Беседа 78

John 16:4–6. I didn’t tell you this at first, because I was with you. And now I go to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me: Where are you going? But because I told you this, your heart was filled with sorrow. 1. Sadness has its benefits. - Against the Doukhobors. – 2. What does it mean: to expose “about sin, about truth, about judgment.” – 3. Distinction of hypostases or persons, equality of persons. - Valentinians, Marcionites, Anomeans. – 4. The power of unity and agreement. - The superiority of philanthropy. – Philanthropy is strengthened by prayer and the practice of St. mysteries, church edifications. 1. The power of sadness is great, and we need a lot of courage in order to firmly confront this mental illness and, drawing benefit from it - since there is something useful in it - to avoid everything unnecessary. Precisely, only then is it good to grieve when we, or others, sin; and when we fall into ordinary human misfortunes, then sadness is useless. That is why, when sadness struck the disciples, as still imperfect people, see how he corrects them with reproach. Before, they approached Him with many questions. So Peter said: “Where are you going?” (John 13:36). And Thomas: we don’t know where you are going, “and how can we know the way”? And Philip: “Show us your Father” (John 14:5, 8). And now, having heard that “they will drive you out of the synagogues,” that they will “hate you” (Luke 6:22) and that “everyone who kills you will think that he is serving God” (John 16:2), they became so disheartened that they were even overcome by dumbness and no longer said anything to Him. This is where He reproaches them, saying: “I didn’t tell you this at first, because I was with you. And now I go to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me: Where are you going? But because I told you this, your heart was filled with sorrow.” Indeed, excessive sadness is dangerous; dangerous and can lead to death; That’s why Paul said: “so that he would not be consumed with excessive sorrow” (2 Cor. 2:7). “I didn’t tell you this at first,” he says. Why didn't you say it first? So that no one says what He said based on the conclusion of multiple previous cases. Why does He begin such a difficult task? I knew, He says, this from the beginning, and I did not tell you out of ignorance, but because “I was with you.” Again, this is said humanely. As if he were saying this: you were safe and you could ask whenever you wanted; the whole war was raised against Me, and therefore it was unnecessary to talk about it at first. But really, He really didn’t say this? Didn't He say, calling the twelve (disciples): “They will lead you to governors and kings for Me,” “and in their synagogues they will beat you” (Matthew 10:17-18)? How can he say now: “I didn’t say it at first”? Then He predicted only blows and being brought to judgment, and not that their death would seem so desirable that killing them would even be considered as serving God. Meanwhile, this could especially frighten them, that they would be judged as wicked and harmful people. To this must be added the fact that there He spoke about the suffering that they had to endure from the pagans; and here with special force he also spoke about the persecutions of the Jews, and showed that they were already at the door. “And now I go to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me: Where are you going? But because I told you this, your heart was filled with sorrow.” They received no small consolation from this, learning that He knew the excessiveness of their grief. They were in extreme confusion from the fear of separation from Him and from the expectation of the disasters that would befall them, since they did not know whether they would be able to courageously endure them. But why didn’t He tell them about this later, when they had already been awarded the Spirit? So that you know that they were very virtuous. If, not yet being worthy of the Spirit, they did not fall away, despite the fact that they were immersed in sorrow, then think what they should have been like when they were worthy of grace. If they had heard and endured then, we would have attributed everything to the Spirit; and now this is entirely the fruit of their souls and a clear proof of the love for Christ that flowed from one of their hearts. “But I tell you the truth” (John 16:7). See how He comforts them again. Not that, he says, I declare to you what is pleasant for you; but, although you are extremely sad, you still need to listen to what is useful. You would like me to stay, but what is useful is different. And he who cares tends not to spare his friends when it comes to their benefit, and not to distract them from what is beneficial for them. “If I do not go, the Comforter will not come.” What will those who do not have a proper understanding of the Spirit say here? Is it really better that the Lord departs and the servant comes? Do you see how great the dignity of the Spirit is? “And if I go, I will send Him to you.” What's the use of this? “And He will come and convict the world” (John 16:8), that is, if He comes, the enemies will not remain unpunished by doing this. Of course, what has already been done is enough to stop their mouths; but when the same deeds are revealed through Him, when the most perfect teaching is offered, and even greater miracles are performed, then they will be much more condemned, since they will see that all this is happening in My name, the more clearly the resurrection is proven. Now they can still say: He is the son of tekton, we know His father and mother; but when they see that death is destroyed, evil is destroyed, the shortcomings of nature are corrected, demons are driven away - when they see the ineffable gift of the Spirit and that all this is done through calling on Me - what will they say then? The Father also testified about Me; the Spirit will also testify. He already testified in the beginning; but he will testify now. 2. The expression: “convicts of sin” means it will take away all justification from them and show that their crime is unforgivable. And “about the truth, that I go to My Father, and you will no longer see Me” (John 16:10), - that is, that I led an impeccable life; and the proof of this is that I go to the Father. Since they always said in accusing Him that He was not from God, and therefore called Him a sinner and a lawless one, He says that (the Spirit) will take away from them this pretext for accusing. In fact, if I am a lawless person because they think that I am not from God, then when the Spirit shows that I have gone to God, and not for a while, but in order to remain there (this is exactly what the words mean: “you will not see Me again”), what will they say then? See how these two (sayings) refute their evil assumption. After all, it is unusual for a sinner to perform miracles. Because a sinner cannot perform miracles; and to always be with God is also unusual for a sinner. Therefore, you can no longer say that He is a sinner, that He is not from God. “As for the judgment, that the prince of the world... is condemned” (John 16:11). Here again the speech about truth is resumed, since He defeated the enemy. If He had been a sinner, He would not have won, because none of the righteous people could have done this. And that (the devil) is condemned through Me, those who will subsequently trample on him will know this and will clearly see My resurrection, which serves as a sign of his condemnation, since he could not restrain Me. This means that what they said, that I have a demon and that I am a deceiver, will then turn out to be false. I would not have defeated him if I had been guilty of sin. Now he is condemned and overthrown. “I still have much to tell you; but now you cannot contain it” (John 16:12). This means that it is better for Me to leave, if you will be able to understand when I leave. So what? Is the Spirit greater than You, that now we cannot understand, but He will give us the opportunity to understand? Is His action stronger and more perfect? No; and He will speak My things. That’s why he adds: “He will not speak from himself, but he will speak what he hears, and he will tell you the future. He will glorify Me, because He will take of Mine and proclaim it to you. All that the Father has is Mine” (John 16:13–15). Since He said that the Spirit will teach you and remember you, and comfort you in your sorrows - which He Himself did not do - and that it is better for Me to go away and Him to come, that now you cannot understand, but then you will have this opportunity, and that He will guide you into all truth - so that, hearing this, they would not think that the Spirit is greater, and would not fall into the extreme depths of wickedness, He says: “He will take from Mine,” then there is, what I have spoken, He will also speak. And by saying: nothing will happen from Himself, it makes it clear that the Spirit will not say anything contrary, nothing different, compared to Mine. Consequently, as when speaking about Himself: “I speak not of Myself” (John 14:10), He means that He does not say anything that does not belong to the Father, nothing that would be different and alien, so it is precisely about the Spirit. And the expression: “from Mine” means: from what I know, from My knowledge. Me and the Spirit have one knowledge. “And the future will tell you.” With this He encouraged their souls, since the human race is not so inclined towards anything as knowledge of the future. They constantly asked Him about this: “Where are you going?” Which way is this? So, in order to save them from this concern, He says that He will foretell everything to you, so that nothing befalls you by accident. "He will glorify Me." How? By the fact that in My name he will perform signs. And since the disciples, after the coming of the Spirit, were able to perform great miracles, then, in order to again establish equality (with the Spirit), Christ says: “He will glorify Me.” But what kind of truth is He talking about when He testifies that He will guide us “into all truth”? Himself (Christ) often did not say anything great about Himself and did not clearly deviate from the law, both because He was clothed in flesh, and so that they would not think that He was speaking about Himself, and because the apostles did not yet clearly know about His resurrection and were still imperfect, and also because of the Jews, so as not to give them reason to think that they were punishing Him as a lawbreaker. When later the disciples separated from the Jews, and the Jews were already rejected, when many believed and received remission of sins, when others spoke about Him, and not He himself about Himself, then great things were rightly said. It is not My ignorance, therefore, says (Christ), that must be attributed to the fact that I did not say everything that should have been said, but to the weakness of the listeners. Therefore, having said: “He will guide you into all truth,” he added: “He will not speak from Himself.” And that the Spirit does not need to be taught - listen to what Paul says: “Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). Therefore, just as the spirit of a person knows not by learning from another, so does the Holy Spirit. “He will take from Mine,” that is, he will speak in accordance with Mine (word). “All that the Father has is Mine” (John 16:15). If the Father is Mine, and the Spirit speaks from what belongs to the Father, then it means that He will speak from Mine. 3. But why didn’t he come before the departure of Christ? But because then the curse had not yet been destroyed, sin had not yet been destroyed, everyone was still guilty of punishment; that's why He didn't come. It is necessary, says Christ, that enmity be destroyed first and that you be reconciled with God, and then you will already receive that gift. But why does he say: “I will send Him”? This means: I will prepare you to receive Him. Is it possible to send One who is omnipresent? On the other hand, He also shows the difference between hypostases. Yet he says this for the following reason: since it was difficult for the disciples to be separated from Him, by this He convinces them to hold on to the Spirit and honor Him. He could, of course, do the same thing himself (as the Spirit); but leaves Him to work miracles. So that they know His dignity. Just as the Father could create everything that exists, and yet the Son creates so that we would know His power, so it is precisely here. This is why the Son became incarnate, in order to give action to the Spirit and thereby stop the mouths of those who turn the proof of ineffable love for mankind into a reason for wickedness. In fact, they say that the Son became incarnate because He is lower than the Father; but we will answer them: what do you say about the Spirit? After all, He did not take flesh, and yet you do not say on this basis that He is greater than the Son or that the Son is lower than Him. That is why the Trinity is remembered at baptism. Although the Father can do everything, so can the Son and the Holy Spirit, but since no one doubts about the Father, but the doubt was about the Son and the Holy Spirit, then the Trinity was accepted in the mystery, so that, through communion in the giving of those ineffable blessings, we would also know communion in dignity. And that the Son of His own accord can do what he does with the Father in baptism, as well as the Holy Spirit - listen to how clearly this is said. Thus, (Christ) said to the Jews: “so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10); and again: “that you may be sons of light” (John 12:36); and: “I give them eternal life” (John 10:28); and then again: “so that they may have life,” he says, “and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Let us now see how the Spirit does the same. Where can you see this? “To everyone,” he says, “the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit” (1 Cor. 12:7). And whoever grants this, all the more forgives sins. And again: “The Spirit gives life” (John 6:63); and: “He will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Rom. 8:11); and: “the spirit lives for righteousness” (Rom. 8:10); and one more thing: if you are led by the Spirit, “you are not under the law... For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to live again in fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption as sons” (Rom. 6:14, 8:15). And all the miracles that the apostles performed then were performed by the action of the coming of the Spirit. And in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said: “But you were washed, but you were sanctified... in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). So, since we heard a lot about the Father, and saw the Son doing a lot, but we clearly knew nothing about the Spirit, then (the Holy Spirit) works miracles and introduces perfect knowledge. But, so that on this basis they would not consider Him, as I said before, great, he says: “He will speak what he hears, and will announce the future.” If this is not so, then should you not allow the absurdity that you should have heard only then, and for the sake of the students? After all, in your opinion, even then He should have received knowledge only for the sake of the listeners. And what could be more unlawful than such words? On the other hand, what could He hear? Hasn't He already said all this through the prophets? If He was to teach about the abolition of the law, this has already been said. If about Christ, about His deity and the economy of salvation - and this has already been said. What else, and with greater clarity, should He say later? "And the future will announce". This especially shows His dignity, since predicting the future is primarily characteristic of God. And if I learned this from others, I would have nothing more in comparison with the prophets. But here he reveals the perfect knowledge that is characteristic of God, since it is impossible for Him to say anything different. The expression: “He will take from Mine” means: either from the gift that has come into My flesh, or from the knowledge that I also have, but not because He needed or learned from another, but because the knowledge is the same. Why did he say this and not otherwise? Because (the apostles) did not yet know the doctrine of the Spirit. Therefore, He cares about only one thing, that they believe in Him and accept Him, and not be tempted. Since He said: “You have one Teacher, Christ” (Matthew 23:8), so that they would not think that they would disobey Him by believing the Holy Spirit, (He says): My teaching and His are one and the same. From where I had to borrow My teaching, from the same source He will speak. Do not think that His teaching is different. And it is Mine, and increases My glory. One will of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He wants to see this in us too, saying: “that they may be one, just as” You and I are “one” (John 17:22). 4. After all, nothing can compare with unanimity and agreement; Moreover, one can be equal to many. If, for example, two or ten are unanimous, then one is no longer one, but each of them is ten times greater, and you will find one in ten, and ten in one. If they have an enemy, he no longer attacks one, and is defeated as if he were attacking ten, because he is defeated not only by one, but by ten. If one is impoverished, he is not in poverty, because he has wealth in the greater part, that is, in nine, and the impoverished part, the smaller one, is covered by the larger one, which has abundance. Each of them has twenty arms and twenty eyes, and the same number of legs. He looks not only with his own eyes, but also with the eyes of others; he walks not only with his own feet, but also with the feet of others; He works not only with his own hands, but also with the hands of others. He also has ten souls, since not only himself, but also others take care of him. If there were a hundred of them, it would be the same again, and the strength would increase even more. Do you see the extraordinary power of love, how it makes one invincible and numerous. With her, one can be in many places - one and the same in Persia and Rome. What nature cannot do, love can do. One part of him will be here, and the other there, or, better, he will be all here and all there. And if he has a thousand friends or two thousand, then think how much more his strength will increase. Do you see how love multiplies? It’s wonderful, indeed, that out of one she makes a thousand! Why don’t we acquire this strength and establish ourselves in safety? Love is better than power and all wealth; it is more valuable than health and light itself; she is the basis of complacency. How long will we limit love to one or two? Take yourself a lesson from the opposite. Let someone not have a single friend (which is a sign of extreme foolishness, because only a fool will say: I have no friend): what will his life be like? Even if he were extremely rich, even if he was in contentment and luxury, even if he acquired countless benefits, he is lonely and helpless. It’s not like that between friends; but even if they were poor, they are richer than the rich. What someone does not dare to say for himself, a friend will say for him; What he cannot achieve for himself, he will achieve through another, and even much more. Thus friendship will be for us the basis of all pleasure and all security. Indeed, it is impossible to suffer any harm to one who is protected by so many squires. And the royal bodyguards are not as vigilant as these: they protect out of need and fear, and these out of goodwill and love; love is much stronger than fear. Moreover, the king is afraid of his guards, and a person who has friends relies more on them than on himself, and in their presence is not afraid of anyone who is malicious. Let us acquire this commodity - the poor, in order to have consolation in poverty, the rich, in order to possess wealth in safety, the boss, in order to rule safely, the subordinate, in order to have favorable superiors. This is a reason for leniency, this is the basis of meekness. After all, even among animals, those who do not live in herds are especially cruel and indomitable. That is why we live in cities and have squares to communicate with each other. Paul also commanded this, saying: “Let us not forsake assembling ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25); there is nothing worse than loneliness, unsociability and inaccessibility. What do you say, monks and those who occupied the mountain tops? And they are not without friends. They have retired from the noise of the city, but have many comrades who are unanimous with them and sincerely attached to each other. That is why they withdrew from the world in order to achieve this. Since quarreling about matters produces many discords, they, withdrawing from the world, practice love with great zeal. What do you say if someone is alone? Does he really have countless friends? I would, of course, like to see, if possible, that (the hermits) live together; but even now let friendship be unshakable. It's not the place that makes friends. And they have many admirers; but they would not be revered if they were not loved. And they, for their part, pray for the entire universe, and this serves as the greatest proof of friendship. That is why in the sacraments we kiss each other, so that we - many - can be one, and we make common prayers for the uninitiated, we pray for the sick, for the fruits of the universe, for the earth and the sea. Do you see all the power of love in prayers, in the sacraments, in exhortations? She is the cause of all good things. If we diligently adhere to it, then we will arrange the present well, and we will achieve the kingdom, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: