Беседа 31

The need for consent and the danger of hostility. – Nothing produces such division as envy. 1 Corinthians 12:21. The eye cannot tell the hand: I don’t need you; or also head to feet: I don’t need you. 1. Having exposed the envy of the inferiors and destroyed their sorrow, which they might have had because others were rewarded with greater gifts, (the apostle) now humbles the pride of those who received more. He did this before, when he talked with the first, precisely when he instilled that talent is a gift, and not a merit; but now does the same with greater force, continuing the same comparison. From the body and its unity, he moves on to comparing the members themselves, which they (the Corinthians) especially needed to know, since it was not so much that they could be consoled by the fact that they all constitute one body, but by the conviction that even with the gifts that they received, they were not in the least humiliated. “The eye cannot,” he says, “tell the hand: I don’t need you; or also head to feet: I don’t need you.” And lesser talent is also necessary; just as without the great there would be a great lack, so without the little the fullness of the Church would be disrupted. Didn’t say: doesn’t speak, but: cannot say, i.e. even if he wanted to, even if he said it, this is impossible due to the very essence of the matter. Therefore, he takes the two extreme members and stops his speech on them, namely, he cites as an example, firstly, the hand and the eye, and secondly, the head and legs. Indeed, what is more unimportant than a leg, or what is more honorable and necessary than a head? The head especially makes up a person. However, it is also insufficient in itself and cannot do everything alone: ​​otherwise we were given legs in vain. Without stopping there, (the apostle) shows yet another advantage (of the inferior), as he always does, trying to prove not only equality, but extending even further. That’s why he adds: “On the contrary, the members of the body that seem weakest are much more necessary, and which seem to us less noble in the body, we take more care of those; and our unseemly ones are covered more gracefully” (1 Cor. 12:22-24). He continually makes an example of the body, and thus comforts one and humbles the other. I affirm, he says, that the most important members not only have a need for the lower ones, but also a great need, since what is weak and less noble among us is necessary and enjoys great care. He said well: “which seem”, expressing that such a situation is based not on the essence of things, but on the opinion of people. We have nothing dishonest, because everything is from God. What seems more ignoble among us than the reproductive members? But they are given even greater care: the poorest people, even if they leave all other parts of the body naked, do not allow themselves to expose these members; but with dishonest things they do not do the same, but they should be despised more than anything else. The dishonest slave in the house not only does not enjoy much care, but is not given the same treatment as others. Consequently, if these members were also ignoble, then not only should they not be given more care, but also equal care with others; and now more care is being taken about them, and this is according to the wisdom of God. God has arranged it in such a way that some members by nature do not need anything, to others we must provide what is not given to them by nature: and yet they are not dishonest for this reason, just like animals, by nature, for the most part they do not need anything, neither clothing, nor shoes, nor shelter, and yet our body is not more dishonest than their body because it has a need for all this. Truly, if we consider carefully, then these (members) by their very nature are honorable and necessary, as the (apostle) himself hints at, pronouncing his judgment about them not on the basis of our attention and great care for them, but on the basis of the very essence of things; calling them weak and less noble, he says: “which seem”, and calling them necessary, he does not add: “which seem”, but pronounces his own judgment and says that they are “much more necessary”; and very fair. They are truly necessary for the birth of children and the continuation of our family. Therefore, the Roman legislators consider punishment for those who distort these members and make themselves eunuchs, as people who harm the entire human race and distort nature itself. But let the corrupt people who condemn the works of God understand! Just as many curse wine because of drunkards and the female sex because of harlots, so these members are considered shameful because of those who use them improperly. But one should not (judge) this way; sin does not depend on the essence of the thing, but comes from the arbitrariness of those who commit the crime. However, some think that Paul here refers to the weaker and less noble members, the most tender and those that receive more care - the eyes and legs, namely, by the weakest and most necessary members he means the eyes, since they, although weaker in strength, are more excellent in use, and by the less noble members he means the legs, about which a lot of care is also attached. 2. Further, so that there is no exaggeration on the other side, he says: “but our good ones have no need of it” (1 Cor. 12:24). So that no one says: what, is it really necessary to leave the noble members in disdain, and take care of the less noble ones? - he says: we do this not out of disdain for them, but because they do not need it. And notice how he briefly expressed his praise for them and then moved on to the next step, acting in this case both decently and usefully. Without stopping there, he adds the reason: “but God,” he says, “commensated the body, instilling greater care for the less perfect, so that there would be no division in the body” (1 Cor. 12:24-25). If God mixed the body, then he did not leave the possibility of distinguishing the less noble in it, because what was mixed becomes one, so that it is no longer visible what it was before - otherwise it would not be possible to say about it that it is mixed. And look how everywhere he only lightly mentions shortcomings, expressing himself: “to the less perfect” 51. He did not say: dishonorable or shameful, but: “less perfect.” Why less perfect? From nature. "Inspiring Greater Care 52". For what? "So that there is no division in the body." Since (the Corinthians, having received many consolations, they still grieved that they received less, then (the apostle) proves that, on the contrary, they received great honor: “to the less perfect,” he says, “giving greater honor”; and then he gives the reason, showing that (God) beneficially bestowed less and honored more. What is this reason? “So that there is no division,” he says, “in the body”: he did not say: in the members, but: in the body. There would truly be great inequality if some members, both from nature and from us, enjoyed great care, while others did not have this on either side; then they would fall apart, not being able to maintain an alliance between themselves; and if some fell away, then the others would also suffer harm. Do you see how he proved that the less perfect members should have been given more honor? If it were not so, then, he says, everyone would have died. Truly, if you did not take great care of them, then they, not being protected by nature, would be damaged, damaged, destroyed, destroyed, they would divide the body into parts, and after dividing the body, other much more important members would also perish. Do you see how care for these is connected with care for these? The members have the basis of their being not so much in their own nature as in the fact that they constitute one body; therefore, if the body is destroyed, then there will be no benefit from the integrity of each of them separately; Whether the eye remains intact or the nose remains intact, after the dissolution of the union there will be no benefit; and if the union is maintained, then, even if they are damaged, they hold on and soon recover. But perhaps someone will say: it can definitely be said about the body that the less perfect members received more honor; but how can this be seen between people? This can be seen even more between people. Thus, those who came at the eleventh hour were the first to receive a reward; for the lost sheep the shepherd left ninety-nine others, went after it, and, having found it, carried it, and did not drive it away; the prodigal son received more care than the one who behaved honestly; the robber was crowned and glorified before the apostles. The same can be seen (in the parable) about talents: the one who received five talents and the one who received two were awarded the same thing, and the very fact that the latter received two talents serves as a sign of greater care for him; if he were given five, then, not being able to increase them, he would lose everything; and having received two and completed his work, he was rewarded with the same thing as the one who acquired five talents, having acquired the more of it since he was awarded the same crowns for less work. Although he was the same person as the one who received five talents, the Master does not torture him, does not force him to work as much as a slave like him, and does not say: why couldn’t you acquire five talents? He could have said this with justice; Meanwhile, he was also crowned. So, knowing this, the higher ones do not oppress the lower ones, so that before them you yourself do not suffer harm; for if they are separated, then the whole body will be destroyed. What is a body if not a union of many members, as the apostle says: “The body is not made of one member, but of many”? Therefore, if this is what the body is, then let us try to ensure that much remains for many; and when this is not observed, a mortal wound will open. And the apostle demands not only that we should not be separated from each other, but that we should be united in the most intimate way. Namely, having said: “so that there would be no division in the body,” he was not content with this, but added: “and all members equally cared for each other,” presenting here another reason why more care is given to the lower members. God arranged this not only so that the members would not be separated from each other, but also so that there would be great love and harmony between them. If everyone must care about the salvation of their neighbor, then do not tell me about the lower and higher; there is no higher and lower here. The difference (of the members) can only be seen when the body remains whole; when it is destroyed, it is impossible; and it is destroyed if there are no lower (members). 3. So, if with damage to unimportant members, important ones are also damaged, then the latter should take care of the unimportant ones as much as about themselves, since the preservation of the important ones depends on their preservation. Therefore, even if you repeat a thousand times that such and such a member is unimportant and insignificant, but if you do not care about it as much as about yourself, and begin to neglect it as if it were unimportant, then the harm will fall on you. Therefore (the apostle) did not say: so that only the members take care of each other, but added: so that “all members equally take care of each other,” i.e. so that an unimportant member enjoys exactly the same care as an important one. Do not say that such and such a member is not important, but remember that it is a member of the same body that contains everything; both the eye and every other (member) make the body a body. In the composition of the body, no one (member) has an advantage over another; and what constitutes a body is not that in it one (member) is more important, and another less important, but that there are many (members) in it, and, moreover, different ones. Just as you, being greater, make up a body, so the other, being less; therefore, his smallness, in relation to the composition of the body, is equal to you: he contributes to this beautiful whole in the same way as you. This can be seen from the following: let there be no member important and unimportant, noble and ignoble, but let it be all the eye, or all the head: won’t the body perish? It's obvious to everyone. Again, if everyone were unimportant, the same thing would happen. So in this respect, the unimportant members are equal (to the most important). One can say even more: an unimportant (member) is precisely unimportant for the purpose of having a body, so for you it remains unimportant so that you remain important. That is why (the apostle) demands equal care for everyone: “so that all members,” he says, “equally care for each other,” and again he explains the same thing in the following words: “therefore, if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; If one member is glorified, all members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). For this purpose, he says, (God) established mutual care for each other, establishing unity in such diversity that everything that happens would be common to many. If common salvation depends on caring for one's neighbor, then it is necessary that both glory and sorrow be common. Thus (the apostle) offers here three commandments: not to be divided, but to be in close unity, to have equal care for each other, to consider everything that happens as common. Above, he said that God granted greater honor to the less perfect (member), as having need, showing that imperfection itself gives the right to greater honor; but here he says that (the members) are equal in mutual care for each other. For this, he says, (God granted the lower members great honor, so that they would enjoy no less care); but not only in this, but in everything that happens, both pleasant and unpleasant, the members are mutually interconnected. Often when a thorn pierces the heel, the whole body feels pain and anxiety, the back bends, the stomach and thighs contract, the hands, like squires and servants, reach forward and remove the thorn, the head bends and the eyes watch with great concern. Thus, although the leg is the lowest (member) and cannot rise higher, it nevertheless bows its head, and through this it is equal to it and receives the same honor, especially since the legs force it to bend not out of mercy, but out of duty; therefore, she, having an advantage over them, as a more important (member), for all that, being obliged to give honor and care to the less important and suffering equally with them, expresses great equality with them. What is really below the heel and what is more important than the head? Meanwhile, the latter bends towards the former and bends all the members with it. Again, when the eyes hurt, then all (members) suffer, everyone falls into inactivity, the legs do not walk, the arms do not work, the stomach does not accept ordinary food, although the disease is in the eyes. Why then do you anoint your stomach? Why are you covering your feet? Why are you tying your hands? Because they are connected with the eyes, and the whole body suffers inexpressibly along with them. If they did not suffer together, then there would be no need for common care for them. Therefore (the apostle), having said: “so that all members equally care for each other,” added: “if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; If one member is glorified, all members rejoice with him.” How, you ask, do they rejoice? The head is crowned and the whole person is glorified; the mouth speaks, and the eyes sparkle with joy and merriment, although praise is not to the eyes, but to the tongue. Also, when the eyes are beautiful, then the whole wife seems beautiful; when a straight nose, a straight neck and other members are praised, then the eyes shine; again, they cry profusely when those (members) are exposed to illness and misfortune, although they themselves remain unharmed. 4. So, remembering this, let us all imitate the love of these members and not act contrary to this, we will not laugh at the misfortunes of our neighbor and envy his happiness: after all, this is characteristic of the insane and insane. He who plucks out an eye provides the greatest proof of insanity, and he who gnaws a hand clearly incriminates himself of insanity. If this is true in relation to members (physical), then equally in relation to brothers such actions expose madness and cause no small harm. In fact, as long as he shone, so long will your beauty be preserved and your whole body show off; his beauty does not only refer to him, but also brings honor to you; if you extinguish it, you will bring general darkness to the whole body and expose all members to misfortune; on the contrary, if you keep it light, you will preserve the beauty of the whole body. Nobody says: the eye is beautiful, but what? So-and-so is beautiful; if they praise him too, then they praise him after the general praise. This also happens in the Church: when some are distinguished, then the society acquires good fame. Enemies do not share praise, but collectively apply (them to everyone); If anyone is distinguished by the gift of eloquence, they praise not only him, but the whole Church. They don’t say: so-and-so is worthy of surprise, but what? Christians have teachers worthy of wonder; and this treasure is made common. So, the pagans unite, but you divide, you fight against your own body and rebel against your own members. Don’t you know that through this everything is destroyed? “The kingdom,” says (the Lord), “divided against itself, will be desolate” (Matthew 12:25). Nothing divides and dissolves so much as hatred and envy, this serious illness, unworthy of any forgiveness and in some respects worse than the very root of evil. The lover of money rejoices when he himself receives; and the envious person rejoices not when he himself receives, but when another does not receive, considers well-being for himself not his own well-being, but the misfortune of others, is, as it were, the common enemy of human nature and the tormentor of Christ’s members. What could be crazier? The demon envies people, and not another demon; and you, man, envy man, rebel against what is of the same tribe and homogeneous to you, which even the demon does not do! What forgiveness will you have, what justification will you have when, seeing your brother prosperous, you tremble and turn pale, when you should boast, rejoice and admire? If you want to compete with him, I do not forbid: compete, but in such a way that you become like him in good glory, not in order to humiliate him, but so that you too reach the same height and show the same virtue. This is good competition: to imitate, and not to be at enmity, not to grieve over the perfections of another, but to lament over one’s own shortcomings. But envy does the opposite: not caring about its own shortcomings, it is tormented by the perfections of others. It is not so much the poor man who is upset by his poverty as the one who is envious of his neighbor’s well-being; What could be more vile than this? Therefore, as I said above, he is even worse than selfish; this one rejoices when he himself receives, and that one rejoices when the other does not receive. So, I exhort you, leave this evil path and turn to good zeal - and such zeal is strong and hotter than any fire - and you will receive great benefits from here. So Paul, turning the Jews to faith, said: “Shall I arouse jealousy in my relatives according to the flesh and save some of them?” (Rom.11:14). He who is as jealous as he desired is distressed not when he sees another with good fame, but when he sees himself lagging behind. But the envious person is not so: he is distressed when he sees the success of another and, like some drone that damages other people’s works, he himself does not try to get up, but cries when he sees another standing, and does everything to overthrow him. What can this passion be likened to? It seems to me that she is like a lazy and fat donkey, which, being harnessed to a fast horse, does not want to get up, and tries to pull the horse with the weight of its body. So he (the envious one) does not think or try at all about freeing himself from this deep sleep, but does everything in order to hook and overthrow the other, soaring to heaven, becoming a faithful imitator of the devil. And the devil, seeing a person in paradise, tried not to correct himself, but to deprive him of paradise; and again, seeing him staying in heaven and others rushing there, he also tries to hinder those who are rushing there, and thus prepares the most cruel cave for himself. This is how it always happens: whoever is envied, if he is vigilant, is even more glorified; and the envious one brings upon himself even more evil. Thus Joseph became famous; so Aaron the priest; the machinations of the envious brought about the fact that God himself once and again uttered his definition about him, and arranged that his rod vegetated; Thus Jacob achieved great prosperity and everything else; This is how envious people subjected themselves to countless disasters! Knowing all this, let us avoid envy. And what, tell me, are you jealous of? Is it because your brother received a spiritual gift? But from whom did he receive it, tell me, was it not from God? This means that you are at enmity with the One who gave it to him. You see to what extent evil extends, to what degree of sin it rises and what an abyss of punishment it tears up! Let us, beloved, avoid this passion, let us not envy, but let us pray for those who envy themselves and use all measures to extinguish this passion in them. Let us not act like those foolish people who, wanting to punish others, use all measures to kindle a flame for themselves. On the contrary, we will shed tears and mourn them. They execute themselves by carrying within themselves a worm that continually devours their heart, and by revealing a source of poison that is bitterer than any bile. Let us pray to the humane God that He will destroy passion in them and not allow us to fall into illness. Heaven is inaccessible to those who are infected with this ulcer, and even before heaven, real life becomes unbearable for him. The moth and the worm do not eat up the wave and the tree, just as the fever of envy eats up the bones of the envious and poisons the health of the soul. Therefore, in order for us and others to be saved from countless evils, let us remove from ourselves this evil fever, which is worse than any ulcer, so that, having received spiritual strength, we can accomplish the feat of this life and achieve future crowns, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Antioch around 390. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” Gr. συνεκερασεν - mixed, combined - I.I. You might be interested in: