Беседа 31

John 3:35–36. The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, and he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Faith without a good life is useless for salvation. – 2. Why Jesus Christ withdraws. – 3. Origin of the Samaritan woman. – 4. Continuation of the same thing. - Abolition of Jewish rituals. – 5. The good example given to the Samaritan woman regarding the love and jealousy with which the word of Jesus Christ should be treated. – She calls others to Jesus Christ, while the Jews turned away from him. To do what is displeasing to God means to live uselessly and to one’s own destruction. - The soul is immortal. “The body will also be immortal so that we can enjoy heavenly blessings.” “God offers us heaven, but we become attached to the earth, insulting the Lord.” 1. The great benefit of gradualism is revealed in all matters. This is how we succeed in science without suddenly learning everything from mentors. Thus we built cities, raising them little by little and gradually; This is how we save our lives. Do not be surprised if this order in everyday affairs has such power; and in spiritual matters one can discern the great power of this wisdom. Only in this way could the Jews free themselves from idolatry, being removed from it imperceptibly, little by little, at first not hearing anything sublime either in dogmas or in the rules of life. So after the coming of Christ, when the time had come for the discovery of the highest dogmas, the apostles brought everyone to Christ, without uttering anything sublime for the first time. So Christ spoke with most of his listeners from the beginning. This is what John (the Baptist) does, speaking about Christ as if only about an extraordinary person, and only covertly depicting His sublime properties. At the beginning he says: “a man cannot take upon himself anything unless it is given to him from heaven” (John 3:27); then he touches on something sublime, saying: “He who comes from above is above all” (John 3:31). Further, he again reduces the word to something humble, saying among other things: “God does not give the Spirit by measure” (John 3:34); then again he exalts (the word): “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35); then, knowing what benefit the threat of punishment brings, and how many are led not so much by promises of blessings as by threats of torment, he concludes his speech like this: “he who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). And here again, speaking about punishment, he raises the word to the Father. He did not say: the wrath of the Son, although He is the judge, but introduced the Father to them, wanting all the more to frighten them. But is it really, you say, enough to believe in the Son in order to have an eternal life? No way. Listen to how Christ himself explains this, saying: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord!” Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 7:21). And one blasphemy against the Spirit is enough to be cast into Gehenna. But what can we say about dogmas alone? Even if someone rightly believed in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, if he does not live as he should, faith will not bring him any benefit to salvation. Therefore, also, when Christ says: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God” (John 17:3), let us not think that this is enough for our salvation. A good life and good behavior are also necessary. And although John said: “he who believes in the Son has eternal life,” but then he adds something even stronger (since he composes his speech not only from consoling words, but also from opposite words, and look how); he adds: “He who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” However, from here we should not conclude that faith alone is enough for salvation. This is proven by numerous places in the Gospel where life is spoken. That is why John did not say: in this alone consists eternal life, or: only “he who believes in the Son has eternal life”; but about both he says only in general that in them there is eternal life. And if the deeds of life are not followed, then great punishment will come. And John did not say: wrath awaits him, but: “abides on him,” showing by this that wrath will never depart from him. So that the words: he will not see life, you do not relate to temporary death, but believe that the punishment will be endless, he used an expression that means unceasing torment. John did this in order to attract his disciples to Christ with such words. Therefore, I did not admonish them personally, but spoke generally, in order to attract them all the more. He did not say: if you believe, or: if you do not believe; but uses general expressions so that his words are not suspicious to them. But he speaks with greater severity than Christ himself. Christ said: “He who does not believe is already condemned” (John 3:18); and John: “he will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” And this is very fair, because he does not say the same thing about himself and about another. One might think of Christ that He often speaks like this out of pride and vanity; but John was safe from such suspicion. If Christ later used a stronger word, it was already when the Jews had a high concept of Him. “When Jesus learned about the rumor that had reached the Pharisees that He was making more disciples and baptizing than John, although Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples did, He left Judea and went again to Galilee” (John 4:1-3). So, He himself did not baptize; but the messengers divulged this, wanting to arouse hatred towards Him in those who heard about it. Why did He leave Judea? Not out of fear, but in order to stop slander and quell hatred. He himself was strong enough to restrain them if they rebelled against Him, but He did not want to do this often, so as not to leave them in disbelief about the reality of His incarnation. If He often, during attacks, avoided them, then this could be suspicious for many. That is why in many cases He acted more humanly. He desired that they should believe both that He was God and that He, being God, bore flesh. Therefore, even after His resurrection, He said to the disciples: “Handle Me and look at me; for the spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39). That’s why he blames Peter when he says to Him: “Be merciful to Yourself, Lord! let this not happen to you” (Matthew 16:22). He cared so much about this matter. 2. Moreover, this is not an unimportant dogma in the Church, but the most important thing in the matter of our salvation, and through this everything is done and accomplished for us: death is destroyed, sin is taken away, the oath is destroyed, and countless blessings are given to us in life. That is why Christ wanted so much for people to believe in His incarnation - this is the root and source of countless benefits for us. Acting humanly, He did not allow His divine deeds to be hidden. So, having retired to Galilee, He continued the same thing as before. He did not retire to Galilee in vain, but in order to accomplish great deeds among the Samaritans, and he arranges this not simply, but with His characteristic wisdom, so as not to leave the Jews any pretext even for a shameless apology. Expressing this, the evangelist adds: “It was necessary for Him to pass through Samaria” (John 4:4), and thereby shows that He did this as if unintentionally. The apostles did the same. Just as they, persecuted by the Jews, went to the pagans, so Christ, when the Jews were expelling Him, turned to the pagans, for example, he did this for the sake of the Syrophoenician wife. The goal was to take away any excuse from the Jews and so that they could not say: He left us and went to the uncircumcised. Thus, His disciples, defending themselves, said: “You should have been the first to preach the word of God, but because you reject it and make yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). And Christ himself: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), or: “it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). When they rejected Him, they thereby opened the door to the pagans. However, even then He does not deliberately go to the pagans, but as if in passing. So, passing by, “He comes to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near a piece of land given by Jacob to his son Joseph. There was Jacob's well" (John 4:5-6). Why does the evangelist talk about this place in such detail? So that you, hearing your wife say: “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well” (John 4:12), do not find this strange. This was the place where Simeon and Levi, in revenge for Dinah, carried out a brutal murder (Gen. 34:25). It is not superfluous to say where the Samaritans came from, because this whole country is called Samaria. Where did the Samaritans get their name from? The mountain was called Somor after its owner, just as Isaiah says: “The head of Ephraim is Samaria” (Is. 7:9). However, those who lived there were called not Samaritans, but Israelites. Over time, when they offended God, then, during the reign of Pekah, Tiglath-pileser came and took many cities, attacked Ila, killed him and gave his kingdom to Hoshea. Shalmaneser attacked Hosea, took other cities, made them subject to himself and imposed tribute. Hosea first yielded, then abandoned his authority and resorted to the help of the Ethiopians. The Assyrian king, having learned about this, came with an army, defeated the Israelites and, to ward off new uprisings, no longer allowed them to remain in that country, but took them to Babylon and Media; and from there he brought other tribes out of different places and settled them in Samaria in order to secure his power in the future in this country, which was already occupied by inhabitants loyal to him. Then God, wanting to show His power and the fact that He betrayed the Israelites not because they were powerless, but because of their sins, sends lions to the barbarians, who did evil to the whole people. Notified of this, the king sends a certain priest (Jewish) to teach them the law of God. But even then they did not completely abandon their wickedness, but only partially, and only later, having rejected idols, they began to honor the true God. Meanwhile, the Jews, who finally returned from captivity, began to hate them as foreigners and their enemies, and began to call them Samaritans by the name of the mountain. The Jews had a lot of enmity with them because the Samaritans did not accept all the books of Holy Scripture, but only the books of Moses, and did not attach much importance to the prophets. They, for their part, tried to equalize themselves in the nobility of origin with the Jews, boasted of their descent from Abraham and considered him their ancestor, since he came from Chaldea, and Jacob, as his descendant, was called their father. But the Jews abhorred them, like all other peoples; That is why they reviled Christ with the name of the Samaritan, when they said: “That You are a Samaritan and that you have a demon” (John 8:48). For the same reason, Christ, in the parable of the man walking from Jerusalem to Jericho, introduces the Samaritan, “who showed him mercy” (Luke 10:37), a man, according to the Jews, low, despicable, vile; also, among the ten lepers, he calls one a foreigner (and this was a Samaritan); and He Himself commanded His disciples: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of the Samaritans” (Matthew 10:5). 3. But the evangelist reminded us of Jacob not only to note the history of the country, but together to show the loss of this place for the Jews, which had long since come true, since already in the time of their forefathers the pagans owned this place in their stead. What their forefathers owned, although it was not their property, they, through negligence and lawlessness, lost, although it was already their property. Thus, there is no benefit in descending from good ancestors when the descendants are not like them. The barbarians, just to avoid greater trouble, immediately turned to Jewish worship; but the Jews, having suffered so much punishment, did not come to their senses. So, Christ came to this country, who always rejected a pampered and whimsical life, and led a difficult and shy life. He did not consume live animals, but He Himself traveled so quickly that He became tired from the journey. And in any case, He inspires us to do everything ourselves, not to have excess in anything and not to demand much. He wants us to be so alien to any excess that even in the most necessary things we can reduce a lot, that’s why he said: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Thus, He very often spent time in the mountains and deserts, not only during the day, but also at night. Proclaiming this, David said: “He will drink from the stream along the way” (Ps. 109:7), showing the simplicity of His lifestyle. John shows the same thing here: “There was Jacob’s well. Jesus, weary from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about six o'clock. A woman comes from Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her: Give me something to drink. For His disciples went into the city to buy food” (John 4:6-8). From this we learn how intense were His travels, how He did not care about His food and was only involved in this matter in passing. This is how His disciples learned to satisfy their needs: they did not carry travel supplies with them. Another evangelist also points to this, saying that when Christ spoke about the Pharisees’ kvass, the disciples thought that they had not brought any bread with them. When Christ led with Him disciples who were hungry, plucking and eating ears of corn, and when it is said that He himself, feeling hungry, came to the fig tree, then with all this He teaches us nothing else, how to despise the belly and does not consider serving it worthy of care. Look here too: they did not bring anything with them, and yet, not having food with them, they did not take care of it in advance, or from the beginning of the day, but went to buy it at the time at which everyone usually had dinner. And we, as soon as we get up from our beds, take care of this before all other matters, call the cooks and table servers and give them orders with great care; and after that we proceed to other matters, always, however, caring about everyday things, especially before the spiritual, and what should be considered unnecessary, recognizing as necessary. This is how we do everything wrong. Meanwhile, one should pay all attention to spiritual matters and, having already completed them, take on everyday ones. Further, from this we can see not only the patience of Christ in his labors, but also his removal from pomp. He not only got tired and sat down on the way, but also remained alone, and His disciples left. Of course, if He had wished, He could either not have sent all the disciples, or, after removing them, had other ministers with Him; but He did not want it; and thus he taught his disciples to despise all pomp. What is important, someone will say, that they lived modestly, being fishermen and film-makers? True, they were fishermen and skin-makers, but they suddenly soared into the heights of heaven and became more important than all the kings, worthy of being interlocutors with the Lord of the universe and following this wondrous Teacher everywhere. You also know that people from a low position who achieve honors are more easily carried away by arrogance, using honors ignoblely. So Christ, wanting to confirm His disciples in unchanging humility, taught them to moderate themselves in everything and in no case demand servants. He Himself, as the evangelist says, “being weary from the journey, sat down by the well.” Do you see that He sat down out of fatigue and heat and in order to wait for the disciples? He knew what was about to happen to the Samaritans; but that’s not why I came here mainly. And although he did not come for this, he had no need to drive away the wife who had come, who had shown so much zeal for His teaching. The Jews persecuted Him when He came to them, and the pagans attracted Him to themselves even when He went to other places. Those hated Him, but these believed in Him; those were indignant, but these were surprised and worshiped Him. So what? Was it really necessary to neglect the salvation of so many people and leave such sincere jealousy unattended? This was unworthy of His love for mankind. Therefore, He arranges everything in the present case with His characteristic wisdom. He sits down to rest his body and cool down at a spring. It was midday, which is what the evangelist means by saying: “I sat down by the well; it was about six o’clock.” What does sat down mean? That is, he sat down not on the throne, not with the head, but simply, as happened on earth. “A woman comes from Samaria to draw water.” 4. Look, as the evangelist shows, that the wife also left the city for another purpose - blocking any occasion for the shameless contradiction of the Jews, so that no one would say that He contradicts his own commandment, commanding the disciples “do not enter the city of the Samaritans,” and meanwhile he himself is talking with the Samaritans. For this he also adds that “His disciples went into the city to buy food,” thus presenting many of the reasons for His conversation with his wife. What about the wife? Having heard His words: “Give Me a drink,” she very wisely turns Christ’s words into a reason for the question: “How do you, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink? for Jews do not communicate with Samaritans” (John 4:9). Why did she think He was a Jew? Maybe she recognized her by her clothes or her dialect. But notice how careful the wife is. If it was Jesus who had to be careful, it was not her; according to her, it is not the Samaritans who are alienated from the Jews, but the Jews who do not draw close to the Samaritans; however, the wife, being herself free from this reproach, and thinking that the other was subject to it, did not remain silent, but corrected the matter, in her opinion, which was not in accordance with the law. Perhaps someone will wonder how Jesus asked her for a drink when the law did not allow it? And if He also foresaw that she would not give Him a drink, then he should not have asked. What can I say to this? The fact that for Himself the violation of such customs was a matter of indifference. He who led others to violate Jewish rules was even more likely to violate them himself. “It is not what goes into the mouth,” He said, “that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). Meanwhile, His conversation with his wife could have been no small condemnation for the Jews, because He repeatedly attracted them to Himself both in words and in deeds, but they did not follow Him. And look how the wife gets carried away by a simple question. He Himself did not embark on this work, on this path, 25 but did not interfere if anyone turned to Him. Although He told the disciples: “Do not enter the city of the Samaritans,” He did not command them to drive away those who came. This would be too unworthy of His love for mankind. Therefore, He answers the wife and says: “If you knew the gift of God and Who says to you: Give Me a drink, then you yourself would ask Him, and He would give you living water” (John 4:10). First of all, she shows that she is worthy of listening to Him and should not be rejected, then she reveals herself; She, as soon as she found out who He was, was immediately ready to obey and listen to Him, which cannot be said about the Jews. They, even having recognized Him, did not ask Him about anything, did not have the desire to learn anything useful from Him; on the contrary, they reviled Him and drove Him away from themselves. But the wife, having heard His words, look with what meekness she answers Him: “Master! you have nothing to draw with, but the well is deep; Where did you get your living water from?” (John 4:11) Now it is clear that Christ has already rejected her from the low concept of Him, from the idea that He is one of the ordinary people. Here she not only calls Him Lord, but as a sign of special respect for Him. And that she said this out of respect can be seen from the subsequent conversation. She does not joke, does not mock, but is only perplexed. Don’t be surprised that she didn’t understand everything soon enough. After all, Nicodemus did not understand either. What was he saying? “How can this be?” (John 3:9). “How can a person be born when he is old?” And again: “Can he really enter his mother’s womb another time and be born?” (John 3:4). But the wife speaks with greater modesty. “Mr! you have nothing to draw with, but the well is deep; Where did you get your living water from?” (John 4:11). Christ tells her something else, but she meant something else. Not hearing any more words spoken from Him, she could not conceive of anything sublime, although she could boldly tell Him: if You had living water, You would not have asked me for water, but would have given it to Yourself first; and now You are just being vain. But she said nothing of the kind, but both at first and afterwards answered Him with great modesty. First she says: “How can you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink?” But she doesn’t speak as if she were talking to a foreigner and enemy: I shouldn’t give water to such a person - an enemy and alien to our kind! And then, listening to His sublime words about Himself, which especially irritates his enemies, she does not laugh, does not blaspheme Him, but what does she say? “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it, and his children and his cattle?” (John 4:12). Do you see how she introduces herself into the distinguished family of the Jews? Her words mean this: Jacob used this water and did not have any other better water, nor did he give it to us. Thus, she showed that already from the first answer she had a high, sublime thought about Him, because the words: “he himself drank from it, and his children, and his livestock” mean nothing more than that she had an idea about better water, but had not yet found it and did not know it well. If we express more clearly what she wanted to say, it would be like this: You cannot say that Jacob, who gave us this source, himself used another, because he himself and his children drank from it; but they would not drink from here if they had other, better water. You can’t get this water either; and it is impossible for You to have another better one; Do you really recognize yourself as the greatest of Jacob? Where do you get the water that you promise to give us? The Jews did not speak to Him so modestly, although He also talked to them about this same subject and reminded them of such water. But they did not gain any benefit for themselves from it. And when He mentioned Abraham, they even plotted to stone Him (John 8:56-59). But this is not how the wife treats Him, but with great meekness, in the midst of the midday heat, she speaks and listens to everything with patience and does not think, like the Jews, to say: “He is possessed by a demon and is mad” (John 10:20), holds me at the source, not giving anything, but only boasting in words. She listens patiently, waiting to find what she wants. 5. If a Samaritan woman shows such zeal to learn something useful, and remains with Christ, although she does not yet know Him, then what kind of mercy can we who know Him receive, and, moreover, being not at the source, not in the desert, not in the middle of the day under the scorching rays of the sun, but in the morning, enjoying the shade and coolness under this roof, and yet not having the patience to listen to anything from the word of God, but weighed down by this? The Samaritan woman was not like that: she was so carried away by the words of the Savior that she also called others to Him. The Jews not only did not call others, but also hindered and did not allow those who wanted to come to Him. That is why they said: “Did any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believe in Him? But this people are ignorant of the law; they are cursed” (John 7:48–49). So, let us imitate the Samaritan woman; Let us talk with Christ. Even now He stands among us and speaks to us through the prophets and through His disciples. Let us listen and obey. How long will we live in vain, without benefit? Not to do what pleases God really means to live in vain, or better, not only in vain, but also to the detriment of oneself. If we do not use the time given to us for any useful work, then, when we leave here, we will be subjected to the greatest punishment for wasting time. If the one who received money for trade and then spent it is subject to responsibility before those who entrusted it to him, then will he not be punished for wasting this life in vain? God did not bring us into this life and breathe in the soul so that we would use only the present, but so that we would do everything for the future life; only the dumb are created for one real life. And this is why we have an immortal soul, so that we can be fully prepared for that life. If anyone asks what the purpose of horses, donkeys, bulls and other animals is, then we will say that there is no other purpose than to serve us in this life. But this cannot be said about us; there is a better state for us after leaving here; and we need to do everything in such a way that we can shine there, rejoice with the angels, stand before the King - always, to endless ages. For this reason, our soul was created immortal, and our body will be immortal, so that we can enjoy endless benefits. If you nail yourself to the ground, when heavenly blessings are offered to you, then think what an insult this is to the Giver of them. He offers you the mountain, and you, not valuing it too much, prefer the earth. Therefore, as if offended, He threatens Gehenna, so that you will learn from this what blessings you are depriving yourself of. But may we not be subjected to this punishment, but, having pleased Christ, may we be worthy of eternal blessings, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” Of course, the conversion of the pagans. You might be interested in: