Беседа 9

Matthew 2:16. Then Herod, seeing himself ridiculed by the Magi, became very angry, and sent to kill all the babies in Bethlehem and throughout its borders, from two years old and below, according to the time that he found out from the Magi. Why did God allow the massacre of infants? – Sufferings and disasters suffered unjustly either atone for our sins or serve to obtain greater rewards in heaven. – In a person’s life, everything happens according to the action of God. Fishery. – As a proof of His power, God fulfills His intentions by means of opposite means. – Why Joseph comes to Nazareth. – The prophetic writings are not all preserved by Jews. – One should not be proud of either the fatherland, or ancestors, or wealth, or other external advantages. – Wealth does not bring security and leads to the destruction of the soul. 1. Without a doubt, Herod should not have been angry, but had fear, humbled himself and realized that he was undertaking an impossible task; however, he does not humble himself. When the soul is insensitive and incurable, it does not accept any healing given by God. See how Herod again strives in his former deeds, adds murder to murder, and goes mad. Overwhelmed by anger and envy, like some demon, he does not look at anything, rages over nature itself, and his anger, excited by the wise men who laughed at him, pours out on innocent babies, and thus now commits in Palestine an atrocity similar to what once happened in Egypt: “he sent to beat all the babies in Bethlehem and throughout its borders, from two years old and below, according to the time that he found out from Magi" (Matthew 2:16). Be attentive to my words here. Many people judge these children very unreasonably and are indignant at the injustice of their beating, some expressing their doubts quite modestly, while others with great insolence. So, in order to stop the insolence of some, and resolve the doubt of others, listen with patience to my brief reflection on this subject. If they blame the fact that the beating of children was allowed by Providence, then let them blame him for the death of the soldiers who guarded Peter. Just as here, after the Youth’s escape, other children are beaten instead of the one sought, so there, when an angel freed Peter from prison and bonds, exactly the same tyrant, both in name and in morals, not finding Peter, put to death the soldiers guarding him instead. But what is this, you say? This is not a solution, but only complicates the issue. I know this myself; But this is why I propose this, so that all such questions can be answered with one solution. So what is this solution? What solution can be given more satisfactorily than that it was not Christ who caused the death of the children, but the cruelty of the king; Likewise, it was not Peter who caused the death of the soldiers, but the madness of Herod? In fact, if this latter had found a undermined wall or broken doors, then he would perhaps have the right to blame the carelessness of the soldiers guarding the apostle. But since everything remained in proper order - and the doors were locked, and the shackles remained in the hands of the guards (after all, they were tied together with Peter), then he could without a doubt conclude from here, if only he could reason sensibly about what had happened, that this was not a matter of human power, or any deception, but a matter of divine and miraculous power, and to revere the One who did this, and not to rebel against the guards. For this reason, God did all this in such a way as not only not to subject the guards to punishment, but so that through them the king himself could be led to the truth. If he turned out to be insensitive, then does the patient’s negligence fall on the wise Physician of souls, Who used everything for his good? The same can be said here. Why did you, Herod, get angry when you were scolded by the Magi? Or did you not know that the birth was divine? Was it not you who called the bishops? Was it not you who gathered the scribes? Didn’t those who were called with them before your judgment seat bring with them the prophet who had long ago predicted this? Have you not seen that the ancient agrees with the new? Have you not heard that the star also served the Magi? Are you not ashamed of the jealousy of the barbarians? Weren't you surprised at their boldness? Aren't you horrified by the prophetic truth? Couldn't I conclude from the past to the next? After all this, why didn’t you think that this was not accomplished by the deception of the Magi, but by the power of God, which arranges everything in the right way? But if you were deceived by the Magi, then what is the fault of the children who did not offend you in the least? 2. All this is so, you say; but, having clearly shown how unapologetic and bloodthirsty Herod was, you have not yet resolved the question of the injustice of the event itself. Even if he acted unfairly, why, you say, did God allow this? How should we answer this question? I will point you to the very rule that I constantly talk about in church, and in the market place, and in every place - a rule that I want you to carefully observe, since it gives us a solution to all such perplexities. What kind of rule is this? What is it? The fact that there are many who offend, but there is not one who is offended. In order not to confuse you even more with such a riddle, I will solve it right now. Insults that we unjustly suffer from anyone, God imputes to us either as remission of sins or as reward. To make my words clearer, I will explain them with an example. Let us suppose that a slave owes his master a large sum of money; Let us further assume that this slave is offended by dishonest people, and some part of his property is taken away. So, if this master, having the opportunity to restrain the kidnapper and covetous man, instead of returning the money stolen from him to the slave, counted it against his debt, would the slave be offended? No way. What if the master had given him even more stolen goods? Wouldn't he have gained even more than he lost? This is obvious to everyone. We should think in the same way about our sufferings: with these sufferings we either atone for our sins, or, if we have no sins, we receive the most brilliant crowns for them. Listen to what Paul says about the fornicator: “to be delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved” (1 Cor. 5:5). But what is this for, you say? We are talking about those who are offended by others, and not about those who are corrected by teachers. In reality, however, there is no difference here, because our question was: is there really no offense to the sufferer in suffering? But in order to bring the word closer to the subject of our study, let us recall David, who, seeing Shimei attacking him, mocking his misfortune and showering him with countless curses, restrained the military leaders who wanted to kill him, saying: “Leave him, let him slander”, so that he could see “The Lord ... my humility, and return with goodness for the present ... slander” ( 2 Samuel 16:11–12). And in the Psalms, chanting, he said: “Look at my enemies, how many there are, and with what fierce hatred they hate me... and forgive all my sins” (Psalm 24:19, 18). And Lazarus achieved peace because in his present life he suffered countless calamities. So, those who seem offended are not really offended, if only they endure all misfortunes with courage; on the contrary, they gain even more whether they receive blows from God himself, or from the devil. But what sin did the babies have, you say, that they had to wash away with their blood? The above is true because it can only be applied to people of age who have sinned a lot; but those who suffered such an untimely death, what sins did they atone for with their suffering? But have you not heard what I said that if there are no sins, then there is a reward for the suffering here? So, what damage did the children suffer who were killed for such a reason and soon reached the late pier? You will say that they would have accomplished many, and perhaps even great, deeds if their lives had continued. But God offers them no small reward for losing their lives for such a reason; otherwise He would not have allowed their early death if they could have become great. If God already allows those who spend their whole lives in evil to live with such long-suffering, then even more so he would not allow these children to die like that if he foresaw that they would do something great. 3. These are our reasons; however, this is not all, but there are other most secret things that only the one who arranges it knows completely. So, having provided Him with the most perfect knowledge of this, let us pay attention to what follows, and from the misfortunes of others we will learn to endure everything courageously. Truly, considerable sorrow befell Bethlehem when children were torn from their mothers' breasts and put to an unrighteous death. If you are still faint-hearted and unable to rise to such wisdom, then find out the end of the one who dared to commit such an atrocity, and calm down a little. In fact, the judgment very soon befell Herod for his act, and he was adequately punished for his villainy: he ended his life with a grave death, and even more pitiful than the one to which he condemned the infants, while suffering countless other sufferings. You can learn about this from the story of Joseph, which we do not consider necessary to convey here - on the one hand, so as not to lengthen our words, on the other, so as not to interrupt the order. Matt. 2:17–18. Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying: A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and mourning and great crying; Rachel cries for her children and does not want to be consoled, for they are not there. Since the evangelist filled the listener with horror with the narration of this violent, unjust, cruel and lawless beating, he consoles him, saying that this did not happen because God could not prevent it, or did not foresee it, but that He foresaw and foretold about it through the mouth of the prophet. So, do not be embarrassed and do not lose heart when you look at His ineffable Providence, which can clearly be seen both in His action and in His permission. This is what Christ made clear to the disciples when one day, in a conversation with them, foretelling to them about judgments, bonds, the enmity of the entire universe and irreconcilable warfare, he said for their inspiration and consolation: “Are not two small birds sold for an assar? And not one of them will fall to the ground without the will of your Father” (Matthew 10:29). With these words He wanted to show that nothing happens without His knowledge, but that He knows everything, although He does not do everything. Therefore, he says, do not be embarrassed and do not be afraid. If the One who knows your suffering and can avert them, however, does not avert it, then, without a doubt, because He provides and cares for you. This is how we should reason in our own temptations, and from here we will receive considerable consolation. “Rachel,” it is said, “cries for her children.” But, someone might say, what does Rachel have in common with Bethlehem? What does Rama have in common with Rachel? Rachel was the mother of Benjamin, and upon death she was buried on the path of the hippodrome (Gen. 35:19) near Ramah. So, since her tomb was near Rama, and this place went to the inheritance of Benjamin, her son (Rama was in the tribe of Benjamin), then both by the ancestor and by the place of burial, the evangelist rightly calls the beaten children the children of Rachel. Then, showing that the grief that happened was heavy and inconsolable, he says: “he doesn’t want to be comforted, because they are not there.” And from here we learn again the same thing that I spoke about above, namely, that we should not be embarrassed when circumstances seem inconsistent with the promise of God. Look what the beginning was like when the Lord came to save His people, or better yet, to save the entire universe. The mother runs away, the father is subjected to unbearable suffering, a murder is committed, the worst of all murders; everywhere there is crying, sobbing and much crying. But don't be embarrassed! The Lord, as the clearest proof of His power, usually fulfills His intentions by means that are always opposite. So He raised up His disciples, taught them and prepared them for all sorts of exploits, doing this for the sake of a greater miracle by means of opposite means. Therefore, they too, being tortured, persecuted and enduring countless disasters, remained victorious over those who tortured and persecuted them. Matthew 2:19–20. After the death of Herod, behold, the Angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in Egypt in a dream and says: Arise, take the Child and His Mother and go to the land of Israel. Now he no longer says “run”, but “go”. 4. Do you see how temptation is again followed by peace, and peace is again followed by danger? His exile was over; he returned to his country, and learned of the death of the child abuser; but, having entered his native land, he still finds remnants of former dangers, finds the son of a tyrant alive - and on the throne. But how could Archelaus reign in Judea when Pontic Pilate was hegemon? Herod had just died and the kingdom had not yet been divided into parts, and since immediately after Herod’s death his son took over power instead of his father, and meanwhile Archelaus’ brother was also called Herod, the evangelist added: Matthew 2:22. instead of his father Herod. But, you say, if Joseph was afraid to go to Judea because of Archelaus, then he should have been afraid of Galilee because of Herod. No; with the change of residence the matter was already hidden. The entire attack was on Bethlehem and its borders, and since the beating had already been carried out, Archelaus, the son of Herod, thought that everything was already over, and that among many the One Whom they were looking for had been killed. Moreover, perhaps, seeing such an end to his father’s life, he was afraid to extend further and still persist in lawlessness. Thus, Joseph comes to Nazareth, both to avoid danger and to desire to live in his homeland. For great encouragement, he receives notification of this from an angel. Meanwhile, Saint Luke does not say that Joseph went to Nazareth as a result of such a notification; according to him, Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth, having fulfilled everything according to the law of purification. What can I say to this? What Saint Luke says is when he talks about the time before his journey to Egypt. The angel, of course, would not have led them there before the purification, so that there would be no violation of the law; he waited until this cleansing was completed and they went to Nazareth, and then he ordered them to go to Egypt. Then, when they returned from there, he commanded them to go to Nazareth; the first time they went there not at the inspiration of an angel, but did it on their own, out of love for their homeland. Since they went to Bethlehem only because of the census, and did not even have a place to stay, then, having finished the work for which they came, they returned to Nazareth. So, the angel returns them to the house and calms them down for the future. And this happened not just, but according to prophecy: Matthew 2:23. “Let it be fulfilled,” says the evangelist, “that which was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.” Which prophet said this, do not be too curious and do not investigate. As can be seen from the history of Chronicles, many prophetic books have been lost. The Jews, being careless and often falling into wickedness, allowed others to get lost, others themselves burned and tore to pieces. Jeremiah talks about one thing, the writer of the fourth book of Kings talks about another, reporting that after a long time they barely found Deuteronomy somewhere buried and lost. If the Jews were so careless about the sacred books when there were no enemies yet, then even more so during the invasion of enemies. However, in accordance with the prophecies of the prophets, the apostles often call Christ a Nazarene. But didn’t this, you say, obscure the prophecies about Bethlehem? No. On the contrary, this is what especially prompted a careful study of what was said about Him. So Nathanael begins his study about Him with the words: “can anything good come from Nazareth” (John 1:46)? Indeed, Nazareth was not an important place; and not only he, but the entire region of Galilee. That is why the Pharisees said: “Look and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee” (John 7:52). And yet, the Lord is not ashamed to be called by the name of this place, showing that He has no need for anything human; He also chooses His disciples from Galilee, thereby destroying all excuses of lazy people and showing that for the achievement of virtue we do not need anything external. That is why he does not choose a home for himself: “The Son of Man,” he says, “has no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). That is why He flees from the wiles of Herod, and at birth is placed in a manger, and stays in an inn, and chooses a poor Mother - thereby teaching us not to consider anything so shameful, trampling on human pride from the very beginning and convincing us to one virtue. 5. And why are you proud of your fatherland, He says, when I command you to be a wanderer of the whole universe, when you can become such that the whole world will not be worthy of you? Where you come from is so unimportant that the pagan philosophers themselves do not attach any importance to it, call it external and give it last place. However, Paul allows this, you say, when he says: “in relation to election, beloved of God for the sake of the fathers” (Rom. 11:28). But tell me, when, about whom and to whom does he say this? Converted pagans, who were proud of their faith, rebelled against the Jews, and thereby alienated them even more from themselves. So, he says this in order to bring down arrogance in some, and to attract and excite others to similar jealousy. When he talks about those noble and great men, then listen to what he says: “for those who speak like this show that they are looking for the fatherland. And if they had in their thoughts the fatherland from which they came, they would have time to return; but they sought what was better, that is, heavenly things” (Heb. 11:14–16). And again: “all these died in faith, not receiving the promises, but only saw them from afar and rejoiced” (Heb. 11:13). In exactly the same way, John said to those who came to him: “Do not think to say to yourself: Our father is Abraham” (Matthew 3:9); also Paul: “not all those Israelites who are of Israel... are not children of the flesh, they are children of God” (Rom. 9:6, 8). In fact, tell me, what benefit did the children of Samuel have in the nobility of their father, when they themselves did not inherit his virtue? What good is it for the children of Moses who were not jealous of his strict life? They did not inherit his power. They were written by his children, but the government of the people passed to another who was his son in virtue. On the contrary, did it hurt Timothy that he had a Gentile father? What again did the son of Noah benefit from the virtue of his father if he became a slave from a free man? Do you see how little protection children have in the nobility of their father? The corruption of the will overcame the laws of nature, and deprived Ham not only of the nobility of his parents, but also of freedom itself. Also, was not Esau the son of Isaac, who also interceded for him? Although his father tried and wanted him to be a participant in the blessing, and he himself fulfilled all his commands for this purpose, but since he was thin, all this did not help him. Despite the fact that by nature he was the first-born, and his father, together with him, tried in every possible way to preserve his advantage, he, however, lost everything, because he did not have God with him. But what am I saying about individuals? The Jews were sons of God, and yet they gained nothing from this dignity. So, if someone, even being a son of God, is punished even more for not showing virtue worthy of such nobility, then what about showing off the nobility of his grandfathers and great-grandfathers? And not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament one can find the same thing. “And to those who,” it is said, “received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the power to become children of God” (John 1:12); meanwhile, for many of these children, according to Paul, it is completely useless that they have such a Father. “If you are circumcised,” he says, “Christ will profit you nothing” (Galatians 5:2). If Christ is completely useless for those who do not want to listen to themselves, then what is the use of human intercession? So, let us not be proud of either nobility or wealth, but let us despise those who are puffed up with such advantages; Let us not be discouraged because of poverty, but let us seek that wealth which consists of good deeds, and flee that poverty which leads us into sin. For this last reason, the famous rich man was indeed poor, which is why he could not, despite intense requests, receive even one drop of water. Meanwhile, is there such a beggar among us who would not have water to cool himself? There is none; and those who are melting away from extreme hunger may have a drop of water, and not only a drop of water, but another, much greater consolation. But this rich man didn’t even have that - he was so poor, and, what’s most painful of all, he couldn’t have any consolation in his poverty from anywhere. So why do we covet money when it does not take us to heaven? Tell me, if any earthly king said that a rich man could not shine in his royal palaces, or achieve any honor, would not everyone throw away their possessions with contempt? So, if we are ready to despise possessions when they deprive us of honor from the king of the earth, then with the voice of the King of heaven, who daily cries out and says that it is inconvenient to enter those sacred vestibules with wealth, shall we not despise everything and reject wealth in order to freely enter His kingdom? 6. And are we worthy of any forgiveness when, with great diligence, we burden ourselves with what blocks our entry there, and hide our wealth not only in chests, but also in the ground, then how could we put it in a heavenly storehouse? In this case, you act like that farmer who, having taken wheat, instead of sowing it in a fruitful field, throws it into the lake, which is why he himself does not receive any benefit, and the wheat, having spoiled, is lost. And how do people usually justify themselves when we denounce them in this way? This gives us no little comfort, they say, that we are confident in the safety of everything hidden with us. But not being sure there are hidden treasures is also comforting. Let's assume that you are not afraid of hunger; but for the sake of such a repository, you must necessarily fear other, gravest disasters - death, enmity, slander. And even in case of famine, the people, forced by it, will raise their hand against your house. Or rather, by doing this, you yourself cause famine to the cities, and through this you are preparing for your home a danger worse than famine. I don’t know if anyone suddenly died of hunger, because many different kinds of remedies can be invented against this evil; but for money, for wealth, and for similar things, I can imagine many people killed both secretly and openly. Roads, court places and marketplaces are filled with many such examples. What am I talking about roads, court places and market places? Look, the very sea is filled with blood. The tyrannical power of covetousness has not only spread its power on earth, but also rages with great fury at sea. One swims for gold, the other is killed for it; This tormenting passion makes one a merchant, another a murderer. So, what can you least rely on if not wealth, when because of it you have to wander, be exposed to danger and death itself? But “who will regret the bite of a snake charmer” (Sirach 12:13), according to the word of Scripture? Knowing the cruelty of tyranny, one should flee from slavery and destroy destructive love. But, tell me, is this possible? Perhaps, if only you establish another love within yourself, the love of heaven. He who desires the Kingdom of Heaven laughs at greed. The servant of Christ will not be the slave of wealth, but its master. Wealth usually itself seeks the one who runs from it, and runs away from the one who seeks it; He does not so much honor the one who seeks him as the one who despises him; He mocks no one more than his seekers - and not only mocks them, but also entangles them in countless bonds. So, let us at least now free ourselves from these destructive chains. Why enslave the rational soul to irrational matter, the mother of countless evils? But isn't it funny? We argue against it with words, and it argues against us with deeds; takes us everywhere and, to our disgrace, argues with us as with slaves and indecent slaves. What is more shameful and dishonest than this? If we do not overcome insensible substances, then how will we overcome incorporeal forces? If we do not despise base matter and despicable stones, then how will we subjugate principles and powers? How will we practice chastity? If the shine of silver amazes us, then how can we despise the beauty of the face? There are people who are so devoted to this tyrannical power that the very sight of gold produces a special effect on them, and they say as a joke that looking at a gold coin is good for the eyes. But don't joke like that, man! Truly, nothing harms both the physical and mental eyes as much as this passion. This destructive love extinguished the lamps of the foolish virgins and deprived them of the bridal chamber. Looking at gold, which, according to you, is good for the eyes, did not allow the unfortunate Judas to heed the voice of the Lord, and even brought him to the point that he hanged himself, split open in the middle and finally fell into Gehenna. So, what could be more wicked than this look? What's worse? I am not talking about the substance of money, but about the immense and unbridled passion for it. She sheds human blood drop by drop, has a murderous appearance, fiercer than any beast, since she torments the fallen, and, even worse, does not allow them to feel these torments. Those possessed by this passion should stretch out their hands to those passing by and cry out for help; and they still give thanks for this torment. What could be more unfortunate? So, thinking about this, let us run away from this incurable disease, let us heal its remorse and avoid such an ulcer, so that we can lead our life here safely and calmly, and inherit the future treasures, which we all will be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: