Беседа 1

Hebrews 1:1–2. God, who spoke in many ways and in many ways of old to the fathers in the prophets, in these last days spoke to us in the Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also created the worlds. 1. Truly, “when sin abounded, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Blessed Paul expresses this here, too, at the beginning of his letter to the Hebrews. Since they were probably distressed and exhausted by calamities and, judging by these circumstances, considered themselves inferior to all others (people), he suggests that they received a much greater and more excellent grace, and thus encourages his listeners at the very beginning of his speech. That is why he says: “God, who spoke of old to the fathers in the prophets many times and in various ways, has spoken to us in these last days in the Son.” Why doesn't he contrast himself with the prophets? He was the greater of them, the more was entrusted to him, but he does not do this. Why? Firstly, because he did not want to say anything great about himself; secondly, because the listeners were not yet perfect; and thirdly, because he wanted to elevate them more and show the great superiority (of the new covenant over the old). He seems to be saying this: what is great in the fact that (God) sent prophets to our fathers? He sent his only begotten Son to us. Well, he began his speech with the words: “many times and in many ways,” expressing that the prophets themselves did not see God, but the Son did. The expressions: “multiple and varied” mean: variously. “I...,” says (God), “multiplied visions, and through the prophets used parables.” ( Hos. 12:10 ). Thus, the superiority (of the new covenant over the old) is not only in the fact that the prophets were sent to them, and the Son to us, but also in the fact that none of them saw God, but the only begotten Son saw. However, (the apostle) does not immediately express this, but explains it in further words when he speaks of (His) humanity: “For to whom of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son”; and: “Sit at my right hand” (Heb. 1:5, 13)? And notice his great wisdom: he first proves this superiority with prophecies, and then, when he has made such a truth undoubted, he himself explains that to those God spoke through the prophets, and to us through the Only Begotten. But if to those (God spoke) and through angels, - after all, the angels also talked with the Jews - then in this we have an advantage, so as the Master spoke to us, and to those slaves, because angels and prophets are equally slaves. Well he said: “in the last days”; it encourages them and comforts the despairing. As in other places he says: “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything” (Phil. 4:5–6); and again: “For salvation is closer to us now than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11), and so it is here. What do his words mean? The fact that everyone, exhausted in exploits, hearing about the end of exploits, is somewhat encouraged, seeing that the end of labor and the beginning of rest is coming. “In these last days he spoke to us in the Son.” Here again he says: “in the Son,” (i.e.) “through the Son,” contrary to those who claim that this belongs to the Spirit. Do you see that “in” is used instead of “through?” And the words: “of old” and “in the last days” mean something else. What is it? That after a long time, when we were punished, when our (spiritual) gifts became impoverished, when there was no hope of salvation, when we expected the worst from everywhere, then we received the best. And look how wisely he expressed this: he did not say: “Christ spoke,” although He was “the one who spoke,” but, since the souls of the listeners were still weak and could not hear about Christ, he says: “He spoke to us in the Son.” What are you saying? Did God speak through the Son? Yes. What is the advantage? Here you show that both the new and the old testaments belong to the same (God); therefore there is no important advantage between them. Therefore, he further explains these words, saying: “he spoke to us in the Son.” Notice how Paul generalizes this and equates himself with the disciples: “he spoke,” he says, “to us.” Although He spoke not to him, but to the apostles and through them to others, Paul exalts the Jews and inspires that God spoke to them, and at the same time in some way reproaches them, because almost everyone to whom the prophets spoke were vicious and depraved. However, he now does not expand on this, but speaks in advance about gifts sent down from God. That is why he continues: “Whom he made the heir of all things.” Here he points to the incarnation (of Christ), just as David in the second psalm says: “Ask of me, and I will give the nations as an inheritance to you” (Psalm 2:8). made Him Lord of all, just as Peter said in Acts: “God has made this Jesus Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). The name “heir” (apostle) is used to express two concepts: the truth of sonship and the inalienability of His dominion. “Heir to everything,” i.e. all over the world. Then he again turns his speech to what was before: “through whom also he created the worlds.” 2. Where are those who say: there was (a time) when (He) was not? Further (the apostle) gradually speaks about Him that is much more important than this: “This one,” he says, “being the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis and upholding all things by the word of His power, having accomplished the cleansing of our sins, sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high, being so much more excellent than the angels, inasmuch as He inherited a name more glorious than them” (Heb. 1:3, 4). Oh, apostolic wisdom! Or better yet, one should be surprised here not by the wisdom of Paul, but by the grace of the Spirit, because he did not say this from his own mind, and did not speak such wisdom from himself - how can one expect this from a staple, from a leather, from a workshop? - but such sayings come from divine power. Truly, such thoughts did not come from his mind, which was previously so small and powerless that it was in no way superior (to the mind) of the common people - how can we expect anything else from one devoted to caring for the purchase and leather? - but from the grace of the Spirit, which, through whom it wants, through that person manifests its power. Just as if someone wants to raise a small child to some high place, reaching to the very heights of heaven, then he does this gradually and little by little raises him from the lower levels to the highest; then, when, having placed it at the top and ordered it to look down, it sees that it is embarrassed, afraid and feels dizzy, then it takes it and again brings it down to a lower place, giving it the opportunity to rest; and then, when it has rested, it raises it up again, and then brings it down again - this is exactly what Blessed Paul does with the Jews and everywhere, having learned this from his Teacher. After all, Christ himself did the same, now raising his listeners to a height, now bringing them down, and not allowing them to remain at the same level for a long time. Look how here (the apostle), having led his listeners through several steps and placing them at the very height of piety, before they were confused and felt dizzy, again brings them lower and allows them to rest: “He spoke,” he continues, “to us in the Son,” and then: “Whom he appointed heir of all.” The name “Son” is a general name; but when the true (Son of God) is understood, then it is above all; be that as it may, here (the apostle) suggests and proves that He is high. Look how he first places them on the lowest level, saying: “Whom he made heir of all things” - because “he made him heir” does not mean a high matter - then on a higher level, adding: “through whom he created the worlds”, then on the highest one - the one after which there is no other: “This, being the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis.” Here he raises them truly to the impregnable Light, to the very radiance. But before (their mind) darkened, see how he again little by little brings them down: “and holding everything,” he says, “by the word of His power, having accomplished the cleansing of our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high.” He did not simply say: he sat, but: after purification, he “sat down.” Reminds of the incarnation, and speaks again of the humiliated. Then, again, having said something lofty in the words: “at the right hand of the throne of Majesty on high,” he again says something humble, adding the following: “being as much superior to the Angels as he inherited the most glorious name before them.” Here he speaks of the economy in the flesh, because the words: “being so much more excellent” do not point to a being one with the being of the Father - it was not, but was born - but to a being of the flesh; it was. However, he is now not talking about the origin of the creature; but, just as John said: “He who came after me stood before me, because he was before me” (John 1:15), expressing that He was more honorable and more glorious, so Paul here with the words: “Being so much more excellent than the angels” - expresses that He is higher and more excellent, “as much as he inherited a name more glorious than them.” Do you see that this is said in relation to the flesh (Christ)? The name: “God the Word” He always had, and did not inherit it later, and it was not then that He became superior to the angels when He accomplished the cleansing of our sins, but He was always superior and incomparably more excellent. Therefore, this is said in relation to the flesh. So we usually, when talking about a person, talk about him both low and high. When, for example, we say: man is nothing, man is earth, man is ashes, then we attribute all this to the lowest part of him; and when we say: man is an immortal being, man is rational, akin to the heavenly (forces), then we attribute all this to the highest part of him. So Paul speaks about Christ sometimes from a lower side, and sometimes from a higher one, wanting to explain the economy and speak about His incorruptible being. 3. So, if He has accomplished the cleansing of our sins, then let us try to remain pure and not accept any uncleanness, but we will carefully keep that beauty and that splendor that He communicated to us so intact and inviolable that there is no filth or uncleanness or anything like that in us. After all, even small sins are uncleanness and defilement, such as. slander, slander, lies; or better yet, these sins are not small, but very great - so great that they deprive you of the kingdom of heaven. How and in what way? “And I say to you...,” says (the Lord), “to my brother: “raqa”, subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, “You fool,” is subject to fiery hell.” (Matthew 5:22). If he who calls his brother a fool is so guilty - which seems most insignificant and is typical of children's conversation - then he who calls him malicious, a villain, an envious person, and showers him with countless other insults, who will not be brought to trial and punishment? What could be more terrible than this? But listen, I beg you, to my words. If he who does “to one of the least of these my brothers” does it to Himself, and he who does not do “to one of the least of these” does not do it to Himself (Matthew 25:40, 45), then doesn’t the same thing happen with slander and reproach? He who curses his brother curses God, and he who gives honor to his brother gives honor to God. 4. Let us accustom our tongue to speak good: “Retain,” says (the Psalmist), “your tongue from evil” (Psalm 33:14). God did not give it to us so that we could slander, blaspheme, slander each other, but so that we glorify God, so that we say what grace inspires in those who listen, which (serves) for edification, for benefit. You said something bad about someone; What benefit do you get by causing harm to yourself along with him? After all, you deserve the name of a slanderer. No, truly there is not a single evil that stops at the one who suffers, and does not turn on the one causing the evil; so, for example, an envious person apparently plots intrigues against another, but in advance he himself tastes the fruits of malice, tormented, exhausted and subjected to universal hatred; the covetous deprives others of their property, but at the same time deprives himself of love, or better yet, deserves universal censure. Good fame is much better than wealth; it is not easy to lose it, but it is easy to lose wealth; or better to say, when it is not there, then the one who does not have it does not suffer any harm, and when it is not there, then the person is condemned and ridiculed, becomes an enemy and hated by everyone. Also, an angry person punishes himself in advance, tormenting himself, and then the one with whom he is angry. In the same way, a slanderer first disgraces himself, and then the one about whom he speaks ill; or even cannot achieve this, but he himself deserves the name of a bad and hated person, and makes him even more loved. In fact, if the one about whom he speaks badly does not repay him in kind, but praises and extols him, then he gives praise not to him, but to himself. Just as the reproach of neighbors is directed in advance, as I said before, to the reproaches themselves, so good done to neighbors brings joy in advance to those who do it themselves. He who does good and evil is sure to be the first to experience the consequences; just as water flowing from a source is either bitter or tasty, and fills the vessels of those who come, and does not diminish the source that produces it, so exactly evil and good, from whom it comes, pleases or destroys. It happens here. And what kind of good or evil will be there, who can express it in words? Nobody can. (The) blessings exceed any mind, not just words; and what is contrary to them, although it is expressed in words common to us - there, they say, fire, darkness, bonds, an endless worm - but they mean not only what they express, but something else, much more terrible. To make sure of this, now pay attention first of all to the following. If there is fire (there), then tell me, how is there darkness? Do you see that the fire there is much more terrible than the one here? He has no light. If there is fire, then how does it burn continuously? Do you see that it is much more terrible than this one? It does not fade away, which is why it is called unquenchable. Let us imagine what torment it is to be constantly burned, to be in darkness, to let out countless cries, to grind one’s teeth and not be heard. If here a person, brought up nobly, finds himself in prison, only to feel the stench, to be in darkness and to be kept with murderers is considered worse than any death, then imagine what it is like to be burned along with the murderers of the universe, not to see anything and not to be visible, but among so many people considers himself alone. Indeed, darkness and the absence of light will not allow us to recognize even our neighbors, but everyone will be in such a state as if he were suffering alone. If darkness in itself weighs down and confuses our souls, then what will happen when such torment and burning are added to the darkness? Therefore, I ask, let us constantly keep this in our memory and endure the grief of words, so as not to experience punishment in practice. And all this will certainly come true, and no one will deliver those who commit deeds worthy of the punishments there, not father, not mother, not brother, even if someone has great boldness and great strength before God. “A brother will not deliver,” says (Scripture), “will a man deliver” (Psalm 48:8)? (God) Himself will reward everyone according to his deeds, and through them only one can be saved and be subjected to torment. “And I say to you, make friends with unrighteous wealth” (Luke 16:9). Let us obey, this is the commandment of the Lord; Let us share our excess wealth with those in need; Let us give alms while it is in our power - this means making “friends for ourselves with wealth”; Let us lavish wealth on the poor, in order to exhaust the fire there, in order to extinguish it, so that we may have boldness there. There it is not they (friends) who will accept us, but our deeds. And that it is not simply the acquisition of friends that can save us, is clear from the addition itself. Why, in fact, (the Lord) did not say: “make friends for yourself, so that they will receive you into eternal villages,” but added how (to do this)? Having said: “with unrighteous wealth,” He expressed that it is necessary to make friends through property, and inspired that friendship alone will not protect us if we do not have good deeds, if we do not righteously squander the wealth collected unrighteously. This commandment to us about alms applies not only to the rich, but also to the poor; at least someone ate by begging from others, and this commandment applies to him - because no, truly there is not a single poor man, no matter how poor he is, that he does not have “two mites” (Mark 12:42). Consequently, it is possible for one who gives a little to surpass those who give a lot and those who give a lot, as was the case with that widow. The amount of alms is measured not by the measure of what is given, but by the will and zeal of the givers. Thus, willfulness is needed everywhere, love for God is needed everywhere. If we do everything according to her prompting, then, even if we give a little, having little, God will not turn away His face, but will accept even the small as great and extraordinary. He looks at will, and not at what is given; if he sees that it is great, then he turns his decision and sentence on it, and makes (the givers) participants in the eternal blessings, which may we all be worthy to achieve, through grace and love for mankind (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). The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: