Беседа 64

“Then Peter answered and said to Him, Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what will happen to us? (Matt. 19:27) Poverty does not prevent you from being perfect. – God’s promises are conditional. - In what sense is the apostles promised judgment over the twelve tribes? – The meaning and purpose of the parable of the vinedresser and the laborers. – Vocation depends on a person’s willingness to obey God. – For salvation you need right faith and a virtuous life. – Neglect of any one virtue leads to death. – Mercy makes the soul invincible to the devil. – One should not be tempted by the example of the lazy. 1. What does this mean, blessed Peter: “they left everything”? Udu, nets, ship, craft? Is this what you mean by the word “everything”? Yes, he answers. But it is not ambition that makes me say this. I want to turn poor people (to the Lord) with this question. Since the Lord said: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21), so that one of the poor does not ask: what, if I have no possessions, then I cannot be perfect? - for this reason, Peter offers his question to Jesus, so that you, poor one, know that your poverty does not harm you in the least. Peter asks so that you would not learn the truth from Peter and doubt (he himself was not yet perfect and did not have the Spirit), but so that, having received an answer from Teacher Petrov, you would be firmly confident in it. As we do when, offering the opinions of others, we often assimilate them to ourselves, so did the apostle: he proposed this question to Jesus instead of the whole universe. He knew his fate clearly, as can be seen from what was said about him before. Having received the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven while still on earth, he could be all the more confident of the inheritance of blessings. But look with what accuracy he responds to Christ’s demands. Christ demanded two things from the rich man: that he give his property to the poor, and that he follow Him. Therefore, the apostle points to these same two actions: leaving one’s possessions and following Jesus. “Here we are,” he says, “all of us have followed You.” Leaving everything was necessary for following: following through abandonment became more convenient, and because they left everything, they were filled with hope and joy. What does Christ answer? “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the future, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). So what? And Judas will sit on the throne? No. How does Christ say: “You too will sit on twelve thrones”? How will this promise be fulfilled? Pay attention to how and in what way. God gave a law, announced to the Jews through Jeremiah the prophet, and saying: “Sometimes I will say about a nation and a kingdom that I will uproot, crush and destroy it. But if this people, against whom I have spoken this, turn from their evil deeds, I will put aside the evil that I thought to do to them. And sometimes I will say about a nation and a kingdom that I will establish and establish it; but if he does what is evil in My sight and does not obey My voice, I will cancel the good with which I wanted to bless him” (Jer. 18:7-10). According to the same law, I act, He says, with the virtuous. Although I promise to recreate them, if they turn out to be unworthy of this promise, then I will not fulfill it. This is what happened to primordial man. “Let all the beasts of the earth fear and tremble,” said the Lord, “of you” (Gen. 9:2); but this was not fulfilled, since the man himself showed himself unworthy of such power. So is Judas. But so that some, frightened by the sentence of punishment, do not give in to despair and become even more embittered, and others, hoping for the promise of good things, do not become completely careless, He heals both illnesses in the above-mentioned manner, as if saying: If I threaten you with execution, do not despair, because you can repent and destroy My decree, as the Ninevites did; If I promise any good, do not weaken, hoping for the promise, because if you turn out to be unworthy, then My promise will not only bring you no benefit, but will also increase your punishment. I promise a reward only to the worthy. That is why even then, talking with His disciples, He made a promise not without conditions; He did not simply say: “you,” but added: “those who followed Me,” in order to reject both Judas and to attract those who later turned to Him - these His words did not refer to the disciples alone, and not to Judas, who later became unworthy of His promise. So, the Lord promised to give the disciples a reward in the future life, saying: “you too will sit on twelve thrones” (because they were already at the highest degree of perfection, and were not looking for any earthly blessings); and to others he promises real benefits: and “everyone,” says, “whoever leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” So that some, hearing the word: “you,” would not think that only the disciples were granted the greatest and first honors in the future life, He continued speaking and extended His promise to the whole earth, and promising real benefits, assures the future. The Lord began His conversation with the disciples, at first, when they were still imperfect, by presenting real blessings. When it was He who called them to Himself, from the sea, and distracted them from their craft, and commanded them to leave the ship, He spoke not of heaven, not of thrones, but of real things, saying: “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). But when he elevated them to the highest degree of perfection, then he already speaks of heavenly blessings. 2. But what does the words “judge the twelve tribes of Israel” mean? That they will condemn them; the apostles will not sit as judges; but in what sense the Lord said about the queen of the South that she would condemn that generation, and about the Ninevites that they would condemn them, in the same way he speaks about the apostles. That is why he did not say: “to judge the nations and the world,” but: “the tribes of Israel.” The Jews were brought up in the same laws, and according to the same customs, and led the same way of life as the apostles. Therefore, when they say in their justification that we could not believe in Christ because the law forbade us to accept His commandments, then the Lord, pointing them to the apostles who had the same law with them and, however, believed, will condemn them all, as He said earlier: “Therefore they will be your judges” (Matthew 12:27). What, you say, is great in His promises if the apostles have the same thing that the Ninevites and the Queen of the South have? But He promised them many other rewards even before and He promises them after. This is not their reward alone. However, this promise also contains something more than what is said about the Ninevites and the Queen of the South. About the latter, the Lord said simply: “The Ninevites will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, and the Queen of the south will condemn it” (Matthew 12:41–42). But he doesn’t speak so simply about the apostles. But how does he speak? “When the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones,” showing by this that they too will reign with Him and participate in that glory. “If we endure,” says the apostle, “we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12). Thrones do not mean seats (since He alone is sitting and judging), but they signify ineffable glory and honor. So, the Lord promised this reward to the apostles, and to everyone else - eternal life and a hundredfold reward here. But if all the others, then even more so the apostles must receive retribution both there and in this century. And so it came true. Having abandoned the fishing rod and the net, they had in their power the property of all people, their houses, fields, and even the very bodies of the believers; many were even ready to die for them, as Paul testifies, saying: “If it were possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me” (Galatians 4:15). Further, with the words: “whoever leaves his wife,” the Lord does not suggest that marriages should be dissolved without reason; but just as he said about the soul that “he who loses his life for my sake will save it” (Matthew 10:39), he said this not so that we would kill ourselves and immediately separate the soul from the body, but so that we would prefer piety to everything else, so here He demands the same thing, commanding us to leave our wife and brothers. It also seems to me that He is also talking about persecution here. At that time, many fathers attracted their children and wives their husbands to wickedness. So, when they demand this of you, says the Lord, leave both your wife and father, about which Paul says: “If an unbeliever wants to be divorced, let him be divorced” (1 Cor. 7:15). Having thus exalted the apostles and confirmed them in the hope of a reward determined by himself and the entire universe, the Lord added: “Many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30). These words cannot be limited to certain individuals. They apply to many others; however, they speak of both believers and rebellious Pharisees, just as the Lord said about them before, that “many will come from the east and the west and will lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; and the children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness” (Matthew 8:11–12). Then the Lord offers a parable to encourage those who turned to Him after others to greater zeal. “For the kingdom of heaven,” He says, “is like the owner of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard, and having agreed with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard; going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idly in the marketplace, and he said to them, “Go you too into my vineyard, and whatever comes next I will give you.” They went. Coming out again around the sixth and ninth hours, he did the same. Finally, going out about the eleventh hour, he found others standing idly, and said to them: Why have you been standing here all day idly? They tell him: no one hired us. He says to them: You also go into my vineyard, and you will receive what follows. When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning from the last to the first. And those who came about the eleventh hour received a denarius. Those who came first thought that they would receive more, but they also received a denarius; and, having received it, they began to murmur against the owner of the house and said: these last worked for one hour, and you made them equal to us, who endured the burden of the day and the heat. He answered and said to one of them: friend! I don't offend you; Did you not agree with me for a denarius? take yours and go; I want to give this last one the same as I gave you; Don't I have the power to do what I want? Or is your eye envious because I am kind? So the last will be first, and the first last, for many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:1-16). 3. What does this parable mean? What was said at the beginning does not agree with what is said at the end, but reveals something completely opposite. In it the Lord shows that all people receive equal rewards; but does not say that some are expelled and others are brought in. But before this parable and after it, He said the opposite: “the last will be first and the first will be last,” that is, the last will be higher and the very first, who will no longer be first, but will become last. And that this is really the meaning of this saying is evident from the words attached to it: “for many are called, but few are chosen,” with which the Lord simultaneously reproaches the first, and consoles and encourages the last. But the parable doesn’t say that; it only says that the latter will be equal to men who have already been tried and worked hard. “He made them equal to us,” it says, “who endured the burden of the day and the heat.” So, what does this parable mean? We must first explain it, and then we will resolve this contradiction. In it the commandments and commandments of God are called grapes, the time of doing is real life, and the workers are those who are called in various ways to fulfill the commandments of God; morning, third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours - mean different ages of those who came and received approval for their labors. But the main thing is this: those first who became so famous and pleased God and spent the whole day with special zeal in labor, are they not infected with the strongest passion of malice, envy and ill will? Seeing that those who came after them received the same reward, they said: “these last worked for one hour, and you made them equal to us, who endured the burden of the day and the heat.” So, having not suffered any loss and having received their reward in full, they were annoyed and indignant that others were enjoying the benefits - and this was due to envy and ill will. But most importantly, the Householder himself, defending those and justifying his act to the person who spoke to him, accuses him of malice and extreme envy, saying: “Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? take yours and go; I want to give this last one the same as I gave you; Or is your eye envious because I am kind?” So, what do such parables teach us? Not only in this, but in other parables the same can be seen. So, for example, the good son fell into the same mental illness when he saw that his prodigal brother had received great honor, and even greater than he. Just as the last grape growers were given great honor by the fact that they were the first to receive a reward, so the prodigal son was given preference with an abundance of gifts, as evidenced by the good son himself. What should be said? The fact that in the Kingdom of Heaven there is not a single person who would make such disputes and complaints, and there cannot be, because there is no place for either envy or ill will. If saints in real life lay down their souls for sinners, then, seeing them there enjoying the prepared blessings, they rejoice even more, and consider this their own bliss. So, why did the Lord offer His word in such an image? This is a parable; and in parables there is no need to explain everything in its literal sense, but, having learned the purpose for which it is said, turn it to your advantage and not experience anything else. Why is this parable depicted in this way, and what is its purpose? Such as to make the most zealous of people who, in old age, change their way of life and become better, and to free them from the opinion that they are lower than others (in the Kingdom of Heaven). That is why the Lord imagines that others look at their blessings with grief, not in order to show that they are melting with envy and tormented - no - but to assure that those who converted late will receive such an honor that can give rise to envy in others. We ourselves often do this, saying: he blames me for the fact that I honored you with such an honor - and we say this not because, in fact, anyone accuses us, or that we want to slander someone, but in order to show by this the greatness of the gift that another has been awarded. But why didn’t He suddenly hire everyone? As far as he could, everyone, and that not everyone suddenly obeyed Him, it depended on the will of those called. Therefore, He calls some in the morning, others at the third, others at the sixth, others at the ninth hour, and some even at the eleventh, depending on when someone was ready to obey Him. Paul also explains this, saying: “He who chose me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace was pleased” (Gal. 1:15). But when did he favor? Then, when he was ready to obey. God Himself wanted this from the beginning; but since Paul would not listen to Him, He then deigned to call him when the latter himself was ready to submit to Him. So He called the thief. Could have called him before; but then he would not have listened to Him. If Paul had not listened to Him first, how much less would he have been a thief. As for the words of the workers: “no one hired us,” I have already said the general idea that not everything in the parables should be paid attention to. But here this is not necessary because the speakers do not introduce themselves to the Householder himself, but to the workers. He does not reprove them in order not to lead them into doubt, but to attract them to Himself. And that He called everyone He could in the first hour is clear from the parable itself, where it is said that He went out in the morning to hire. 4. So, from everything it is clear that this parable is told both for those who are in the first age of their life, and for those who in old age and later began to live virtuously: for the first, so that they do not become arrogant and reproach those who came at the eleventh hour; for the latter, so that they know that in a short time they can acquire everything. Since the Lord previously spoke about great zeal, about leaving possessions and neglecting everything on earth, and this requires great courage and youthful zeal, then in order to ignite the flame of love in the listeners and make the will firm, He shows that even after those who come can receive a reward for the whole day. However, He does not say this, lest they become proud again; but he shows that everything depends on His love for mankind, according to which they will not be rejected, but will be awarded, together with others, indescribable benefits. And this is the main purpose of this parable. If He further adds: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last, for many are called, but few are chosen,” then do not be surprised at this. He does not express this as a conclusion drawn from a parable, but states only that as one thing came true, so the other will come true. Here the first did not become last, but all received one reward, beyond all hope and expectation. But just as here, beyond aspiration and hope, the fact that the latter became equal to the first came true, so something even greater and more amazing will come true, that is, that the latter will be ahead of the first, and the former will remain behind them. So, one is expressed by a parable, the other by an afterword. It seems to me that He is pointing here to the Jews and to those of the faithful who, having first shone with virtue, after it became negligent and again turned to vice; as well as those who, having moved away from lawlessness, surpassed many in virtues. And, indeed, we see that such changes occur both in faith and in lifestyle. Therefore, I beg you, let us make great efforts to ensure that we remain in the right faith and lead a virtuous life. If we do not combine a worthy life with faith, we will be subjected to the most severe punishment. This was confirmed by Blessed Paul by the experience of ancient times, when he, speaking of the Israelites, that “all ate the same spiritual food; and they all drank the same spiritual drink” (1 Cor. 10:3–4), further adding that they were not saved: “for they were slain in the wilderness” (1 Cor. 10:5). And Christ himself confirmed the same thing in the Gospel when he said that some people who cast out demons and prophesied would be condemned to execution. And all His parables, such as the parable of the virgins, the net, the thorns, and the tree that bears no fruit, demand that we be virtuous in practice. The Lord rarely discusses dogmas (since it is not difficult to believe them), but about a virtuous life - very often, or better yet, always, since in its field there will always be battle, and therefore work. And what am I saying about the complete disregard of virtue? Even neglect of the slightest part exposes it to great disasters. Thus, neglect of giving alms plunges the one who neglects it into Gehenna, although this is not the whole virtue, but only a part of it. And, however, the virgins were punished for not having this virtue, and the rich man suffered in the fire for the same, and all those who did not feed the hungry were condemned with the devil. In the same way, not reproaching others is the smallest part of virtue; however, whoever does not fulfill it will be expelled from the Kingdom. “Whoever says to his brother,” says Scripture, “that he is a fool, is liable to hell fire” (Matthew 5:22). And chastity, again, is a part of virtue; but without it no one will see the Lord: Scripture says: “Have peace and holiness with everyone, but no one else will see the Lord” (Heb. XII, 4). Humility is also a part of virtue; but if someone fulfilled other virtues and did not observe this one, he is not pure before God. This is shown by the example of the Pharisee, who was adorned with many virtues, but ruined everything with pride. I will say much more: it is not only the neglect of any one virtue that makes heaven for us; but even though we fulfilled it, we did not do it with due diligence and zeal, and this produces the same consequences. “If your righteousness does not exceed,” says Christ, “the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Therefore, if you give alms, but no more than what they gave, then you will not enter the kingdom. How, someone might ask, did they give great alms? I myself want to talk about this now in order not to encourage those who give alms to give, but to protect those who give from arrogance and force them to give even more. So what did the Pharisees give? They gave a tithe of all their property, and another tithe, and on top of that a third, so that they gave away almost a third of their estate - after all, three tithes make up almost a third of the entire estate. In addition, they also offered the firstfruits of the firstborn animals, and many other sacrifices, such as, for example, sacrifices for sin, for cleansing - sacrifices made during holidays, during jubilees, when leaving debts, when freeing slaves, and when borrowing without growth. If the one who gives the third part of his estate, or better yet, half (these offerings taken together with the tithes constitute half), if, I say, the one who gives half does not do anything great, then what will be worthy of the one who does not give even a tithe? Therefore, the Lord rightly said that not many will be saved. 5. So, let us take care of a virtuous life. If negligence about one virtue entails such destruction, then how will we avoid punishment when we are subject to condemnation for negligence about everyone? What kind of torment will we not tolerate? After this, they will say, what hope of salvation remains for us, when all of the above, each individually, threatens us with Gehenna? And I say the same. However, if we are careful, we can save ourselves by preparing the medicine of alms and healing (with) wounds. Truly, it is not so much oil that strengthens the body, but rather that love for mankind strengthens the soul and makes it invincible and elusive to the devil. No matter what he takes her for, she immediately eludes him - mercy, like oil, does not allow his hand to rest on our backbone. So, let us anoint ourselves with this oil more often: it is the foundation of health, the source of light and the cause of joy. But some, you say, have so many talents of gold, and don’t give anything away. What do you care about that? You will have all the more praise when, despite your poverty, you are more generous than him. So Paul praised the Macedonians not because they gave help, but because they gave it while in poverty. So, look not at others, but at the common Teacher of all, Who had no place to lay your head. But why, you say, doesn’t such and such do this? Do not judge others, but save yourself from condemnation. You will be punished even more when you blame others, but do not do it yourself - when, condemning others, you yourself will be guilty of the same judgment. If those who fulfill their duties themselves are not given the right to judge others, then even more so those who violate them. So, let us not condemn others, and let us not look at the lazy, but rather let us look at the Lord Jesus and take our example from Him. Have I done you any favors? Have I redeemed you so that you may look to me? No! There is another, who gave all this to you. Why do you, having left the Master, look at a slave like you? Or did you not hear that He said: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29)? And again: “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant”; and again: “since the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:26, 28)? Moreover, so that you, tempted by the example of lazy slaves like you, do not spend your life in idleness, He, turning you away from this, says: “I have given you an example, so that you should do the same as I did to you” (John 13:15). Do you not have any teacher of virtue among the people living with you who could guide you in this matter? But you will receive all the more praise, more glory, because even without teachers you have become worthy of glory. And we can achieve this very easily if we want. Our forefathers, who have achieved such perfection, assure us of this, such as: Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Job and others like them; It is they who we should look at every day, and not at those whom you never cease to envy and about whom you talk in your meetings. All I hear everywhere is such talk that such and such has received so many acres of land, such and such is getting rich, he is building a house. Why do you engage in external activities, O man? Why are you looking at others? If you want to look at others, then look at those who live virtuously and honestly, who are zealous in fulfilling the whole law, and not at those who stumble and live dishonorably. If you look at the latter, you will receive a lot of evil from this - you will fall into laziness, pride, and begin to condemn others; and if you count those who live virtuously, you will gain humility, diligence, contrition of heart, and other countless blessings. Hear how the Pharisee suffered because, leaving the good, he looked at the sinner; listen and be afraid. Look how David became famous because he looked at his ancestors, who lived virtuously. “A stranger,” he says, “I am with You and a stranger, like all my fathers” (Ps. 39:13). And he and all those like him, leaving sinners, thought about men glorified by virtue. Do the same. No one made you a judge of other people's misdeeds, or an investigator of other people's sins. You must judge yourself, and not others: “if we,” says the apostle, “had judged ourselves, we would not have been judged. But being judged, we are punished by the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:31–32). And you perverted this order. You do not demand any account from yourself for either great or small sins, but in others you carefully notice every sin. So, let us no longer do this, but, leaving such a disorder, we will set up a judgment seat within ourselves to judge our sins, we ourselves will be accusers, and judges, and punishers of our misdeeds. If you want to test the deeds of others, then consider their good deeds, and not their sins, so that, prompted by the memory of our sins, and jealousy for the deeds of others, and the presentation of impartial judgment, we are daily punished by our conscience, as with a kind of scourge, and, thus, succeeding in humility and zeal, achieve future blessings by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with To the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: