasure; where is eternal life, unspeakable glory and unspeakable beauty; where are the eternal abodes, the unknown glory of the King and such blessings, “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has not entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9); where is the spiritual palace and heavenly lodges; where are the virgins with bright lamps and clothed in wedding garments; where are the countless riches of the Lord and the royal treasuries. Do you see how many rewards there are, and how they are all expressed in one word, and how they are all put together? In the same way, if we begin to analyze other words, we will discover countless wealth - an immeasurable sea! So, tell me, will we still hesitate and not take care of helping the poor? No, I beg you; but even if it were necessary to sacrifice everything, even if it was necessary to throw ourselves into the fire and go against swords and axes, or endure anything else, we will endure everything willingly in order to receive the robe of the kingdom of heaven and the ineffable glory, of which glory we are all, and may we be honored by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. In church text – “and I say again” – Ed. "ABCs of Faith" You might be interested in: