Беседа 82

“And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat: this is My body. And, taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26–28) Blinding the traitor. – Why did Christ perform the sacrament of the Eucharist during Easter? - The meaning of the sacrament. – Why did Christ eat and drink after his resurrection? – By His example, Christ teaches us to begin and end a meal with prayer. – The fear and flight of the disciples serve as proof of the death of the Savior. – Why Christ allowed Peter to fall. – For salvation, both grace-filled help and one’s own efforts are necessary. - How one should look at the sacrament. – In the Eucharist the tasting of Christ is given. – The greatness of the benefits of the sacrament requires an appropriate disposition from those approaching it. – An admonition to ministers of the sacrament to test the dignity of those receiving communion. 1. Oh, how great is the blindness of the traitor! Participating in the mysteries, he remained the same, and enjoying the terrible meal, he did not change. John shows this (John 13:27) when he says that after this Satan entered into him, not because he despised the body of the Lord, but mocking the shamelessness of the traitor. His sin was great in two ways: both because he approached the mysteries with such a disposition, and because, having begun, he was not brought to his senses either by fear, or by good deeds, or by honor. Christ did not hinder him, although He knew everything, so that you would know that He does not leave anything that serves for correction. Therefore, both before and after this, he constantly admonished and restrained the traitor with words, and deeds, and fear, and threats, and honor, and services. But nothing protected him from a cruel illness. That is why Christ, having finally left him, through the mysteries again reminds the disciples of His death, and at supper talks about the cross, in order to make His suffering acceptable for them through frequent predictions. Indeed, if they were embarrassed after so many events and predictions, then why would they not tolerate it if they did not hear anything like that? “And while they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it.” Why did Christ perform this sacrament during Easter? So that you may know from everything that He is the lawgiver of the Old Testament, and that what is written in this Testament serves as a prototype of New Testament events. That is why Christ posits the truth itself along with the image. Evening served as a sign of the fullness of times and the fact that things were already coming to an end. And “thanks” - teaching us how this sacrament should be performed; showing that He voluntarily goes to suffer; instructing us to endure suffering with gratitude, and arousing in us good hopes. If the image was liberation from such great slavery, then how much more will Truth liberate the universe and give itself up for the salvation of our nature. This is why Christ did not institute the sacrament before, but when it was already necessary to abolish what was prescribed by the law. He abolishes the most important holiday of the Jews, calling them to another, terrible supper, and says: “Take, eat: this is My Body, broken for you” (1 Cor. 11:24). How come the disciples were not embarrassed when they heard this? Because Christ had previously told them many important things about this sacrament. Therefore, now he gives no more instructions regarding this, since they have already heard enough, but shows only the cause of suffering, that is, the remission of sins. And he calls it the blood of the New Testament, that is, the promise, the proclamation of the new law. This was promised of old, and constitutes the New Testament. And just as the Old Testament had rams and calves, so the new one has the blood of the Lord. By this, Christ also shows that He will endure death; therefore he mentions the covenant, and remembers together the first, since this covenant was renewed with blood. Further, he again speaks about the reason for His death: “For this... is poured out for many for the remission of sins,” and adds: “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Do you see how Christ rejects and turns away from Jewish customs? Just as you celebrated the Passover, He says, in remembrance of the miracles that happened in Egypt, so perform this sacrament in remembrance of Me. The blood of the Old Testament was shed for the salvation of the firstborn, and this blood is shed for the remission of sins of the whole world: “This is My Blood,” He says, “which is shed for the remission of sins.” He also said this in order to show that suffering and the cross are a sacrament, and by this again to console the disciples. And as Moses said: let this be remembered for you forever (Ex. 3:15), so Christ says: “In remembrance of Me,” until the time I come. That is why he also says: “I greatly desired to eat this Passover with you” (Luke 22:15), that is, to give you new regulations and to grant Passover, in order to make you spiritual through it. And he himself drank from the cup, so that the disciples, hearing this, would not say: what is it, we drink blood and eat flesh? – and they weren’t embarrassed by that. (After all, when Christ spoke about this, many were tempted by the very words). So, so that the disciples would not be embarrassed even then, He himself was the first to do this, encouraging them to begin to partake of the mysteries without embarrassment. It was for this purpose that He drank His own blood. What then? Shouldn't you say that both the ancient and the new sacraments should be performed? No way. This is why Christ said: “Do this,” in order to deviate from the ancient. If the new sacrament bestows remission of sins - and it really does - then the ancient one is already unnecessary. Therefore, as it was with the Jews, so here Christ combined the remembrance of a good deed with the sacrament, and with this he stops the lips of heretics. When they say: how do we know that Christ sacrificed Himself? - then we, in addition to other evidence, stop their mouths with the sacraments themselves. If Jesus did not die, then what do the sacraments symbolize? 2. Do you see how much Christ took care that we always remember that He died for us? Since the followers of Marcion, Valentinus and Manes appeared, rejecting this construction of salvation, He constantly reminds us of suffering through the sacraments themselves, so that no one is deceived, and thus through this sacred meal both saves and, at the same time, instructs, because this sacrament is the foundation of good things. This is why Paul often mentions this. Then, after the establishment of the sacrament, Christ says: “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink new [wine] with you in the kingdom of My Father” (Matthew 26:29). Since He talked with his disciples about suffering and the cross, he again speaks about the resurrection, mentions the kingdom, thus calling His resurrection. But why did He drink after the resurrection? So that rude people do not consider the resurrection illusory: after all, many put this as a sign of the resurrection. That is why the apostles, to be assured of the resurrection, said: “To us who ate and drank with Him” (Acts 10:41). So, wanting to show the disciples that they will see Him clearly after the resurrection, that He will be with them again and that they themselves will witness the event both through vision and through deeds, He says: “When I drink new [wine] with you,” with your testimony; you will see Me after I am resurrected. What does it mean: “New [wine]”? In a new way, that is, in an extraordinary way, not in a body subject to suffering, but already immortal, incorruptible and having no need for food. So, after the resurrection, Christ ate and drank not out of necessity - then His body no longer needed this - but to confirm the resurrection. But why, after the resurrection, did He drink wine rather than water? In order to completely uproot another evil heresy. Since some use water in the mysteries, to show that at the establishment of the sacrament he consumed wine, and after the resurrection, when he offered an ordinary meal without the sacrament, he also consumed wine, he says: “from the fruit of this vine.” The grapevine produces wine, not water. “And having sung, they went to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). Let all those who, like pigs, taking food without prayer, trample on the sensual meal and get up drunk from it, hear it, when they should finish it with gratitude and singing. Listen, too, you who do not wait for the final prayer when performing the mysteries: this prayer is an image of Christ’s prayer. Christ gave thanks before offering the meal to the disciples, so that we too would give thanks. He gave thanks and sang, and after the meal, so that we would do the same. But why did He go to the mountain? In order to reveal Himself to those who wanted to take Him, so that they would not think that He was hiding; Therefore, he hurried to go to a place known to Judas. “Then Jesus says to them: You will all be offended because of Me.” Then he cites the prophecy: “For it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (Matthew 26:31) - in order, on the one hand, to convince the disciples to always heed the Scripture, and on the other, to show that He is crucified according to the will of God, and so that from everything it can be seen that He is not an opponent of the Old Testament and God, proclaimed in it, that what is happening is a matter of God’s supervision, and that all real events have been from ancient times. the prophets foretold, so that the disciples would undoubtedly hope for the best. At the same time, it makes it clear what the disciples were like before death on the cross, and what they were like after death on the cross. Those who during His crucifixion could not even resist, after His death became strong and stronger than adamant. And this very thing, that is, the flight and fear of the disciples, serves as proof of the death of the Savior. Indeed, if, after such great events and evidence, some shamelessly say that Christ was not crucified, then what kind of wickedness would they not have fallen into if nothing like that had happened? Therefore, not only by His suffering, but also by the condition of the disciples, as well as by the mysteries, Christ confirms the truth of His death, shaming with all this those infected with the heresy of Marcion. That is why he allows the Supreme Apostle to renounce. In fact, if He was not bound and crucified, then why did such fear seize both this apostle and the others? However, Christ did not allow them to remain in sorrow, but what does he say? “After My resurrection I will go before you into Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). He does not appear from heaven immediately and does not depart to some distant country, but remains among the very people among whom he was crucified, and in almost those very places - in order to assure the disciples that He himself was both crucified and resurrected - and even more so to console them in their sorrow. That is why he said: “In Galilee,” so that, freed from the fear of the Jews, they would believe His words. That's why He appeared there. “Peter answered and said to Him, Even if all are offended because of You, I will never be offended” (Matthew 26:33). 3. What are you saying, Peter? The Prophet said: “The sheep will be scattered”; Christ confirmed what was said; and you say no? Isn’t it enough for you what happened before, when you said: “Be merciful to yourself, Lord” (Matthew 16:22) - and were convicted? Christ allows Peter to fall in order to teach him to obey Him in everything, and to regard His determination as the truest of his own judgment. And others also received a lot of benefit from his rejection, having learned human weakness and the truth of God. When God himself predicted something, one should no longer dispute it and rebel against many. “You will have praise,” says the apostle, “only in yourself, and not in another” (Gal. 6:4). It would be necessary to pray and say: help us not to be separated; and he relies on himself and says: “Even if everyone is offended because of You, I will never be offended” - that is, even if everyone tolerated this, I will not tolerate it - which little by little led him to pride. Wanting to keep him from this, Christ allowed his rejection. Since Peter did not listen to the words of either Christ or the prophet (although Christ brought the testimony of the prophet for this purpose, so that the disciples would not contradict), he learns by deeds themselves. And that Christ allowed Peter to deny in order to correct this vice in him - listen to what He says: “I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail” (Luke 22:32). He said this in order to greatly touch him and show that his fall is more dangerous than the fall of others, and requires more help. In fact, there were two crimes here: firstly, that he contradicted, secondly, that he placed himself above others; or better to say, there was a third crime - that he attributed everything to himself. So, to heal this, Christ allowed the fall; and therefore, leaving the others, he turns to Peter: “Simon! , - He says, - Simon! Behold, Satan asked that he might sow you like wheat” (Luke 22:31) - that is, he disturbed, hesitated, he tempted; “I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail.” But why, if Satan asked everyone, did Christ not say: “prayed for everyone”? Isn’t it obvious that this also has the same purpose that I spoke about above, that is, that Christ turns His word to Peter in order to touch him and show that his fall is more dangerous than the fall of others? Why didn’t He also say: I did not allow, but “prayed”? While going into suffering, He spoke humbly to show His humanity. The one who created the Church on the confession of Peter and so protected her that countless dangers and deaths would not overcome her, who gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, entrusted him with such great power and, to accomplish this, had no need for prayer (he did not say then: “prayed,” but with authority said: “I will create my church” and: “and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:18-19), how needed prayer to strengthen the wavering soul of one person? Why did he say so? For the reason that I spoke about, and because of the weakness of His disciples, since they did not yet have the proper understanding of Him. How did Christ not say: so that you would not deny, but so that your faith would not fail, and this would be a matter of Christ’s care? Indeed, the immense fear that overwhelmed Peter scattered everything; and this fear was immeasurable because God completely deprived him of His help; but he deprived him of help because the passion of pride and contradiction was strong in him. So, in order to completely destroy this passion, God allowed Peter to be overcome by such strong fear. And that this passion was strong in him is evident from the fact that he was not content with the fact that he had previously contradicted both the prophet and Christ, but even after that, when Christ said to him: “Truly I tell you, this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times,” he said: “Even though I should die with You, I will not deny You” (Matt. 26:34–35). Luke (Luke 22:33–34) adds that the more Christ refuted, the more Peter contradicted. What does this mean, Peter: when Christ said: “One of you will betray Me,” you were afraid so as not to be a traitor, and prompted the disciple to ask, although you were not aware of anything like that in yourself; and now, when He clearly proclaims and says: “You will all be offended,” do you contradict, and not just once, but twice and many times? That's exactly what Luke says. Why did this happen to him? From great love, from great joy. When he freed himself from that fear of betrayal and recognized the traitor, he spoke with boldness and, elevating himself above others, declared: “Even if everyone is offended because of You, I will never be offended.” This partly depended on ambition, since at the supper the disciples argued about which of them was greater: this passion tormented them so much. That is why Christ humiliated Peter, not in order to induce him to rejection - let it not be - but in order to leave him deprived of help, to show the weakness of human nature. Look how after this he became meek: when, after the resurrection, he said: “What is he” (John 21:21)? - and was stopped, he no longer dared to contradict, as here, but remained silent. Also during the ascension, when he heard: “It is not your business to know times or seasons” (Acts 1:7), he again remained silent and did not contradict. And after this, when in the upper room, and seeing the shroud, he heard a voice saying to him: “What God has cleansed, you do not consider unclean” (Acts. 10:15), - and still did not clearly know what these words meant - he was silent and did not ask. 4. All this was a consequence of the fall. Before this, Peter attributed everything to himself, saying: “Even if everyone is offended because of You, I will never be offended... even if I had to die with You, I will not deny You,” whereas he should have said: if I receive help from You. But after the fall, he says something completely opposite: “Why do you look at us, as if we had done by our own strength or piety that he walks” (Acts 3:12)? From here we learn the great truth that a person’s own efforts are not enough if he does not receive higher help; and vice versa, that we will not receive any benefit from higher help if we do not have our own efforts. Judas and Peter prove both. The first, having received a lot of help, did not receive any benefit, because he did not want to, and did not put in his own efforts; and the latter, even through his own efforts, fell because he did not receive any help. Virtue is composed of these two accessories. Therefore, I beg that you, leaving everything to the will of God, do not give in to sleep, and that in your own efforts do not think that you are doing everything through your own labors. God does not want us to be careless, and therefore He does not do everything Himself; He also does not want us to be arrogant, as a result of which He did not give us everything, but, from both, taking away what was harmful, He left us what was useful. Therefore, he allowed the supreme apostle to fall, in order to make him meek and arouse him to greater love. The one who has the most, it is said, will be left the more, will love the most (Luke 7:47). So, let us obey God in everything, and let us not contradict anything, even if His words seem contrary to our thoughts and views; but let His word rule our thoughts and views. Let us act in the same way in the sacraments, paying attention not only to appearances, but keeping the words of Christ in our minds. His Word is immutable, but our feelings are easily deceived. The former never sins, but the latter is often deceived. Therefore, when Christ says: “This is My Body,” let us be convinced, we will believe and look at it with spiritual eyes. Christ did not convey to us anything sensual, but everything spiritual, only in sensual things. So it is in baptism: through a sensory thing, water, a gift is imparted, and the spiritual action consists of birth and renewal. If you were incorporeal, then Christ would impart these gifts to you incorporeally; but since your soul is connected to your body, the spiritual communicates to you through the sensory. As many people say now: I would like to see the face of Christ, the image, the clothes, the shoes! Behold, you see Him, you touch Him, you taste Him. You want to see His clothes, but He gives Himself to you, and not only see, but also touch, and taste, and take in. So, no one should approach with negligence, no one with cowardice, but all with fiery love, all with ardent zeal and cheerfulness. If the Jews ate the lamb with haste, standing up and having boots on their feet and rods in their hands, then you should watch much more. They were preparing to go to Palestine, and therefore looked like travelers; you are preparing to go to heaven. 5. Therefore, one must always be awake; no small punishment awaits those who partake unworthily. Think how indignant you are at the traitor and at those who crucified Christ. So, beware that you too do not become guilty against the body and blood of Christ. They put to death the all-holy body; and you accept him with an unclean soul after such great benefits. In fact, He was not content with merely becoming a man, being strangled and killed; but He still communicates Himself to us, and not only by faith, but also by the very deed makes us His body. How pure must be the one who enjoys this sacrifice? How much purer than the rays of the sun should there be - a hand crushing this flesh, a mouth filled with spiritual fire, a tongue stained with terrible blood? Think what an honor you have been awarded, what a meal you are enjoying! At the sight of what the angels tremble, and what they do not dare to look at without fear, because of the radiance emanating from here, with this we are nourished, with this we communicate and become one body and one flesh with Christ. “Whoever speaks of the power of the Lord will declare all His praises” (Ps. 105:2)? What kind of shepherd feeds the sheep with his own members? But what am I saying – shepherd? There are often mothers who give their newborn babies to other nurses. But Christ did not tolerate this, but Himself feeds us with His own blood, and through everything unites us with Himself. Consider that He was born from our nature. But you will say: this does not apply to everyone. On the contrary, to everyone. If He came to our nature, then it is obvious that He came to everyone; and if to all, then to each individual. Why, you say, did not everyone benefit from this? This does not depend on the One who was pleased to do this for everyone, but on those who were not willing. He unites with every believer through the mysteries, and He Himself nourishes those whom He gave birth to, and does not entrust it to anyone else; and by this he again assures you that He has taken on your flesh. So, having received such love and honor, let us not indulge in carelessness. Do you not see with what readiness babies take their nipples, with what desire they press their lips to them? With the same disposition we must approach this meal and suckle the spiritual cup, or better said, with even greater desire we must attract to ourselves, like breastfeeding babies, the grace of the Spirit; and we should have only one sorrow - the fact that we do not partake of this food. The actions of this sacrament are not performed by human power. The One who performed them then, at that supper, still performs them now. We take the place of ministers, and Christ himself sanctifies and transforms the gifts. Let there not be a single Judas here, not a single lover of money. If anyone is not a disciple of Christ, then let him leave; the meal does not admit those who are not such. “With My disciples,” says Christ, “I will celebrate the Passover” (Matthew 26:18). This is the same meal that Christ offered, and nothing less. It cannot be said that this is done by Christ, and this by man; Christ himself does both. This place is the same upper room where He was with the disciples; from here they went out to the Mount of Olives. Let us also go out to where the hands of the poor are stretched out; this very place is the Mount of Olives; the multitude of the poor are the olive trees planted in the house of God, dripping with oil, which will be useful to us there, which the five virgins had, and which, not taking, the other five perished. Having taken this oil, let us go in so that we can go out with burning lamps to meet the Bridegroom. Taking this oil, let's leave here. Not a single inhuman, not a single cruel and unmerciful person, in a word, not a single unclean person, should approach here. 6. This I say to you who partake, and to you who serve. We need to talk to you so that you share these gifts with great care. No small punishment awaits you if, having recognized someone as wicked, you allow them to partake of this meal. His blood will be required at your hands. Even if there was a commander, even a high commander, even a king himself wearing a diadem, if he approaches unworthily, then forbid him: you have more power than he. If you were tasked with keeping a source of water clean for your flock, and you saw a sheep with a lot of dirt on its mouth, you would not allow it to stoop and disturb the source. But now you have been given a source not of water, but of blood and the Spirit, and you, seeing some who have sin, which is worse than earth and dirt, and approaching this source, will you not be indignant, will you not hinder? What kind of forgiveness can you receive? For this reason, God has awarded you this honor so that you can deal with such matters. This is your dignity, your importance, your crown, and not that you put on white and shining clothes. But how, you say, can I know both? I'm not talking about unknown people, but about famous people. I will say something more terrible: it is not so much dangerous for those possessed to approach this sacrament as for those who, as Paul says, trample on Christ, do not consider the blood of the covenant to be holy, and mock the grace of the Spirit (Heb. 10:29). One who approaches in sins is worse than one possessed by a demon. The latter is not punished because he is raging; and he who approaches unworthily is given over to eternal torment. So, we will remove not only those possessed by demons, but also everyone whom we would see approaching unworthily. No one should partake if he is not one of the disciples of Christ. No one should accept gifts like Judas, lest they suffer the same fate as Judas. This congregation of believers is also the body of Christ. Therefore, you, minister of the sacraments, be careful not to irritate the Lord if you do not cleanse this body, be careful not to give a sword instead of food. But even if someone comes foolishly to receive communion, forbid him - do not be afraid. Fear God, not man. If you fear man, you will be humiliated by God; and if you fear God, then you will be honored by people. If you yourself do not dare, then bring it to me: I will not allow this insolence. I would rather give up my soul than partake of the blood of the Lord to an unworthy person; I would rather shed my own blood than partake of such a terrible blood of someone who should not. If, after many trials, someone does not find someone unworthy, he will not be guilty. I said this about famous people. If we correct these, then God will soon make even the unknown known to us. If we ignore those known to us, then why should He make others known to us? I say this not so that we only remove and cut off, but so that we correct and return them, so that we can take care of them. In this way we will appease God, and we will find many worthy communicants, and we will receive for our efforts and care for others a great reward, with which may we all be worthy by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: