Беседа 20

Conversation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Rom 12.1. I pray to you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present in your body a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your verbal service. Having said a lot about God’s love for mankind and showing God’s ineffable care, unspeakable and unsearchable goodness, (the apostle) uses this very goodness in order to convince those blessed by God to show a life worthy of the gift. And being so great and high, he does not refuse to beg them, moreover, to beg not for what would serve his benefit, but for what they themselves could benefit from. And is it surprising that he does not refuse to beg if he represents to those who beg the very mercy of God? Since God’s bounties, he says, have poured out countless blessings upon you, be ashamed and afraid of them, because these very bounties are asking you not to do anything unworthy of them. And I, says (the apostle), beseech you with the same mercies by which you were saved. So, someone who wants to shame someone who has been greatly benefited usually imagines the benefactor himself as the begging one. What are you begging for, tell me? “Imagine your body as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your verbal service.” Since he said: “sacrifice,” so that no one would think that he was ordering the bodies to be slaughtered, he immediately added: “I live.” Then, distinguishing it from the Jewish one, he continues: “Holy, pleasing to God, is your verbal service,” while the Jewish sacrifice is carnal and not very pleasing. “Who is this delight from your hands,” says (God) (Isaiah 1.12). And in many other places in Scripture we see that God rejects the Jewish sacrifices. But he does not reject this sacrifice; on the contrary, he even demands it when the Jewish one is offered. That is why he said: “The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me” (Ps 49.23). And it is also said: “I will praise the name of my God with song, ... and God will be more pleased with a young calf that has horns and claws” (Ps 68.31-32). And in another place, rejecting the Jewish sacrifice and saying: “Do I eat yam meat or drink the blood of goats?” - (The Lord) added: “devour the sacrifice of praise to God, and render your prayers to the Most High” (Ps 49.13-14). So Paul commands here: “present the flesh... a living sacrifice.” But how can the body, you ask, serve as a sacrifice? Let the eye not look at anything evil, and it has already become a victim; let the tongue say nothing shameful, and it has become an offering; let the hand do nothing unlawful, and it has become a burnt offering. Or rather, even this is not enough, but we must also do good: let the hand do alms, let the mouth bless those who offend, let the ear constantly train itself in listening to the word of God. After all, the sacrifice has no uncleanness; it is the firstfruits of everything. Let us offer to God the firstfruits of hands, feet, mouth and everything else; such a sacrifice is acceptable, just as the Jewish one was unclean: “their demand,” it is said, “is bread of pity for them” (Hosea 9.4). But this is not our sacrifice. In Judaism, what was sacrificed was made dead, but ours makes what was sacrificed alive. When we mortify our members, then we will be able to live; This method of sacrifice is new, and therefore the type of fire is unusual. There is no need for wood or combustible material, but our fire burns by itself and does not burn the victim, but rather revives it. God has demanded such a sacrifice since ancient times, which is why the prophet said: “a sacrifice to God, a broken spirit” (Ps 50.19). Three youths made such a sacrifice, saying: “there is no prince and prophet... no place to devour... and to find mercy: but let us receive it with a contrite soul and a humble spirit” (Dan 3.38-39). Notice how (the apostle) uses the word with great precision. He did not say: make your bodies a sacrifice, but: “imagine”, and by this he seemed to say: you no longer have anything in common with them, you gave them to someone else. Just as those who provided war horses no longer have ownership rights to them, so you, having provided your members for the battle with the devil, for this formidable militia, do not distract them for your own services. At the same time, (the apostle) also inspires that, when preparing to sacrifice our members, we must make them immaculate, because we present them not to any of the people living on earth, but to the King of the universe Himself - God, and not for their use only in battle, but so that the King Himself sits on them. The Lord does not refuse to sit on our members, but also greatly desires it, and what the king who serves the Lord with us would not choose, the Lord of the angels chooses. So, if your members are to be offered and become a sacrifice, then cut off all filth from them, because as long as there is anything filthy in them, they cannot be a sacrifice. Thus, the eye, if it looks at objects that arouse voluptuousness, cannot be sacrificed, as well as the hand that is predatory and covetous, the legs that are lame when moving and going to see shows, the belly that servilely succumbs to voluptuousness and kindles passions for pleasure, the heart that nourishes anger or impure love, the tongue that speaks shamefully. Therefore, we must examine from all sides whether there is anything bad in our body. If those who brought the Old Testament sacrifices were obliged to inspect everything and were not allowed to offer one who was earless, tailless, covered with scabs or leprosy, how much more we, who offer not dumb sheep, but ourselves, must observe great caution and be clean in all respects, so that we can say to Paul and me: “For I am already eaten, and the time of my departure has come” (2 Tim. 4.6). And since (Paul) was purer than any sacrifice, he called himself a sacrifice. And this will happen to us if we destroy the old man, put to death our earthly members, and crucify the world to ourselves. In this case, we will no longer need a knife, or an altar, or fire, or more correctly, we will need all this, but not something made with our hands, but everything will be given to us from above - both the fire from above, and the knife, and the breadth of heaven will be an altar for us. If, while Elijah was making a sensual sacrifice, the fire that came down from heaven destroyed everything - water, wood, and stones, then how much more will this happen to you. If you have something unstable and worldly, but make a sacrifice with a true disposition, then the descending fire of the Spirit will consume everything worldly and fulfill the entire offering. What is “verbal ministry?” Spiritual service, life in Christ. Just as someone who serves and officiates in God’s house, no matter what he may be like at other times, during his service he concentrates in himself and becomes more reverent, so throughout our entire lives we must be in the same frame of mind as those who serve God and officiate as priests. And this will happen if you begin to make sacrifices to God every day, you become a priest of your body and the virtue that arises in the soul, for example, when you offer chastity, alms, meekness and kindness. By doing this, you will perform verbal service, that is, having nothing physical, nothing gross and sensual. So, having encouraged the listener with his very names and proved that everyone is a priest of his own body and life, (the apostle) speaks about the method by which one can achieve success in everything. What is this method? Rom.12:2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, because the image of this age is earthbound, low, short-lived, has nothing sublime, permanent, correct, but everything is perverted. And if you want to follow the right path, do not imprint on yourself the image of real life, because there is nothing permanent and solid in it. That is why the apostle called it an image, as he says elsewhere: “For the image of this world passes away” (1 Cor 7.31). There is nothing permanent or lasting in it, but everything is temporary, which is why he said: “to this age,” thereby indicating corruption, and with the word: “image” - to materiality. Whether you point to wealth, fame, physical beauty, pleasure, everything else that people consider great - all this is only an image, and not a real thing, a phenomenon - a guise, and not any permanent essence. But do not conform to this, says (the apostle), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. He did not say: transform externally, but transform essentially, showing by this that the world has only an external image, and virtue does not belong to the external, but to the true, essential image, which has natural beauty and does not need external decoration and forms that simultaneously appear and disappear, since all this disappears before it appears. So, if you drop appearances, you will immediately achieve the (real) image. After all, nothing is weaker than vice, nothing decays so quickly. Then, since it is common for people to sin every day, (the apostle) consoles the listener, saying that he should be renewed daily. As we do with houses, constantly repairing those that are dilapidated, do the same with yourself. Have you sinned today, is your soul worn out? Don’t despair, don’t be despondent, but renew it with repentance, tears, confession, good deeds, and never stop doing this. But how can we do this? To tempt you is the best, which is the will of God, good and acceptable and perfect; this means: renew yourself so that you may know what is beneficial for yourself and the will of God; or: you can then be renewed when you learn what is useful for yourself, and what God wants. If you have learned this and learned to recognize the properties of things, then you have comprehended the entire path of virtue. You may ask: who does not know what is useful for himself and what the will of God is? All those who strive for the present, who consider wealth enviable and humiliate poverty, who seek power, strive for external glory, consider themselves great when they build magnificent houses, buy magnificent tombs, have a crowd of servants and lead many eunuchs. There people do not know what is good for them and what is the will of God, because both are one and the same. What is good for us is what God wants, and what God wants is good for us. So what does God want? So that we would live in poverty, humility, in contempt of glory, in abstinence, and not in luxury, in sorrow, and not in bliss, in sadness, and not in joy and laughter, we would live in everything else that God commanded us. But many turn away from this, so far are they from recognizing this as beneficial and the will of God; and therefore they can never even approach the feats of virtue. Such people, not knowing what virtue is, but instead admiring vice and, instead of a chaste wife, entering into an alliance with a harlot, how can they renounce the present age? Therefore, first of all, we must have a correct judgment about things, and if we do not yet follow virtue, then at least we will learn to praise it; if we do not yet avoid vice, then at least we will learn to condemn the bad, so that for now our sentences will be incorruptible. Having embarked on this path, we will have the opportunity to get down to business later. That is why Paul commands to be renewed, “to tempt you, what is the will of God.” Here he reproaches, as it seems to me, the Jews who adhered to the law. Although there was God’s will for the life of the Old Testament, it was not preferential, but adapted to the weakness of the Jews, but the perfect and pleasing will was revealed in the life of the New Testament. And when the apostle called the New Testament life reasonable service, he called it so in contrast to the Old Testament life. Rom.12:3. For by the grace given to me, I say that everyone who is in you should not philosophize any more than it ought to philosophize, but philosophize in chastity, as God has divided into each one, there is a measure of faith. Having said above: “I pray... you... by the tender mercies of God” (Rom. 12:1), here again he says: “I speak by grace.” Notice the humility of the teacher, notice the meekness of his soul. For such great exhortation and advice, he does not recognize his own words as sufficient, but in support of them he refers either to God’s mercy or to grace. I offer a word not from myself, he says, but from God. And he did not say: I say to you by the Wisdom of God, or by the law of God, but: “by grace,” constantly reminding them of good deeds in order to inspire them with great gratitude and prove that grace also requires the fulfillment of what is said. "To everything that is in you." Not only one or the other, but also the superior and the subordinate, the slave and the free, the unlearned and the wise, woman and man, young man and old man - this is a common law, because it is the Lord's. So, the apostle does not offend anyone with his word, offering instruction to everyone, even those who are innocent, so that the guilty will more easily accept this admonition and correction. And what are you saying, tell me? “Don’t be too philosophic when it’s appropriate to be philosophic.” Here he points to humility, the mother of all blessings, imitating his Teacher in this. Just as Christ, having ascended the mountain to offer a moralizing word, began his speech first of all about humility and laid it as a foundation: saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5.3), so Paul, moving from dogmatic truths to moral ones, taught a lesson about virtue in general, demanding from us an amazing sacrifice, but, intending to portray virtue, in particular, he begins with humility, as if with chapter, and advises “not to philosophize more than it is appropriate to philosophize,” because such is the will of God, “but to philosophize in chastity.” These words mean the following: we have acquired prudence in order to turn it not into arrogance, but into modesty. And the apostle did not say: think of yourself humbly, but: “chastely,” meaning here by chastity not the virtue opposite to arrogance and not avoidance of intemperance, but a sober and sound mind. Having sound thoughts is called chastity. Thus, having shown that an immodest person cannot be chaste, that is, stable and sound, but errs, goes beyond boundaries and is more foolish than any fool, (the apostle) called humility chastity. “To whomsoever God hath divided there is a measure of faith.” Since the alms of gifts led many of the Romans and Corinthians to arrogance, pay attention to how (the apostle) makes clear the cause of this disease and little by little removes it. Having said that one must “be wise in chastity,” he added: “to whom, as God has divided, there is a measure of faith,” here calling spiritual gifting faith. In the word: “divided” - he consoled the one who received a smaller gift, and humbled the one who took advantage of a greater gift. If God has divided and it is not your success that matters, then why do you think so much about yourself? If anyone says that this is talking about faith, and not about talent, then this proves even more that (the apostle) humbles the vain. If faith is the reason for the gift, it works miracles and all this is from God, then on what basis do you think so much about yourself? After all, if God had not come to earth and become incarnate, then faith would not have had such success. Thus, all good things have their origin in God. And if He Himself gives, then He knows how to share; He Himself created everyone and cares about everyone equally. Both to give and how much to give depended on His love for mankind. He who showed goodness in the main thing, namely in giving His gifts, will not leave you even in the matter of measure. If He wanted to deprive you of honor, He would not have given you the very first, and if He was pleased to save and honor you (and for this He came to earth and distributed such a multitude of benefits), then why do you become confused and afraid and from being reasonable become a fool, shaming yourself more than a fool by nature? To be stupid by nature is not a crime, but to become stupid while having reason is not excusable and entails great punishment. Such are those who, because of their wisdom, think a lot about themselves and fall into extreme arrogance. Nothing makes you stupid like arrogance. That is why the prophet, calling the barbarian a fool, said: “The holy fool will speak” (Isaiah 32.6). And so that you can conclude his stupidity from his own speeches, listen to what he says: “I will set my throne above the stars of heaven, I ... will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14.13–14). “I will embrace the whole world like a nest in my hand, and I will take it like a left egg” (Isaiah 10.14). What could be more stupid than these words? But every boastful word easily attracts the same criticism. And if I present to you all the speeches of the arrogant, you will not distinguish whether it is said by an arrogant person or a fool; thus they have the same defect. And another barbarian says again: “I am God” (Ezekiel 28.2), and not a man, and another: “God will not be able to save you or will snatch you out of my hands” (Dan 3.15); also the Egyptian: “We do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5.2). Such is the fool mentioned by the prophet, who said in his heart: “There is no God” (Ps. 13.1). This is also Cain, who said: “Food am my brother’s guardian” (Gen. 4.9)? Can you discern which words are spoken by the arrogant and which by the foolish? Arrogance, not observing moderation and arising outside of the mind (which is why it is called απονιά), creates both stupid and vain people. And if the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, then the beginning of foolishness is ignorance of the Lord. So, if knowledge of God is wisdom, and ignorance is stupidity, and ignorance comes from pride (and the beginning of pride is ignorance of the Lord), then it follows that pride is extreme stupidity. Such was Nabal, who, if not before God, then before man, became insane from arrogance; he subsequently died of fear. As soon as a person loses a measure of prudence, then, due to mental weakness, he becomes both timid and daring. Just as the body, when it loses the uniform combination of vital forces, becomes upset and is subject to all sorts of illnesses, so the soul, when it loses its sublimity and humility, falling into some painful state, becomes timid, and daring, and crazy, and finally ceases to recognize itself. And who does not know himself, how will he know what is above him? Just as a person possessed by insanity, when he does not recognize himself, does not know what is under his feet, and as the eye, when it is itself blind, darkens all other members, so it happens with arrogance. Therefore, the arrogant are more unhappy than those who are crazy in mind and stupid by nature. They excite laughter like the latter and are unpleasant like the former, and although they are just as upset in the mind as the insane, they do not arouse as much regret as the latter; they are mad, like fools, but do not deserve justification, like those, and inspire only disgust. Having the shortcomings of both, they are deprived of justification, like both of them, being ridiculous not only with their speeches, but also with all their techniques. Tell me: why are you stretching your neck? Why do you walk around standing on your toes, raising your eyebrows and puffing out your chest? After all, you cannot make your hair white or black, but you walk as if on air, imagining yourself as the ruler of everything? Perhaps you would like wings to grow on you so that you don’t have to walk on the ground; Maybe you want to become extraordinary. And now don’t you make a miracle of yourself when, being a man, you plan to fly? But, better to say, you are already flying internally, everything lifts you up. What should I call you? How to destroy your arrogance? If I call you ashes, dust, smoke and dust, then, although I have named lower objects, none of them depict you exactly as I would like, because I want to represent all the pomp and emptiness of arrogant people. How can we find an image that corresponds to them? It seems to me that they are like burning flax. Like flax that flares up, apparently swells and rises, but from a light touch of the hand it falls and leaves the finest ashes, so are the souls of the arrogant: their empty pout can be humbled and destroyed by a casual touch. Anyone who is arrogant must necessarily be weak, because what is high is never strong, but just as water bubbles soon burst, so the arrogant easily perish. If you don’t believe this, then imagine me an arrogant and arrogant man and you will see that from a random circumstance he becomes more timid than someone from a fall. Just as brushwood quickly turns to ashes as soon as the flame that engulfs it flares up, and thick trees do not easily ignite and maintain the flame for a long time, so strong and unshakable souls with difficulty both ignite and burn, and over the weak, both happen in one instant of time. So, knowing this, let us practice humility. There is nothing more powerful than it, it is harder than stone, stronger than adamant, it puts us in greater security than fortresses, cities and walls, being above all the tricks of the devil, while arrogance makes us susceptible to all sorts of random attacks, bursting, as said above, easier than a water bubble, bursting faster than a cobweb and dissipating faster than smoke. Therefore, in order for us to establish ourselves on solid rock, putting aside arrogance, let us love humility. Then in this life we ​​will find peace, and in the next century we will enjoy all the blessings of the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: