Беседа 46

John 6:41–42. The Jews grumbled at Him because He said: I am the bread that came down from heaven. And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He say: I came down from heaven? 1. God attracts people to himself without suppressing their free will. - A refutation of the Manichaeans on this subject. – 2. The difference between manna and the true bread of life. – 3 and 4. The greatness and abundance of the love of Jesus Christ in the divine Eucharist. – The essence and significance of the Eucharist for our salvation. – Those who unworthily partake of the body and blood of the Lord will be punished as those who crucified Him. 1. “Their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame,” Paul said about some people in his letter to the Philippians (Phil. 3:19). That the Jews were the same is evident from previous circumstances, and from what they said when they came to Christ. When He gave them bread and filled their bellies, they called Him a prophet and wanted to make Him a king; and when he taught them the teaching about spiritual food, about eternal life, when he talked about the resurrection and elevated their thoughts, and when they should especially marvel at Him, then they grumble and retreat from Him. Meanwhile, if He is a prophet, as they previously said, - and He really is the one about whom Moses said: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet... from among your brethren, like me; you shall listen to Him” (Deut. 18:15), then they should have listened to Him when He said: “I have come down from heaven”; but they did not listen, but grumbled. They still respected Him for the recent miracle over the loaves, and therefore did not clearly contradict, but they grumbled to express their annoyance that He did not give them the meal they wanted, and amid the grumbling they said: “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph?” From these words it is clear that they did not even know about His wonderful and extraordinary birth, which is why they call Him the son of Joseph. And Christ does not reproach them and does not say: I am not the son of Joseph - not because He was the son of Joseph, but because they could not yet hear about that wonderful birth. If they could not clearly hear about His carnal birth, then they could not even hear about the ineffable, heavenly birth. If He had not revealed to them what was humiliated, then much less could He have spoken to them about those things. And although they were much tempted by His origin from a simple and humble father, He did not reveal (the truth) so that, by removing one temptation, He would not produce another. How does He respond to their murmurs? “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). The Manichaeans attack this and say that nothing depends on us. Meanwhile, these words especially prove that we are powerful in our will. But what is the need, they say, to attract if someone comes to Him himself? Again, this does not destroy our will, but, on the contrary, shows that we need help. Here (Christ) speaks not of everyone who comes, but of the one who enjoys great assistance (from God). Further it shows the way in which the Father attracts. And so that the Jews would not again think anything sensual about God, He added: “It is not that anyone has seen the Father except He who is from God; He saw the Father” (John 6:46). How, you ask, does it attract? The prophet showed this long ago, foretelling and saying: “They will all be taught by God” (John 6:45). Do you see the dignity of faith? Do you see how, according to the prophet’s prediction, people are to be taught “not by men, nor through man” (Gal. 1:1), but by God himself? That is why, in order to give credibility to His words, He sent the Jews to the prophets. But if it is said that everyone will be taught by God, then why, you ask, do some not believe? Because those words were spoken about the majority of people, or else, the prophecy does not point to everyone at all, but to everyone who wants it. The teacher stands in front of everyone, and is ready to teach and communicate his teaching to everyone. “And I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). The dignity of the Son is not small here: if the Father attracts, then He resurrects. But by this He does not separate His works from the Father (how is this possible?), but only shows the equality of power. Why, as in that place, having said: “And the Father who sent Me... bore witness of Me” (John 5:37), He then sent the Jews to the Scriptures, so that any of them would not labor in vain to explain His words, so here, so that they would not continue to suspect Him, He refers them to the prophets, whom He very often brings to show that He is not an adversary of the Father. Well, you say, weren’t those who lived before that time taught by God? What's special here? The fact that then people learned divine truths through people, and now they learn through the only begotten Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Further, Christ adds: “it is not that anyone has seen the Father except He who is from God,” meaning here these words (is from God) not about the reason for being, but about the property of the being. If He understood that thought, then what would be the advantage of the Son and his difference from us? And we are all from God. Why, you say, did He not express this more clearly? For the sake of the weakness of the Jews. If they were so tempted by the words: “I came down from heaven,” then what would have happened to them if He had added this too? And He calls Himself animal bread because our life, both present and future, depends on Him. That’s why he added: “Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:51), meaning here by bread either saving dogmas and faith in Him, or His body, because both strengthen the soul. Although on another occasion, at His words: “Whoever keeps My word will not taste death” (John 8:52), the Jews were tempted, but now nothing like that happened, probably because they still respected Him for the miracle of the loaves. 2. Notice also where He draws the difference between this bread and manna: from the consequences of eating one and the other food. Showing that the manna did not bring any particular benefit, He added: “your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and died” (John 6:49). Then he presents the most convincing proof that they were awarded an incomparably greater gift than their fathers, alluding to those wondrous men who were under Moses. Therefore, having said that those who ate the manna died, He added: “Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:51). And He used the word: “in the wilderness” not without a purpose, but to make it clear that the manna did not last long and did not cross into the promised land; but this bread is not like that. “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Here, someone may rightly ask in bewilderment: was it timely to speak these words, when they did not serve for edification and did not bring any benefit, but on the contrary even harmed those who had already been instructed? “From that time,” it is said, “many of His disciples departed from Him” (John 6:66), saying: “What strange words! who can listen to this? (John 6:60). After all, this could have been taught to only the disciples, with whom, as Matthew noted, Christ had a special conversation. What is the answer to this? The fact that in the present case these words were very useful and necessary. Since the Jews urgently asked Him for food, but for bodily food, and remembering the food that was sent down to their ancestors, they considered manna to be something great, He mentions spiritual food, wanting to show that all this was a type and a shadow, and this food is the very truth of “things” (Heb. 10:1). But it was necessary, they say, to say: your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, but I gave you bread. But this is a big difference. This miracle (over the loaves) seemed even less than that (the giving of manna), because the manna was sent down from heaven, and the miracle over the loaves was performed on earth. So, since they coveted the food that came down from heaven, He often said: “I came down from heaven.” If anyone is curious to know why He started talking about the sacraments, then we will tell him that it was very opportune to talk about them too. The darkness of the words always incites the listener and makes him more attentive. Therefore, the Jews should not have been tempted, but rather asked and found out. But they are removed. And if they considered Him a prophet, they should have believed His words. Thus, the reason for the temptation lay in their foolishness, and not in the incomprehensibility of their speech. But look how He little by little tied the disciples to Himself. They say: “Who should we go to? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68), despite the fact that here He represents Himself as the giver, and not the Father, saying: “The bread that I will give is My Flesh.” But the people are not like that, but on the contrary: “what strange words,” he says why and leaves. Meanwhile, this teaching was not new or unusual. John had already pointed out this covertly, calling Christ the Lamb. But even with all this, you might say, the people did not understand. I know this too; but the disciples also did not understand. If they still did not clearly know anything about the resurrection, and therefore did not understand what it meant: “destroy this church, and I will raise it up in three days” (John 2:19), then they could understand those words much less, because they are darker than these. They knew that the prophets were resurrected, although Scripture does not speak about this so clearly; but for anyone to eat flesh, none of the prophets ever spoke about it. And yet the disciples believed Christ, followed Him and confessed that He had the words of eternal life. The duty of the student is not to analyze the words of the teacher with excessive curiosity, but to listen, believe and wait for the appropriate time to resolve the perplexities. Why, you say, did the opposite happen (to some) and they turned back? The reason is their foolishness. How soon will the question come to mind: “how?” - at the same time there is also unbelief. That’s why Nicodemus was confused, saying: “How can a man... enter his mother’s womb?” (John 3:4). That is why they are confused, saying: “How can He give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). If you are now asking: how? - then why don’t you say the same about bread? How did the Lord make such a multitude out of five? Obviously, they then thought only about how to get enough, and not about understanding the miracle. But then, you say, experience itself taught them. If so, then by the same experience they should have accepted this teaching without difficulty. This is why Christ performed that miracle in advance, so that they, taught by him, would also believe what He said afterwards. So, the Jews at that time did not receive any benefit from what was said; and we are already actually taking advantage of this benefit. Therefore, you need to know the miracle of these sacraments - what it consists of, why it is given and what is the benefit of it. “We are one body,” it is said, “we are also members... of His flesh and of His bones” (Eph. 4:4, 5:30). May the initiates heed these words! 3. So, so that we may become members of the flesh of Christ not only by love, but also by deed itself, let us partake of this flesh. And this happens through the food that Christ gave to express His great love for us. For this purpose, He mixed Himself with us and dissolved His body in us, so that we would form something single, like a body connected to a head. And this is a sign of the strongest love. Job also pointed out this when he spoke about his household, who loved him so much that they wanted to grow together with his flesh: “Who would let us be satisfied with his flesh?” ( Job 31:31 ). This is what they said, wanting to express their great love for him. Christ did this for the same purpose: in order to bring us into greater fellowship with Himself and show His love for us, He gave those who wanted not only to see Him, but also to touch, and eat, and touch His flesh with their teeth, and unite with Him, and satisfy every desire with Him. Let us depart from this meal like lions breathing fire, terrible for the devil, thinking about our Head and the love that He showed towards us. Often parents give their children to others to raise; but I, says (the Savior), not so, but I feed you with My flesh, I offer Myself to you, wanting you all to be noble, and giving you good hopes for the future. Whoever gave himself to you here, much more (will he do for you) there. I wanted to be your brother; For your sake I have partaken of flesh and blood; and this flesh and blood, through which I became related to you, I again teach you. This blood gives us a blooming and royal appearance; gives birth to indescribable beauty; does not allow the nobility of the soul to fade, constantly watering and nourishing it. Our blood, formed from food, does not suddenly become blood, but (at first) becomes something else; but this blood is not like that, but immediately invigorates the soul and imparts to it some great power. This blood, received with dignity, removes and drives demons far away from us, and calls angels and the Lord of angels to us. Demons flee from where they see the Lord's blood, and angels flock there. Shed (on the cross), this blood washed the entire universe. Blessed Paul also spoke a lot about this blood in his Epistle to the Hebrews. This blood cleansed the inaccessible place and the holy of holies. If her image had such power both in the Jewish church and in Egypt, when the doorposts were anointed with blood, then much more is the truth itself. This blood sanctified the golden altar. Without her, the bishop did not dare to enter an inaccessible place. This blood was supplied to the priest. She washed away sins in images. If in images she had such power; if death was so afraid of the shadow, then tell me, can it not be afraid of the truth itself? This blood is the salvation of our souls. The soul is washed by it; it is decorated with it; it ignites. It makes our soul purer than gold. This blood poured out and made heaven accessible to us. 4. The sacraments of the Church are truly terrible, the altar is truly terrible. A spring came out of paradise, pouring out sensual rivers; From this same meal comes the source that flows out the spiritual rivers. At this source, not barren willows are planted, but trees that reach to the very sky and bear fruit that is always ripe and never withers. If anyone is languishing from the heat, let him go to this source and cool his heat, because this source destroys drought and refreshes everything that has been burned, not by the sun, but by the fiery arrows (of the devil). Its beginning is from above, and its source is there, and from there it is fed. This source has many streams, which the Comforter produces, and the Son is the mediator, not paving the way for them with a spades, but opening up favor in us. This source is a source of light, shedding rays of truth. Heavenly powers also flock to it to contemplate the beauty of its streams, because they see more clearly both the power of the gifts presented and their unapproachable radiance. If it were possible for someone to put their hand or tongue into molten gold, they would immediately become rich. The mysteries presented here have exactly the same and even greater effect on the soul. This river boils and strives stronger than fire, but does not burn, but only cleanses everything it touches. This blood was anciently represented on altars, in slaughters determined by the law. She is the price of the universe; with it Christ bought the Church; with it He adorned it all. Just as the one who buys servants gives gold for them and therefore, wanting to decorate them, decorates them with gold, so Christ bought us with blood and decorated us with blood. Those who partake of this blood stand together with the angels, archangels and heavenly powers, clothed in the royal robe of Christ and having spiritual weapons. But with this I have not yet said anything great: they are clothed in the King himself. But as great and wonderful as this sacrament is, it is equally true that if you approach it with purity, you will approach salvation; if with an evil conscience, it will result in punishment and torment. “For,” it is said, “whoever eats and drinks the Lord unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself” (1 Cor. 11:29). If those who desecrate the royal purple are punished in the same way as those who tear it apart, then what is surprising if those who receive the body with an unclean thought will be subjected to the same punishment as those who tore it with nails? Look at what terrible punishment Paul points to in the words: “If he who rejects the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is punished without mercy with death, how much more severe punishment do you think he will be subject to who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider holy the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified” (Heb. 10:28-29)? Let us, beloved, be attentive to ourselves as we enjoy such blessings. And if a desire arises in us to say something shameful, or we notice that we are overcome by anger or some other passion, let us think about what we have been worthy of, what kind of Spirit we have received. Such a thought will curb our crazy passions. And how long will we be tied to the present? How long until we rise? How long will we be careless about our salvation? Let us think about what God has honored us with, let us give thanks, glorify Him - not only by faith, but also by our deeds themselves, so that we may be worthy of future blessings, according to the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: