Беседа 4

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 1.26–27. For this reason, God betrayed them in the passion of dishonor: and for their wives he changed their natural likeness into a supernatural one. Likewise, men, having abandoned the natural likeness of the female sex, were inflamed with their lust for each other. So, all passions are dishonest, but mad love for men is especially dishonest, because the soul suffers and is humiliated in these sins more than the body in illness. Look how the apostle here also deprives the pagans of forgiveness, saying about women in the same way as about the teaching: “by changing the natural likeness.” No one can say, he says, that they reached this point, being deprived of the usual way of intercourse, and that they indulged in such extraordinary fury because they could not satisfy their lust, since it is only possible to change what they have, as the Apostle said in his speech on teaching: “changing the truth of God into a lie” (Rom. 1:25). The apostle said the same thing again, but somewhat differently, about men: “leaving the natural likeness of the female sex.” He equally deprives both women and men of the opportunity to apologize, accusing them not only of having pleasure and, leaving what they had, turning to something else, but also of having despised the natural way and resorted to the unnatural. But what is unnatural is both more inconvenient and more unpleasant, so that it cannot be called pleasure. After all, true pleasure is in accordance with nature, and when God leaves, then everything falls into disorder. As a result, the pagans had not only a satanic teaching, but also a devilish life. And when the apostle talked about teaching, he pointed to the world and the human mind, saying that people, by the power of understanding given from God, and through the medium of everything visible, could rise to the level of the Creator, but they did not want this and were left without justification. And here, instead of peace, he pointed to pleasure in accordance with nature, which they could enjoy with greater freedom and with greater pleasure, freed from shame. But the pagans did not want this and, having offended nature itself, found themselves beyond any excuse. The most dishonest thing is that women also strive for such mixtures, which they should be ashamed of more than men. And here Paul’s prudence is worthy of admiration, as he, attacking two opposing matters, achieved his goal with all precision. After all, he wanted to express himself decently and to offend the listener, but both were impossible: one interfered with the other. Having expressed himself decently, it was impossible to touch the listener; and in order to amaze him more, it was necessary to present the matter more clearly in all its nakedness. But the rational and holy soul of Paul overcame both with precision, strengthening the accusation with the name of nature and using this word as a kind of cover for the decency of speech. So, having first touched the woman, the apostle then turns his speech to men: “the same is true for men, having abandoned the natural likeness of the female sex.” It is proof of extreme corruption when both sexes are corrupted, when a man, appointed to be a teacher of a wife, and a woman, who is ordered to be a helper to her husband, act towards each other as enemies. Notice what strong expressions the apostle uses. He did not say that they had mutual love and lust, but “they were kindled with their lust for each other.” Do you notice that everything happened from an excess of lust, which was unable to remain within its own limits? Everything that violates the laws established by God has a lust for the unusual and illegal. Just as many, having lost the urge for ordinary food, often eat earth and small stones, while others, languishing with strong thirst, often drink dirty water, so the pagans boiled with this illegal love. And if you ask: where does such intensity of passion come from? - I answer: because they were abandoned by God. Why did this abandonment of God happen? From the iniquity of those who have abandoned God. Husbands do the same to husbands. Having heard (the apostle says) that they (the pagans) were inflamed, do not think that they had only the disease of lust: everything depends primarily on carelessness, which inflamed passions. Therefore, he did not say - having been tempted, or - having fallen (Gal. 6.1), as he expressed himself elsewhere, but how did he express himself? "Contributing". They considered sin not a simple activity, but one that they committed with zeal. He also did not say lust, but “stud” primarily, because they disgraced nature and trampled on the laws. Look what great confusion occurred on both sides. Not only the head became down, but also the legs were up; people became enemies to themselves and to each other, because they opened up some kind of cruel warfare, which is more lawless than any civil strife - a varied and diverse warfare. They divided it into four types, all vain and criminal, so that their struggle was not double and triple, but in four types. Judge for yourself. The two, I mean the wife and the husband, were to be one, as it is said: “the two will become one flesh” (Gen. 2.24). And this was caused by the desire for communication, which connected both sexes with each other. The devil, having destroyed this mutual inclination and given it a different direction, thus divided the sexes among themselves and, contrary to the law of God, made two parts from one whole. After all, God said: “they will become two into one flesh,” but the devil divided the one flesh into two. Here's the first curse. Again, each of these two parts began to be at enmity both with itself and against each other, because women began to insult not only men, but also women, and men rebelled against each other and against the female sex, as usually happens in some night battle. Do you see the second and third abuse, the fourth and fifth? But there is another way: in addition to what has been said, they rebelled against nature itself. Since the devil saw that lust itself most of all unites the sexes, he tried to break this union in order to destroy the human race not only by the illegal waste of semen, but also by mutual struggle and uprisings. And retribution, befitting their deception, is receptive within itself. See how the apostle again turns to the source of evil - wicked teaching, and says that the "stud" was a reward for this iniquity. So, since, speaking about Gehenna and punishment, the apostle would seem untrustworthy and even ridiculous to wicked people who have chosen such a life, he explains that punishment lies in this very pleasure. And do not be surprised that they do not feel this, but experience pleasure: after all, even the insane and those possessed by the disease of insanity, torturing themselves a lot and being in a pitiful situation, nevertheless laugh and rejoice in their deeds, about which others cry about them. But we do not say that as a result of this they are exempt from punishment, on the contrary, because they themselves are in terrible torment, because they themselves are not aware of their situation. It is not the sick who need to judge the state of affairs, but the healthy. It is known that in ancient times such a thing was even considered legal, and one pagan legislator forbade slaves to rub themselves with oil until dry and to commit sodomy, giving only the free such an advantage, or better yet, such a practice. And, in general, the pagans did not consider this matter shameless, but, as something honorable and higher than the condition of slaves, they provided it only to the free. So thought the wisest people of Athens and the greatest of the Athenians, Solon. One can find many other philosophical works infected with the same disease. However, as a result of this, we will not call such a thing legal, but, on the contrary, we recognize those people who accepted this law as pathetic and worthy of many tears. What harlots do, homosexuals do the same, or better yet, worse things. Mixing with harlots, although unlawful, is natural, and sodomy is both illegal and unnatural. If there were no Gehenna and no threat of punishment, then this would be worse than any punishment. If they enjoy, then this only indicates an increase in punishment. If I saw a naked man running, having stained his whole body with mud, and not only is not ashamed, but is even boasting about it, then I would not rejoice with him, but would weep for him more than he does, because he does not feel his shame. But in order to present the reproach to you more clearly, listen to another example from me. If someone had accused the girl of mixing with irrational animals in her bedchamber, and even after that she began to enjoy such mixing, would she be unworthy of tears, mainly due to the fact that she could not get rid of this disease for the reason that she was not aware of the vice? Of course, this is clear to everyone. And if that lawlessness is serious, then this (sodomy) is no less so, since it is more regrettable to endure reproach from one’s own than from strangers. I claim that these (sodomy) are worse than murderers, since it is better to die than to live after such a desecration. The killer tears the soul from the body, but this one destroys the soul along with the body. Whatever sin you call, none will be equal to this lawlessness. And those who fall into it, if they were aware of what they are doing, would accept countless deaths just to avoid being subjected to this sin. Nothing, nothing is more unreasonable and heavier than such a reproach. If Paul, speaking about fornication, said: “every... sin that man commits is except in the body: but whoever commits fornication sins in his own body” (1 Cor 6.18), then what can we say about this madness, which is so much worse than fornication that it cannot even be expressed? I’m not saying that you only became a woman, but more than that: you ruined your existence as a man, you neither changed into a female nature, nor did you retain the one you had, but became a common traitor to both natures and is worthy of expulsion from both men and women and stoning, since you have offended both sexes. In order for you to understand how great this sin is, (imagine the following): if someone came to you and announced that he would turn you from a man into a dog, would you not run away from him as from the most harmful person? But now you have turned yourself from a man not into a dog, but into an animal more contemptible than a dog: it is still good for something, but he who gives himself over to debauchery is good for nothing. And tell me, if someone threatened to make men carry and give birth to children, then would it be possible? would we not be filled with wrath? But now those who indulge in such fury are doing much worse to themselves, since it is not the same thing, firstly, to change into a feminine nature and, secondly, while remaining a man, to become a woman, or better yet, neither one nor the other. If you want to know the excess of evil in another respect, then ask why legislators punish those who make others eunuchs, and you will find out that for nothing other than the mutilation of nature, although they do not inflict such a reproach on a person (which is inflicted by sodomy), because those who are castrated and after castration are in many cases useful. Meanwhile, there is nothing more obscene than a man who has become a harlot, because not only the soul, but also the body of one who has allowed such desecration becomes insignificant and worthy of expulsion from everywhere. What Gehenna is sufficient for such! And if, hearing about Gehenna, you laugh and don’t believe, then remember the fire of Sodom. After all, we see, even in real life we ​​see a resemblance to Gehenna. Since many were ready not to believe at all those who appeared after the resurrection and proclaimed that even now there is an unquenchable fire, God enlightened them with the events of real life. Such was the burning of Sodom and its destruction by fire, as those who were there know and saw with their own eyes the traces of divine punishment and heavenly lightning. Understand how great was the sin that prompted Gehenna to appear prematurely. On the other hand, since many despised speech (about Gehenna), God actually showed them its likeness in some new form. That rain was extraordinary, just as the mixing of the Sodomites was unnatural; he flooded the earth, just as lust flooded their souls. This rain was in its effect the opposite of ordinary rain: it not only did not arouse the womb of the earth to grow fruits, but also made it incapable of receiving seeds. Such was the confusion of the men of the land of Sodom, which made their bodies more barren. What is dirtier, what is more disgusting than that man who became a harlot? What fury, what madness! Where did this lust invade, which offends human nature, like enemies, or rather, as much more terrible than enemies as the soul is superior to the body? Oh, you are the most senseless and dumb, the most shameless and dogs! And among them such confusion never occurs, since nature knows its limits, and you, in disgrace of your role, have made it more dishonest than irrational creatures. So where did this evil come from? From a luxurious life, from ignorance of God: whenever people reject the fear of God, then all goodness leaves them. So, to prevent this from happening, let us have the true fear of God before our eyes. Nothing, nothing destroys a person more than if one lifts oneself from this anchor, and nothing saves one more than if one always stays on it. If we, having a person before our eyes, approach sins with less determination, and often do not do anything inappropriate, ashamed of more respectable servants, then consider what security we will enjoy when we have before the eyes of God. Indeed, in such a mood, the devil will not attack us anywhere, because his work would be useless. When the devil notices that we are wandering outside and wandering without a rein, he, taking advantage of our initiative, will finally have the opportunity to completely separate us from the herd. And what the careless slaves endure, who, having abandoned the necessary affairs for which they were sent by their masters to the market, unnecessarily and in vain stop with those passing by and waste their free time here, we too will suffer the same when we deviate from the commandments of God. Here we stand, amazed at the wealth, the beauty of the body and everything else that does not concern us, just as those slaves look at the performances of magicians, and then, having arrived late, suffer severe beatings at home. And many, following others who commit such indecencies, even left the path that lay before them. But let us not do this, because we have been sent to do many things that are necessary; If we, neglecting this, stop and look in surprise at useless objects, then, having spent all our time in vain and in vain, we will be subjected to cruel punishment. If you want to do something, then you have something that you should look at with amazement, something you can admire all your time, which is not worthy of laughter, but of surprise and much praise, and meanwhile, if you begin to be amazed at what is funny, you yourself will become so and even worse than the laugher. Run quickly away so that you are not exposed to this. And tell me, why are you standing, looking in amazement at wealth and ready to fly to it? What do you see in him that is amazing and worthy of catching your gaze? Are they horses decorated with gold, and barbarian servants, or eunuchs, expensive clothes, and in them a voluptuous soul, raised eyebrows, running and excitement? But is all this really worthy of surprise? How are these people different from the beggars who dance in the market and play the pipe? They, possessed by a strong hunger for virtue, dance their dance, which is funnier than the dance of beggars, when they run and whirl around luxurious dinners, then in the houses of obscene women, then in a crowd of flatterers and parasites. Although they are dressed in gold, they are especially pitiful because they care most about what does not matter to them. Don’t look at the clothes, but open their soul and see if it is full of countless wounds, if it is dressed in rags, if it is not lonely and defenseless? What is the use of this insane attachment to externals? It is much better to be poor, but live virtuously, than to be a king, but vicious. The poor man in himself enjoys every spiritual pleasure and, due to his inner wealth, does not feel outward poverty. And the king, enjoying what is completely indecent for him, is punished for what should be especially characteristic of him, and is tormented in his soul by thoughts and conscience that haunt him even among pleasures. Knowing this, let us reject golden garments and internalize virtue and the pleasure that comes from virtue. Thus, both here and there we will enjoy much joy and achieve the promised blessings, grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, honor, power, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: