Беседа 7

Hebrews 4:11–13. So let us try to enter into this rest, so that no one, following the same example, falls into disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword: it pierces to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from Him, but everything is naked and open before His eyes: to Him we will give an account. 1. The great and saving work is faith; without it it is impossible to be saved. But it cannot provide (salvation) on its own, and a right life is also needed. That is why Paul offers people who have already been granted the sacraments the following admonition: “Let us therefore strive to enter into that rest.” “We will try,” he says, because (mere) faith is not enough, but you need to add (good) life, you need to have great diligence. Truly, we need great diligence to ascend to heaven. After all, if those who suffered so many disasters in the desert were not worthy of the (promised) land, if they could not receive the land because they grumbled and indulged in fornication, then how can we be worthy of heaven, living absent-mindedly and carelessly? Therefore we need great care. And look, it’s not just that (the apostle) poses the danger that otherwise we will not enter (rest) - he didn’t say: “let’s try to enter rest” so as not to be deprived of such benefits - but he added what especially touches people. What exactly? “lest anyone, following the same example, fall into disobedience” - i.e. we must direct our minds, our hopes, our expectations there, so as not to fall in the same way. The example (of the Jews) shows that we can fall. “Following the same example,” he says; and further, so that you, having heard the expression: “by the same thing,” do not think that the punishment for us will be the same, listen to what he adds: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword: it penetrates to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a judge of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Here he suggests that (in ancient times) the same word of God acted, that it lives and has not perished. Therefore, when you hear what is said about the word, do not think about the simple word: it is “sharper,” he says, “than any sword.” Notice what kind of adaptation he makes, and from here learn why the prophets also had the need to talk about weapons, about the bow and the sword. “If anyone does not convert,” says (the Psalmist), “He sharpens His sword, strains His bow” (Ps. 7:13). If now, after such a long time and such prosperity, (the apostle) cannot touch words with just one name, but has a need for these expressions in order to more strongly present the comparison, then all the more were they needed then. “It penetrates,” he says, “until the separation of soul and spirit.” What does it mean? It expresses something terrible: either that it separates the spirit from the soul, or that it penetrates the most incorporeal beings, not like a sword that (pierces) only the body. He shows here that it punishes the soul, tests the inner being, and penetrates completely the whole person. “And he judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from Him." This is what especially frightens them. And the meaning of his words is as follows: if, he says, you stand in faith, but not yet with full conviction, then do not indulge in calmness; it judges what is hidden in the heart, because it goes there too to test and punish. But what am I saying, he continues, about people? Even if you point to the angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim and any created beings, everything is open before His eyes, everything is obvious and clear, nothing can hide from Him. “But everything is naked and open before His eyes: to Him we will give an account” (τετραχηλισμένα), he said, borrowing this figurative expression from the skins removed from the sacrifices. When someone, having slain a sacrifice, removes the skin from an animal, then all the insides open and become visible to our eyes: so everything is open before God. Notice how often (the apostle) uses material images; it depended on the infirmity of the listeners. And that they were weak, he expressed this when he called them “unable to listen” (“slow”) (Heb. 5:11) and having a need for milk, and not for solid food. “Everything is naked and open before His eyes: to Him we will give an account.” What does it mean: “following the same example, he did not fall into disobedience”? Here he seems to explain the reason why (the Jews) did not see the land. They, he says, received a guarantee of the power of God, but, while they should have believed, they gave themselves over to fear, did not think anything lofty about God, fell into cowardice, and thus died. One can also say something else, namely: they, having completed most of the journey and being already at the very gates, at the very pier, were shipwrecked. “I fear the same thing,” says (the apostle), for you. This is what the words mean: “following the same example, he did not fall into disobedience.” And that they also suffered a lot, he testifies to this later, when he says to them: “Remember your former days, when you, having been enlightened, endured the great feat of suffering” (Heb. 10:32). So, let no one give in to cowardice, despair at the end of a feat, or fall. But there are, truly, there are people who at first rush to exploits with lively zeal, but then, not wanting to contribute a little to them, they lose everything. Your ancestors, he says, can teach you enough not to fall into the same things, so as not to suffer the same things that they suffered. This means the words: “following the same example, he did not fall into disobedience.” So, he says, let us not weaken, as he tells them at the end: “Strengthen your hanging hands and weak knees” (Heb. 12:12). “Lest anyone,” he says, “follow the same example, fall into disobedience”; and this truly means to fall. Then, so that you, having heard: “following the same example, do not fall into disobedience,” do not understand here the same death that those (Jews) suffered, look what he says: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” The word, stronger than any sword, strikes the souls of such people, inflicts heavy blows, inflicts mortal wounds. And (the apostle) has no need to prove this or confirm it, presenting such clear events. What kind of war really is it, he says, what sword destroyed those (Jews)? Didn't they just fall on their own? So, let us not indulge in carelessness because we have not yet suffered the same thing: “as long as we can say: “today””, we need to be careful. But having expressed such (the effects of the word) on the soul, so that the listeners do not remain careless, he also adds (his actions) to the body; just as the king acts with commanders who have committed important crimes - first deprives them of military leadership, then removes their belt and rank, and finally, calling a herald, punishes them - this is how the spiritual sword works. After this, in order to make his words more striking, he talks about the Son and says: “To Him we will give an account,” i.e. We will give an account of our affairs to him. So, let us not fall and indulge in cowardice. What has been said is enough for understanding; but he is not content with this, but adds the following: “having a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Heb. 4:14). 2. And that he really said this for such a purpose is clear from what follows: “For we do not have,” he adds, “a high priest who cannot sympathize with us in our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15). For the same reason, he said above: “For just as He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Look how he does the same thing here. The meaning of his words is as follows: (Christ) walked the same path that we are walking now, or even more difficult; He experienced everything human. When (the apostle) said: “And there is no creature hidden from Him,” he points to deity; and when he began to talk about His flesh, he again said something humiliating: “Having therefore,” he says, “a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens”; - shows His great care (for the people) for whom He intercedes as His own, and does not want them to fall. Moses, he says, did not enter into rest, but He did; and how, I will explain. However, it is not surprising that (the apostle) did not directly express this anywhere: he either so that (the Jews) would not think of looking for excuses for themselves, he included (Moses) among the others, or so that they would not think that he was reproaching this man, he did not express himself clearly - because if they, although he did not say anything like that, accused him that he was speaking against Moses and the law, then they would have accused him much more if he had said that (there is peace) not Palestine, and the sky. However, he does not attribute everything to the High Priest, but demands some work from us, namely, confession. “Having therefore,” he says, “a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us firmly hold to our confession.” What confession is he talking about? (About the confession of) that there is resurrection, reward and countless benefits, that Christ is God, that (our) faith is right: this we must confess, this we must contain. The truth of all this is obvious from the fact that the High Priest has entered (into heaven) ( Hebrews 9:24). Let us therefore confess, lest we fall away; although these blessings (are) not here, we will confess; if they were now, they would be lies. It is also true that they have been postponed because our High Priest is great: “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with us in our weaknesses.” He is not ignorant of our condition, like many of the high priests, who do not know (not only) those who suffer, but also what suffering is. Among people, it is impossible to know the suffering of the sufferer who has not experienced and felt it himself. And our High Priest experienced everything; This is why He experienced everything in advance, and then ascended so that He could sympathize. “Who has been tempted in all things like as we are, yet without sin.” As above (the apostle) said: “also” (Heb. 2:14), so here: “like us,” that is, He was subjected to persecution, spitting, reproach, ridicule, slander, expulsion, and finally crucifixion. “He has been tempted in all things like as we are, yet without sin.” Something else is also suggested here, namely that it is possible for someone in sorrow to be without sin. When he says: “in the likeness of the flesh,” he does not mean that (Christ took on) the likeness of the flesh, but that He took on the flesh. Why does he say: “in the likeness”? Because he means sinful flesh; His flesh was like our flesh; by nature it was the same as ours, but in relation to sin it was not the same. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). What throne of grace is he talking about? About the royal throne, about which it is said: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (Ps. 109:1). He seems to be saying this: let us approach with boldness, because we have a sinless High Priest who conquers the world: “Be of good cheer,” He said, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33); this means to endure everything and be clean from sins. But, you say, if we are under sin, and He is sinless, then how will we approach Him with boldness? So that (His throne) is now the throne of grace, and not of judgment. This is why we will approach with boldness, in order to receive the mercy that we desire; and this (what we desire) is precisely His mercy and royal gift. “And find grace to help in time of need.” He said it well: “for timely assistance.” If, he says, you approach now, you will receive grace and mercy, because you approach at the right time; and if you start then, you will no longer receive it, because then it will be untimely to start; then (His throne) will no longer be the throne of grace. The Throne of Grace exists as long as the King, the bestower of grace, sits on it; and when the end comes, then He will stand in judgment, because it is said: “Arise, O God, judge the earth” (Ps. 81:8). You can (here) say something else: “Let us approach,” he says, “with boldness,” that is, without having anything bad on our conscience, without indulging in doubt, because such (the one who doubts) cannot approach with boldness. Therefore, in another place it is said: “In an acceptable time I heard You, and on the day of salvation I helped You” (Is. 49:8). And now the repentance received by those who sin after the font (forgiveness through) is a work of grace. And so that you, having heard that He is the High Priest, do not think that He stands (before God, the apostle) here he represents Him sitting on the throne; Meanwhile, the priest does not sit, but stands. Do you see that His high priesthood is a consequence not of His essence, but of grace, condescension and humiliation? It is timely for us to say now: let us approach and ask boldly, let us bring only faith, and He will give us everything. Now is the time of giving; no one despair. The time of despair will then come when the palace is closed, when the king comes in to see those reclining, when the bosom of the patriarch contains those who are worthy of it; but now not yet, because the exploits are not over yet, the struggle is still ongoing, the reward is yet to come. 3. Let us hasten; and Paul says: “Therefore I run not as to the wrong thing” (1 Cor. 9:26). You need to run, and run relentlessly. The runner does not look at anything, whether he encounters meadows or barren places. The runner pays attention not to the spectators, but to the reward: whether they are rich or poor, whether someone laughs or praises, whether he reviles, whether he throws stones, whether his house is plundered, whether he sees children, or his wife, or whatever - he never turns back, but cares only about one thing - to run and get the reward. The runner does not stop anywhere, because if he shows even the slightest carelessness, he will lose everything. The runner not only does not weaken before the end (of the run), but then he tries to run with special strength. I said this against those who say: in our youth we labored, in our youth we fasted, but now we are old. Now it is especially necessary to strengthen piety. Do not count your old exploits to me; but now especially and be young and blooming. He who is engaged in physical feats, indeed, having lived to the point of gray hair, can no longer run as before, because his entire feat was physical. But why are you reducing your feats? What is needed here is a soul, a vigorous soul; and the soul strengthens in old age - then it blooms more, then it rises more. Just as the body, when it is overcome by fever and other illnesses, even if it is strong, becomes exhausted, and when it is freed from this scourge, it again gains its strength, so the soul in youth is overcome by fever, and then it is especially possessed by the love of glory, satiety, voluptuous pleasures and many other seductions; when old age sets in for her, then all these passions are driven away, some by time, others by wisdom. Old age, weakening the strength of the body, prevents the soul (of the elders) from indulging in passions, even if it wanted to, but by taming them, like some kind of enemy, it places it in a place free from unrest, produces great silence in it and inspires great fear, since if not someone else, then the elders know that they will die, and in every possible way stand close to death. Thus, when on the one hand worldly desires arise, and on the other there is an expectation of judgment, taming the disobedience of the soul, then it becomes more attentive if it wants. But don’t we see, you say, old people who are worse than young men? You point out to me extreme depravity: after all, we also see the possessed - how they themselves, without any (external) push, throw themselves into the abyss. This is precisely the extreme depravity when an old man suffers from the diseases of young men; he no longer has justification in (reference to) youth, he cannot say: “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my crimes” (Ps. 24:7). Remaining vicious in old age, he shows that in his youth he was so not because of ignorance, not because of inexperience, not because of (young) age, but because of negligence. Only he can say: “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my crimes,” who acts decently for an elder, who has reformed in old age; and whoever continues to behave outrageously even in old age, can such a person even be called an old man when he does not even respect his age? After all, the one who says: “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my crimes,” says this as a person who lives correctly in old age. Therefore, by the deeds of old age, do not deprive yourself of forgiveness for the sins of your youth. In fact, isn’t it absurd, doesn’t what is happening go beyond the limits of forgiveness? The old man gets drunk while sitting in the taverns; the old man hurries to the horse lists; the old man comes to the spectacles, running with the crowd like a child! It is truly shameful and funny to be adorned with gray hair on the outside, but inside have a childish meaning. If any young man insults him, he immediately shows off his gray hair. You yourself should be ashamed of them in advance. If you are not ashamed of your gray hair, and even though you are an old man, then how do you demand that a young man be ashamed of your gray hair? You do not honor your gray hair, but disgrace it. God honored you with gray hair, gave you an important advantage: why do you sacrifice your honor? How will a young man honor you when you indulge in voluptuousness more than he does? Gray hair is then respectable when the one adorned with it acts in a manner befitting gray hair; and when he acts outrageously like the youths, then he is funnier than the youths. How can you exhort the young men, you old men who drink themselves into chaos? I say this not to reproach the elders - let it not be - but (to correct) the young men, because those who act in this way, it seems to me, are young men, even if they have entered the hundredth year of their life; as well as young men, even if they are young children, if they behave chastely, they are much better than elders. These are not my words, but the Scripture posits the following difference between them: “For honest old age is not in longevity,” it says, “and is not measured by the number of years” (Wis. Sol. 4:8, 9). 4. We honor gray hair not because we prefer white to black, but because it is a sign of a virtuous life; looking at her, we conclude from her to the inner gray hair. Therefore, those who commit deeds unworthy of gray hair become even more ridiculous. We honor the king and his scarlet robe and diadem, because they are signs of power; If we see that he, along with the scarlet robe, is subjected to dishonor, insulted by his armor-bearers, oppressed, thrown into prison, tormented, then tell me, will we honor his scarlet robe and diadem? Shall we not, on the contrary, mourn its very decoration? Likewise, do not demand respect for yourself for the sake of gray hair, when you yourself subject it to dishonor; She, too, can demand an account from you for disgracing such a bright and respected adornment. We do not say this about everyone, and we do not simply direct our speech against old age—I have not forgotten to that extent—but against young souls who disgrace old age; We say this not about the elders with regret, but about those who dishonor their gray hair. An elder is a king if he wants to be one, and even a king more clothed in scarlet, if he commands the passions, if he relegates his passions to the ranks of squires. If he gets carried away and is dethroned, if he becomes a slave to covetousness, vanity, foppishness, satiety, drunkenness, anger and voluptuousness, if he anoints his hair with oil and clearly dishonors his age with his whims, then what kind of punishment is not worthy of such (an old man)? However, don’t be like that, young men; and it is unforgivable for you when you sin. Why? Just as an old man can find himself in youth, just as those who are old can be youths, and vice versa; and just as there white hair does not save anyone, so here black hair does not serve as an obstacle. If an old man is dishonored by the things I have spoken about, then how much more so a young man; and they cannot be forgiven for a young man. A young man can receive an excuse when, called to manage affairs, he turns out to be inexperienced, when he needs time and experience, but not when he should show chastity and courage, or when he should abstain from covetousness. There are cases in which a young man is condemned more than an old man. This one needs more care for himself, because old age weakens his strength; and he, having the strength, if he wants, to satisfy his needs, can he receive forgiveness when he does not want it, when he kidnaps the elder, holds a grudge, despises (others), does not care (about them) more than the elder, says a lot untimely, offends, slander, gets drunk? If he thinks that he cannot be condemned for violating chastity, then here too, look how many means he has (to preserve it) if he wants. Although lust in him is more aroused than in the old man, there are many things that he can do more easily than the old man, and tame this beast. What is this? Works, readings, all-night vigils, fasting. But (you say) why are you saying this to us, not monks? Are you telling me this? Tell it better to Paul, who says: “Watching” to all patience and prayer (Col. 4:2), who says: “Do not turn the cares of the flesh into lusts” (Rom. 13:14); and he wrote this not only to the monks, but to everyone living in the cities. A layman should not differ in any way from a monk, except for cohabitation with his wife; He has permission for this, but not for everything else, but in everything he must act the same as the monk. And the beatitudes of Christ were spoken not only to monks; otherwise everything in the universe would perish, and we could reproach God for cruelty. If the beatitudes are spoken only for monks alone, and it is impossible for a layman to achieve them, and yet (God) allowed marriage, then He himself destroyed everyone; if in married life it is impossible to fulfill what is characteristic of monks, then everything has become distorted and destroyed, the circle of virtues has become small. How will “Let marriage be honorable in all” (Heb. 13:4), if it serves as such an obstacle to virtue for us? What should we say? It is possible, very possible, for those who have wives to be virtuous if they wish. How? If they, having wives, will be “as if they do not have one,” if they will not “rejoice” in acquisitions, if they will use the world as if they do not use it (1 Cor. 7:29–31). If some have found marriage to be an obstacle (to virtue), then let them know that it is not marriage that serves as an obstacle, but the will that abuses marriage, just as it is not wine that produces drunkenness, but an evil will and its immoderate use. Use marriage moderately, and you will be first in the kingdom of heaven and you will be worthy of all the blessings that 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 unto ages of ages. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: