Interpretations of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

With the blessing of His Eminence the Bishop of Rasko-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija, Dr. Artemii Head 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 Introduction to Interpretation by Saint Theophylact of Ohrid - Monks of Visoki Dečani The interpretations of the Holy Gospel and the apostolic epistles by the blessed Theophylact of Ohrid were for almost nine hundred years the most favorite and most read interpretations of the Holy Scriptures among the Orthodox Christians of Byzantium, Serbia, Russia and Greece. With their completeness, paternal authority and simplicity of expression, these works have become irreplaceable manuals for every Christian who wants to get to know the deeper meaning of Christ's Gospel. They enable us to understand the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament the way the Holy Fathers understood them, in the spirit of the Orthodox Tradition, and direct us to the practical fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. Blessed Theophylact lived and wrote at a time when the Byzantine Empire was at a historical turning point. He was born in Chalcis, on the Greek island of Evia, between 1050 and 1060. He spent the first half of his life in the imperial city of Constantinople, where he was educated by the best teachers of literature and rhetoric of that time. He was soon ordained as a deacon of the Great Church and as such gained fame as a great preacher and connoisseur of patristic literature. Theophylact was a true outgrowth of the highly developed Byzantine spiritual culture and was rightfully nicknamed the "teacher of rhetoric". He spent a long time in the title of deacon, as the Patriarch did not want to be without such a gifted assistant and collaborator. Nevertheless, in 1081, Theophylact was elected as the first hierarch of the Ohrid Archdiocese, which at that time was under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. Having already become accustomed to the refined intellectual and spiritual atmosphere of the capital, blessed Theophylact encountered a number of difficulties in his new environment. His new flock was rude and uneducated, and in addition, he soon came into conflict with various heretics, who were then numerous in those regions. Bogumili 1 had already sown the seeds of their error everywhere and were inciting the people against the Orthodox Church and the Archbishop. That is why the blessed one made a great effort in enlightening the people, appointing as shepherds worthy husbands who taught the people the Orthodox faith and piety. Somewhere during that time, he wrote, at the request of Princess Maria, his famous Interpretations of the Gospels and Epistles, in simple and plain language that was understandable to everyone. Then he wrote the life of St. Kliment of Ohrid. In the selection of candidates for the priesthood, he was primarily guided by their piety, purity of life, and he especially paid attention to their learning and eloquence. He did not allow church ranks to be obtained on the basis of wealth and noble origin. When on one occasion the duke of Skopje asked him to ordain one of his friends as a bishop, the blessed one bravely answered him: "It is not appropriate for you, my lord, to interfere in such a great work that should be done in fear, nor for me to hand over the divine grace lightly." Nevertheless, Archbishop Theophylact avoided rigorous measures and always tried to win over the disobedient with gentle advice and paternal love. In addition, he worked hard in the fight against the Latin heresy. His famous "Discourse on the Errors of the Latins" was written only about fifty years after the exchange of anathemas between the Constantinople and Roman Churches in 1054. It is characterized by an objective and sober tone, which exudes the desire to overcome mutual disagreements in the spirit of reconciliation, but not false compromise with untruth. He especially emphasized the danger of adding the filioque to the Creed, as well as other innovations that threatened the unity of the Eastern and Western Churches. Blessed Theophylact, together with his faithful people, went through all the sufferings, trying hard to rebuild destroyed and burned churches. That is why he was a favorite among the common people, who, although uneducated, possessed sincere piety and love for their archpastor. The Blessed One passed away around the year 1107, after thirty years of pastoring the Ohrid Archdiocese. Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid was remembered as a respected church teacher. His writings found their place of honor among the writings of the ancient Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church. Interpretations of Bl. Theophylacts represent a kind of synthesis of the Holy Fathers' interpretations of the Gospel. In them, he especially relied on the teachings of St. John Chrysostom and St. Photius of Constantinople. That is why it can be rightly said that his Interpretations are not so much a reflection of his personal opinion as they are an expression of the synod's understanding of the word of God. The spiritual opus of the blessed Theophylact includes the mentioned "Discourse of Fr the fallacies of the Latins", then over 130 letters, several sermons (on Holy Cross Sunday, on the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a commendatory letter to Emperor Alexius Comnius, a letter on the martyrdom of the Tiberiopolis martyrs), a manual on education and, finally, his interpretations of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: Interpretation of the prophetic books of the five minor prophets (Hosea, Habakkuk, Jonah, Nahum and Micah), Interpretation of the four Gospels (so-called Blagovesnik), Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles, Interpretation of the Epistles of the Council, as well as the Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Apostle Paul. This translation of the Interpretation of the Holy Gospel by Matthew represents a modest attempt to present the mentioned text of the Holy Father in the modern Serbian language. The translation was made according to the Greek original from the 123rd volume of Migne's Patrology. In addition to the ancient Greek text, modern translations into Greek, Russian and English were also used. The Serbian text of the Gospel is taken from the latest synodal translation. Preface of Blessed Theophylact to the Interpretation of the Holy Gospel from Matthew The divine husbands who lived before the Law did not learn from writings and books, but having a pure mind, were enlightened by the light of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they gained knowledge of God's will, because God himself spoke to them, face to face. Such were Noah, Abraham, Job and Moses. But, when people became weak and unworthy to be enlightened and taught by the Holy Spirit, the human-loving God gave the Scriptures so that at least through them they would be reminded of God's will. This is how Christ himself personally spoke to the apostles and sent them the grace of the Holy Spirit as a teacher. But since heresies then appeared which began to corrupt our customs, He permitted the Gospels to be written so that we, learning the truth from them, would not be misled by the deception of heresies and completely corrupt our customs. He gave us the four Gospels, probably so that we would learn from them the four basic virtues: courage, wisdom, prudence and righteousness; courage, when the Lord says: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul"; 2 wisdom, when he warns us: "Be, therefore, wise as serpents..."; 3 righteousness, when he teaches us: "All that you want men to do to you, do the same to them" 4 and wisdom when he lets us know that: "Everyone who looks at a woman with desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." 5 In addition, we have four Gospels, because they are the pillars of the world. Since the world is divided into four sides: east, west, north and south, there should also be four pillars (on which it rests). And finally, the four Gospels exist because they consist of four parts: dogmatic teachings, commandments, warnings and promises. God promises future treasures to those who believed in the dogmas and kept the commandments. While those who did not believe the dogmas and did not keep the commandments, future tortures are promised. It is called the Gospel because it brings us good and joyful news - forgiveness of sins, justification, ascension to heaven and adoption by God. He declares to us that we can easily obtain all these things. We did not make an effort to acquire these treasures, nor do we acquire them by our own efforts, but we have earned them by the grace and love of God. The Gospel of Saint Matthew There are four evangelists, two of whom, Matthew and John, are from the Council of the Twelve Apostles, while the other two are: Mark and Luke from the Seventy. 6 Mark was Peter's follower and disciple, and Luke Paul's. Matthew was the first of all to write the Gospel, eight years after Christ's Ascension, in the Jewish language, for the Jews who believed in Christ. Some say that John translated it from Hebrew into Greek ten years after the Ascension. Mark, who learned from Peter, composed the Gospel ten years after the Ascension. Luke wrote his Gospel fifteen years, and John the Theologian thirty-two years after the Ascension. It is said that after the death of his predecessors, John asked for the three Gospels to be brought to him so that he could examine them and judge whether they were truthfully written. When he saw them, he praised them as trustworthy. Everything that the other evangelists left out, he supplemented, and what they briefly mentioned, he elaborated in his special Gospel. That is why he started with theology, because since the others did not say anything about the pre-eternal existence of the Logos of God, he theologized about it, so that it would not be thought that the Logos of God was an ordinary man, that is, without a divine nature. 7 Matthew, again, narrates only about Christ's life in the flesh, because he wrote to the Jews. It was enough for them to know only that Christ was descended from Abraham and David, since the Jew who believed is satisfied when he hears that Christ is from the line of David. You may be wondering: "Wasn't one evangelist enough?" Listen, so one is enough, but in order for the truth to be published more fully, God pleased that the Gospel should be written by four. When you look at these four, who were neither gathered in one place, nor sat together with one another, but were far from each other, and yet they wrote about the same things as if from the same mouth, how can you not be amazed at the truth of the Gospel and say that they really spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Don't tell me that they don't agree on everything, because even if they don't agree on some things, does one of them say that Christ was born and the other that he wasn't? Or, maybe one says that he is resurrected and the other that he is not? No way! They agree on what is of general importance. If, therefore, they do not differ in important matters, then why are you surprised if it seems to you that there is a difference in what is less important. Precisely because they do not agree on all the details, we can clearly see that they are telling the truth. If they agreed on everything, one would think that all four gathered in one place and wrote the Gospels by agreement. That's why what one missed was written by the other, and that's why it seems that they differ in some respects. However, let's start now with the beginning of the Gospel. Genealogy of Jesus Christ and His Birth Why didn't he say "vision" or "word", like the prophets, who started their books like that? "The vision seen by Isaiah" 9 or "The word that came to Isaiah". 10 Do you want to know why? Because the prophets addressed disobedient people with hard hearts and said: "This is a divine vision" or "This is a word from God" so that people would be afraid and not despise their words. Matthew, however, spoke to believing, well-intentioned and obedient people, and therefore he did not begin in the same way as the prophets. I have something else to say. What the prophets saw, they saw with the mind, contemplating mysteries with the Holy Spirit, and that is why they called it visions. But Matthew did not see Christ with his mind and contemplate Him, but lived with Him emotionally, listened to Him with his ears and saw Him in his body. That's why he didn't say "the vision that I saw", or "appearance", but "genealogy". "Jesus" is not a Greek, but a Jewish name and in translation it means "Savior", since the word "iao" in Jews means "salvation". 11 Kings and priests were called Christos (anointed ones), because they were anointed with holy oil from the horn that was placed on their heads. 12 The Lord is called Christ and as king, because he reigned against sin; 13 and as a priest, because he offered himself as a sacrifice for us. He was anointed in the full sense with the true oil, the Holy Spirit because who else had the Spirit like the Lord? But while the grace of the Holy Spirit works in the saints, it is not the grace of the Holy Spirit that works in Christ, but Christ himself together with the Spirit who is one with Him works miracles. After he mentioned "Jesus", so that you wouldn't think that he was talking about another Jesus, he also added "Son of David". There was another Jesus, known as the leader of the Jewish people after Moses, but he was called "son of Navin" and not "son of David" because he lived several generations before David and was not from the tribe of Judah from which David came, but from another. Why did Matthew put David before Abraham? Because David was better known among the Jews; he lived after Abraham and was more famous as a king. He is the first of the kings who pleased God and received a promise from God that He would raise Christ from his seed. 14 That's why everyone called Christ the "son of David". David was truly a faithful prototype of Christ, because just as he reigned after Saul, rejected by God and despised, 15 so Christ came in the flesh and reigned over us, since Adam was deprived of the kingdom and authority he had over all living creatures and demons. 16 The genealogy begins with Abraham, because he was the father of the Jews and the first to receive the promise that "in his seed all nations will be blessed." 17 Therefore rightly (Matthew) the genealogy of Christ begins from him, because Christ is the "seed of Abraham" in whom all of us who were previously heathens and were under a curse are blessed. "Abraham" in translation means "father of the people" 18, and Isaac means "joy", "laughter". The evangelist does not mention Abraham's children from before (Ishmael 19 and others), because the Jews did not come from them but from Isaac. And Isaac begat Jacob. And Jacob begat Judah and his brothers 20 You see, that is why he mentions Judah and his brothers, because twelve tribes came from them. 3. And Judah gave birth to Phares and Zara with Tamar on the 21st Tamara was Judah's sister-in-law, married to Ira, one of his sons. When Ir died childless, Judah gave Tamara to his second son Avnan. When he too was deprived of his life because of his wickedness, 22 Judah did not marry Tamar again. But since she wanted to have a child from Abraham's seed, she took off her widow's clothes, dressed as a harlot and lay with her father-in-law, and conceived twins from him. And when she was about to give birth to them, the first child put his hand out of the womb, as if he would be the first to be born, so the midwife immediately marked the child's outstretched hand with a red ribbon so that the firstborn would be known. But the child put his hand back into his mother's womb, and the second was born like the first, while the one who had stretched out his hand came out after him. That is why the one who was born first was named Phares, which means "stop", because he stopped the natural order, while the second child who withdrew his hand was named Zara. 23 This story points to a secret. Just as Zara was the first to throw out his hand, and then he withdrew it again, so the life in Christ was manifested in those saints who lived before the Law and circumcision, because they were not justified by keeping the Law and commandments, but by the Gospel life. Look at Abraham who left his father and home for the sake of God and even renounced nature. 24 Look at Job and Melchizedek! 25 When the Law came, this way of life also disappeared. But, as Zara appeared there again after the birth of Fares, so according to the transmission of the Law, the evangelical life sealed with the "red ribbon", that is, the blood of Christ, shone again. That is why the evangelist mentions these two children, because their birth signified something mysterious. In addition, although Tamar, as you can see, does not deserve praise because of her carnal relationship with her father-in-law, the evangelist also mentions her to show that Christ, having received us all, also received such ancestors. Or more precisely: that by being born of them, He would avenge them, because He did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners". 26 3-5 And Phares begat Esrom. And Ezrom begat Aram. And Aram begat Aminadab. And Amminadab begat Naason. And Naason begat Salmon. And Salmon begat Boaz with Rahab Some think that Rahab is the harlot of Rav who received the spies of Joshua 27 and by saving them saved herself. Matthew mentions her in order to show us that, just as she was a harlot, so also the heathen nations committed harlotry with their works. But all those Gentiles who received "Jesus' stalkers", i.e. the apostles, and believed their words were still saved. And Boaz gave birth to Ovid with Ruth on the 28th This Ruth was a foreigner, but she still married Vooz. So the church among the Gentiles, being a foreigner and outside the covenant, forgot its people, respect for idols and its father the devil, and betrothed itself to the Son of God. 5–6 And Ovid gave birth to Jesse. And Jesse gave birth to David the king. And King David fathered Solomon with Urijani Again he mentions Uri's wife, 29 to show that one should not be ashamed of one's ancestors, but one should do even more to glorify them with their virtuous life. He does this so that we can see that God accepts everyone, even those who were born in adultery, only if they live charitably. 7–11 And Solomon begat Rehoboam. And Rehoboam begat Abijah. And Abijah begat Asa. And Asa begat Jehoshaphat. And Jehoshaphat begat Joram. And Joram begat Uzziah. And Uzziah begat Jotham. And Jotham begat Ahaz. And Ahaz begat Hezekiah. And Hezekiah begat Manasseh. And Manasseh begat Amon. And Ammon begat Josiah. And Josiah begat Jehoniah and his brothers, in the migration to Babylon "Babylonian migration" refers to the slavery into which they eventually fell (Jews) and were all taken together to Babylon. 30 The Babylonians had made war against them before, but they had not caused them so much harm. This time, however, they were completely evicted from their homeland. 12-16 And after the Babylonian migration, Jehonia gave birth to Salatila. And Salatil gave birth to Zerubbabel. And Zerubbabel begat Aviud. And Aviud begat Eliakim. And Eliakim begat Azor. And Azor begat Zadok. And Zadok begat Achim. And Achim begat Eliud. And Eliud begat Eleazar. And Eleazar begat Mattan. And Matan gave birth to Jacob. And Jacob gave birth to Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom Jesus, called Christ, was born Why is the genealogy given of Joseph and not of the Virgin? What is Joseph's participation in that seedless conception? Joseph was not the actual father of Christ in order to derive His genealogy from Joseph. So the thing is this. Joseph really had no part in the birth of Christ, and therefore it was necessary to give the genealogy of the Mother of God. But, since there was a law that the genealogy should not be traced through the female line, Matthew does not give the genealogy of Djevin. In addition, while giving Joseph's genealogy, he also gave her genealogy, because there was a law that a woman should not be taken from another tribe, or from another kindred or family, but from the same tribe and kindred. 31 Since there was such a law, it is clear that as soon as the genealogy of Joseph is given, the genealogy of the Virgin is also given, because the Virgin was from the same tribe and lineage (as Joseph). If not, then how could she get engaged to Joseph? In this way, the evangelist preserved the law that forbade the derivation of genealogies through the female line, but thereby he gave the genealogy of the Mother of God no less than when he gave the genealogy of Joseph. And he called him the "husband of Mary" 32 according to general custom, because we also have the custom of calling the betrothed the "husband" of the woman who is betrothed to him, even though the marriage has not yet been concluded. 17. In all, therefore, the generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations, and from David to the Babylonian migration, fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian migration to Christ, fourteen generations Matthew divided the knees into three parts in order to show the Jews that they did not use the rule of judges until David, kings until migration and priests until Christ to learn a virtuous life and that they needed a true Judge, King and Priest - Christ. According to Jacob's prophecy, 33 Christ came when there were no more (Jewish) rulers. But how can there be fourteen generations from the Babylonian migration to Christ when only thirteen persons are mentioned? If the origin could be traced through the female line, we could also include the Virgin, thus completing the number. But since women do not enter into the genealogy, how can this be explained? Some say that Matthew counted the migration itself as one knee. 18. And the birth of Jesus Christ would be like this: When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph 34 Why did God allow the Mother of God to be surrounded and thus give people reason to suspect that Joseph met her? So that she would have her protector in times of trouble, because he took care of her and saved her during her escape to Egypt. 35 In addition, the Virgin was ringed in order to deceive the devil, because he heard that the virgin would conceive 36 and that is why he kept a watchful eye on her. In order to deceive the deceiver, Prisnodeva 37 was betrothed to Joseph, so that their union had only the appearance of marriage, although in fact it was not. And before they met, she found herself pregnant by the Holy Spirit "Meet" here means physical intercourse between spouses. So she got pregnant before there was any physical intercourse. 38 That is why the evangelist admires that miraculous event 39 and shouts: "It is found." 19. And Joseph, her husband, being just, and not wanting to disfigure her publicly, thought to send her away secretly How could Joseph be righteous 40 when the Law required that the adulteress be disfigured, that is, reported and publicly punished, 41 while he intended to cover up her sin and thus transgress the Law? This can be explained by the fact that he was righteous precisely because he did not act cruelly towards her, but showed himself to be humane because of his great kindness, showing that he is above the Law and that he already lives above the rules of the law. In addition, Joseph knew that the Virgin conceived by the (Holy) Spirit and he did not want to distort and abuse the one who conceived by the Holy Spirit and not by fornication. Look at what (the evangelist) says! "It turns out she's pregnant." Who found it? Joseph. Therefore, he understood that Mary had conceived from the Holy Spirit, and that is why he "planned to send her away secretly", 42 because he no longer dared to keep as his wife one who was worthy of such grace. 20. But when he thought so, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying While the righteous man was wavering, an angel appeared to him, telling him what he should do. It appears to him in a dream, because Joseph had strong faith. With the shepherds, as rude, the angel spoke in waking life, 43 and with Joseph, as righteous and believing, in a dream. How then could he not believe when the angel spoke to him about what he was thinking about in himself and about which he had not told anyone? While he was thinking about it, without saying anything to anyone, an angel appeared to him. Of course, Joseph believed that he (the angel) was from God, because only God knows what is not spoken. He called him "son of David", reminding him of the prophecy that Christ was supposed to come from the seed of David. 44 The angel spoke in this way in order to convince Joseph to believe and remember David who received the promise of the coming of Christ. This shows that Joseph was afraid to keep Mary so as not to anger God by harboring an adulteress. Or, in another sense. "Do not be afraid", that is: "Even though you are afraid to approach the one who has conceived by the Holy Spirit, do not be afraid to take her to yourself, that is, to keep her in your home", because in his mind and thoughts Joseph had already dismissed Mary. The angel says: "You may think that she is an adulteress, but I tell you that she is your wife, that is, no one disgraced her, but she is your bride." 45 Because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit "She is not only innocent of any unlawful carnal relationship, but also conceived in some divine way. That's why you should rather be happy about it". So that no one would say: "How can I believe you that she conceived from the Holy Spirit", (the angel) speaks of the future, that (the Virgin) will give birth to a son. "If in that case it turns out that I am telling the truth, it is clear that what I have already said about her conception by the Holy Spirit will also be true." The angel did not say: "She will bear you a son", but simply: "She will bear (a son)"; because Mary did not give birth to Joseph but to the entire universe, nor was this grace given to him alone, but was poured out on everyone. "You gave him a name, as father 46 and protector of the Virgin. Do not think, Joseph, about leaving the Virgin without help, because her conception is from the Holy Spirit, but serve her in everything". Because he will save his people from their sins Here (the angel) explains that the name "Jesus" means "Saviour". "Because He", he says, "will save His people", and not only the Jewish people, but also the Gentile peoples who make an effort to believe and become His people. What will he save them from? Maybe from the wars? No, but from "their sins". It is clear from this that the One who is about to be born is God, because it is only God who can forgive sins. 22. And all this happened to fulfill what the Lord said through the prophet who speaks "Do not think that God only recently decided to realize this great secret, because it was foreseen in the heavens from the beginning. 47 Since you were brought up in the Law, Joseph, and you know the prophets, remember what the Lord said. He did not say: 'What Isaiah said', because it was not man who spoke, but God "through the mouth of the prophet", and hence his prophecy is credible". 23. Behold, the girl will conceive 48 The Jews say that the prophecy does not say "virgin", 49 but "young woman", to which they should say that in the Holy Scriptures "young woman" and "virgin" have the same meaning, because the term "young woman" means an innocent girl (hence, a virgin). Then, if the virgin did not give birth, what miraculous sign would that be? Listen carefully to Isaiah who says: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign", and immediately adds: "Behold, the virgin will conceive..." and other things. If a virgin should not have given birth, it would not have been (any) sign. The Jews, in their malice, change the Scripture and put "young woman" instead of "virgin". However, whether it says "young woman" or "virgin", it should be understood that this word refers to an innocent girl who will give birth in order for it to be a truly miraculous sign. And she will give birth to a son, and will name him Emmanuel, which means: God is with us The Jews say: "Why is He not called Emmanuel but Jesus Christ?" They should therefore be told that it was not said: "You will gain", but: "He will gain a name". This means that His works alone will show that He is God who lives with us. 50 In the Divine Scriptures, names are given according to deeds, for example: "Find him a name quick on prey." 51 Where was anyone ever called by that name? Since at the same time as the birth of the Lord, the devil's deception was captured and defeated, that is why it is said that He is so called because He was named after the work He did. When Joseph got up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him Look at the zealous soul, how she immediately believed. Matthew repeatedly calls Mary "Joseph's wife", rejecting the ugly suspicion and teaching us that she was not someone else's wife but his. And they did not know about her until she gave birth That is, he never knew her, because the word "until" here does not mean that he did not know her before the birth, and that he did after, but that he never knew her at all. Such is the characteristic of the language of the Holy Scriptures, because it is said that the raven did not return "until the waters dried up on the earth", 52 although it did not return even after that. Or, again, (when the Lord says): "I am with you always until the end of the age". 53 Will he not be with us after the end? How is that possible? Right then there will be even more (with us). So also here the words: "until she gives birth", understand in this sense that Joseph did not know about her either before or after giving birth. For how would Joseph have reviled her, saint, when he knew full well of her unspeakable birth. She calls Him the firstborn not because she allegedly gave birth to another son, but simply because He was born as the first and only: Christ is both "firstborn", as the one who was born first, and "only begotten", as the one who has no other brother. Joseph also shows his obedience here, because he did everything the angel told him. The arrival of the wise men from the East, Herod kills the children of Bethlehem 1. And when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea 54 Bethlehem in translation means "house of bread", 55 and Judea "confession (of God)". 56 May we also become a home of spiritual bread by confessing God. He mentions Herod so that you would know that there were no more princes and kings from the tribe of Judah 57 and that Christ was to come, since Herod was not a Jew, but an Idumean, the son of Antipater, by an Arab woman. When, therefore, there were no more (Jewish) rulers, Christ came - "the expectation of the people", as prophesied by Jacob. 58 There was another Herod, the owner of four, and that is why the evangelist adds the imperial title. 59 Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem Why do the wise men come? 60 To condemn the Jews. When the wise men, the idolatrous men, believed, what justification remained for the Jews. The wise men also came so that the glory of Christ would shine even more through their testimony, especially since they were servants of demons and enemies of God. And this he says that he would condemn the Jews, because the wise men came from such a great distance to worship Christ, while the Jews, with whom he lived, persecuted Him. 2. And they said: Where is the king of Judah that is born? It is said that these wise men were descendants of the prophet Balaam, and when they found his prophecy: "A star will shine from Jacob", they understood the mystery of Christ and that's why they came, wanting to see the newborn (child). Because we saw his star in the East When you hear about a star, don't think that it was one of those that we see, but a divine and angelic power that appeared in the form of a star. Since the wise men were stargazers, the Lord drew them by means of what was known to them; as Peter, the fisherman, was amazed by the multitude of fish he caught in the name of Christ. That the star was really an angelic force is evident from the fact that it shone during the day and that it went when the wise men went, and stood still when they rested. This can be seen from the fact that it moved from the north, that is, from Persia, towards the south, towards Jerusalem, and it is known that the stars never move from the north to the south. And we came to worship him It seems that these wise men were virtuous people, because when they came to a foreign country to worship Christ, with how much boldness would they have preached him in Persia? 3. When King Herod heard this, he was afraid, and all Jerusalem with him Herod was afraid that as a foreigner he would lose the imperial power, because he knew that he was not worthy of it. But, Jews, why are they afraid? Rather, they should be rejoicing, because an emperor has appeared among them, to whom the Persian emperors worship. But their malice was really unreasonable. 4. And having gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people, they asked them where Christ would be born Writers 61 were popular teachers, like those we (today) call grammarians. Herod asks them according to the providence of God, so that they confess the truth; therefore they will be condemned for having crucified Him whom they first confessed. 5. And they said: in Bethlehem of Judea; for so the prophet wrote Which prophet? Micah, 62 because he says: 6. And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way the least among the princes of Judah As a small town, they looked down on Bethlehem. Now, however, it has become famous because Christ came from it, so many, from all over the world, come to worship that holy Bethlehem. Because a Leader will emerge from you He correctly said: "He will come out", and not: "He will remain in you", because Christ did not stay in Bethlehem, but left it after His birth and spent most of his time in Nazareth. The Jews say that this prophecy refers to Zerubbabel, 63 but they are mistaken, because Zerubbabel was not born in Bethlehem, but in Babylon. Look at his name: 64 "Zoro" means "seed" or "birth", and "Wavel" Babylon; therefore, "the one who was conceived or born in Babylon". The Jews are openly distorted by the very prophecy in which it is said: "To whom the results are from the beginning, from the days of the age." Whose outcomes, then, are "from the beginning and from the day of the age" if not Christ's? He had two "outcomes", that is, births. The first birth was "from the beginning" (in eternity) from the Father, and the second (in the flesh) "from the day of the age (of this)", that is, from the Most Holy Mother of God in time. Now let the Jews say whether Zerubbabel existed from eternity? But they have nothing to say. It says "graze", not "tyrannize" or "devour", because other emperors are not shepherds, but wolves. But Christ is a shepherd, as he himself says: "I am the good shepherd..." He calls the people of Israel those Jews and Gentiles who believed, because "Israel" in translation means "one who sees God". 65 That is why Israelites are all those who see God, even those who were formerly Gentiles. 7. Then Herod, secretly calling the wise men He called them secretly, because of the Jews, fearing that they would not worry about child, and try to rescue Him as their future liberator. That is why he was secretly plotting against Him. He found out from them when the star appeared So he asked and found out exactly. The star appeared to the wise men before the Lord was born. Since it took them a long time to travel, the star appeared much earlier so that the wise men could worship Him while He was still in swaddling clothes. Others, however, say that the star appeared as soon as Christ was born, and that the wise men came after two years, and they did not find the Lord in diapers, nor laid in a manger, but in the house with his mother, when he was two years old. You still consider the first interpretation better. 66 8. And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: Go and inquire well about the child He did not say "for the King", but "for the child" because he could not even bear His name. It (clearly) shows how angry he was with Christ. 8–9. Well, when you find him, let me know so I can come and worship him. And they, having listened to the king, followed The sages were not malicious, so they thought that he was also speaking honestly. And behold, the star that they saw in the East went before them. The star was hidden for a while, according to God's plan, so that the wise men would ask the Jews and Herod would be afraid, and in this way the truth would become more obvious. But when the wise men left Jerusalem, the star appeared again, showing them the way. Hence it can be seen that the star was a divine force. Until he came and stood from above where the child was And this is miraculous, because the star came down from on high and, coming close to the earth, showed them the place (where the child was). How else could they know exactly where Christ was, if the star remained high? The heavenly bodies (by their brightness) embrace a wide expanse, so that you, perhaps, see the moon above your house, while it seems to me that it is above mine, and in general, every one will say that the moon or some star stands above it. This star could not have shown Christ if it had not come down and stood right above the child's head. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy They rejoiced because they were not disappointed, but found what they were looking for. 10. And entering the house, he saw the child with Mary His Mother As soon as the child was born, the Virgin laid Him in a manger, because at that time they had not yet found a house. Later, they probably found a house where the wise men found them. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be registered there, as Luke says, 67 but, since many people gathered for the census, they did not immediately find a house, but the child was born in a cave. Then they found the house where the wise men saw the Lord. And they fell down and worshiped him What an illumination of the soul! They saw a poor man in front of them and worshiped Him, because they were told that He is God. That's why they brought Him gifts, as God and as man. Listen, go on! So they opened their treasures and brought him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh They offered Him gold as a king, because we, as subjects, offer gold to the king; incense as to God, because we burn incense to God; and, myrrh as the One who will taste death, because Jews anoint the deceased with myrrh before the funeral so that the body remains incorruptible. Myrrh, which is dry, dries up the moisture of the body and does not allow worms to decompose it. Do you see the faith of the wise men, who learned from Balaam's prophecy that the Lord is both God and king, and that he will die for us? Listen to the prophecy: "He lay down and rested like a lion and like a lioness... Those who bless you will be blessed." Understand that "lion" means imperial dignity, and "he lay down" death. Here are the deities, because only the divine nature has the power of blessing. 12. And having received the command in a dream not to return to Herod, they went to their country by another route Pay attention to the sequence of events! First, God brought them to faith by means of a star. Then, when they came to Jerusalem, they learned from the prophets that Christ would be born in Bethlehem. Eventually (they received God's command) through an angel. They listened to prophecy, that is, the word of God. Therefore, having received the divine revelation, they deceived Herod and were not afraid that he would send a chase after them, but went boldly in the power of the Born (God-born), as true witnesses. 13. And when they left, that angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: Get up, take the child and his mother Do you see now the reason why God allowed the Virgin to be besieged? Here you are told: So that Joseph could take care of her and keep her. (The angel) did not say: "Take your wife", but "his mother". He no longer calls her Joseph's wife, since the suspicion disappeared and the righteous man was convinced by the miracles at the child's birth that everything was from the Holy Spirit. Even the Lord flees, so that everyone would be convinced that he is really a real man, because if he had fallen into Herod's hands and miraculously escaped death, it would seem that he had apparently become incarnated. That's why he flees to Egypt to avenge that country as well. 68 Two countries (at that time) were the workshops of all iniquity: Babylon and Egypt. The Lord received the worship of Babylon through the wise men, while He avenged Egypt with His coming. And stay there until I tell you It says: "Be there", not "you will be there", until God calls you. Likewise, we should not do anything against the will of God. Because Herod will be looking for a child to execute Look at the folly of the man who tries to defeat the will of God. "If the child that was born is not from God, then why are you afraid of him? But if so, how will you execute him?» 14-15 And he got up, took the child and his mother by night and went to Egypt. And he would be there until the death of Herod - to fulfill what the Lord said through the prophet who says: From Egypt I called my son 69 The Jews say that it was said about the people that Moses brought out of Egypt. And we answer: What is strange in the fact that what was actually fulfilled by Christ was said about the people? Let's ask ourselves, who is the Son of God? The Jewish people who worshiped idols and the image of Velphegor or the One who is truly the Son of God? 16. Then Herod saw that the wise men had deceived him Just as God deceived Pharaoh through Moses, so He deceived Herod through the wise men, because both Pharaoh and Herod were child killers. Pharaoh slaughtered male Jewish children in Egypt, and Herod slaughtered them in Bethlehem. He got very angry and went to work and executed all the children in Bethlehem 70 and all around it up to two years old and under, according to the time he secretly learned from the wise men. Herod vents his anger against the wise men on children who have done nothing to him. But why did God allow children to suffer? So that Herod's malice would be shown. You might say: what is that? Were the children wronged just to expose Herod's malice? Listen, then: They were not wronged, but they deserved the wreaths, because everyone who suffers here on earth, suffers either for the forgiveness of sins or for the multiplication of wreaths. This is how these children (in heaven) will be crowned even more. 17. Then was fulfilled what the prophet Jeremiah said, saying So that no one would think that the children were killed without God's permission, the evangelist shows that the Lord knew and foretold this in advance. 71 Rama is a place in the Palestinian highlands and its name means high ground. 72 It was inherited by the tribe of Benjamin, who was the son of Rachel, who was buried in Bethlehem. That's why instead of "Bethlehem", the prophet mentions "Rachel", because she was buried there. He says that wailing and weeping will be heard from on high. Listen, then, to what the prophet says. Crying and wailing and wailing a lot, Rahilja mourns her children That is, Bethlehem cries for its children, and will not be comforted, because they are gone. They are no longer in this life, but their souls are immortal. Herod died a bitter death. He fell ill with fever, stomach pain and itching. His legs were covered with ulcers, and his pubic parts began to rot and were crawling with maggots. He breathed heavily, trembling, and all his limbs were gripped by spasms, so that he finally threw out his unholy soul. 19–20. Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said: Get up and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel He doesn't say "run away" but "go" because there was no reason to be afraid anymore. Because those who sought the child's soul died. Where is Apollinarius now who said that the Lord had not the human soul. 73 These words publicly distort him. 21–22. And he got up, took the child and his mother, and came to the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in place of Herod, his father, he was afraid to go there Herod left three sons: Philip, Antipas and Archelaus. He named Archelaus 74 emperor (of the Jews) and the other two tetrarchs. Joseph was afraid to go to the land of Israel, that is, to Judea, because Archelaus was like Herod, his father. Antipas was the younger Herod who executed the Forerunner. But, having received the commandment in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee 75 Galilee was not an Israelite, but a heathen country, and that is why the Jews looked at the Galileans with disgust. 23. And having come, he settled in a city called Nazareth How is it that Luke says that the Lord was held in Simeon's arms on the fortieth day after His birth, and then went to Nazareth, and here Matthew says that He went to Nazareth only after returning from Egypt? Understand, then, that Luke spoke about what Matthew kept silent. What do I really want to say? On the fortieth day after he was born, the Lord went to Nazareth (when he was fleeing to Egypt). That's what Luke tells us. Matthew tells about what happened after that, that is, that he fled to Egypt and then returned from Egypt to Nazareth. Therefore, they do not contradict each other, but Luke speaks of the departure from Bethlehem to Nazareth, and Matthew of the return from Egypt to Nazareth. To fulfill what the prophets said that he would be called a Nazarene Which prophet said that? Now it cannot be known, because many (prophetic) books have been lost, both because of the carelessness of the Jews, and because of the frequent taking into slavery. Perhaps this was an unwritten prophecy among the Jews. The word "Nazarene" 76 means "sanctified". Since Christ is holy, he is rightly called a Nazarene because many prophets call the Lord "the saint of Israel". 77 The Sermon of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Christ 1. In those days. Not when the Lord was a child and lived in Nazareth, but he simply says so "at that time" that preceded the present time. God sent John to rebuke the Jews and bring them to the knowledge of their sins so that they would accept Christ. If a person is not aware of his sins, he cannot repent. That is why John was sent. 1–2. And he preached in the Judean desert. And he said: Repent The Jews were proud, so he calls them to repentance. 78 Because the Kingdom of Heaven has come near He calls the first and second coming of Christ, as well as the virtuous life, the kingdom of heaven. Because if we, wandering on earth, live as if in heaven, far from passion, then we have the Kingdom of Heaven (within us). For this is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 79 The "way" is called the Gospel, and the "paths" are the legal provisions, which were heralded and old. Therefore, he says: "Prepare for the evangelical life, and 'correct' the legal provisions, that is, fulfill them spiritually", because the Spirit is "right". Therefore, when you see a Jew who physically understands the commandments of the Law, you can say: "This one has not straightened his paths", that is, he does not understand the Law spiritually. 80 4. And John himself had his robe made of camel's hair He called for repentance with his very appearance, because he was wearing mourning clothes. The camel is said to be somewhere between a clean and an unclean animal. Because it survives, it is a clean animal, but it does not have split hooves, and is therefore unclean. 81 So John wore a dress made of camel hair, because he brought to God the Jewish people, who were considered pure, and the impure Gentile people, and he was the mediator between the Old and New Testaments. That's why he wore clothes made of camel hair. And a leather belt around his thighs All the saints mentioned in the Scriptures were girded around their thighs, because they were constantly working, while the idlers and idlers were unbelted, as is the case with the Saracens today. Saints were girded with leather because they deadened the passions of carnal lust, since leather is obtained from the bodies of dead animals. And his food was acrids and wild honey. 82 Some say that acrids are a type of plant that is also called melagra, others say that it is a type of nut or wild fruit. Wild honey is produced by wild bees and can be found in trees and rocks. 5–6. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around Jordan came out to him. And he baptized them in the Jordan, and they confessed their sins Although they were baptized, John's baptism 83 did not give forgiveness of sins. John only preached repentance and led to the forgiveness of sins, that is, the baptism of Christ, which obtains the forgiveness of sins. 7. And when he saw many Pharisees "Pharisees" 84 in translation means "set apart", because they behaved as if they were set apart from others by their life and knowledge, thinking that they were higher than the others. They did not believe in the Resurrection, nor in angels, nor the (existence of) the spirit. "Sadducees" in translation means "righteous", because "sedek" is righteousness. It is not known whether they called themselves "righteous" or were named after the founder of their sect, Sadoku. 86 Where are they coming to baptize them, he told them They did not come with a sincere intention like the others, so he reprimands them: Aspidini family, who told you to run away from the wrath that is coming? He speaks harshly to them, knowing their depravity, but he also praises them when he says: "Who told you to run away", because he wondered how it happened that their unholy family repented. He calls them the "brood of the aspidini", because it is said that just as the aspids come out of their mother by devouring her womb, so they killed their fathers, that is, their teachers and prophets. "Wrath that goes" means hell. 8. Bring forth, therefore, a generation worthy of repentance See what he's saying? One should not only remove oneself from evil, but also bear the fruits of virtue, because it is written: "Avoid evil and do good." 87 9. And do not think or say to yourself: We have father Abraham They trusted in their noble origin and it was their undoing. Because I tell you that God can also raise children from these stones to Abraham By "stones" is meant the Gentiles, many of whom believed. In addition, John literally says that God can raise children to Abraham from stones. 88 Sarah's womb was also like a stone, because of her barrenness, so she still gave birth. 89 And when did God raise the children of Abraham from stones? At that time when they crucified Him and when many, seeing how the stones crumbled, believed. 90 10. And the ax is already at the roots of the trees He calls Christ's judgment an "axe" and each of us "trees". Thus, the one who did not believe is cut off from here at the root and thrown into the fire. Therefore, every tree, even if it was descended from Abraham, does not bear good fruit. He did not say "which did not give birth", but "which does not give birth", because one should always give birth to the fruits of virtue. If you gave alms yesterday, and today you rob, you have not pleased God. It is cut and thrown into the fire, that is, into the fire of hell. 11. I baptize you with water for repentance; and the one who comes after me is stronger than me. First he told them: "Bear forth a seed", and now he shows them what kind of seed - to believe in the One who comes after him, because Christ came after him. Just as Christ was born only six months after John, so also (after six months) after John he appeared before the people. First, therefore, the Forerunner appeared, and only then did Christ come, to whom John testified. I am not worthy to carry his shoes. "I am not," he says, "not even the least of His servants, to bring His shoes." Under "shoes" are meant two descents of the Lord. First from heaven to earth, and second from earth to ad. "Shoes" refers to the skin of the body and numbness. Therefore, the forerunner cannot "carry" the secret of these two descents, that is, he is unable to understand how they happened. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. That is, He will abundantly pour upon you the gracious gifts of the Spirit. "My baptism," says John, "gives neither the grace of the Holy Spirit nor the forgiveness of sins, but He will forgive you (sins) and give you the Spirit in abundance." 91 12. He has a shovel in his hand. Do not think that He will forgive you if you sin after receiving baptism from Him, but know that in His hands is a "shovel", that is, judgment and investigation. So they will thresh out their threshing floor - the Church, in which there are many baptized like wheat on the threshing floor. However, some of those who are baptized are frivolous like chaff, which is blown away like the wind by evil spirits, while others are like wheat and benefit others by feeding them with teaching and (virtuous) deeds. And he will gather his wheat into the granary, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. That fire is unquenchable. That's why Origen is talking nonsense when he says that the torment of hell will come to an end. 92 13–14. Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to baptize him. And Jovan defended him "Even though you are pure, my Lord, you are baptized in order to wash us (from sin), and show us that before baptism we must purify ourselves, so that we do not defile our baptism by easily soiling ourselves after it with bad habits". John defended Him, so that those who saw this would not think that Christ was also baptized for repentance, like the others. Saying: you need to baptize me The forerunner needed to be cleansed by the Lord, because he himself, as a descendant of Adam, was infected with the impurity of disobedience, and the incarnate Christ cleansed everything. He did not dare to say: "Should I baptize you?", but said: "And you come to me?". He was so pious. 15. And Jesus answered and said to him: Leave now: He says: "Leave it now, because the time will come for us to receive the glory we deserve, although now it seems we don't have it." Because that's how we need to fulfill all justice By "justice" is meant the Law. "Human nature," he says, "was cursed because it could not fulfill the Law." That is why I have fulfilled everything else that the Law requires. I just have to be baptized. And when I fulfill that, then I will free nature from the curse. That's what I should do." 15–16. Then leave him. And Jesus was baptized. He is baptized at the age of thirty, because at that age a person learns all sins. At an early age, children behave frivolously, at a later, youthful age, they become enflamed with carnal lust and anger. There is a lot of avarice in grown people. He waited, therefore, for that age would fulfill the Law for all ages and avenge us all. 93 Manichaeans say that the Lord left His body in the Jordan and then apparently appeared in another body. But these words refute them, because he says: "Jesus came out." No one else is came out, but the very One who went down into the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him. Adam closed them, but Christ opens them again so that you too learn to open the heavens with your baptism. 16–17. And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice from heaven speaking. The Spirit descends to testify that the One who is baptized is greater than the one who is baptized. The Jews considered John to be a great man, while they did not pay so much attention to Christ. Everyone saw that the Spirit descended on Jesus so that they would not think that the voice - "This is my beloved Son" - was for John, but that everyone, seeing the Spirit, would believe that the voice referred to Jesus. (The spirit appeared) "like a dove", because it is a non-malevolent, meek and very clean bird that does not linger where it is unclean. It is the same with the Holy Spirit. Just as in the time of Noah, the dove announced the end of the Flood, bringing an olive branch, 95 so here the Holy Spirit announces freedom from sin. There (the sign) was an olive branch, and here it is the grace of God. This is my beloved Son who is according to my will. That is, which is nice and pleasant to me. The temptation of Christ in the desert, the beginning of the preaching in Galilee, the call of the first Apostles, the first miracles 1. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. In order to teach us that after baptism we should expect even more trials, the Holy Spirit takes Jesus into the desert, because (the Lord) did nothing without the Spirit. And He takes Him into the desert 96 wanting to show us how the devil tempts us when he sees that we are alone and have no one to help us. That is why we must not live without advice, relying on ourselves. The devil is called a "slanderer" because he slandered God before Adam when he said to him: "God envies you." Even now, the devil is slandering virtue before us. 2. And having fasted. He fasted to show us that fasting 97 is a strong weapon against temptation, just as fasting is the beginning of every sin. Forty days and forty nights. He fasted as much as Moses and Elijah fasted, 98 because if He had fasted longer than them, then His incarnation would have seemed illusory. He became hungry when He Himself allowed His (human) nature to do so, in order to give the devil an opportunity to tempt Him with hunger, and with His patience he overcame and defeated him, and gave us the victory. 3. And the tempter came to him and said: If you are the Son of God, say that these stones become bread. The wicked man heard a voice from heaven ("This is My Son..."), and then he saw that the Lord was hungry, so he was confused, wondering how the Son of God could be hungry. That's why he tests Him to find out. He flatters Him by saying: "If you are the Son of God...", wanting to deceive Him. But you ask yourself: "What kind of sin is it to turn stones into loaves?" Then know: listening to the devil no matter what - is a sin. After all, you see that he did not say: "Tell this stone to become bread", but he says "these stones", thus wanting to lead Christ into intemperance, because even one loaf of bread is quite enough for the hungry. That is why Christ did not listen to him. 4. And he answered and said: It is written: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. This testimony is taken from the Old Testament, because it is the words of Moses. The Jews also fed on manna, which was not real bread, but, according to the word of God, it satisfied all the needs of the Jews and became the food that people wanted to eat. Namely, when a Jew wanted fish, egg, or cheese, the manna in his mouth acquired the taste of that food. 5–6. Then the devil took him to the Holy City and placed him on the wing of the church. So he said to him: If you are the Son of God, jump down, because it is written: He will command his angels for you and take you in their hands, so that you don't trip over a stone with your foot. Saying to him: "If you are the Son of God...", the devil seems to want to say: "I don't believe the voice from heaven, but if you really are the Son of God, show me." "But, poor man, if He is the Son of God, should He throw Himself from the Church at your word? It is characteristic of your cruelty to throw those who are possessed into the abyss, but it is God's to save them.» The words: "he will take you in his hands..." do not refer to Christ, but to the saints who need the help of angels. 99 Christ, as God, does not need such help. 7. And Jesus said to him: And this is written: Do not tempt the Lord your God. 100 Christ calmly chases away the devil and thus teaches us that demons should be defeated with meekness. 8–9. The devil took him again and took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of this world and their glory. And he said to him: I will give you all this if you fall down and worship me. Some think that "the mountain is very high" - the passion of avarice with which the enemy wanted to defeat Jesus. But they are wrong. The Lord did not receive thoughts, it was far away, but the devil openly appeared to Him, and on the mountain in a visible form, in front of His eyes, presented all the kingdoms of this world saying: "I will give all this to you..." In his pride, the devil considers the world his possession. This is what the devil says to greedy people today, so those who bow down to him will truly have the world in their power. 10. Then Jesus said to him: Get away from me, Satan, 101 because it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him alone! The Lord was angry with him, seeing that he appropriates what is God's and says: "I will give all this to you..." as if it were his. You see what is the use of the Holy Scripture, because with it the Lord closed the mouth of the enemy. 11. Then the devil left him, and behold, angels approached and ministered to him. The Lord overcame three temptations: belly-pleasing, the love of glory and the love of avarice, 102 that is, the love of wealth, because these are the main passions. By defeating them, it is much easier to defeat the others. That's why Luke says: "When the devil finishes all the temptations...", 103 although the Lord defeated only the main temptations. The angels serve Him in order to show that they will also serve us when we win (the passions), because Christ does and shows everything for our sake, since He, as God, is always served by the angels. 12–13. And when Jesus heard that John had been betrayed, he went to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, he came and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulon and Naphtali. Jesus leaves to teach us not to (unnecessarily) expose ourselves to danger. And he goes to Galilee, 104 the land of the "fallen", because the Gentiles, who lived there, fell into sin. He resides in Capernaum, which in translation means "home of comfort" because Christ came down from heaven to make the Gentile peoples the home of the Spirit of the Comforter - (the Church). Zebulon means "night", and Naphtali means "width". So the life of the Gentiles was dark and wide, because they did not follow the narrow path, but the path that leads to destruction. 14–16. That it may be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, saying: The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, on the way to the sea on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people who sit in darkness saw a great light, and to those who sit in the region and shadow of death, the light shines. "Great Light" is the Gospel. And the (Old Testament) Law was also a light, but a small one. "The shadow of death" is a sin, because sin is the image and occasion of death. As death takes hold of the body, so sin takes hold of the soul. The light shone on us, not because we were looking for it, but it appeared to us on its own as if it had haunted us. 17. From that time Jesus began to preach and speak. Jesus began to preach when John was locked in prison, because he was waiting for John to testify about Him first and to prepare the way for Him to walk, as servants do for their masters. Being equal to the Father, the Lord also had His own prophet, John, just as His Father and God had prophets before John, although they were all, in fact, joint prophets of both the Father and the Son. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. The kingdom of heaven is Christ himself, but so is the virtuous life. When one lives as an angel on earth, is one not a heavenly man? That is why the Kingdom of Heaven is in each of us when we live as angels. 18–19. And walking by the Sea of ​​Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them. These two were John's disciples, and while John was still in life, they came to Christ. 105 But when they saw that Jovan was imprisoned, they returned to fishing again. Then the Lord came to catch them, saying to them: 19–20. Follow me and I will make you hunters of men. And they immediately left their nets and followed him. Look at the obedient people - they immediately followed Him. It is clear from this that it was a second call. The Lord taught them the first time and after that they left Him. When they saw Him again, they immediately followed Him. 21. And leaving there, he saw two other brothers, Jacob Zebedee and his brother John, in the ship with Zebedee, their father. It is a great virtue when children take care of their parents in their old age and feed themselves from their honest labor. Where they mend their nets, and called them. They were poor and since they could not buy new nets, they repaired the old ones. 22. And they immediately left the ship and their father and followed him. It seems that Zebedee did not believe and that is why they left him. Do you see, then, when children should leave their parents? Then when they hinder them in virtue and godliness. Seeing the first two following Christ, both Jacob and John imitated them and followed the Lord. 23. And Jesus walked throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus entered the Jewish synagogues 106 to show that he was not against the Law. And healing every disease and every weakness in the people. He begins with signs and wonders so that they (easily) believe what he is teaching them. By "illness" is meant chronic illness, and by "infirmity" is temporary weakness of the body. 24. And the word about him went all over Syria; and they brought to him all the sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, and madmen, and sleepwalkers, and cripples, and he healed them. Christ did not ask for faith from any sick person who was brought to Him, because the very fact that they were brought from afar was a sufficient sign of their faith. Matthew calls those who were possessed by demons "sleepwalkers". Namely, the devil wanted to sow in man the doubt that heavenly bodies cause evil, so the demons waited for the full moon and then attacked people. They did this so that people would consider the moon as the cause of their illness and thus slander God's creation. The Manichaeans also believed in this fallacy. 25. And many people followed him from Galilee, and from the Decapolis, 107 and from Jerusalem, and Judea, and across the Jordan. Sermon on the Mount: beatitudes, about the dignity of the Apostles, about the Old Testament Law and the Commandments of Christ 1. And when he saw many people, he went up the mountain. He climbs the mountain to teach us not to do anything for the sake of showing off in front of people. Since he intended to teach the people, he shows us how to get away from the crowd when teaching others. And they sat down and his disciples approached him. The people approach Him for miracles, and the disciples for instruction. After the miraculous healings of the body, He also heals the soul, so that we may learn that he is the Creator of both soul and body. 108 2. And opening his mouth. Why does the evangelist say: "Having opened his mouth"? Aren't these words redundant? They didn't, because He taught without opening His mouth. How did he do it? With his life and miracles. 109 And now he opened his mouth and taught them speaking. He taught not only the students but also the people. He began with the beatitudes, just as David began his psalms with the beatitudes. 110 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. At the beginning, he lays down humility as a foundation. Since Adam fell because of pride, Christ lifts us up with humility. While Adam hoped to become a god, the "poor in spirit" are those who are contrite in spirit. 4. Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted. "Blessed are those who weep" for their sins and not for the things of this world. "Who weep" constantly, not occasionally, and not only because of their own sins but also because of the sins of their neighbors. "Because he will be comforted" in this life as well, because he who weeps for his sins rejoices spiritually, and even more so in the future. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Some understand by "earth" the spiritual earth, that is, heaven. But this country should also be understood. Since the meek are usually considered to be despised and poor people, the Savior says that it is they who have everything. And the meek are not those who never get angry, because such people are insensitive and indifferent, but those who know how to get angry, but refrain, getting angry when necessary. 112 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. Wanting to speak about alms, he first shows that a man must acquire righteousness, so that he does not give alms from what he has acquired by theft and fraud. Justice should be earnestly sought, because such people are "hungry and thirsty for justice". Although the self-seekers boast that they are rich and full, Jesus says that the righteous will still be in this life satiate because they have imperishable wealth. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be pardoned. Charity is not only shown with money and things, but also with words, and if you have nothing at all, then with tears of compassion. The merciful will be pardoned by people in this life, because the one who was merciful yesterday will need help today and everyone will be merciful to him, while God will have mercy on him even more (in the future age). 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. There are many who are not greedy, and still give alms, and yet live in fornication and all impurity. That is why Christ commands us that, along with other virtues, we should be pure and chaste, 113 and not only in the body but also in the heart, 114 because no one without holiness and chastity will see God. Just as we can only see our image in a clean mirror, so only a pure soul can see God and understand the Holy Scriptures. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. "Peacemakers" are not only those who live in peace with others, but also those who reconcile quarrels. "Peacemakers" are also those who convert the enemies of God with their teaching. And they will be called sons of God, because the only begotten (Son of God) reconciled us to God. 115 10. Blessed are the exiles for the sake of justice, because theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. They persecute not only the martyrs, but also many others, because they help the unwilling and in general because of every virtue, and every virtue is "justice". Thieves and murderers are also persecuted, yet they are not blessed. 11. You are blessed when you are shamed and mocked. Finally, the Lord speaks to His apostles, showing that it is characteristic of teachers in the first place to be ashamed. And lying, they say all kinds of bad words against you, because of me. Therefore, not everyone who endures shame is blessed, but he who is shamed for Christ's sake, and that by lying. Otherwise, such a person is truly miserable and wretched, because he misleads many. 12. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. The Lord did not speak of a "great reward" for other virtues, but here he speaks of it, thus showing that suffering insults is a great and difficult feat, because many have taken their own lives (not being able to endure it). 116 Even Job, who withstood all other trials, found himself tormented when his friends insulted him as if he was suffering because of his sins. Because that's how they persecuted the prophets before you. So that the apostles would not think of persecuting them because of a teaching that is against God, He comforts them by saying: "Even the prophets before you were persecuted because of their virtue, so you have comfort in their suffering." "Prophets were sent to only one people (Jews), and you are with the whole earth, who strengthen the weak with teaching and rebuke, so that worms (that is, passionate thoughts) do not constantly lie in them." Bearing this in mind, do not give up your sharp rebuke, even if they hate you and persecute you.» That's why he says: If the salt is salted, what will it be salted with? She will no longer be good for anything, except to spill out and be trampled by people. If the teacher "beggars", that is, stops admonishing and reprimanding, and becomes too lenient and lenient, "with what will the soul be salted"? Who will correct them? Such a teacher is then deprived of his duties and he is "trampled", that is, despised. 14. You are the light of the world. First "salt", then "light", because light distorts secret works. It is the light that reveals everything. The apostles enlightened not only one nation, but the whole world. A city cannot hide when it stands on a mountain. The Lord teaches them to be zealous and to lead a strict life, because everyone will look at them. "Do not think", says He, "that you will hide in some corner, but you will be publicly looked at and watched." Therefore, see to it that you live virtuously and blamelessly, so that you do not become a stumbling block to others. Nor is a lamp lit and thrown under a vessel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to all who are in the house: "I," says Christ, "have ignited in you the unquenchable light of grace." It is up to you to diligently make an effort to let the light of your life shine on others.» Therefore he tells them: So that your light shines before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven: He did not tell them: "Show virtue before men", because that is not good, but let it shine by itself, so that even your enemies will admire you and glorify you, not you, but your Father. When we do good, we are obliged to do it for the glory of God, not for our own glory. 17. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. Since He came to set new laws, Christ did not want the Jews to think that He was in opposition to God. Therefore, in order to remove the doubts that troubled many, he tells them: "I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it." How did he fill it? First, He fulfilled everything that the prophets had prophesied about Him, and that is why the evangelist often says: "To fulfill what was said through the prophets..." He also fulfilled all the legal provisions, "because He did not sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth." 117 And in another way he fulfilled, that is, supplemented the Law, because what the Law only outlined, Christ completed. The law says: "Thou shalt not kill!", and Christ: "Do not be angry about anything." Thus, the painter does not destroy his sketch, but complements and completes it. 18. For I truly say to you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not even the smallest letter or one line will disappear from the Law, until everything is fulfilled. Here it shows that the world passes and changes. Therefore, as long as the world exists, not even the smallest letter from the Law will disappear. Some say that the letters and line 118 stand for God's ten commandments, and others say that they represent a cross, where the letters are upright and the line is a cross arm. Therefore, Christ said that everything that was said about the cross would be fulfilled. 19. Therefore, if anyone breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so, he will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: The "least commandments" are those that Sam intended to give us, not those from the Law of Moses. He calls them "the least" because of humility, so that you too learn to teach others with humility. "He will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven", so at the Resurrection he will be found last and will be cast into hell. Such a person will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. By "kingdom" he understands the Resurrection. And whoever performs and learns, that one will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven: First he says "execute" and then "learn"; for how can I lead others on a path I have not taken myself? Besides, if I do the commandments and do not teach others, I have no such reward, but I will also be punished if I do not teach others because of envy or negligence. 20. For I tell you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven: By "justice" he means every virtue, as it was said about Job that "he was just and blameless". 119 Tremble with fear, man, when you realize how much is being asked of us. Then he teaches us how to make our justice greater than the justice of the scribes and Pharisees, and enumerates the virtues. 21. You have heard how it was said to the ancients: Do not kill; for he who kills shall be guilty of judgment: Christ does not mention who said this, 120 because, if he had said: "My Father commanded the ancients, and I say to you..." it would seem that He is establishing laws in opposition to the Father. And if, again, he said: "I told the old people", that would be difficult for people to accept. That's why he says vaguely: "It was said to the ancients", thus showing that the Law has become obsolete. And since it is outdated and should be abolished, we are obliged to leave it and turn to the new commandments. 22. And I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother (for nothing), will be guilty in court. When prophesying, the prophets said: "Thus says the Lord", and Christ said: "I say to you", thus showing the authority of His divinity. The prophets were servants, while He is the Son of God who has everything that the Father also has. The one "who is angry with his brother for nothing" will be condemned; if someone is angry for a reason and for the sake of instruction or out of spiritual zeal, he will not be condemned. Even Paul became angry with Elimas the sorcerer, and later with the high priest (Ananias), but not without reason, but out of zeal. 121 But when we get angry because of money or fame, then we get angry "for nothing". And if someone says to his brother: "Raka!" will be guilty to the Sanhedrin. "Sanhedrin" 122 is the Jewish court, and "raka" (derogatory) term for "you"; like when we contemptuously want to drive someone away, so as usual we say "hey you, run away from here". The Lord tells us this with the intention of teaching us to be careful even in the smallest things, and to respect one another. Some say that "raka" 123 is a Syriac word that means a despised person, a worthless person. He, therefore, who insults his brother by calling him nothing, will be guilty before the Council of the Holy Apostles when they sit down to judge the twelve tribes. And who said: "Fool!" will be guilty of hell fire. 124 Many say and think that this judgment is hard and cruel. But it's not like that. Because how is he not worthy of hell who deprives his brother of reason and intelligence, that is, of what distinguishes us from animals? Whoever insults and humiliates destroys love, and with the destruction of love, all other virtues, which only survive on love, disappear. He who insults (his brother), destroys love and destroys all virtues, that is why he is worthy of the fiery hell. 23–24. If, therefore, you bring your gift to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go and first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. God renounces His own honor, just so that we may live in love. That's why he says: "If your brother has something against you", and adds nothing more. So, whether he has a justified grudge against you or not, make peace with him. He did not say: "If you have something against him", but "if he has something against you", make sure you make him your friend. He commands you to leave your gift in order to oblige you to reconcile, because if you want to offer a gift, you must first reconcile with your brother. At the same time, the Lord shows that love is a true sacrifice. 25–26. Make peace with your adversary quickly, while you are on the road with him, so that your adversary does not hand you over to the judge, and the judge does not hand you over to the servant, and you are not thrown into prison. I tell you the truth: You will not get out of there until you give the last coin (codrant). Some think that the "opponent" is the devil, and the "way" is life. 125 Therefore, the Lord admonishes us: "While you are still in this life, pay off the debt with the devil, so that later he cannot accuse you as his debtor for sin and hand you over to torture, where you will answer for even the smallest mistake, because one codrant is worth two leptas." Understand, also, that these words also refer to rivals in this world, and that the Lord warns us not to judge with them and not to stray from divine works. And even if you are wronged, do not go to court, but settle "on the road", so that you do not suffer worse from the power of your rival. 27. You have heard how it was said to the ancients: Do not commit adultery. 126 One is adultery and the other is fornication. Adultery is a sin with a married woman, and fornication with an unmarried woman. 28. And I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This means that in his heart he has already done evil who stands and curiously observes a woman, igniting lust by looking, then looks at her again in order to desire her even more. But what if he doesn't put his wish into action, because he wasn't given the opportunity? This does not lessen the guilt, because if he had had the opportunity, he would have immediately carried out his evil intention. Know well that if we desired a woman, and then were prevented from committing a sin, it is clear that grace preserved us. But women too, if they groom themselves to attract others, even if they fail in this, they are guilty because they poured poison into the cup, although no one drank it. 29–30. If your right eye offends you, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you that one of your members perish than that your whole body be cast into hell. When you hear about "eye" or "hand", don't think that you are talking about parts of the body, because in that case you wouldn't say "right eye" and "right hand". The Lord is speaking here of those whom we think are our friends, but they do us harm; for example, a young man has friends who are fornicators and their bad influence harms him. Therefore, "cut off" such people, because maybe you will save them too, if they come to their senses and know their sin. If you fail to save them, you will at least save yourself. If, however, you continue to associate with them, you and they will fail. 31. That's how it was said: Whoever divorces his wife, let her divorce the book. In his Law, Moses orders: 127 if a man hates his wife, to separate from her, so that something worse does not happen, because he who hates can kill his wife out of hatred. When dismissing his wife, the husband was obliged to give her a discharge certificate, which (here) is called a "dismissal book", so that after the divorce she would never return to him, as well as so that there would be no discord when the husband stopped living with another (wife). 32. And I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for adultery, causes her to commit adultery; and he who marries a bitch commits adultery. 128 The Lord does not violate the Law of Moses, but corrects it, forbidding a husband to hate his wife without reason. If he dismisses her for a valid reason, that is, because of adultery, he will not be convicted. If, on the other hand, he dismisses her not because of adultery, he will be condemned, because by doing so he induces her to commit adultery. But the one who takes her to himself is also an adulterer, because if he had not taken her, she might have returned to her previous husband and submitted to him. A Christian must be a peacemaker towards other people, and especially towards his wife. 33. You have also heard how it was said to the ancients: Do not swear falsely, but fulfill what you have sworn to the Lord. In other words, when you take an oath, tell the truth. 34–35. And I say to you: Do not swear at all; nor by heaven, because it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, because it is the footstool of His feet; nor Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Since the Jews heard that God said: "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool", 129 they used to swear by heaven and earth. Forbidding them to do so, the Lord does not say: "Do not swear like that, because heaven is beautiful and magnificent, and the earth is useful", but instead tells them: "Do not swear by them, because heaven is the throne of God, and the earth is His footstool." He warns them not to fall into idolatry and make gods out of these verses by which they swear, as happened before. 36. Do not swear with your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. God Himself swears by Himself, because He is not subordinate to anyone. But how can we, who have no power over ourselves, swear by ourselves? She is the property of another. If you think it belongs to you, change one hair on it if you can! 37. Therefore, let it be your word: yes, yes; no, no. So that he would not say: "Then how will they believe me?" Christ says: "They will believe you if you always tell the truth and never swear." Because no one causes so much distrust as the one who swears lightly. And what is more than this, is from evil. The Lord says that everything in the oath other than "yes" or "no" comes from the devil. But, you will say: «Was the Law of Moses, which commands us to swear, bad? 130 "Know that at that time it was not bad to swear, but after Christ it was. It is the same with circumcision and with all Jewish customs in general. It is appropriate for an infant to suckle on the mother's breast, while it is shameful for an adult. You have heard it said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 131 The law allowed retaliation out of condescension, so that people would not do evil to one another for fear of being retaliated against. And I tell you not to resist evil, but if someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other too. When he says "evil", he means the devil, who works through people. Shouldn't we oppose the devil? Yes, we should, but not by returning the same measure to our neighbor, but by patience. Fire is not extinguished by fire but by water. Don't think that this is only about a slap in the face, but about every kind of injustice. 40–41. And whoever wants to argue with you and take your shirt, give him your dress as well. If he drags you to court and starts bothering you, in addition to what he asks for, give him the dress. And if someone chases you one mile, go two miles with him. "But what am I saying," says the Lord, "what shirt and dress? And give only your body to the one who unfairly drags you to court, and do more than what he asks of you. 42. Whoever asks you, give it to him; and whoever wants to borrow from you, do not refuse him. Give it to him, even if he is an enemy, a friend or an infidel, whether he asks for money or some other help. "Lend" here means simply without interest, because in the Law they gave without interest. 133 43–44. You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 134 And I say to you: Love your enemies. Here the Lord reached the pinnacle of virtue, because what is greater than love for one's enemies? It is not impossible to achieve. Moses and Paul loved the Jews who raged against them more than themselves, and all the saints had love for their enemies. Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who insult and persecute you. We should consider them as our benefactors, because everyone who persecutes and tempts us eases the punishment that awaits us because of our sins. Besides, God will give us a great reward for that. So listen to what he says: To be sons of your Father who is in heaven; because He illuminates both the bad and the good with his sun; and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous: Do you see how much wealth is brought to you by someone who hates and abuses you, if only you want to suffer? By "rain" and "sun" he understands knowledge and learning, because God enlightens and teaches everything. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't the customs officers do the same? We tremble with fear, because we are not even like the tax collectors, 135 because we hate even those who love us. 47–48. And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing too much? Do not the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 136 He who loves some as friends and hates others is not perfect. Perfection is loving all people (equally) Continuation of the Sermon on the Mount: on almsgiving, on praying the Our Father, on forgiveness, fasting, true wealth, serving God and trusting in the Heavenly Father 1. Be careful not to do your alms in front of people so that they can see you; otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Having led them to love as the greatest virtue, the Lord now speaks of the vanity that creeps in with good works. Look at what he says: "Be careful"; as if he were talking about some terrible beast and warning you to be careful not to be torn apart by it. If you give alms "in front of people", and you don't do it so that they can see you, you will not be condemned. But if you do it for vanity, you will be condemned even if you give alms secretly in your room, because God punishes or rewards our intention. 2. Therefore, when you give alms, do not blow the trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that people praise them. The hypocrites had no trumpets, but here the Lord mocks their intention, since they wanted to blow (before the people) their mercy. "Hypocrites" are those who try to present themselves as different than they really are. Thus they show themselves to be merciful, although they are not. Verily I say unto you, They have received their wages: All their wages will be the praise they have received from people. 3. And when you give alms, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Wanting to emphasize his words, the Lord says: "If possible, hide even from yourself that you have given alms." In another sense, "left" means vanity, and "right" means almsgiving. Therefore, "so that he does not know the vanity of your alms". 4. That your charity may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you publicly. When? When everything is revealed and made public, then you will be celebrated even more. 5. And when you pray to God, don't be like the hypocrites, who gladly stand in synagogues and at street corners and pray to be seen by people. Verily I say unto you: They have received their wages. He also calls those people who think they serve God, but in fact serve people, hypocrites. That is why he will receive his salary from them. 6. And when you pray, go into your room, and after closing your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you publicly. "What, then; Shouldn't I pray in church?" And that properly, but with the right attitude of the heart, and not for the sake of showing off. It is not the place that interferes with prayer, but the way and the intention with which we pray. There are also many who pray secretly to please people. 137 7. And when you pray, do not talk like the heathen. "To prophesy" means to ask for worldly things in prayer, such as fame, wealth or victory. This word 138 (in the Greek language means slurred, childish speech. Therefore, be careful not to talk in vain (in prayer). Because they think that they will be heard for many of their words. We don't need long prayers, but shorter and more frequent ones. It is better to say fewer words, but therefore to be more persistent in prayer. 8. Be not therefore like them; because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. The purpose of prayer is not to teach God what we need, but to separate our minds from the things of life and to receive spiritual benefits from talking to God. 9. This is how you pray: Our Father who art in heaven. One is a vow, and the other is a prayer. A vow is a promise we make to God, for example, when we vow to abstain from wine or something else. Prayer, however, is asking for some good from the Lord. When he says: "Father", Christ shows you what a treasure you have become, becoming a son of God (by grace). And when he says: "in the heavens", he shows you your homeland and your father's home. If you want to have God as your Father, then look to the sky, not to the earth. Do not say "My Father", but "Our Father", because you are obliged to look at all people as your brothers, children of one (heavenly) Father. This means: make us holy so that You can be glorified through us. Because, just as God is blasphemed through me, so let him be "sanctified" through me, that is, let him be glorified as Holy. 10. May your kingdom come, that is, the second coming (of the Lord). Only he who has a clear conscience prays for the Resurrection and judgment to come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. "Teach us to do Your will as the angels do it in heaven." 11. Give us today our daily bread. It says: "daily bread", that is, the bread we need to sustain life and physical health. This teaches us to discard all care for tomorrow. "Daily bread" is also the Body of Christ, so we pray that we partake of it without condemnation. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Since we sin even after baptism, we pray to God to forgive us, and to forgive us as we forgive our "debtors". If we forget, the Lord will not forgive us, because He is looking at us, and as we do to others, so He will do to us. 13. And lead us not into temptation. We humans are weak and therefore we should not run into temptations. If we have already fallen, we should pray that the temptation will not completely overcome us. We say that he who has been defeated and overcome by temptation has fallen into the "pit of temptation". It does not refer to one who has fallen but still manages to overcome temptation. He did not say from evil people, because evil is not done to us by people, but by the devil. Because your kingdom is power and glory forever. Amen. 139 The Lord gives us courage, because if our Father is the King, mighty and glorious, then we will surely defeat the evil one and finally be glorified. 14. For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Again, he teaches us not to remember evil. He reminds us of the Father, so that we would be ashamed of Him, because we are the children of such a Father, and we behave like wild beasts. 15. If you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses: The meek Lord hates nothing so much as unmercifulness. 16. And when you fast, do not be gloomy like the hypocrites; because they frown their faces to show themselves to people that they are fasting. Verily I say unto you: They have received their wages. "To sulk" means to turn pale in the face, so that it does not look as it is, but gloomy and dark. 17–18. And when you fast, anoint your head, 140 and wash your face, so that people do not see you where you fast, but your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you publicly. In the past, people smeared themselves with oil after bathing as a sign of joy. Do the same and be joyful when you fast. "Oil" also means mercy, and our "head" is Christ, who should be anointed with acts of mercy, and the "face", that is, the senses, should be washed with tears of repentance. 141 19–21. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves undermine and steal; rather lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not undermine or steal. Having distorted the disease of vanity, he now speaks of lack of acquisition, because it is precisely because of vanity that people accumulate more than they need. It shows us that earthly treasures are useless, because clothes and food are spoiled by moth and rust, while gold and silver are stolen by thieves. And then, so that no one would complain to Him that not all people are stolen from thieves, the Lord says: "And even if none of that happens, just the fact that you are trapped by worry about wealth is a great torment." That's why he says to them: Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22–23. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be bright. If your eye is defective, your whole body will be dark. If, then, the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! This means that if you burden your mind with worrying about fleeting things, you will extinguish the lamp and darken your soul. Just as a healthy eye enlightens the body, and a defective and diseased one darkens it, so the cares (of this world) blind the mind. And when the mind darkens, the whole soul also darkens, and with it even more the body. 24. No one can serve two masters. He calls those who give mutually contradictory commands two masters. Such masters are God and mammon. 142 We make the devil our master, just as we make our own god from our stomach, although in fact our Lord is the only and true God and master, while mammon is injustice. Because either they will hate one and love the other; or they will stick to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon: Do you see that it is impossible for a rich and unjust man to serve God, because his selfishness distances him from God? 25. Therefore I say to you: Do not worry about your soul what you will eat or what you will drink; nor with your body, what you will wear. Why is this telling us? Because worrying about transient things distances a person from God. The soul cannot eat because it is incorporeal, but the Lord says this in the usual way of speaking. It is obvious that the soul cannot reside in the body if it is not nourished. The Lord does not prevent us from working, but forbids us to give ourselves completely to our worries and thus neglect God. You need to cultivate the land, but also work on your soul. Isn't the soul heavier than food, and the body than clothes? Will not the Lord give us food and clothing, who gave us what is more important than that, by creating us soul and body. 26. Look at the birds of the sky, how they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into granaries; so your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you much heavier than them? Although He could have given the example of Elijah and John (the Forerunner), He mentions the birds, in order to shame us, because we have become more speechless than them. The Lord feeds them by giving them a natural urge to gather food. 27. And who among you by worrying can add one cubit to his height! This means that even though you worry a lot, you cannot do anything, if it is not according to God's will. Then why are you torturing yourself for no reason? 28–29. And for the suit, what are you worried about? Look at the lilies of the field growing; they do not toil or purr. But I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like one of them. The Lord shames us not only through speechless birds but also through wilting lilies. When God has thus decorated flowers for those who do not need them, how much sooner will He satisfy our need for clothing? He shows us that no matter how much we worry, we will never clothe ourselves as beautifully as the lilies of the field. Not even the wise and most glorious Solomon, during all the time of his reign, never dressed like that. 30. So when the grass in the field, which is today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, God clothes it like that; let alone you, of little faith? From this we can learn that we should not worry about external beauty, because that befits transitory flowers. Therefore those who adorn themselves are like grass. "But, he says, you are literal creatures with whom God created soul and body." "Little believers" are all those who worry (about transitory things), because if they had perfect faith in God, they wouldn't worry about it so much. 31–32. Do not worry, therefore, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For all this the Gentiles ask. Therefore, he does not forbid us to eat, but to say: "What shall we eat!" The rich say in the evening: "What will we eat tomorrow?" You see that it forbids overeating and immoderation. 32–33. And your heavenly Father knows that you need all this. But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things will be added to you. The kingdom of God is the enjoyment of (eternal) treasures. It is acquired by righteousness. To the one who seeks spiritual treasures, the Lord, in his generosity, also gives physical ones. 34. Do not worry, therefore, about tomorrow; because tomorrow they will take care of everything. Every day has enough of its evil; That is, your troubles and torments. You have had enough of trying and suffering for today. If you still worry about tomorrow, and constantly burden yourself with carnal things, when will you have time for God? The end of the Sermon on the Mount: about not judging one's neighbors, guarding the holy and persevering in prayer, about the narrow gate and the narrow way, about the false fulfillment of the commandments of Christ 1. Judge not, lest you be judged. 143 The Lord does not forbid us to correct others, but to judge them. While correction is for the benefit of our neighbors, by condemning them we ridicule and despise them, because having great sins ourselves, we condemn others who are less sinful than us and who will be judged by God. 2–5. For with what judgment you judge, with what judgment you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you see the mote in your brother's eye, but do not feel the log in your own eye? Or, how will you say to your brother: stop, let me take the mote out of your eye; and there is a log in your eye? Hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see how to take the mote out of your brother's eye. He who wants to correct others must himself be blameless. If he has a "log" in his eye, that is, great and public sins, and he reprimands another, who only has a "mote" in his eye, it will make him even more shameless in his sin. The Lord shows us that the one who sins a lot is not able to clearly see the sin of his brother, because how will a man who has a "log" in his eye see (the sins) of a man who has sinned less. 6. Do not give holy things to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 144 "Dogs" are unbelievers, and "pigs" are believers who lead impure and shameful lives. That is why one should not talk about the secrets of faith in front of non-believers, nor speak beautiful and expensive words of theology in front of the impure. The "pigs" will despise and trample on what we said, and the "dogs" will turn and tear us apart. This is what the so-called philosophers do, because when they hear that God was crucified, they tear us apart with their syllogisms, arguing that such a thing is not possible. 7–8. Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Because everyone who asks receives; and who seeks finds; and he who knocks, it will be opened to him. In the previous lessons, the Lord gave us great and difficult commandments. Here he shows us how they are accomplished with the help of unceasing prayer. He said: «Seek», therefore, constantly search, not «ask once». After that, he confirms his words with an example from everyday life: 9–10. Or who is the man among you to whom if his son wants bread, he will give him a stone? Or if the fish want, should they give him a snake? Here he teaches us that it is not only necessary to persistently seek, but also to seek what is beneficial to us. "When your children," he says, "ask you for what they need, bread and fish, you give them what they want." Likewise, you seek what is spiritual, not carnal." 11. When, therefore, you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him? He calls people evil, comparing them to the all-good God. Our nature is good, because God created it that way, but we become evil by our own free will. 12. Therefore, whatever you want people to do to you, do the same to them: for that is the Law and the Prophets. In short, it shows us the way to virtue. We humans know by ourselves how we should treat our fellow man. If you want others to do good to you, do good to them. If you want your enemies to love you, love them too, because the Law of God and the Prophets teach us the same things that natural law dictates. 13. Enter the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. He calls the "narrow gate" feats that we voluntarily accept, such as fasting and other things, as well as temptations that come to us against our will, for example, prisons and persecutions. Just as a large man, or one carrying a heavy load, cannot pass through a narrow door, so neither can a glutton or a rich man pass through it. Such enter through the wide door. He uses the words "gate" and "way" to show how the anguish is short-lived and the breadth is transitory. Through the "narrow gate", that is, the person who suffers, passes through the "broad road", while the person who lives without restraint goes through the "broad road". Since both paths are transitory, one should choose the one that is better. 14. For narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. These words express astonishment, as if he were saying: "Alas, how narrow that road is." But how is it that the Lord says in another place: "My burden is light?" 145 It is really easy, if we keep in mind the rewards that await us. 15–16. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Heretics are cunning and deceivers, and that is why the Lord says: "Beware!" They speak sweet words and pretend to live honorably, but therein lies the trap. "Sheep's clothing" is the meekness in which they disguise themselves in order to flatter us and deceive us. We will know them by their "fruits", that is, by their deeds and life. Although they are able to disguise themselves hypocritically for a time, they will still be distorted by those who have judgment. 16–17. Are grapes picked from thorns, or fig thistles? Thus, every good tree bears good fruit, and an evil tree bears evil fruit. He calls hypocrites "thorns" and "thistles". They are like thorns because they suddenly sting us, and like thistles because of their cunning and cunning. An "evil tree" is every person who has been corrupted by an impure and licentious life. 18. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can an evil tree produce good fruit. An "evil tree" cannot bear good fruit as long as it is sick, but if it gets well, it can. You see, therefore, that he did not say "he will not be able", but only while he is sick he cannot (bear good fruit). 19–20. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And so, therefore, by their fruits you will know them. The Lord addresses the Jews, and says the same thing that John told them. 146 A tree is similar to a man because it can grow from fruitless sin to virtue. 147 21. Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Christ shows us with these words that He Himself is Lord and God. It also teaches us that we will not benefit from our faith unless we confirm it with works. "The one who does the will of my Father" is not the one who did God's will only once, but the one who does it continuously until death. He did not say: "who does my will", so as not to mislead his listeners, but "the will of my Father", because there is always one will of the father and his son, unless the son turns away from the father. 22–23. Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name did many miracles? And then I will tell them publicly: I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity! At the beginning of the sermon, many who were unworthy cast out demons. They fled from the name of Jesus, because grace worked even in the unworthy, just as we receive sanctification from unworthy priests. And Judah did miracles, even the sons of Skevin. 148 When Jesus says: "I never knew you", He wants to say that at the time when they performed miracles, he did not know them, that is, he did not love them, because here "knowledge" means "love". 24–25. Everyone, therefore, who listens to these words of mine and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who builds his house on a rock; and the rain fell, and the waters came, and the winds blew, and they attacked that house, and it did not fall; because it was founded on stone. No virtue can be acquired without God's help, and that is why Christ says: "I will compare him to a wise man." The "stone" is Christ, and the "house" is the soul. Therefore, nothing will shake the man who builds his soul on doing the commandments of God; neither the "rain", that is, the devil that fell from the sky, nor the "waters" that grew from the rain, which represent evil and unjust people who multiply from so much "rain", nor the "winds", that is, evil spirits, nor any other temptation, can bring down such a person. 26–27. And everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who builds his house on sand; and the rain fell, and the waters came, and the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell, and its fall was terrible. Speaking of a man who believes, but does not carry out the commandments of Christ, the Lord did not say: "I will compare him to a mad man", but: "he will be like a mad man", therefore, he himself will be likened to him. Such a man builds the house of his soul on sand, of bad material, (that is, without virtuous deeds which are a solid foundation). That is why he falls under temptation. When it suffers adversity, that is, when temptation falls on the soul, it falls with a "terrible fall". Unbelievers do not fall, because they are constantly lying on the ground, but the believer (who does not live according to the commandments of God). That is why his fall is terrible, since he is a Christian. 28–29. And when Jesus finished these words, the people were amazed at his teaching. Because he taught them as one who has authority, and not as the scribes and Pharisees. They did not admire the elders, because how could those who despised Him admire Him? An innocent crowd admired Him, not His eloquence, but the boldness and authority of His speech. He spoke with greater authority than the Prophets. While they said: "Thus says the Lord", Christ addressed the people as God: "I say to you". About the healing of the leper, the captain's servant, Peter's mother-in-law and other sick people, about the conditions of following Christ, the calming of the storm at sea and the healing of the martyrs of Gadarina 1–2. And when he came down from the mountain, many people followed him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped him, saying: Lord, if you want, you can make me clean. As a prudent man, the leper 149 did not climb the mountain so as not to interrupt the sermon. But when Jesus came down from the mountain, he worshiped Him. The leper did not say: "If you ask God, you will heal me", but he showed greater faith and said: "If you want." That is why Christ healed him. 3–4. And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying: I will, be cleansed. And immediately cleanse yourself of your leprosy. And Jesus said to him: Look, don't tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony to them. By touching the leper, Christ showed that He was not subject to the Law that forbade touching lepers, but that He Himself was the Lord of the Law. 150 He also showed that for Him, as pure, nothing is impure, and that sanctification comes from His holy body. Avoiding fame, he commands the leper not to tell anyone, but to show himself to the priest, because until the priest said that the leper was cleansed, he had to stay outside the city. 151 In addition, he commands him to offer a gift as a testimony to the Jews, as if he wants to say: "When I am accused of violating the Law, you will be my witness that I commanded you to offer the gifts required by the Law." 5–6. And when he entered Capernaum, the captain approached him 152 begging him and saying. He did not approach Him on the mountain either, so as not to interrupt His preaching. This is the same man Luke mentions. Although Luke says that the captain sent other people (Jewish elders) to Jesus as mediators, 153 does not contradict Matthew who says that the captain himself came to Jesus. He probably sent others first, and then, seeing that his servant was about to die, came himself and said: 6–7. Lord, my servant lies at home bereaved, and he is afraid of torment. And Jesus said to him: I will come and heal him. The captain did not bring his servant on the bed, because he believed that He could heal him even in his absence. Therefore: 8–10. And the captain answered and said: Lord, I am not worthy that you enter under my roof; but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Because I am also a man under authority, and I have soldiers under me, so I say to one: go, and he goes; and to another: come, and come; and to your servant: do it, and do it. And when Jesus heard it, he was amazed and said to those who were following him: I tell you the truth: I did not find so much faith even in Israel. "If I," he says, "as the emperor's servant, command the soldiers who are subordinate to me, (and they obey me), You can even more command death and disease, so that they leave one man and move on to another." Bodily diseases are God's soldiers and executioners of punishment. Christ was amazed by these words, so he says: "I have not found such great faith even among the Israelites, as among this heathen." 154 11–12. And I tell you that many from the east and the west will come and sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; And the sons of the kingdom will be exiled to the uttermost darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Lord did not openly say: "Many Gentiles will sit down...", so as not to anger the Jews, but He said it in a hidden way: "Many from the east and the west will come..." Abraham was mentioned in order to show that He does not oppose the Old Testament. Speaking about the "ultimate darkness", he taught us that there is another darkness that is less terrible, because in hell there are different degrees of torture. He speaks of the Jews as "sons of the Kingdom", because the Old Testament promises were addressed to them. That is why he calls Israel his firstborn. 155 13. And Jesus said to the captain: Go, and as you have believed, so be it to you. And his servant was healed at that hour. By healing the servant with His word alone, He showed that He spoke the truth when He said that the Jews would be expelled from the Kingdom. 14–15. And when Jesus came to Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying there and she was shaking with fever. And he touched her hand, and the fire released her, and she stood up and served him. Jesus came to Peter's house to dine there. When he reached the woman's hand, not only did the fever leave her, but she was completely healed. Her strength was immediately restored, so that she was able to serve Him, although we know that it takes a long time for a sick person to recover and become strong. Other evangelists say that the household first begged Him for her, and only then did Jesus heal the woman. Matthew does not mention this for the sake of brevity. I already told you before that what one evangelist leaves out, another mentions. Learn from this also that marriage is no obstacle to virtue. And the supreme apostle had vanity. 156 16–17. And when in the evening they brought to him a maddened multitude, and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all the sick, that they might realize what Isaiah the prophet said, saying: He took our infirmities and carried our diseases. In the evening, until the late hours, 157 sick people were brought to Him and He healed them all as a lover of humanity. And so that you would not doubt that he healed so many diseases in such a short time, the evangelist cites the prophet Isaiah as a witness. Although the prophet speaks of sins, Matthew mentions diseases, since most diseases are caused by sins. 18. And when Jesus saw many people around him, he ordered them to cross over to the other side. He was not glory-loving, but wanted to remove himself from the envy of the Jews. 19–20. And a scribe approached and said to him: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus said to him: Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests; and the Son of Man 158 has nowhere to hide his head. He calls a "literate" one who knows the letter of the Law. When this man saw the many signs that Jesus did, he thought that He would earn a lot of money from it, so he wanted to follow Him so that he too could earn something. But the Lord seemed to answer his thought with these words: "You want to follow Me to earn money. Can't you see I'm homeless? Such should be the one who follows Me.» He said this to persuade him to convert and follow Him. But the writer left. Some say that "foxes" and "birds" mean demons. Therefore, Jesus says: "Demons have found their abode in you, that's why there is no rest for Me in your heart." 21–22. And another of his disciples said to him: Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him: Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead. When a person surrenders himself to the Lord, he should not turn to worldly things. Of course, you should respect your parents, but you should respect God more than them. This man's father was unbelieving, as can be seen from Jesus' words: "Let the dead, then, unbelieving, bury their own dead." When this man is not allowed to bury his father, woe to those who have set out on the path of monastic life and turn to worldly things. 23–24. And when he entered the ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, a great storm arose on the sea, so that the ship was covered with waves; and he was sleeping. He took only His disciples with Him to see the miracle. He allows the waves to toss the ship on the sea, in order to teach them to endure trials patiently, but also so that seeing this miracle, they would believe even more. The Lord sleeps so that when they are afraid, they will know their weakness and call on Him for help. Therefore he says: 25–26. And when his disciples came, they woke him up, saying: Lord, save us, we are perishing! And he said to them: Why are you fearful, you of little faith? He didn't call them "infidels", but "little believers". When they said: "Lord, save us" - they showed faith in that, but the word: "we will perish" - was not from faith, because Jesus was with them in the ship, so there was no reason to fear. Do you see how he rebukes them for their fear, wanting to show them that fear itself brings with it danger. That is why he calms the restlessness in their souls first, and then the storm at sea. 26–27. Then, standing up, he threatened the winds and the sea, and there was a great silence. And the people were amazed, saying: Who is this that the winds and the sea listen to him? They were amazed, because in appearance he was a man, but in his actions - God. 159 28. And when he came to the other side in the country of Gergesin, 160 two rabid martyrs met him. While the people in the ship were amazed, saying: "Who is this that the winds and the sea listen to him", the demons come to give an answer. Although Mark and Luke speak of one man who was besieged by a legion of demons, you understand that this man is one of the two mentioned by Matthew, and the one who was more famous for evil. Christ came to them alone, because they were so terrible that no one dared to bring them to Him. Coming out of the graves, so wicked that no one could pass through it. They lived in graves because demons wanted to convince people that human souls become demons after death. But let no one think of such a thing, because when the soul leaves the body, it no longer stays in this world. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and the souls of sinners go to hell, where the soul of that merciless rich man also went. 29. And behold, they cried out, saying: What do you want from us, Jesus, Son of God? Did you come here before the time to torture us? Behold, first they express their enmity, and then they confess Him as the Son of God. It is torture for demons if someone prevents them from doing harm to people. Understand that their words "before the time" mean that they thought that Christ, unable to endure their great malice, would not wait for the time of torture. But it is not so, because the demons are allowed to fight with us until the end of the world. 30–32. And far from them, a large herd of pigs was grazing. And the demons begged him, saying: If you drive us out, let us go to the herd of pigs. And he said to them: Go. And they went out to the herd of pigs. And behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed from the hill into the sea and drowned in the water. The demons begged Jesus to enter the pigs, so that by killing the pigs, they would anger their masters so that they would not accept Christ. Christ did to them according to their will, wanting to show the extent of their malice towards people, but also to show how much more evil they would do to us, if only they had power and the Lord did not prevent them from doing so. That is why the Lord protects the insane from killing themselves. 33–34. And the swineherds ran away and when they came to the city, they told everything, including about the madmen. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. Grieving, the inhabitants of the city were afraid that something even more terrible would happen to them later, so they begged Jesus to leave their area. And you learn that where you live a "pig's life" Christ does not dwell, but demons. 161 The healing of the dispossessed, the calling of the Apostle Matthew, about sinners, repentance and fasting, the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, the healing of a sick woman, two blind men and others, about the harvest and fasting 1–2. And getting into the ship, he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought him the one who had been taken, who was lying on a bier. Jesus calls Capernaum "his city", because he lived there. Therefore, he was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, while he lived in Capernaum. This one taken away is not the same one mentioned by John, 162 because he lived in Jerusalem near Ovčia spa, and this one was from Capernaum. That one had no man (to lower him into the bathhouse), while this one was carried, as Marko says, by 163 four people, and lowered him through the (open) roof of the house, which Matthew omitted. And when Jesus saw their faith. Therefore, the faith of those who brought the taken away, because the Lord often worked miracles through the faith of those who brought the sick; or seeing the faith of the patient himself, said to the taken away: Do not be afraid, child, your sins are forgiven. He calls him a "son" as a creature of God or as one who believed (in Him). To show that the man's illness is the result of sin, Jesus first forgives his sins. 3–5. And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves: This man blasphemes God. And Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? Because what is easier is to say: Your sins are forgiven; or say: Get up and walk? By seeing their thoughts, He shows that He is God. Then he rebukes them as if speaking; "You think that I blaspheme God because I arrogate to Myself the right to forgive sins, which is a great deed, and you think that I do it in order to avoid reproach. But when I heal the body, I will assure you that the soul is also healed. By doing what is less, although it seems more difficult, I will confirm that sins are forgiven, which is really much greater, although it seems easier to you, because it is not visible to the eye. 6–8. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins; Then he said to the taken away: Get up, take your coffin and go to your home. And he got up and went to his home. And when the people saw it, they were amazed and glorified God, who had given such power to people. He ordered him to carry the bier, so that his healing would not look like an apparition, but also so that the people would see a miracle, since they thought that Jesus was an ordinary man, even though he was greater than all. 9. And as Jesus was leaving there, he saw a man sitting at the customs office, named Matthew, and he said to him: Follow me. And getting up, he followed him. He did not invite Matthew together with Peter and John, but when he saw that he would believe. That's how he called Paul later, in his time. He marvels at how the evangelist reveals his former way of life, while the other evangelists conceal his name, calling him Levi. Matthew's conversion, and only at the word of the Lord, is the work of God. 10-11. And when they were eating in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. And seeing this, the Pharisees said to his disciples: Why does your Teacher eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Joyful, because he welcomed Christ into his home, Matthew called the tax collectors. Christ ate with them for their benefit, even though they accused Him of it. The Pharisees wanted to separate His disciples from Him, and they slandered Him because He was eating with tax collectors. 164 12–13. And Jesus heard and said to them: It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. But go and learn what it means: I want mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance: "I have not come now as a judge, but as a doctor," he says, "and that's why I put up with the stench and dirt." He reprimands them as ignorant, saying: "Go and learn", which means: "If you have not managed to learn until now, then at least from now on go and learn that God's mercy towards sinners is preferable to any sacrifice". 165 The Lord says with irony: "I did not come to call the righteous", wanting to say: "I did not come to call you who consider yourselves righteous, because none of the people is righteous. I came to call sinners, not to remain sinners, but to repent." 14. Then the disciples of John approached him, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast a lot, but your disciples do not fast? John's disciples envied Christ's glory and therefore reproached Him for not fasting. They probably marveled at how He was able to conquer passions without any feats, which John could not do. They did not know that John, as an ordinary man, was righteous because of his virtues, and that Christ, as God, is Virtue himself. 15. And Jesus said to them: Can the wedding guests be sad while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast. "This time," he says, "while I am with My disciples, is a time of joy." He calls Himself a "bridegroom" because he is betrothed to a new community, since the old (synagogue) has died. "Saints" are apostles. Therefore, the Lord says: "The time will come, after My suffering and ascension, when they will fast in hunger, thirst and persecution." To show that His disciples are not yet perfect, He adds: 16–17. Because no one sews new patches on an old garment; because the patch will come off the garment, and the hole will be worse. Nor is new wine poured into old wineskins; otherwise the skins are pierced, and the wine is spilled, and the skins perish. Rather, new wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are preserved. "Since My students have not yet grown stronger", he says, "they need to be condescending and not burden them with the heavy burden of commandments". Jesus said this in order to teach the disciples to be condescending themselves when they later teach the whole universe. "Patches" and "new wine" denote fasting, and "old clothes" and "old skins" are the weakness of the disciple. 18–19. While he was thus speaking to them, behold, a prince came and worshiped him, saying: My daughter is now dying; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live. And Jesus got up and followed him, and his disciples. You can see that this man had faith, although it was not as big (as the captain's). 166 He begs Jesus, not only to say a word, but also to come and lay his hand (on his daughter). Although Luke says that she has not yet died, 167 the prince is saying here that his daughter has already died. He thought that because he left the child on his last breath, or in order to exaggerate the accident, thus encouraging Christ to show mercy. 20–22. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years came up from behind and touched the hem of his garment. Because he said to himself: If I only touch his garment, I will be healed. And Jesus, looking back and seeing her, said: Do not be afraid, daughter, your faith has saved you. And the woman got well from that hour. The woman was impure because of her illness 168 and therefore she did not dare to approach Him freely, fearing that they would drive her away. Although she thought to cover herself, she hoped that if only the hem of His garment was touched, she would be healed. But the Savior exposes her, not because he loved glory, but to demonstrate her faith for our benefit, and to strengthen the faith of the ruler of the synagogue. Jesus tells her: "Do not be afraid", because she was afraid that she stole the gift, and calls her "daughter", as a believer. This shows us that she would not have received the grace, if she had not first practiced faith, even though His clothes were holy. It is said that this woman made a statue of Christ, and at its foot grew a plant that helped all those suffering from bleeding. Some ungodly people destroyed this statue during the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate. 169 23–24. And when Jesus came to the prince's house and saw the musicians and the people stirred up, he said to them: Stand back, because the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they laughed at him. Since the girl was unmarried, they mourned her with wedding flutes, which was against the Law. The Lord said that he was sleeping because for Him, who could easily resurrect the little girl, death was like a dream. Don't be surprised that they mocked Him, because this confirms the miracle even more, since He resurrected a little girl who was really dead. All those present thus testified that she was dead, so that later no one could say that she just lost consciousness. 25–26. And when he drove the people out, he came in and took her by the hand, and the girl opened her mouth. And the word about this spread throughout the whole country. Christ did not perform miracles in crowds and commotion. He takes the girl's hand to give her strength. And you, deadened by sins, the Lord will also resurrect when he drives away the crowd and confusion and takes you by the hand of active feat. 27. And when Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him, shouting and saying: Have mercy on us, Son of David! The blind cry to Him as to God: "Have mercy on us", and as to a man they say: "Son of David", because among the Jews it was said that the Messiah would come from the seed of David. 28. And when he came to the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them: Do you believe that I can do this? And they said to him: Yes, Lord. He allows the blind to follow Him all the way home, in order to demonstrate their firm faith and thus shame the Jews. He asks them if they believe in order to teach us that with faith everything can be achieved. 29–30. Then he touched their eyes, saying: According to your faith be it to you. And their eyes were opened. He heals them at home, alone, removing himself from vain glory. The Lord teaches people humility in every place. 30–31. And Jesus threatened them, saying: See that no one finds out! And they went out and proclaimed it throughout the land. Do you see the humility of Christ! They proclaimed His glory out of gratitude, not disobedience. In another place he says: "Go and tell the glory of God". 170 There is nothing contradictory in this, because He wants them to say nothing about Him, but to confess the glory of God. 32–33. When they came out, behold, they brought him a man who was dumb and mad. And after casting out the demon, the mute spoke. It was not a natural disease, but from a demon. That's why others bring him. The sick man himself could not call on Jesus, because the demon had tied his tongue. That is why the Lord does not demand faith from him, but immediately heals him, expelling the demon that prevented him from speaking. And the people were wild, saying: This has never been seen in Israel. The people admired Christ, elevating Him above the prophets and patriarchs, because He healed with authority, unlike those who did it by praying to God. Let's see what the Pharisees said to that: 34. And the Pharisees said: With the help of the prince of demons cast out demons. These words are the height of insanity, for no demon will cast out another demon. But let's assume that He was ostensibly driving out demons as a servant of the demonic prince, using magic. How then did he heal diseases, forgive sins and preach the Kingdom of God? The demon does the opposite: it causes diseases and distances man from God. 35. And Jesus walked through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness among the people. As a lover of humanity, the Lord does not wait for people to come to Him, but goes to them Himself, so that they do not have an excuse to say: "No one taught us." He gathered them around Himself by word and deed, teaching and working miracles. 36. And seeing the multitude of people, he felt sorry for them, because they were confused and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. They had no shepherd, because their leaders not only did not correct them but corrupted them. A true shepherd is known for his compassion and compassion for his flock. 171 37–38. Then he said to his disciples: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the lord of the harvest to bring the workers to his harvest. He calls the people who needed healing the "harvest" and those who are obliged to teach him the "emissaries", and there were no such people in Israel at that time. "Lord of the harvest" is Christ himself who is the Lord of prophets and apostles. This can be seen when he chooses the twelve without asking God for it. Listen, then, to what he says: The names of the Twelve Apostles, the giving of authority and instructions to the Apostles and the foretelling of sufferings for the sake of the Gospel 1. And having called his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal from every disease and every infirmity. He chose twelve disciples according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, and after giving them power, he sent them out to preach, even though they were few. Therefore, there are few who follow the narrow path. The Lord gives them the power to perform miracles, so that people, amazed by the miracles, would believe their teachings more easily. 2. And the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother. Matthew lists the names of the apostles because of those who pretended to be apostles. First he mentions Peter and Andrew, because they were the first to be called, and then the sons of Zebedee. He puts James before John, not for honor, but simply mentions their names in order, as they come. He continues further: 2–4. Jacob Zebedee and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the customs officer; James Alphaeus and Leveus called Thaddeus; Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 172 Do you see Matthew's humility, how he puts himself behind Thomas. When he came to Judas, he did not say: "cursed Judas, enemy of God", but called him an Iscariot by his origin. Namely, there was another Judas who was also called Leveus or Thaddeus. So there were two Jacobs: one of Zebedee and the other of Alphaeus; two Judases: Thaddeus and the traitor; as well as the three Simons: Peter, the Canaanite, and the traitor Judas Iscariot, who was also called Simon. 5–7. Jesus sent these Twelve and commanded them, saying: Do not go on the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan city. But go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel! And preach as you walk and say that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. "These twelve"... Who are they? Fishermen, simple people and tax collectors. The Lord sends them first to the Jews, so that later they could not say: "The apostles were sent first to the Gentiles and that is why we, the Jews, did not believe." Therefore, the Jews have no excuse for their unbelief. He counts the Samaritans as Gentiles, because they were Babylonians, 173 who settled in Judea and did not recognize the Prophets, but only the five books of Moses. By "Kingdom of Heaven" he understands future bliss. The Lord gives them the power to perform miracles, saying: 8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; you received as a gift, give as a gift. Nothing befits a teacher so much as humility and voluntary poverty. 174 He points to exactly these two virtues when he says: "You have received a gift." Therefore, do not be proud, as if you have something great to give to others, because you also received it as a gift, the grace of God. Therefore, be calm and do not run after riches, because the Lord says: "As a gift, give." Finally, wanting to cut off the root of all evil in them, he says: 9–10. Do not carry gold, silver, or copper in your belts, nor a bag for the journey, nor two dresses, nor shoes, nor a staff; because the worker is worthy of his food. The Lord trains them in austerity and therefore does not allow them to possess anything superfluous, teaching them to be free from vain worries. Don't let them even carry a stick, because the power of voluntary poverty is that those who see it in action easily believe the words of the one who preaches it. And then, so that they wouldn't ask: "How will we feed ourselves," he tells them that "the Prophet is worthy of his food", that is, that his disciples will feed them. The Lord says "worthy of his food", not stomach-pleasing, because teachers must not live in abundance and pleasures. 11. And when you enter any city or village, examine who is worthy in it and stay there until you leave. He commands them not to go to everyone, so that they are not slandered for associating with the unworthy. If they go only to the worthy, they will meet all their needs. He commands them not to pass from one house to another, but to remain where they first entered until they leave the village, lest the people condemn them as gluttons, and lest they offend those who first received them. 12–13. And when entering the house, greet it by saying: Peace to this house! And if the house is worthy, may your peace come upon it; and if she is not worthy, may your peace return to you. By "greeting" and "peace" you understand the blessing, which remains only for the worthy. Learn, therefore, from this that it is our works that bring us the blessing of God. 14–15. If someone does not receive you or listen to your words, when you leave your house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Truly I say to you: It will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that city. He commands them to shake off the dust from their feet to show that they did not receive anything from those people because of their unbelief, but also as a sign of testimony of the long way the apostles traveled for them, from which they did not benefit. The punishment for the people of Sodom will be lighter than for those who did not receive the apostles, because the people of Sodom received the punishment in this life, 175 so they will be less tortured in the future. 16. Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. The Lord gave the apostles the power of miracle-working and freed them from worrying about food by opening the doors of worthy people. Now he tells them about the troubles that will befall them, thereby showing his foreknowledge, and comforts them with the words: "Behold, I, the almighty God, am sending you, and therefore do not be afraid, because they will not overcome you." He prepares them for suffering, "because, just as it is impossible not to be attacked by a sheep surrounded by wolves, it is also impossible for you not to suffer, surrounded by Jews. But, even if you suffer, don't be angry, because I want you to be meek like sheep and thus gain an even greater victory.» Be, then, wise as serpents and harmless 176 like doves! The Lord also wants His disciples to be wise, so that when you hear Him calling them sheep, you would not think that Christians should be stupid and naive. Hence Christ says that Christians must be wise and know how to live surrounded by many enemies. Just as a snake allows itself to be struck all over its body, but keeps its head, so a Christian should give away all his possessions, and even hand over his body to those who want to beat him, just to preserve his "Head", which is Christ and faith in Him. Just as a snake crawls through narrow holes to shed its old skin, so we walk the narrow path and strip off the old man. But since the snake is also poisonous, the Lord commands us to be "harmless", that is, simple-minded and harmless, like doves, and not to harm anyone. When someone separates the young pigeons and chases them away, they return to their owners without malice. Therefore, be "wise as a serpent", so that the devil does not laugh at you in this life, but also be blameless in everything. Be like a dove, simple-minded and non-malicious towards the people from whom you suffer. 177 17–18. And beware of people; because they will hand you over to the courts, and they will beat you in their synagogues. And they will bring you before elders and kings for my sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. This is what it means to be wise: you should be careful not to give cause to those who want to oppress you and to act wisely towards them. If your persecutor asks for money or honor, give it to him, so that he has no reason to persecute you. But if he wants to take away your faith, keep the "Head". Christ intends to send his disciples not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. That is why he says: "For a testimony to them and to the Gentiles", that is, to rebuke those who do not believe. 19–20. And when they hand you over, don't worry about how or what you will say; because at that hour it will be given to you what you will say. For you will not speak, but the Spirit of your Father will speak from you. So that the disciples would not ask: "How will we, simple people, convince the wise", the Lord commands them to be brave and not to worry about it. When we intend to talk to a believer, we must think carefully beforehand and prepare an answer, as, after all, Peter advises us. 178 But, when we find ourselves in a crowd of people and among heathen rulers, the Lord promises us that He will give us His strength so that we will not be afraid. It is ours to confess God, and God's to help us respond wisely. But lest you think that it is about our natural ability, he says: "You will not speak, but the Spirit..." 21. And brother will deliver brother to death, and father his son; and the children will rise up against their parents and kill them. He foretells to them what will happen, so that they will not be afraid when trouble befalls them. He also shows them the power of preaching, which moves people to despise their own nature. Such is Christianity. Christ also reveals to his disciples the inhumanity of those who will not spare even their closest ones. 22. And all shall hate you for my name's sake; but he who endures to the end will be saved. "Everyone will hate you" means that many will hate them. Not everyone hated them, because there were also those who accepted the faith. Therefore, the one who endures trials to the end, and not the one who only shows patience in the beginning, will be worthy of eternal life. 23. And when they chase you in one city, run to another. For truly I say to you: You will not visit the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. The terrible threats mentioned above: "They will betray you", "Everyone will hate you", refer to the events that will follow the Ascension, while what is said in the present tense is related to the events before Christ's suffering. "Therefore, being persecuted, you will not have time to visit all the cities of Israel, but I will already come to you." He commands them to flee when they are pursued. It is the work of the devil when a man openly rushes into danger and thus becomes the cause of condemnation for his murderers, and on the other hand, harms those who could benefit from his preaching. "Until the Son of Man comes." These words do not refer to the Second Coming of the Lord, but to the comfort He gave them when they were together before His Passion, because after He sent them to preach, the apostles returned to Christ again and were together with Him. 24–25. There is no student above his teacher, no servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher and serve like his master. Here he teaches them to bear insults patiently. Because if I, he says, "as a Teacher and Bishop, have endured them, how much sooner should you, disciples and servants, do it." But do you ask, how is it that there is no student over the teacher, when we see that there are many students who are better than their teachers? Know, then, that while they are students, they are less than teachers; but when they become better than them, then they are no longer disciples; just as a servant, while he is a servant, cannot be above his master. 25–26. If the home team was called Beelzebub, 179 how long before the home team? Do not fear them therefore; because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor a secret that will not be known. "Be comforted", he says, "by looking at Me, because if they called Me a demonic prince, what is terrible in the fact that they speak evil of you, My people?" He calls them "His own" and not servants, thus showing His closeness to them. "Fear them not, then," because the truth will not be hidden, but time will show your virtue and the malice of those who slander you, since nothing is hidden that will not be revealed. They can slander you now, but they will find out who you are later. 27. What I tell you in the dark, say in plain sight; and what is whispered in your ears, preach from the rooftops. "What I told you alone and in one place, because it means 'in the ears' and 'in the dark', preach boldly and loudly so that everyone can hear you." And since bold preaching is accompanied by dangers, he adds: 28. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear 180 the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. He teaches them to despise even death, because torture in hell is more terrible than death. Those who kill us, only give the body to rot, and often do good to the soul. But God punishes both the soul and the body of those whom he casts into hell. 181 He says "in hell", wanting to show that the torture is continuous, because hell is eternal. 29–31. Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Well, not one of them falls to earth without your Father. And the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not, then; you are better than many sparrows. So that the disciples would not be afraid of being left behind, the Lord tells them: "If not even a sparrow is caught without My knowledge, how can I leave you whom I love?" And to show that he has accurate knowledge and forethought about us, he says that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. Do not think that sparrows are hunted with God's help, but understand that even their catch does not pass without His knowledge. 32–33. Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven. And whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He encourages them to confess. 182 Therefore, faith in the soul alone is not enough, but God also requires the confession of faith with the mouth. He did not say "everyone who confesses Me", but "whoever confesses in Me", that is, "by My power", because the one who confesses faith does so with the help of God's grace. For the one who renounces Him, the Lord did not say "who renounces Me", but "Me", showing that he renounces because he has no help from above (that is, because he did not trust in God). Every man who confesses that Christ is God will find Christ who confesses him as a true servant before the Father. But those who deny Christ will hear the words: "I do not know you." 34–36. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace 183 but a sword. Because I have come to separate a man from his father and a daughter from her mother and a daughter-in-law from her mother-in-law and a man's enemies will become his own family. It is not always good to stay in harmony and sometimes it is better to separate. "Sword", therefore, is the word of faith that cuts us off and separates us from ties with our neighbors and relatives, when they hinder our piety. The Lord does not tell us to separate from them without a valid reason, but only when they do not want to accept our faith and try to hinder us in it. 184 37. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves a son or daughter older than me is not worthy of me. Do you see that we are obliged to "hate" our parents and children only when they ask us to love them more than Christ. 185 But why should I talk about father, mother and children? Hear what's even bigger than that: 38. And he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever, therefore, does not renounce his present life, and does not surrender himself to a shameful death, because that is what they called the cross in ancient times, "is not worthy of Me." But, since there were many robbers and thieves who were crucified on the cross, He adds: "and do not follow Me", that is, "live according to My laws". 39. Whoever keeps his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The one who preserves his physical life thinks that he "finds his soul", although in fact he loses it and inherits eternal torment. And the one who "kills his soul" 186 and dies, but not as a robber or a suicide, but for the sake of Christ, saves his soul. 40–41. He who receives you, receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in a prophetic name will receive a prophetic salary; and he who accepts the righteous in the name of the righteous, will receive the wages of the righteous. It encourages us to receive those who are with Christ, because the one who respects Christ's disciples respects Christ himself, and through Him, (God) the Father. Therefore, we should receive the righteous and prophets in the name of the righteous and prophetic, because they are righteous and prophets, and not for the sake of some protection or help from the emperors. If it happens that someone has the appearance of a prophet, but partially does not confirm it, you also receive such a person as a prophet, and God will reward you as if you had received a righteous person, because that is what the words: "he will receive the wages of the righteous" mean. But you can understand this in another way. He who receives the righteous will be counted righteous himself and will receive the wages that the righteous receive. 42. And if someone gives one of these little ones just a glass of cold water in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, his salary will not go to waste. So that no one would make excuses for poverty, the Lord says: "If you give someone at least a glass of cold water because he is My disciple, you will also receive his salary." A glass of cold water is also given by the one who teaches another, inflamed by the fire of anger and lust, and makes him a disciple of Christ. Even such a person will not lose his salary. The delegation of John the Baptist and the testimony of Jesus about him, a threat to unrepentant Galilean cities, a glorification of God the Father, a call to the weary and burdened 1. And when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their cities. When he sent the disciples out to preach, the Lord withdrew into silence and did not perform miracles, but only preached in the synagogues. If he himself had healed the sick then, no one would have gone to his disciples. That's why he withdrew in order to give them a chance to heal. 2–3. And John, having heard the 187 works of Christ in prison, sent two of his disciples. And he said to him: Are you the one who will come, 188 or should we wait for someone else? John did not read this because he himself did not know who Christ was, because how could he not know the One for whom he testified, saying: "Behold, the lamb of God?" 189 He sent his disciples, who were envious of Christ, so that they could see for themselves and, seeing the miracles, believe that Christ was greater than John. That's why he apparently in ignorance asks: Are you the one who will come"; 190 so the One we are waiting for will come in the flesh, as the Scriptures say? Some, however, say that the words "He who will come" mean the descent into hell and that John, as if he does not know the answer, asks the Lord: "Are you the One who will descend into hell, or should we wait for someone else?" But that is unreasonable, because how is it possible that John, who was greater than all the Prophets, did not know in advance about the crucifixion of Christ and His descent into hell, 191 when He had already called Him "the Lamb", because He would be slaughtered for us? John knew very well that the Lord would descend with his soul to hell, so that even there, as St. Gregory the Theologian, saved those who would have believed in Him if He had become incarnate in their time. So, John does not ask this because he does not know the answer, but so that his disciples would know who Christ is through His miracles. Look, then, how Christ answers this question: 4–6. And Jesus answered and said to them: Go and tell John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 192 And blessed is he who is not offended by me. He did not say: "Tell John that I am the One who will come", but knowing that John had sent his disciples to see miracles, he said: "Tell John what you see and you will give him the opportunity to testify to you even more about Me." The words: "The gospel is preached to the poor" can refer to those who preach the gospel, i.e. the apostles, who were poor fishermen and despised as simple and ignorant people, or to those who listen to the gospel and the preaching of eternal bliss. And in order to show John's disciples that He did not miss their thoughts, Christ tells them: "Blessed is he who is not offended by Me", because the disciples were overcome with many doubts about the Lord. 7. And when they left, Jesus began to speak to the people about John: What did you go out to see in the desert? A reed bent by the wind. People were probably taken aback when they heard John's question, thinking that even John doubted that He was the Christ, and that the Baptist changed his mind so easily, although he had previously testified about Him. Dismissing this doubt, Christ says that John is not unstable like a reed. "If he was really like that, then why would you go out to him in the desert? You would certainly not come out to see a "reed", a fickle man, but a great and steadfast husband. He is still the same as you knew him.» 8. But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Behold, those who wear soft robes in the royal courts. So that they could not say that John gave himself up to luxury and prided himself, He reassures them by saying that his very dress of camel's hair clearly shows that he is an opponent of pleasing the flesh. If he had worn soft clothes, lived in imperial courts and loved luxury, he would not have found himself in prison. From this you also learn that it is not fitting for a true Christian to wear luxurious clothes. 9. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I am telling you more than the prophets. John was more than a prophet, because other prophets only predicted Christ, and he himself saw Him with his own eyes, which is truly a great honor. Other prophets prophesied after their birth, and John recognized Christ and danced while he was still in his mother's womb. 193 10. Because he is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you. John was called an angel because of his angelic and disembodied life, but also because he was a messenger 194 who announced Christ. He prepared the way for Christ by testifying about Him and baptizing for repentance, because after repentance comes the forgiveness of sins, which Christ gives. The Lord said all this when John's disciples had already left, so that it would not appear that he was flattering them. The prophecy mentioned was prophesied by Malachi. 11. Truly I say to you: Among those born of women there has not appeared a greater than John the Baptist. The Lord declares with certainty that no one is greater than John. "Among those born of women," he says, in order to exclude Himself, since He was born of a virgin, and not of a married woman. And the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him. So that the disciples would not think that John is greater than Him, after having spoken many words of praise about John, Christ speaks even more clearly: "I am younger than John both in terms of age and in your opinion, but I am greater than him in the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, in spiritual and heavenly things." Here I am smaller than him, because he was born before Me and because here he seems great to you, but there, in the Kingdom of Heaven, I am still greater than him". 12. And from the time of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven is conquered with effort, and ascetics 195 obtain it. It seems as if the Lord is interrupting the flow of His thoughts. But it's not like that. Watch out! Speaking for Himself that He is greater than John, Christ encourages them to believe in Him, showing that many gain the Kingdom of Heaven with effort, that is, faith in Him. It really takes a great feat for a man to leave his father and mother and despise his life. 13. Because all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. Christ continues his thought, saying: "I am the one who will come", because everything that the Prophets foretold has been fulfilled. The prophecies would not have been fulfilled if I had not come. So don't wait any longer." 14. And if you want to believe, he is Elijah who is to come. "If you want," he says, "believe"; that is, "if you judge fairly and impartially, you will see that John is the one whom the prophet Malachi called "Elijah to come". 196 Both John and Elijah have the same service. John was the forerunner of the first coming of the Lord, and Elijah will be the forerunner of the second. And then, in order to show that the identification of John and Elijah is a secret and that spiritual wisdom is needed to understand it, he goes on to say: 15. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! So, it encourages them to ask, in order to learn. 16–17. But with whom shall I compare this genus? He is similar to children who sit in the squares and call out to their friends, saying: We played for you, and you do not dance; we cry to you, and you do not cry. Here he is talking about the stubbornness of the Jewish people, because as such, neither John's ascetic life nor Christ's simplicity was to their liking. They were like dissolute children who could not be pleased with anything. When someone cries, they don't like it; when he plays and makes merry, they don't like it. 18–19. Because John came, who neither eats nor drinks, and they say: The devil is in him. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man who eats and drinks wine, and another tax collector and sinner. Christ compares John's life to "weeping", because John showed great strictness in word and deed, while He compares His life on earth to "playing the flute", because he was merciful and condescending to everyone in order to win them over and announce the kingdom of heaven. With Him there was no such austerity of life as with John. And wisdom would be justified from her children. Here, then, is what he says: "Since you do not like John's or My way of life, and you despise all the ways of salvation, I, the Wisdom of God, appear righteous, and you will have no excuse for your unbelief and you will be completely condemned. I, on My part, fulfilled everything, and by your unbelief you yourself show that I am righteous, because I have not missed anything.» 20. Then Jesus began to rebuke the cities where many of his miracles had taken place, for not repenting. Since the Jews still remained unrepentant, although He had previously shown them that He had done everything that needed to be done, the Lord begins to rebuke them. 21. Woe to you, Horazine! Woe to you, Whitsaida! In order to understand that those who did not believe were not evil by nature but by their free will, Christ mentions Bethsaida, where Peter, Andrew, Philip and the sons of Zebedee came from. Evil, therefore, does not come from nature but from free will. If it came from nature, then these apostles would also be evil. 21–22. For if there had been miracles in Tire and Sidon that were in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you: it will be easier for Tire and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you. The Lord says that the Jews were worse than the Tyrians and Sidonians, because the heathen Tyrians transgressed only the natural law, while the Jews also transgressed Moses' law. The Gentiles did not see the miracles, but the children of Israel saw them and blasphemed God. The "sack" is a symbol of repentance, because those who were in mourning wore a sack and sprinkled ashes and dust on their heads. 198 23–24. And you, Capernaum, who ascended to heaven, will descend to hell; because if the miracles that happened in you had been in Sodom, you would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be easier for the land of Sodom 199 on the Day of Judgment than for you. Capernaum became exalted because Jesus lived there, so it was glorified as the city of His hometown. However, it was of no use to him, because he did not believe. Moreover, that is why he was condemned to hell, because he did not derive any benefit from having such a resident. Capernaum means "place of comfort". From this you can see that if someone deigns to become the abode of the "Comforter", that is, the Holy Spirit, and then becomes proud, surpassing himself to the heavens, he will eventually fall because of his pride. Therefore, man, be terrified and tremble! 25. At that time, Jesus answered and said: I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid this from the wise and intelligent, and revealed it to the innocent. So what does it say? "I praise You" - instead of "I thank You" - "Father, that the Jews who consider themselves wise and experienced in the Holy Scriptures did not believe, while the ignorant and harmless 200 believed and knew the secrets." God hid His secrets from those who pretended to be wise, not because He envied them or wanted to leave them in ignorance, but because they were not worthy, because they considered themselves wise. He, therefore, who considers himself wise and trusts in his own knowledge, does not invoke God. And God does not help and does not reveal himself to the one who does not call on Him. In addition, God, out of His love for humanity, does not reveal secrets to many, so that they would not be tortured even more because they knew them and then despised them. 26. Yes, Father, because it was your gentle will. Here Christ shows the Father's love for humanity, because He revealed secrets to the innocent, even though no one asked Him, because it pleased Him from the beginning. The word "benevolence" means "(good) will" and "satisfaction". 27. Everything has been handed over to me by my Father. Christ above said to the Father that He revealed (secrets to the harmless). So that you would not think that Christ does nothing by Himself and that everything is from the Father, He says: "All things have been handed over to Me by the Father, and the Father and I have the same authority." When you hear the word "handed over", don't think that he handed over to Him as a servant or a subordinate, but as a Son, because He was born of the Father and that's why He "handed over everything" to Him (inheritance). If He had not been born of the Father and was not of the same nature with Him, all things would not have been handed over to Him. Therefore, be careful what he says: "He has delivered everything to Me", not the Master, but "My Father". When, for example, a beautiful child is born to a beautiful father, the child later says: "I got, that is, I inherited, the beauty of my father." " And no one knows the Son but the Father; nor the Father who knows until the Son, and if the Son wants to reveal to whom. He is talking about even bigger things here. "Nothing is strange that I am the Lord of everything, because I have something that is even greater than that, and that is to know the Father, and so I know Him, so that I can reveal Him to others." Think carefully. Above he said that the Father revealed secrets to the innocent, but here the Son reveals the Father. Do you not see the one power of the Father and the Son, because both the Father and the Son (together) reveal (secrets)? 28. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Christ calls all people, not only Jews but also Gentiles. By "weary" 201 he means Jews who strictly obeyed the Law and worked hard to fulfill its commandments. "Loaded" are the Gentiles, who were burdened with a heavy burden of sins. Christ rests all of them, because what effort is it to believe, confess and be baptized? Isn't it a rest when you still live in this life without the worries you had before baptism, and in the future (eternal) rest awaits you. 29–30. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. "Yoke of Christ" is humility and meekness. He who calms himself in front of every man, has peace in his soul and remains calm, while a glory-loving and proud man is always in worries, because he does not want to be less than others and always thinks about how he will become more famous and defeat his enemies. That is why the "yoke of Christ", humility, is easy to bear, because it is easier for our humbled nature to be humble than to be too proud. But, all Christ's commandments are also a "yoke", and they are easy because of the reward that awaits us, although sometimes they seem difficult. About plucking ears of corn on Saturday, curing dry hands, the fulfillment of the prophecy about the servant of the Lord, the healing of the martyr, about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and the sign of the prophet Jonah, Mother and the brothers of Jesus. 1–4. At that time, Jesus was walking through the crops on the Sabbath; and his disciples got hungry, and began to pluck ears of corn and eat. In order to resolve the legal rules, the Lord leads the disciples through the crops, so that they would eat and thus break the Sabbath law. And the Pharisees, seeing this, said to him: Behold, your disciples are doing what should not be done on the Sabbath. 202 And he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him? How he entered the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which was not to be eaten by him or those who were with him, but only by the priests. The Pharisees again find fault in the natural need for food, while they themselves live in much graver sins. The Lord shames them with the story of David who, he says, dared to commit an even more serious crime because of hunger. "Offering Bread" 203 were twelve loaves that were placed on the church table every day, six on the right and six on the left. Although David was a prophet, according to the Law he was not allowed to eat them, only the priests. Especially those who were with him were not allowed to eat them? However, because of hunger, he deserved (God's) forgiveness. It is the same with students. 5–6. Or did you not read in Law 204 how on Saturdays the priests in the church desecrate the Sabbath, so they are not guilty? And I tell you that here it is bigger than the church. "The law forbade work on the Sabbath, and that's why the priests who chopped wood and lit the fire (during the sacrifice), desecrated, that is, desecrated the Sabbath, as you think." But you will say: "They were priests, and the disciples were not." "And I tell you that here it is bigger than the Church. Therefore, I am the Master who is greater than the Church, and since I am here with My disciples, they have a greater right than the priests to violate the Sabbath.» 7–8. If you knew what it is: I want mercy and not sacrifice, you wouldn't condemn the people. Because the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath. 205 Christ still shows them that they are ignorant who do not know the prophetic writings. 206 That's why he tells them: "Shouldn't we have mercy on hungry people? After all, I am the Son of Man and I am the Lord of the Sabbath, as the Creator of everything, including the day. That is why I, as the Lord, violate the Sabbath." Understand this also in a figurative sense: Since the apostles are "messengers" and the believers are "harvests and ears of grain", the apostles "harvested" and "eat" them, that is, their food was the salvation of people. They did this on Saturday, which was designated as a day of "rest", that is, abstinence from all evil. The Pharisees resented it. Likewise, there are those in the Church who are pharisaically full of envy and dissatisfaction with the teachers who teach them and do them good. 9–10. And leaving there, he came to their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand; and they asked him, saying: Is it proper to heal on the Sabbath? - to accuse him. Other evangelists say that Jesus asked this question to the Pharisees. However, it can be said that the Pharisees first asked Him out of envy, as Matthew says. And then Christ himself asked them the same thing in order to make fun of them and make fun of their insensitivity, which is what the other evangelists talk about. The Pharisees asked Him this question in order to have a reason to slander. 11–12. And he said to them: What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, he will not take it and take it out? And how much heavier is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is necessary to do good on Saturdays. He shows them that because of self-interest, in order not to lose a sheep, they violated the Sabbath, and they did not allow it when it was necessary to heal a sick man. With these words, the Lord distorts them as self-interested and merciless people, who despise God himself, because they despise the Sabbath so as not to lose a single sheep, and they are merciless because they do not want the sick to be healed. 13. Then he said to the man: Extend your hand. And give it. And she became healthy like the other one. Many people even today have "dry hands", that is, they are merciless and stubborn, but when they hear the word of the Gospel, they stretch out their hands to give alms. They do this, even though the Pharisees, the proud demons who are separated from us, 207 do not want us, in their hatred of us, to stretch out our hand to give alms. 14-15 And the Pharisees went and took counsel against him on how to execute him. But Jesus, knowing this, withdrew from there. Oh, what envy! When someone does them good, they get angry. Jesus removed himself from there because the time of His suffering had not yet come, but also in order to spare His enemies from falling into the sin of murder. Unreasonably exposing yourself to danger is not, therefore, pleasing to God. Pay attention to the word "departed", because the Pharisees made a plan to kill Jesus only after they "departed", that is, distanced themselves from God, because no one who lives in God would want to do something like that. 15–16. And many people followed him, and he healed them all, and threatened them not to announce him. Christ does not want them to proclaim Him, in order to appease the envy of the Pharisees, because He wanted to heal them in every way. 17–19. To fulfill what was said through Isaiah the prophet: Behold, my Servant, whom I have chosen, my Beloved, who is after the will of my soul: I will put my Spirit on him, and he will declare judgment to the Gentiles. They won't fight or shout. Matthew cites the prophet (Isaiah) 208 as a witness to Jesus' meekness. He says he will do whatever the Jews want. If they do not want His name to be proclaimed, He will not proclaim it, and He will not oppose them, as glory-loving people do, nor will He quarrel with them. He will tell the people not to proclaim Him, but He will also announce judgment to the Gentiles and teach them that judgment is good learning, knowledge and reasoning. 209 He will also announce the future judgment to the Gentiles, who have never heard of it. Nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets, for He did not teach the people in the squares, as the glory-loving teachers do, but in the Temple, in the synagogues, on the mountain and on the shores of the sea. 20. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not extinguish a smoldering weevil. He, he says, could have crushed the Jews like a "broken reed" and extinguished their anger like a "smoldering weevil", but he did not want to do that until he had fulfilled the entire plan of salvation and defeated them in everything, 210 because that is what the following words mean: 20–21. Until he brings justice to victory, nations will trust in his name. So that the Jews would have no excuse, Christ suffered everything so that later he could condemn and defeat those who would have nothing to say in his defense. What did He not do to win them over? But the Jews did not want that, and that is why the heathen nations will trust in His name. 22–23. Then they brought him a madman who was blind and dumb; and heal him so that the blind and mute can see and speak. And all the people were wild, saying: Is not this the Son of David? The demon has closed the ways of faith in man: eyes, ears and tongue, but Jesus heals them. People call Him the Son of David, because Christ was expected to come from the seed of David. Even now, if you see a man who does not understand what is good, nor accepts the words of another, consider him "blind and dumb", whom God may heal by touching his heart. 24. And the Pharisees, hearing this, said: This man does not cast out demons except by means of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. 211 Although the Lord went away for their sake, the Pharisees, hearing from afar about this miracle, began to slander Him because He was doing good to people. From this it can be seen that they were enemies of nature, as is the devil. 25–26. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom that is divided within itself, will fall apart; and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided within himself; how, then, will his kingdom survive? By distorting their thoughts publicly, Christ showed that he was God. He defends himself against them with examples from everyday life and shows the foolishness of the Pharisees. For how can demons cast themselves out, when they try to help each other? 212 The word "Satan" means "adversary". 27. And if I cast out demons by means of Beelzebub, by whose means do your sons cast them out? That is why they will be your judges. "Let Me be", he says, "the way you think I am." By whose power, then, do your sons, that is, my disciples, cast out demons? Shouldn't they also drive them out with the help of Beelzebub? If they drive them out by the power of God, how much sooner do I do that, because they work miracles in My name. That is why they will be your condemnation, because you see them working miracles in My name, and yet you will still slander Me.» 28. And if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come to you. The Lord wants to say: "If I cast out demons by the power of God, then I am the Son of God, and I came for you and for your good." That is how the Kingdom of God "came to you", which is only My presence. Then why will you slander me when I came for you?» 29. Or how can someone enter the house of a strong man and steal his furniture, if he does not first bind the strong man? - and then they will rob his house. "I", he says, "not only do not consider the demons My friends, but I fight against them and 'bind' those who before My arrival were 'strong' (due to your negligence)." Therefore, when Christ came to the "house", that is, to the world, he snatched away the "vessels" of demons, that is, people. 30. He who is not with me is against me; and whoever does not gather with me, scatters. "How," he says, "will Beelzebub cooperate with Me, when he opposes Me more than all the others?" I teach people virtue, and he teaches evil. How, then, can he be with Me? I "gather" people for salvation, and he "scatters" them. With these words, he also refers to the Pharisees, because while He was teaching the people and doing good to them, they were "scattering" people and causing trouble so that they would not go to Him. So it shows them that they were actually possessed by demons. 31–32. That's why I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to people; and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven by people. And if anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; and whoever spoke against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next. Here he says that a person can find some kind of justification for every other sin committed in human weakness, such as fornication, theft and the like, and it is easier for him to receive forgiveness from God. But when someone sees the miracles done by the Holy Spirit and blasphemes them saying they are from demons, what justification will they find? It is clear that such a person knows very well that all this is from the Holy Spirit, and yet he deliberately speaks evil. How can such a man be forgiven? When the Jews saw the Lord eating and drinking and associating with tax collectors and harlots and doing everything else as the Son of Man, they condemned Him as a glutton and a wine drinker, which can be forgiven, and they will not even be asked to repent, because (due to their weakness) they justifiably indulged themselves. But when they saw Him doing miracles, they again slandered Him and blasphemed the Holy Spirit, saying that He did it with the help of the devil, how could they be forgiven for such a sin if they did not repent? Therefore know that he who blasphemes the Son of Man, seeing Him living as a man and calling Him a friend of the fornicator, a glutton and a wine drinker because of what he did, such a one will not answer for his sin, even if he does not repent. He will be forgiven, because he did not know Christ as God hidden in the flesh. But the one who blasphemes the Holy Spirit or the spiritual works of Christ, and calls them demonic, if he does not repent, 213 will not be forgiven, because he has no justified reason to slander Him, like the one who saw Him with tax collectors and harlots. He will not be forgiven in this world or in the next, and he will be punished in both places. Many are tormented in this world, but there they are spared torment, like poor Lazarus; while others were punished both here and there, like the Sodomites and those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit. But some, such as the apostles and the Forerunner, were not punished here or there. Although it seems that those who are persecuted here are being punished by God, these are not punishments for sins, but trials that bring crowns. 33. Either plant a good tree, and its fruit will be good, or plant a bad tree, and its fruit will be bad; because a tree is known by its genus. As the Jews could not slander the miracles themselves as evil works, they blasphemed Christ who performed them, saying that he was possessed by demons. That is why He tells them: "You can say that I am a 'good tree' and then all my miracles which are My fruit will also be good, or else that I am a 'bad tree', and then it is clear that then my fruit, therefore, of miracles will also be bad. But since you say that the miracles, which are My kind, are good, then I am also a 'good tree'. And indeed, just as a tree is known by its genus, so you will know Me by the miracles that I perform." 34. Aspidae family, how can you speak well even when you are evil? "Look," he tells them, "you who are 'bad wood', bear bad fruit when you speak evil of Me. I would have done the same if I had brought forth an evil seed, and not such miracles." He calls them "aspid's offspring" because they boasted of Abraham. The Lord showed them that they do not come from Abraham, but from their ancestors who are worthy of their malice. 34–35. Because the mouth speaks from too much of the heart. A good man brings forth good from a good treasure; and an evil man brings forth evil from the evil treasury. When you see a man speaking evil, know that he does not have as much evil in his heart as on his lips, but much more. Excess overflows from the heart, and he who has hidden treasure reveals only a small part. Thus, the one who speaks well has even more good in his heart. 36–37. And I tell you that for every idle word that people say, they will give an answer on the Day of Judgment. Because because of your words you will be justified and because of your words you will be condemned. Here the Lord fills us with fear, saying that we will give an answer for every "empty word", that is, for a lie, slander and for every inappropriate and mocking word. Then he cites the testimony from the Holy Scriptures so that we do not think that he is speaking from himself, so he says that everyone will be justified because of his words or condemned because of his words. 38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying: Master, we want a sign from you to see. The evangelist adds the word "then" in amazement, because when they should have submitted to Him because of His previous miracles, they are looking for a sign. They wanted to see a sign from heaven, as the second evangelist says, because they thought that He was doing these miracles on earth by the power of the devil, because the devil is the prince of this world. What does the Savior say to that? 39–40. And he answered and said to them: The evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign; and no sign will be given to him except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights; so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. He calls them an "evil generation", because they were deceivers and cunning people, but also an "adulterous generation" because they departed from God and united with the devil. He calls His Resurrection a "sign". It is truly a glorious sign, because He descended into the heart of the earth, into the underworld, that is, into hell itself, and then resurrected on the third day. "Three days and three nights" is understood not as whole days and nights but their parts. Christ died on Friday, and that is one day; on Saturday he lay dead, and on the second day; on the night between Saturday and Sunday he was still in the grave. Hence we have three incomplete days and three nights, because we are used to counting time that way. 214 41. The people of Nineveh will stand up in judgment with this generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at Jonah's preaching; and behold, here he is greater than Jonah. "Jonah", he says, "coming out of the whale's belly, preached (in Nineveh) and people believed him." But you will not believe me even after the Resurrection, and therefore you will be condemned by those Ninevites who believed My servant Jonah and that without miraculous signs, even though they were barbarians. You, who grew up with the prophets and saw so many signs, did not believe Me, your Lord, because that is what the words: "Behold, here is one greater than Jonah" mean. 42. The empress of the south will rise to the Judgment with this generation, and will condemn it; because he came from the end of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, here he is greater than Solomon. "The queen (of Sava)," he says, "came from far away, even though she was a weak woman, to hear about trees, trees and other natural phenomena. And you, you did not receive Me when I came to you alone and told you about unspeakable secrets." 43–45. And when an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it goes through waterless places looking for rest, and finds none. Then he says: To return to my home from whence I came; and when he came he found it empty, swept and decorated. Then he went and took with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and having entered he dwells there; and let the latter be worse to the man than the former. It will be the same with this generation of evil. He shows them how they have brought themselves to utter ruin because they did not accept Him. "Just as those who have freed themselves from demons suffer even more terribly if they fall into laziness and carelessness, so your family found themselves in the power of demons when you bowed down to idols. But I expelled this demon with the help of the Prophet and I came myself wanting to purify you even more. However, since you chased Me away and are still trying to kill Me, your sin is all the greater, and therefore your punishment will be greater, so that your last slavery will be much more terrible than the previous ones.» You also understand this - that the unclean spirit is driven out by baptism and goes among "waterless" and unbaptized souls, but there is no rest in them. It is rest for the demons to tempt baptized souls with evil deeds, since they already hold the unbaptized in their power. That is why the demon returns to the baptized with seven other spirits. 215 Just as there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, so opposite to them there are seven spirits of evil. When the demon enters the baptized soul again, the misfortune becomes even greater, because before there was hope to cleanse the soul through baptism, but now there is no hope for another baptism, but only for "baptism of repentance", which is very difficult and laborious. 46. ​​While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and brothers were standing outside asking to speak with him. His mother, out of a certain human weakness, wanted to show that she had authority over her child, since she did not yet know His greatness. That's why she, while he was still speaking to the people, asked him to come to her, wanting to show everyone that her son was obedient in his love. What, then, does Christ, her son, after he understood the intention of His mother? Listen carefully to what he says! 47–50. And someone said to him: Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you. And he answered and said to the one who told him: Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? And extending his hand to his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brothers. Because whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, that is my brother and sister and mother. The Lord does not insult His mother, but corrects her glory-loving thought inherent in human weakness. He did not say: "She is not my mother", but: "If she does not do the will of God, it does not help her that she gave birth to Me." The Lord does not deny kinship by nature, but adds to him kinship by virtue, for he who is unworthy does not benefit from bodily kinship. When, therefore, he corrected the disease of vanity, he again obeyed His mother who called Him, as the evangelist further talks about. Stories about the Kingdom of Heaven: about the Sower and the seed, about the wheat and the tares, about the mustard seed, about the yeast, about the hidden treasure, about the pearl merchant, about the net, Jesus despised in His homeland 1–2. And that day, Jesus left the house and sat by the sea. And many people gathered around him, so that he had to enter the ship and sit down; and the people were all standing on the shore. He sat down in the boat so that He could look His listeners in the face and that they could all hear Him. Then He, like a fisherman, fishes from the sea those who are on earth. 3. And he told them many stories, saying: He spoke to the simple people on the mountain without stories, 216 but since there were also cunning Pharisees, he addressed them in stories, so that those who do not understand could ask Him and learn. In addition, it is not good to publicly present the teaching in front of those who are unworthy, because one should not "cast pearls before swine". He started with a story that would grab the listeners' attention. So hear what he says: Behold, the sower went out to sow. He calls Himself the "sower" and His word the "seed". Therefore, he did not come from one place, because he was present everywhere, but he came to us in a human body. That is why he says: "he came out", because he came out of the arms of the Father. He came out to us, because we did not hesitate to come to Him. And why did he leave? To clear the earth of thorns? Or, maybe, to punish us? No, but to sow. Christ says "His seed", because the prophets also sowed, but He did not sow their seed, but God's. Being God, He sowed His own seed. He was not given wisdom by the grace of God, far from it, but he himself was the Wisdom of God. 4–7. And when they sowed, one seed fell by the road and the birds came and ate it. And others fell on stony places, where there was not much soil, and immediately sprung up, because the soil was not deep. And when the sun shines, they wither; and because they had no veins, they withered. Those "by the wayside" are lazy and careless, who do not receive the word (of God) at all. Their mind is like a well-trodden road, hard and uncultivated. From such people the word of God is snatched by the "birds of the sky", that is, the spirits of the sky, the demons. Those "on rocky places" are people who heard and received the word, but because of their weakness they did not endure trials and tribulations, but left their salvation behind. "The sun that shone" are temptations, because like the sun they show people as they are and like the sun they illuminate what is hidden. And the other fell among thorns and grew thorns and choked them. Here we are talking about people who stifle the word of God with worldly cares, because although a rich man seems to be doing some good work, that work does not grow and does not progress, since it is prevented by (worldly) cares. 8. And the others fell on the good ground, and brought forth a crop, one hundred, and one sixty, and one thirty. Three-quarters of the seeds perished and only one was saved, because few are saved. After that, the Lord speaks about the "good land", in order to awaken in us the hope for repentance. Namely, people who are like a beaten path, a rocky place or a field overgrown with weeds, can only become "good land" through repentance. However, all who received the word do not bring forth an equal crop, but one brings forth a "hundred", that is, one who lives in complete poverty and extreme austerity; the second "sixty", that is, a general resident monk and an ascetic of active virtues, and the third "thirty", that is, one who lives in a virtuous marriage, and earnestly, as much as he can, walks the path of virtue. Do you see God's goodness, how he accepts everything, both those who do great virtues, and those who do medium ones, and even those who do the least? 217 9. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The Lord shows that those who have acquired spiritual hearing should understand these words in a figurative sense. Many have ears, but do not use them to listen. That's why he added: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 10-12. And the disciples approached and said to him: Why do you speak to them in stories. And he answered and said to them: Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them. For whoever has, it will be given to him, and he will be threatened; and whoever does not have, what he has will be taken from him. The disciples did not understand much of what Christ was saying, so they came to ask Him, as representatives of the people, for an explanation. And He tells them: "It has been given to you to know the secrets", that is, "it has been given to you, since you have within you the desire and zeal to find out. And to those who do not have zeal, it is not given". The one who seeks, finds, and that's why he says: "Ask and it will be given to you" 218 You see, how the Lord told the story here, but only the disciples asked for (an explanation) and received (an answer). That is why we have rightly said that he who has zeal is given knowledge in abundance. And from the one who has no spiritual zeal, nor a worthy mind, even what he thinks he has will be taken away. This means that if he has even the smallest spark of good in him, he will extinguish it, if he does not blow on it and ignite it with the Spirit and spiritual works. 13. That is why I speak to them in stories, because looking they do not see, and listening they do not hear, nor understand. Pay attention, because here an answer is given to those who say that some people are evil by nature or by God. They say that Christ also said: "It has been given to you to know secrets, but it has not been given to the Jews." To those who claim this, we answer, with God's help, that the Lord created all people in such a way that by nature they can understand what is necessary, because He "illuminates every man who comes into the world", 219 but we were darkened by our free will. This is also said here, because Christ says that those who see by nature, that is, being created by God so that they can understand, still do not see by their own free choice, and listening, that is, created by God to hear and understand, they still do not hear or understand by their own free choice. Tell me, have they not seen the miracles of Christ? They did, but they deliberately covered their eyes and condemned him. This, then, is the meaning of the words: "looking they do not see..." Then the Lord mentions the prophet as a witness. 14–15. And the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled on them, which says: You will hear with your ears, but you will not understand; and with your eyes you will see, and you will not see! Because the heart of this people has hardened, and they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes so that they do not see with their eyes, and they do not hear with their ears, and they do not understand with their hearts, and they do not turn to heal them. See what this prophecy says? You do not understand, not because I hardened your heart, but because it itself hardened (from sin), although it was sensitive and soft before, because what hardened must have been soft once. And when their hearts hardened, they "closed" their eyes. The prophet does not say that God closed their eyes, but that they did it themselves, of their own free will. "And they did that," he says, "so that they wouldn't ask me to heal them." So, out of spite, they tried to remain unhealed and unrepentant. 16–17. Blessed are your eyes that see and your ears that hear. For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men wanted to see what you see, but did not see; and hear what you hear, and they did not hear. Even the physical eyes and ears of the apostles are blessed. But their spiritual eyes and ears are even more worthy of bliss, because they recognized Christ. He places the apostles above the prophets, because they also saw Christ physically, and the prophets only in thought, and because the prophets were not worthy of so many secrets and such knowledge as the apostles. In two things, therefore, the apostles surpass the prophets: first, by having seen Christ with physical eyes, and then by being taught a more spiritual understanding of divine secrets. Then the Lord explains the story to his disciples: 18–19. Listen to the story of the sower! To everyone who listens to the word about the Kingdom and does not understand, the wicked one comes and steals what is sown in his heart; it's the one sown by the side of the road. He encourages us to understand what the teachers say, so that we do not become like those who are "by the way", because if Christ is "the way", then they are "by the way" outside of Christ, since they are not on the way, but outside of it 20–21. And sown on a rocky place, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, but has no roots in himself, but is unstable, so when he is in trouble or is persecuted because of the word, he is immediately offended. He speaks of "trouble" because many who are pressured by (unbelieving) parents or some other misfortune, immediately blaspheme God. He also mentions persecution, because of those who fall into the hands of tyrants. 22. And sown among thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deception of riches choke the word and remain without seed. He does not say that "this world" chokes the seed, but "the cares of this world", and he does not say "wealth" but "deception of wealth", 220 because wealth when given to the poor does not choke the word but helps it to grow even more. "Thorns" are worldly cares and pleasures, because they kindle the flames of lust and eternal torment. Just as thorns are sharp, pierce the body and are removed with difficulty, so it is with pleasures. If they take control of the soul and enter it, they are uprooted with great difficulty. 23. And the one sown on the good ground is the one who listens to the word and understands, who, therefore, also brings forth a crop, and brings forth one hundred, one sixty, and one thirty. There are different kinds of virtues, just as those who thrive in them are different. Do you see how there is order in the story? First, we must hear and understand the word (of God), so that we are not like "those by the side of the road"; then, to hold fast what we have heard; and finally, we must not be greedy, because what is the use if I hear and keep the word of God, and with greed I choke it. 24–30. He told them another story, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sows good seed in his field. And when the people slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and left. And when the crop sprouts and bears fruit, then the tares appear. Then the householder's servants came and said to him: Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? So where did the tares come from? And he said to them: The enemy man did that. And the servants said to him: Do you want us to go and pull it out? And he said: No; so as not to pull up the tares, they also pull up the wheat along with it. Let them grow both together until harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers: Gather first the tares and bind them in bundles to be burned; and take the wheat to my granary. In the previous story, the Lord said that the fourth part of the seed fell on the "good ground", while in this story he shows that the enemy does not leave even the seed that fell on the good ground clean and uncorrupted because we slept and got lazy. "Field" is, therefore, the world or the human soul. The "Sower" is Christ. "Good seeds" are good people or good thoughts. "Seeds" are heresies or evil thoughts, and the one who sowed them is the devil. "People who fell asleep" are those who, in their laziness and carelessness, gave way to heretics or evil thoughts. "Servants" are angels who resent because heresies or evil thoughts have appeared in the soul of man and want to eradicate and cut off from this life heretics and those who think about evil. But God does not allow heretics to be exterminated by violence, so that the righteous would not suffer and be exterminated together with them. Also, he does not want to cut a man because of his bad thoughts and sins, so that the "wheat" (that is, what is good in them) is not destroyed along with them. If, for example, Matthew was cut down while he was still a "chick", the "wheat" of the word that would later sprout from him would have been uprooted with him. It is similar with Paul and the (repentant) robber. While they were "weeds" they were not cut down, but were left alive, so that their virtue would grow later. That is why the Lord tells the angels that at the end of the world he will gather the "tares", that is, the heretics. But how? In fetters, that is, by tying their hands and feet, since at that time man will not be able to do anything, but all his active power will be tied. Until then, the "wheat", that is, the saints, will be gathered by the reaping angels into the heavenly granaries. It is the same with the evil thoughts that Paul had when he was persecuting (Christians). They were burned in the fire of Christ, which He came to throw on the ground, while the "wheat", that is, his good thoughts, was collected in the church's "granaries". 31–32. He told them another story, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. - It is true that it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up, it is bigger than all vegetables, and becomes a tree so that the birds of the sky come,4 and settle on its branches. "Mustard grain" signifies both the sermon and the apostles, because although they were few in appearance, they encompassed the whole universe, so that the "birds of the sky", people of a spiritual mind that rises to the heights, come and find rest among them. Be you, therefore, like a mustard seed, small in appearance, because it is not good to boast of virtues, but warm, zealous, sharp and strict (in feat). Thus, with your perfection, you will be greater than "all vegetables", that is, than weak and imperfect people. The "birds of the sky", the angels, will rest on you, who live an Apfelian life, because they too rejoice over the righteous. 221 33. He told them another story: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman takes and mixes in three measures of flour until it is all leavened. He calls the apostles "yeast", as before he called them "mustard grain". "Just as yeast, insignificant in quantity (quickly) leavens all the flour, so you will transform the whole world, even though you are few." "Digging" (saton), 222 was a measure among the Jews, just as we (Greeks), for example, have "hynix" and "dekalytra". Some believe that "leaven" is a sermon, and "three digs" are three soul forces: mental, passionate and willing. 223 "Woman" is a soul that hid the sermon, the teaching of the apostles in all three of its soul forces, and then mixed, leavened and sanctified it all, because we all need to be leavened and transformed by divine works. That's why he says: "until everything is sour". 34–35. Jesus tells people all this in stories, and without stories he didn't tell them anything. To fulfill what was said through the prophet who says: I will open my mouth in stories, I will reveal what has been hidden from the foundation of the world. So that you don't think that the Lord has found some new way of teaching, He brings as a witness the prophet (David), who prophesied that Jesus would also teach in stories. 224 Do not understand the words: "to be fulfilled" in a causal sense, but as a consequence of things. Christ did not teach in this way in order to fulfill the prophecy, but by the very fact that he taught in stories, it happened that the word of the prophet was fulfilled in him. "He did not speak to them without stories" only then, because he did not always speak in stories. The Lord spoke what was hidden from the foundation of the world, because He Himself revealed to us the secrets of heaven. 36. Then Jesus dismissed the crowd and came into the house. He left the people when he did not derive any benefit from His teaching. He spoke to them in stories so that they would ask Him (for an explanation). However, they did not care about it, nor did they seek to learn anything. That's why he left them. And his disciples approached him, saying: Interpret for us the story of the tares in the field. They asked Him only about this story, because the others seemed clearer to them. Tares are various harmful plants that grow among wheat. 37–42. And he answered and said to them: He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; and the field is the world; and the good seed are the sons of the Kingdom, and the tares are the sons of evil. And the enemy who sowed it is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and will gather out of his kingdom all those who offend and those who do iniquity. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. What needed to be said, we have already said above. We said, therefore, that the Lord is speaking here about the heresies that were left to exist until the end of the world. If we were to kill and exterminate heretics, conflicts and fights would arise and probably many believers would perish in them. Even Paul and the (repentant) thief had "tares" in them before they believed, but then they were not cut because of the "wheat" that would later grow in them. They brought fruit to God only later, and they burned the "tares" with the fire of the Holy Spirit and the warmth of their faith. 43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear! Since the sun appears brighter than other stars, the Lord compares the glory of the righteous to the sun. They will shine even brighter than the sun. Since Christ is the "Sun of Righteousness", the righteous will shine like Christ himself, because they will also be gods (by grace). 225 44. The Kingdom of Heaven is still like a treasure hidden in a field, which, having found it, a man hid and went away from his joy and sold everything he had and bought that field. "Field" is holy, and "treasure" is preaching and knowledge of Christ. It is hidden in the world, as Paul says: "We speak the wisdom of God in a hidden secret." 226 He who seeks knowledge of God will find it. And when he finds him, all that he possesses, whether it is Jeline's teachings, evil customs or riches, he immediately rejects and buys the "field", that is, the world, because the one who possesses the knowledge of Christ belongs to the whole world. Having nothing, he possesses everything. The natural elements serve Him and He commands them, like Joshua and Moses. 227 45–46. The Kingdom of Heaven is still like a merchant seeking good pearls. So when he found a pearl of great value, he went and sold everything he had and bought it. This life is like the sea. "Merchants" are those who sail it in search of knowledge. Many think that pearls are the thoughts of various philosophers. However, only one is "multi-valued", because there is only one truth, and that is Christ. It is said that a pearl is formed in a shell whose ends are open. When lightning enters the shell, it closes again and thus a pearl begins from the light of lightning and a drop of dew. That's why it has such a shine. That is how Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin, by the heavenly lightning, the Holy Spirit. And just as a man who has pearls often sifts his treasure with his hands, knowing what great wealth he possesses, while others do not know it, so the preaching of Christ is hidden among invisible and unremarkable people. We need to sell everything we have in order to acquire that pearl. 47–50. Yet the kingdom of heaven is like a net that is thrown into the sea and gathers fish of every kind. When it is full, they drag it to the shore and, sitting down, they choose the good ones for the vessels, and throw the bad ones out into the field. So it will be at the end of the age: angels will come out and decide the wicked from the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This story is terrible, because it shows us that we will be thrown into the fire of hell if we only believe and do not live a good life. "The net" is the teaching of the fishermen of the apostles, woven from miracles and the testimonies of the prophets, because what the apostles taught was confirmed by miracles and the words of the prophets. People of all kinds gathered in this network: barbarians, Greeks, Jews, harlots, customs officers and robbers. When it is filled, that is, when the end of the world comes, then those who are in the net will be separated. Even though we have believed, and we find ourselves wicked, we will be cast out. Those who are not like that are placed in "courts", that is, in eternal abodes. Every deed, whether good or bad, is called soul food. And the soul has mental teeth. Then, therefore, the sinful soul will gnash at them, satirizing its active forces because it committed sin. 51–52. Jesus said to them: Do you understand all this? They said to him: Yes, Lord! And he said to them: That is why every scribe who has learned the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasury new and old. Do you see how they became more careful after these stories? Behold, those who were previously unreasonable and ignorant now easily understand the difficult things he is telling them. That is why the Savior praises them and says: "Every scribe..." and other things. He calls them scribes as people who were taught the Law, but who, being taught the Law, did not remain limited by the Law, but learned the "Kingdom (heavenly)", that is, the knowledge of Christ, so they could speak from both the Old and New Testaments. The "host" is Christ. In Him are the treasures of wisdom. While he was learning about new things, he cited testimonies from ancient times. For example, he said: "For every empty word that people say, they will give an answer on the Day of Judgment." 228 That's new. Then he cited a testimony from ancient times: "Because of your words you will be justified and because of your words you will be condemned." 229 The apostles were like this, because Paul says: "I beg you, therefore, imitate me", as I imitate Christ. 53–54. And when Jesus finished these stories, he left there. And when they came to their homeland, they taught them in their synagogue. Matthew says "these stories", because the Lord soon intended to tell others. He leaves there, in order to help others with His coming. By His hometown, he understands Nazareth, because He grew up there. He taught in the synagogue and spoke publicly with boldness, so that later they could not say that he taught something contrary to the Law. 54–57. So they were mad at him and said: Where did this man get this wisdom and power? Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary, and his brothers Jacob, and Josiah, and Simon, and Judas? And aren't his sisters all with us? Where did he get all this? And they were deceived about Him. The Nazarenes were unreasonable when they thought that the ignoble origin and poverty of the parents prevented a man from pleasing God. Suppose that Jesus was a mere man and not God. What would prevent him from becoming a great miracle worker? Therefore, they proved not only unreasonable but also full of envy, because they envied Him, instead of boasting and rejoicing that such a good man had appeared in their city. The Lord had brothers and sisters, the children of Joseph, who were born to Joseph and his brother's wife Cleopa. Since Cleopas died childless, Joseph took his wife, according to the Law of Moses, and bore six children with her: four male and two female children, that is, Mary, who (according to the Law) is called Cleopina, and Salome. 230 They say: "Aren't they all with us", which means: "Don't they live here with us?" The Nazarenes deceived themselves about Christ and probably they were the ones who said that He cast out demons with the help of Beelzebub. 57–58. And Jesus said to them: There is no prophet without honor except in his homeland and in his home. And he did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief. You see, how Christ does not reprimand them, but meekly tells them that "there is no prophet without honor except in his homeland". We humans are often in the habit of belittling our neighbors and welcoming strangers in a friendly manner. He adds: "and in his own house" because his brothers who were from the same house also envied him. "And he did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief", wanting to spare them from a greater punishment if they remained in unbelief even after the miracles he was able to perform there. "And he did not perform many miracles there", but only a few, so that later they would not be able to say: "If he had performed miracles, we would have believed in him." Understand that these words still mean that to this day Jesus is without honor in his homeland, that is, among the Jews, while we, the foreigners, honor him. Execution of John the Baptist, Jesus multiplies the loaves, walks on the sea, heals the sick in Gennesaret 1–2. At that time word reached Herod the tetrarch about Jesus. And he said to his servants: This is John the Baptist, he rose from the dead, and therefore works miracles. This Herod was the son of that Herod who killed the newlyweds of Bethlehem. 231 From these words you can understand in what pride the tyrant lives. You see, how long it took Herod to hear about the miracles of Christ. Such news is slow to reach the world powers, as they are not interested in those who live a virtuous life. Herod, it seems, was afraid of the Baptist. That is why he does not dare to tell it to anyone else, except his servants. Since John did not perform any signs during his life, Herod thought that after his resurrection he also received that gift from God - to perform miracles. 3–5. For Herod seized John, bound him, and threw him into prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because Jovan told him: you cannot have her. And he wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the people; because they considered him a prophet. In the previous stories, Matthew did not mention John, because he intended to write only about Christ. Even now, he would not mention it if this event did not refer to Christ. John rebuked Herod for taking his brother's wife illegally. The law determined that a man could take his brother's wife only if he died without leaving children. 232 In this case, Philip did not die childless, because his daughter was the girl who danced at the feast. Some even say that even during Philip's lifetime, Herod took not only the tetrarchy from his brother but also his wife. Like this or not, what he did was illegal. Herod did not dare to kill John immediately, not because he feared God but because of the people. However, the devil found him a convenient opportunity (for crime). 6–8. And when it was Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. That's why he promises to give her whatever she wants with an oath. And she, persuaded by her mother, said: Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a plate. What insolence! The princess dances, and the more beautifully she dances, the more terrible evil she prepares. It is truly shameful for a princess to use her skill for something so unseemly. But look again at Herod's folly, who promises to give her whatever she wants. "Well, if she asked for your head, Herod, would you give it to her?" But she says to him: "Give me John's head here!" Why did she say "here"? Because she was afraid that Herod would come to his senses and change his mind, so she hastened to say: "Give me this head." 9–12. And the king was not happy; but because of the oath and those who were staying with him, he commanded to give it to her. And they sent you to cut John in the dungeon. And they brought his head on a plate, and gave it to the girl, and she took it to her mother. And when his disciples came, they took his body and buried him. He rejoiced because of John's virtue, because even an enemy in war admires the virtue (of his opponent). However, because of the oath, he gives the girl an inhuman gift. Let us learn from this that sometimes it is better to trample on an oath than to commit iniquity in order to fulfill it. The body of the Baptist was buried in Sevastia of Caesarea, while his honorable head was first laid to rest in Emesa. And they came and told Jesus. What did they report to Jesus? Certainly not that Jovan died, because the news of his death spread immediately. It was revealed to Him, therefore, that Herod says about Him that He is John. 13. And when Jesus heard it, he went away in a boat to a deserted place alone. Jesus leaves because of the crime that Herod committed, in order to teach us not to unreasonably expose ourselves to danger, 233 but also so that it would not appear that he apparently became incarnate. If Herod had caught Him, he would have tried to kill Him. If Christ were to be delivered from that danger, since the time of His death had not yet come, it would appear that He is not a real man, but an apparition. Go-spod, therefore, goes to a desolate place to perform a miracle with the loaves. 13–14. And when the people heard this, they followed him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out, he saw many people, and he had compassion on them, and he healed their sick. The people show their faith, because they follow Jesus even when He leaves. That is why they receive healings as a reward for their faith. Their faith can still be seen in the fact that they followed Him on foot and without food. 15–16. And before evening 234 his disciples approached him, saying: Here is a desolate place, and it is already docked; dismiss the people, let them go to the villages to buy food for themselves. And Jesus said to them: There is no need for them to go; give them to eat. As philanthropists, students take care of the people and do not want to leave them hungry. What does the Savior say then? "Give them something to eat," he told them, certainly not because he did not know how poor the apostles were; far from that, but so that they themselves would say that they have nothing, and that it would be seen that He works a miracle out of necessity, and not out of glory. 17–19. And they said to him: We have only five loaves of bread and two fish here. And he said: Bring me here. And he commanded the people to sit on the grass, so he took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up at the sky he blessed. "Bring me bread here, even though it is evening, because here I am, the creator of time. Although this is a desolate place, I am the One who gives food to every body.» From this we learn that even the little we have should be used for hospitality, because even the apostles, having little, gave to the people. Just as the little of their food multiplied in abundance, so will what is yours multiply, no matter how little you had. The Lord commands the people to sit on the grass in order to teach us simplicity, so that you too would not lie down on expensive beds and blankets. He looked at the sky and blessed the loaves, probably to show us that he is not against God, but that he came from the Father, from heaven, but also to teach us to thank God first when we sit at the table, and only then to eat. 19–21. And having broken it, he gave it to the disciples, and the disciples to the people. And they all ate and were satisfied, and accumulated pieces that exceeded twelve wheelbarrows full. And those who ate were about one thousand people, except women and children. He gives bread to the disciples so that they will always remember this miracle and that it will never fade in their memory, even though they soon forgot it. In order not to think that the Lord only apparently performed a miracle, the loaves (really) multiplied. Twelve carts passed by, so that Judas could carry one and, remembering this miracle, would not rush headlong into treachery. The Lord multiplies the loaves and fishes, wanting to show that He is the Creator of the earth and the sea and that He gives us and multiplies the food we eat every day. He performed this miracle in a deserted place, so that no one would think that he bought bread in a nearby town and distributed it to the people, because the place was (completely) deserted. This is a literal interpretation of events. In a figurative sense, he understands that when Herod, who represents the carnal and superficial mind of the Jews (because that is what his name means in translation), cut off the head of John, who was the head of the prophets, he thereby showed that he did not believe those who prophesied about Christ. Therefore, Jesus goes to a desolate place, among the Gentiles, who were "abandoned" by God, and heals the sick in soul, and then feeds them. Because, if He had not forgiven our sins and healed our illnesses through Baptism, He would not have been able to feed us with the communion of His most pure mysteries, because no one who is not baptized can receive communion. "Five thousand people" are the five senses of a person that hurt badly and can be cured with "five loaves of bread". Since the five senses were affected, as much salve was needed as there were wounds. "Two fish" are the words of the fisherman (apostle): one is the Gospel, and the other is the Apostle. 235 Some think that the "five loaves" are the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The apostles took the "twelve baskets" and took them with them, because what we simple people cannot eat, that is, understand, the apostles took and preserved (that is, received and understood). "Except for women and children" means that every Christian, whether man, woman or child, must not be childish, effeminate and unmanly (but brave and perfect in everything). 22. And immediately Jesus forced his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the people. Matthew says "force", wanting to show that the disciples were inseparable from Jesus, since they wanted to be with Him constantly. He dismisses the people, because he did not want them to follow Him, so that He would not show himself to be a lover of honor. 23–24. And dismissing the people, he went up to the mountain to pray in private. And evening came, and he was there alone. And the ship was already in the middle of the sea, threatened by the waves, because the wind was contrary. He climbs the mountain to show us how to pray without distraction. He does all this for our sake, because He (as God) had no need for prayer. He prayed until the evening, giving us an example not to leave the prayer immediately, but to pray especially at night, since then there is great silence and peace. Christ (then) allows His disciples to fall into danger so that they may learn to bear trials with courage and to know His power. The boat was in the middle of the sea to make the fear even greater. 25–27. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were disturbed, saying: it is a ghost; and cried out in fear. And Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying: Do not be afraid, it is I, do not be afraid! He did not immediately go to them to calm the storm (but only in the "fourth watch"), in order to teach the disciples not to immediately seek deliverance from temptations, but to bear them heroically. According to military custom, the soldiers who kept watch divided the night into four watches. Each watch lasted three hours. Therefore, the Lord came only after the ninth hour of the night, 236 walking on water, like God. When they saw this unusual and strange sight, the disciples thought that it was an apparition, because they did not recognize Him by His appearance, both because of the night and because of fear. The Lord first encourages them by telling them: "I am the one to whom all things are possible, do not be afraid." 28. And Peter answering said to him: Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water. Since Peter had the most ardent love for Christ, he immediately wanted to approach Him, even before others. He not only believed that Christ was walking on the sea, but that he would also be given that power. That is why Peter did not say "order me to walk" but "tell me to come to You". The first would be a sign of vanity, while the second shows the love he had for the Lord. 29–30. And he said: Go! And leaving the ship, Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and starting to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, save me! The Lord made the sea firm under Pero's feet and thus showed His power. Pay attention to how Peter overcame the sea, which was a greater danger, only to be afraid of the wind afterwards. That's how weak human nature is. As soon as he was afraid, he began to sink into the water, because when his faith weakened, Peter began to sink. The Lord allowed this so that Peter would not be proud, but also to comfort other disciples who might have envied him. By this Christ also showed how much greater He was than Peter. 31–33. And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him: You of little faith, why do you doubt? And when they entered the ship, the wind stopped. And those in the ship approached and worshiped him, saying: Truly you are the Son of God. Showing that the cause of Peter's sinking was not the wind but his despondency, Christ does not threaten the wind but the despondent Peter. So he caught him and pulled him out of the water, and let the wind blow. However, Peter did not doubt completely, but only partially. When he was afraid, he showed the absence of faith, but by crying out: "Lord, save me", he healed his unbelief. That is why the Lord calls him "of little faith" and not "unfaithful". And those who remained in the ship were also freed from their fear, for the wind died down. And then, recognizing Jesus in all this, they confessed His divinity, because it is not characteristic of man to walk on water, but (only) God, as David says: "Thy way was by the sea, and thy paths by great water." 237 In the spiritual sense, "ship" is earth; "waves" are a person's life agitated by evil spirits; "night" is ignorance. Christ appears in the "fourth watch of the night", that is, at the end of the age. In the first watch, the covenant was made with Abraham; in the second, the Law of Moses was handed down; in the third came the Prophets. The fourth watch marks the coming of Christ, because He saved people caught in the storm of this world. He came and lived with us, so that we could bow down to Him knowing God in Him. You can also see that what happened to Peter at the sea was a foreshadowing of his denial of Christ, and then his conversion and repentance. Just as he will boldly say later: "I will not give you up", so he says here: "Tell me to come to You by water". And just as the Lord will allow him to deny Him, so here He allows him to sink into the water. Here the Lord gives him a hand and does not let him sink, and there, through his repentance, he will pull him out of the abyss of renunciation. 34–36. And they crossed over and came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the people of that place recognized him, they sent all over the surrounding area and brought him all the sick. And they begged him to just touch the curds of his garment; and those who touched them were healed. Since Jesus lived for a long time in the land of Gennesaret, people knew Him not only by His appearance but also by His miracles. They showed firm faith, because they wanted to touch at least "the curds of His garment". Those who did so (with faith) were immediately healed. So, therefore, touch the "curd of Christ's garment", which is the end of His life in the flesh, because if you believe that He ascended, you will be saved. "The garment of Christ" signifies His body, and its "lap" is the end of His life on earth. Christ criticizes the Pharisees for their human traditions, what heathens man, the faith of the Canaanite woman, the healing of many sick people, the second multiplication of loaves. 1–2. Then the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem approached Jesus, saying: Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? 238 Because they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Although there were scribes and Pharisees in all regions, those in Jerusalem enjoyed greater respect (than others). That is why they envied Christ even more, since they were very generous. According to the old tradition, the Jews had the habit of not eating bread with unwashed hands. 239 When they saw the disciples violating this tradition, they thought that they despised the old (teachers). What does the Savior then do? He does not answer their words, but rebukes them, saying: 3–6. And he answered and said to them: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? Because God commanded saying: Honor father and mother; and who curses father or mother with death to die. And you say: If someone said to his father or mother: the adverb is what I could help you with. He can also disrespect his father or mother. And you canceled the commandment of God for your tradition. The Pharisees accused the disciples of violating the commandment of the old teachers, but Christ showed them that they were violating the Law of God, 240 because they taught the young not to give anything to their parents, but to contribute everything they have to the treasury of the Church. Namely, there was a hiding place in the Church where everyone put as much as they wanted and it was called "gaza". Everything that was found there was distributed to the poor. The Pharisees, therefore, urged young people not to give anything to their parents, but to contribute it to the treasury of the Church. They were taught to say: "What you ask of me, father, is a gift, that is, it is offered to God." Then they and the Pharisees shared money, and the parents were left uncared for in their old age. Lenders acted in the same way. If one of them lent money to a poor person, and the debtor later did not have to repay the debt, the lender would tell the debtor that what he owed him was a "korvan", that is, a gift dedicated to God. Then the debtor, who thus owed God, would be forced to pay the debt against his will. This is what the Pharisees taught the young. 7–9. Hypocrites, Isaiah prophesied well for you, saying: This people draws near to me with their mouths; and he honors me with his lips; and their heart is far from me. But they respect me in vain, teaching me the teachings and commandments of men. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, 241 the Lord shows that the Pharisees and scribes treated Him in the same way as they treated His Father. Being evil, they distanced themselves from God with their evil deeds and only spoke the words of God with their mouths. That's why those who insult God with their actions respect Him in vain and pretend to serve Him. 10-11. And calling the people, he said to them: Listen and understand. Do not offend a man what goes into his mouth; but what comes out of the mouth defiles a man. The Lord no longer addresses the Pharisees, who were incurable, but the people. By calling them, He shows them respect, so that they receive His teaching, so He tells them: "Listen and understand", encouraging them to be attentive. Since the Pharisees had already accused the disciples of eating with unwashed hands, the Lord, talking about food, teaches that no food makes a person unclean, that is, does not make him a Gentile. If we are not repulsed by food, then we are even less repulsed by eating with unwashed hands? What defiles the inner man is unseemly words. With these words, he wants to show that the Pharisees are defiled, because they speak words full of envy. Pay attention to His wisdom, because He does not publicly establish eating with unwashed hands, but He does not forbid it, but He teaches us something else - not to allow evil words to come out of our hearts. 12. Then his disciples approached and said to him: Do you know that the Pharisees, hearing that word, were offended? The disciples told the Pharisees that they were offended, even though they themselves were confused. This can be seen from the fact that Peter approached Jesus and asked Him for an explanation. When Jesus heard that the Pharisees were offended, he said: 13–14. And he answered and said: Every tree that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. Leave them alone, the blind are leading the blind; and if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the pit. He says that the ancient traditions and Jewish teachings will be eradicated, not the commandments of the Law, as the Manichaean heretics think. 242 The law was planted by God himself and it will not be eradicated. Its "root", that is, the hidden spirit, remains, while the "leaves", the visible letter of the Law, fall away. That is why we no longer understand the Law according to the letter, but according to the Spirit. Since the Pharisees were in a hopeless state and incurable, the Lord says: "Leave them alone." From this we can learn that it does not bring us harm if those who willingly offend themselves and who are (spiritually) incurable offend us. The Lord calls them blind teachers of the blind. This is said in order to turn the people away from them. 243 15. And Peter answered and said to him: Interpret this story to us. Although Peter knew that the Law did not permit the eating of all kinds of food, he was afraid to say to Jesus: "Your words offend me because they seem to me to be against the Law." So he asks Him for an explanation, pretending that he did not understand His words. 16–20. And Jesus said: Are you also unreasonable? Don't you know yet that everything that goes into the mouth goes into the stomach, and is thrown out? And what comes out of the mouth comes out of the heart, and that defiles a man. Because from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false testimony, blasphemy. And this is what heathens a man, and eating with unwashed hands does not heathen a man. The Savior rebukes the disciples as foolish because they were deceived and did not understand what is clear and understandable. This is how he tells them: "What is understandable and obvious to everyone, you do not understand." Food does not remain inside, but is thrown out and does not pollute the human soul, because it does not stay in the person. But (evil) thoughts are born in the soul and remain in it. When they go outside, that is, when they are put into action, then they defile a person." A lecherous thought is born in the soul and, staying in it, defiles the soul. However, when the thought comes out of the soul and is put into action, it defiles both the soul and the body. 21–23. And leaving there, Jesus went to the regions of Tire and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman came out of those parts and cried out to him, saying: Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David, my daughter is being tormented by the devil! And he didn't answer her a word. Why did the Lord forbid the disciples to go on the way of the Gentiles, 244 and He Himself went to Tire and Sidon, which were Gentile cities? Know, therefore, that he did not go there to preach, but to hide from the people, as Mark writes. 245 In addition, he went to the Gentiles when he saw that the Pharisees did not receive His teaching about food. The woman says: "Have mercy, not on my daughter, who is not aware of what is happening to her, but on me, who suffers and suffers watching her suffer." She did not say: "Come and heal her", but "Have mercy". The Lord does not answer her a word, not because he despises her, but to show that he came first for the sake of the Jews and that afterwards they would not be able to say that he does good (only) to the Gentiles. He also did this to demonstrate the firm faith of the woman. 23–24. And when his disciples approached, they begged him, saying: Let her go, because she is crying out for us. And he answered and said: I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The disciples were tired of the woman's crying, so they begged Christ to send her away, that is, drive her away. They did this not because they were merciless, but in order to persuade the Lord to have mercy on her. The Lord answers that He was not sent to anyone else but the Jews, who are lost sheep because of the corruption of those to whom they were entrusted. This shows the woman's faith even more publicly. 25–27. And she approached him and bowed to him, saying: Lord, help me! And he answered and said: It is not good to take bread from the children and throw it to the dogs. And she said: Yes, Lord! but dogs also eat from the crumbs that fall from their master's table. When the woman saw that her intercessors, the apostles, had failed, she approached the Lord again and turned to the Lord with firm faith. Christ speaks of her as a dog, because the Gentiles led an impure life and participated in idolatrous blood sacrifices, while He calls the Jews "children". But she answers him cleverly and very wisely: "Even though I am a dog who is not worthy to receive a piece of bread, that is, some miracle and a great sign, give it to me anyway, because it is a small thing compared to what you can do, while for me it is a great gift. Those who feed on bread do not regard crumbs as nothing, but for dogs they mean a lot and they feed on them.» 28. Then Jesus answered and said to her: O woman, great is your faith; let it be as you wish! And her daughter recovered from that hour. Now Jesus reveals why he did not want to heal her right away. He wanted to show everyone her faith and wisdom. That's why he didn't agree to help her right from the beginning, but even pushed her away from Himself. But now, when her faith is revealed, she listens to the words of praise: "Great is your faith." He also adds: "Let it be as you wish", to show that she would not have received what she asked for, if she had not had faith. Likewise, when we want something, nothing prevents us from getting it. Pay attention, that even when the saints intercede for us, as the apostles did for the woman, we will still be heard much sooner if we ourselves ask for mercy from the Lord. The Canaanite woman is a symbol of the Gentile Church. Gentiles, who were rejected at first, were later promoted to the rank of sons and made worthy to eat the "Bread", that is, the Body of Christ, while the Jews became "dogs" that fed on "crumbs", that is, small and insignificant letters of the Law. "Tyre" means "siege", "Sidon" - "hunters", and "Canaanite" is "prepared with humility". Therefore, the Gentiles, who were possessed by evil and whose souls were hunted by demons, were prepared by humility (to receive Christ), because only the righteous are ready for the height of the Kingdom of God. 29–31. And when Jesus departed from there, he came to the Sea of ​​Galilee, and having gone up on a mountain, he sat down there. And many people came to him, who had with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the crippled and many others, and they laid them at the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. So that the people went wild, seeing the deaf where they hear, the dumb where they speak, the crippled healed, the lame where they walk, the blind where they see; and praise the God of Israel. Christ did not stay as often in Judea as in Galilee, because the unbelief of the Jews was great, while the Galileans were more faithful than they. Just look at their faith, how the lame and the blind climb the mountain and without hesitation throw themselves at the feet of Jesus, believing that He is more than a man. That is why they received healings. Climb up, therefore, to the "mountain" of the commandments where the Lord sits. If you are "blind" and cannot see for yourself what is good; or "lame", because you see good, but you cannot reach it; or else you are "deaf", and you are not able to hear the lessons of others, nor to teach others yourself; or "crippled", because you can't stretch out your hand and give alms; or you are sick in any other way - if you fall at the feet of Jesus and touch His lap, you will be healed. 32. And Jesus called his disciples and said: I feel sorry for the people, because they have been standing with me for three days and have nothing to eat; and it is not my job to let them go hungry so that they don't get weak on the road. People did not dare to ask for bread, because they had come for healing. But the human-loving Lord still takes care of them. So that no one could say that they had food, He says: "Even if they had, they used it up, because three days have already passed." To show that they came from afar, he says: "So that they do not get tired on the way." He says all this to the disciples in order to encourage them to say: "You can feed them as you have already fed five thousand people." But the students didn't understand it yet. 33. And his disciples said to him: Where did we get so much bread in the desert to feed so many people? They should have understood how even more people had been fed in the desert before. But the apostles remained insensitive here, so that you would be amazed at the grace of Christ when you later see them filled with such wisdom. 34–38. And Jesus said to them: How many loaves do you have? And they said: seven and a few fish. And he commanded the people to occupy the land. And taking the seven loaves and fishes, and giving thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples to the people. And they all ate and were satisfied; and accumulated pieces that exceeded seven baskets full. And those who ate were four thousand people, except women and children. Intending to teach them humility and simplicity, he commands them to live on the land, and in order to teach us to thank God when we sit down to eat, He himself gives thanks. You are probably wondering how there were five loaves of bread, five thousand fed people and twelve baskets left over, while here there are more loaves, fewer people were fed, and only seven baskets were left? It should be said that the "baskets" were bigger than the "carts", or the Lord did not want the miracle to be forgotten because of numerical equality. If on this occasion there were twelve quarters left, because of the numerical equality, it would have been forgotten that He did the miracle with the loaves a second time. But also know that four thousand people, that is, those who are perfect in the four virtues, 246 were fed with seven loaves, therefore, in more spiritual and more perfect words, because the number seven is a symbol of seven spiritual gifts. They sit down on the ground, having left everything earthly under them, as before five thousand people sat down on the grass, that is, threw the body and its glory under them, because "every body is grass and every glory of man is like a flower of the field". 247 Here seven baskets remained, because they were more spiritual and perfect things that they could not "eat" (that is, understand). What was left was enough to fit in seven baskets, that is, as much as only the Holy Spirit knows, "because the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God". 248 39. And having dismissed the people, he entered the ship and came to the regions of Magdalska. Jesus leaves because this miracle with the loaves, more than all other miracles, attracted a large number of people to follow Him, so that some even wanted to proclaim Him as king, as John says. 249 That is why He goes to another place in order to avoid the suspicion of the tyrant Herod. Looking for a sign from heaven, about Pharisee and Sadducean leaven, Peter's confession of Christ as the Son of God, Jesus' hint about suffering, death and resurrection, about following Christ and carrying the cross. 1. And approaching the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting him, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. Although the Pharisees and the Sadducees had different teachings, they acted in unison against Christ. They looked for a sign from heaven, such as for the sun or the moon to stand still, 250 because they believed that the signs on earth were from demonic powers and Beelzebub. In their foolishness they forgot that even Moses in Egypt did many signs on earth, and that the fire from heaven, which burned Job's flocks, was from the devil. 251 Therefore, not all the signs that come from heaven are from God, nor is everything that happens on earth from demons. 2–4. And he answered and said to them: In the evening say: it will be clear; because the sky is red. And in the morning: today there will be bad weather, because the sky is red and cloudy. Hypocrites, you can recognize the face of heaven, but you can't recognize the signs of the times? The Lord reprimands them for their cunning request and calls them hypocrites, saying: "Just as the sign of a storm is different from a sign of fair weather during changes in the air, and just as one who sees a sign of a storm does not expect fair weather, nor does one who sees a sign of fair weather expect a storm, so you should reason about Me, because one is the time of My first coming, and the other is the time of the future. Now the signs on earth are needed, while the heavenly signs are kept for that time when the sun will go out and the moon will be hidden and the heavens will change.» The wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. And leaving them, he left. He calls them an "evil generation" because they tempt Him, and "adulterers" because they deviated from God and sided with the devil. Although they were looking for a sign from heaven, He only gives them the sign of Jonah: they will be in the belly of the "whale" - death for three days, and then they will be resurrected. Perhaps you will say that this sign is also from heaven, because after His death the sun was darkened and all matter changed. Pay attention to the words: "You will not be given a sign, except the sign of Jonah the prophet", signs were given to them, that is, they happened for their sake, although they did not believe. So he leaves them unhealed and leaves. 5–6. And his disciples, going to the other side, forgot to take bread. And Jesus said to them: Beware and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Just as leaven was leavened and soured, so the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees, with their outdated ancient traditions, ate away at the souls of men with acidity. And just as leaven is a mixture of water and flour, so the teachings of the Pharisees are mixed from their words and wicked life. The Lord did not openly tell the disciples to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees, in order to remind them of the miracle with the loaves. 7–12. And they thought to themselves, saying: It is because we did not take the bread. And Jesus, understanding, said to them: What are you thinking in yourselves, you of little faith, that you did not take the bread? Do you still not understand or remember five loaves of five thousand, and how many quarts you accumulate? Not even those seven loaves of bread for four thousand, and how many baskets did you accumulate? How do you not understand that I did not tell you about bread, but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then he understood that he did not say to beware of bread leaven, but the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The apostles thought that he told them this so that they would beware of unclean Jewish food. That's why they thought to themselves, saying: "It's because we didn't take the bread." He reprimands them as unreasonable and unbelieving. They were unreasonable because they had already forgotten how many loaves He needed to feed so many people, and they were of little faith because they did not believe that they did not need to buy bread from the Jews, because Christ alone could multiply it. They only understood that when he threatened them so harshly. That is why it is not always good to speak with meekness. Therefore, they immediately understood that "leaven" means the teachings of the Pharisees. That's what happens from a timely rebuke. 13. And when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying: What do people say about me, who is the Son of Man? The evangelist mentions the founder of the city (Philip), since there was also another, Caesarea, of Straton. 252 So, in the first one, and not in the second one, Christ asks his disciples. He leads them away from the Jews, so that they can speak boldly and without fear. First, he asks them for the opinion of the people in order to bring the students to a higher level of understanding, so that they do not fall into the shallow way of reasoning of the masses. He does not ask them: "What do the Pharisees say about me", but "What do the people say about me", referring to simple and innocent people. 14. And they said: Some say that you are John the Baptist, others that you are Elijah, others again Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Those who called Him John, thought like Herod that John had risen from the dead and received the gift of miracles. Others called Him Elijah because He warned the people, and Elijah was expected to return. Others thought it was Jeremiah, because of his natural wisdom that he acquired without learning, since Jeremiah was called to the prophetic office even as a child. 15–16. Jesus said to them: Who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Once again, Peter zealously comes forward and confesses that Christ is truly the Son of the living God. He did not say: "You are Christ the son of God", referring to any "son of God", but he uses the definite article and says: "Son of God", that is, the only one, not a son by grace but the One who was born from the very essence of the Father. There were many "christs" (anointed ones), these were all the Old Testament priests and kings, but there is only one "Christ". 17. And Jesus answered and said to him: Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! Because flesh and blood 253 did not reveal it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. Christ calls Peter blessed because he knew God through divine grace. By agreeing with Peter, He showed that other people's opinions were more wrong. He calls him "the son of Jonah" (Var Jonah), as if telling him: "Just as you are the son of Jonah, so I am the Son of My Father who is in heaven and I am one with Him." He calls knowledge "revelation", because the Father himself revealed hidden and unknown secrets to Him. 18. And I also tell you that you are Peter, and on that rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Christ rewards Peter with a great reward and promises to build the Church on him. 254 Since Peter confessed Him as the Son of God, the Lord tells him that this confession he uttered will be the foundation for those who believe, so that every man who wants to build a house of faith will place this confession as a foundation. We can build thousands of virtues, but if we do not have the foundation of proper confession, we build in vain. By saying "His Church", Christ shows Himself as Lord of everything, because everything serves God. The "gates of hell" are the persecutors of the Church who sent Christians to their deaths. And heretics are also "doors that lead to hell". Therefore, the Church has defeated many persecutors and heretics. Also, each one of us who has become the house of God restores the Church, because if we are firmly established in the confession of Christ, the "gates of hell", that is, sins, will not overcome us. That's how David, himself being elevated above that door, cried out: "You who lift me up from the door of death" 255 From which door, David? From the door of murder and adultery." 256 19. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Jesus speaks with authority as God: "I will give you..., because just as the Father gave you a revelation (that is, he announced to you that I am His Son), so I will give you the keys." By "keys" he understands the power with which he gave him to bind and release sins, that is, to forgive or punish them, because all those who, like Peter, are worthy of episcopal grace, have the power to forgive and bind (sins). Although the Lord only said to Peter: "I will give it to you", he gave this authority to all the apostles. When? Then when he said: "Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven." 257 Also, the words "I will give you" refer to the future time, that is, to the time after the Resurrection. "Heavens" also mean virtues, and "keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" are exploits, because the Kingdom of Heaven is opened by exploits. There are no such keys by which one can acquire some virtue without a feat. If I only know what is good and do not strive, I only have the keys of knowledge, but remain outside (the Kingdom of Heaven). In the "heavens", that is, in the virtues, the one who does not live virtuously is bound, while the one who is zealous in their acquisition is released. Therefore, let us not live in sins, so that we are not bound by their chains. 20. Then he threatened his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. Christ wanted to hide His glory before the cross, because if people had heard that He was God before His suffering, and then saw Him suffering, they would surely have been offended. That's why He hides Himself from the people, so that after the Resurrection they would know Him without stumbling, because then the Holy Spirit will dispel all doubts with the miracles that have been done. 21. From that time Jesus began to tell his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer greatly from the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day he will rise again. The Lord foretells His suffering to them, so that it does not happen that it surprises and scandalizes them, so that they think that He suffered against His will, not knowing what awaits Him. Since they heard in Peter's confession that Christ is the Son of God, He reveals to them that He will suffer. But after the sad news, he announces joy, because on the third day he will rise. 22. And taking him, Peter began to dissuade him, saying: God save, Lord; it won't be from you! Peter correctly confessed what was revealed to him, but he erred in what was not revealed to him, so that we might learn that he did not speak that great truth without the inspiration of God. He says "God forbid, it will not be from You" because he did not want Christ to suffer, nor did he know the secret of the Resurrection. 23. And he turned and said to Peter: Get away from me Satan! You are scandalous to me, because you do not think what is God's but what is human. When Peter spoke rightly, Christ called him blessed, but when he became afraid for no reason, not wanting Christ to suffer, he rebuked him severely, saying; "Get away from Me, Satan." Satan means adversary. Therefore, the words: "Depart from Me Satan" mean: "Do not oppose, but follow My will." The Lord calls Peter this because even Satan did not want Christ to suffer. Therefore, he tells him: "You think in a human way that it is not fitting for Me to suffer, but you do not understand that through this suffering God organizes the salvation of the world, and that is why it really suits Me." 24. Then Jesus said to his disciples: If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. "Then" - when? Then when he rebuked Peter. Wanting to show that Peter was wrong because he wanted to prevent Him from suffering, he says: "You prevent me from suffering, and I tell you that My suffering will not only cause you no harm (because without it there is no salvation), but you also cannot be saved unless you die yourself, like no one else, be it man or woman, rich or poor." The Lord says: "If he wills...", to show that virtue comes from free will and not from necessity. The one who follows Jesus is not only the one who confesses Him as the Son of God, but also the one who patiently endures all troubles and temptations. "Let him renounce himself", means that complete renunciation is necessary, that is, that we have nothing in common with the body, but to despise ourselves, as there is a custom to say: "He renounced this and that", instead of "He has no friends or acquaintances". That is why we should not have any love for the body, 258 so that we can carry the cross, that is, death, and that with zeal we ask for the most shameful death, which was the death on the cross in ancient times. But, he adds: "And he follows Me, because many robbers and thieves are crucified on the cross, but they are not My disciples." Let him, therefore, follow Me and show all other virtues.» Even the one who yesterday lived in fornication, and today lives chastely, renounces himself. Such was Paul, who renounced himself so much that he said: "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." 259 He who mortifies himself and crucify himself to the world takes his cross. 260 25. Because whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and if anyone loses his life for my sake, he will find it. Christ encourages us to martyrdom. The one who renounces Christ finds, therefore, "his life" in this world (that is, he is saved from physical death), but he will "lose his soul" afterwards. 261 However, he who loses his life for the sake of Christ and martyrdom for Him will find his soul in incorruption and eternal life. 26–27. For what good is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what ransom will a man give for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay everyone according to his deeds. "Suppose," he says, "that you gained the whole world." What good is it to you if your body is healthy and your soul is seriously ill. It would be the same as if the mistress of the house wore torn rites, and the maids dressed in beautiful dresses». Even in the future age, man cannot redeem his soul. Here he can offer tears, sighs and alms, and there none of that. There awaits us the incorruptible Judge, who judges everyone according to his works. But He is also awesome, because He will come in glory with all His angels, not in humility and humiliation (as before). 28. Truly I say to you: There are some among these standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom. He said that the Son of Man would come in His glory. So that they would not suspect, Christ tells them that some of them, according to their powers, will see the glory of His second coming in the Transfiguration. At the same time, it shows in what glory those who suffer for His sake will be. As His transfigured body shone like lightning, so will the saints shine on the day of His Second Coming. Here he is referring to Peter, James and John, whom he took with him to the mountain and showed them "His Kingdom", that is, the future glory in which He will come and the righteous with Him, shining in the light. He also says that some of those who are here will not die until they see Him transfigured. Do you see, then, that those who are firm and steadfast in good will see Jesus transfigured in the light and constantly grow in faith and commandments (of God). The Transfiguration of Christ, the healing of the foolish boy, the power of faith, the second prediction of suffering, death and resurrection, tribute to the church 1. And after six days Jesus took Peter and James and John, his brother. This does not contradict what Luke says: "And about eight days after these words." 262 Luke, namely, counts both the first and the last day since they climbed the mountain, while Matthew only counts the days that have passed in between. Therefore, He took Peter with Himself, because the latter loved Him very much; John, as a favorite student, and Jacob, because he was also a zealot. 263 His zeal can be seen from the promise that he will test the cup from which Christ drinks, 264 as from His suffering, because Herod executed him with the sword in order to please the Jews. 1–2. And he led them out to a high mountain alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. He takes them to the "high mountain" 265 to show us that man will not be worthy of such divine visions, if he is not first exalted (in spirit). On the "high mountain", he says, "alone", because Christ often performed the most wonderful miracles in secret, so that the people, seeing Him as God, would not think that He only appeared incarnate. When you hear that He was transfigured, do not think that He then cast off the body, for it remained in its former form, since His face and garments are mentioned. But it turned out to be even more brilliant, because the divinity manifested in it a fraction of his glory, as far as the apostles were able to see it. 266 That is why the Lord spoke of the transfiguration even before as the Kingdom of God, because it revealed the indescribable majesty of His power and showed that He is the true Son of the Father. The transfiguration foreshadowed the glory of His second coming with the ineffable brightness of the face of Jesus. 3. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and talked with him. What were they talking about? About "His outcome", says Luke, that is, about His baptismal suffering in Jerusalem. Why did Moses and Elijah come? To show that Christ is the Lord of the Law and the Prophets, living and dead. Elijah is a prophet who is still alive, 267 and Moses is a lawgiver who (long ago) died. But it was also so that it would be seen that He does not oppose either the Law or God, because Moses would not speak to the one who opposes its provisions, nor would the zealous Elijah suffer the enemy of God. Moses and Elijah appeared, also in order to clear the doubt of those who said about Jesus that he was Elijah or one of the prophets. How did the disciples know that it was Elijah and Moses? Certainly not from icons, because at that time it was illegal to portray human figures. It seems they recognized them by their words. Moses probably said: "You are the one whose suffering I foreshadowed by slaughtering the lamb and ending the Passover"; 268 a, Elijah: "You are the One whose Resurrection I foretold by resurrecting the widow's son", 269 or something similar. By showing them Moses and Elijah, Christ teaches his disciples to imitate them; Moses in meekness and self-sacrifice towards the people, and Elijah in zeal and steadfastness, when necessary, so that they would be fearless fighters for the truth like these two. 4. And Peter answered and said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you want, we can make three gazebos here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Peter, who because of great love did not want Christ to suffer, says: "It is good for us to stay here and not come down (from the mountain) so that they do not kill us; because if someone comes here, we have Moses and Elijah so they can help us. Moses fought with the Egyptians, and Elijah brought fire down from heaven. They will be like that when the enemies come here.» Peter said this out of great fear, "not knowing, as Luke says, what he is saying." He was either speechless before this unusual event, or he really didn't know what he was saying because he wanted Jesus to stay on the mountain, not to come down and suffer for us. Fearing not to appear impudent, he says: "If you want us to build three gazebos here?" 5. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him. "You, Peter, want tabernacles made with hands, but the Father has surrounded Me here with a cloud as a tabernacle not made with hands, thus showing that, just as He Himself appeared in the cloud as God in ancient times, so it is with His Son." Here the cloud is bright, not dark as before, because He did not want to frighten them, but to teach them. A voice came from the cloud to show that He was from God. "Who is according to my will" means the One in whom I rest and who is pleasing to me. He teaches them: "Listen to Him, and if He wants to be crucified, do not oppose Him." 6–8. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. And when Jesus approached, he touched them and said: Get up and don't be afraid. And they, raising their eyes, saw no one, except Jesus alone. The disciples fell on their faces, because they were unable to withstand the brightness of the cloud and the force of the voice. Their eyes were heavy with sleep (as Luke says). 270 Here, "dream" refers to fatigue from the too strong light of vision. So that they do not remain in fear for long and forget what they saw, the Lord lifts them up and gives them courage. He remains alone, so that you would not think that the voice testified for Moses or Elijah, but for Him, because He is the Son (of God). 9. And when they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: Tell no one what you have seen until the Son of Man rises from the dead. In His humility, He commanded that they should not tell anyone what they had seen) so that those who heard it would not be offended when they later saw Him crucified on the cross. They might (then) think that He is an impostor who did all His miracles in appearance. Learn well that the contemplation of God came after six days, during which the world was created. Therefore, if you do not overcome this world and climb high on the mountain, you will not see glorious visions: neither the "face of Jesus", which is His divinity, nor the "clothing" - His body. But if you climb the "high mountain" then you will see Moses and Elijah talking with Christ, because the Law, the Prophets and Christ speak the same thing and agree on everything. When you see a man clearly interpreting the meaning of Scripture, know that he clearly sees the face of Jesus himself. If he also explains the words of Scripture and sheds light on their meaning, know that he is also looking at the "white clothes of Jesus", because words are clothes for thoughts. But don't say like Peter that "it's good for us to be here", because we should always progress and not stop at one level of virtue and contemplation, but climb even higher. 10. And his disciples asked him, saying: Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Deceiving the people, the scribes said that He was not the Christ, because in that case Elijah would have come first. They did not know that Christ should come a second time. The forerunner of the first coming was John, while the second will be Elijah, which after all, Christ explains to the disciples. Listen, then. 11–13. And Jesus answered and said to them: Elijah will indeed come first and set everything in order. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they didn't know him, but they did with him what they wanted; so will the Son of Man suffer from them. Then the disciples understood that he told them about John the Baptist. When he says: "Elijah will really come", Christ shows that he has not come yet, but he will come as a harbinger of the second coming, and all the Jews who show themselves to be obedient will bring faith in Christ and thus return them to their paternal inheritance from which they fell away. But when Christ says that "Elijah has already come", he means John the Forerunner. They "did with him what they wanted", because they (themselves) killed him by allowing Herod to execute him, although they could have prevented it. From then on, the disciples became sharper and understood that he calls John "Ilias", because John was the Forerunner of the first coming, just as Elijah will be the forerunner of the second. 14–15. And when they came to the people, a man approached him and fell on his knees before him, saying: Lord, have mercy on my son; because he is a sleepwalker and torments himself angrily; because many times it falls into fire, many times into water. It seems that this man was completely without faith, as soon as Christ said to him: "O unbelieving generation." This can be seen from the fact that he blames (Jesus') disciples. The cause of the disease (of his son) was not the moon, but a demon that attacked the patient when he saw that the moon was full, so that people would blaspheme God's creation as the cause of evil. Also know, that every foolish man changes like the moon, as it is written; 271 the hour shows itself great in virtue, and the hour falls and becomes void. He is like a sleepwalker who throws himself into the "fire" of anger and lust, and then into the "water" - the waves of worries of this world, in which Leviathan 272 dwells - the devil, who reigns in the waters. Aren't the worries of the rich like turbulent waves? 16–18. And I brought him to your disciples and they could not heal him. And Jesus answered and said: O unfaithful and corrupt generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring it to me. And Jesus threatened him; and the demon came out of him; and healed the boy from that hour. Do you see how this man transfers the sin of his unbelief to the disciples who could not heal his child. That is why the Lord shames him, because he blamed His disciples, and says to him: "O unbelieving generation", which means: "The cause of the failure is not so much in the weakness of the apostles, as in your unbelief, 273 because it, being great, prevailed over an equal measure of their strength." Rebuking this man, the Lord also rebuked all those who stood around, saying to them: "How long will I be with you." Christ thereby shows that he wants to suffer on the cross and leave them. He seems to be saying: "How long will I live with you scoffers and unbelievers". "And Jesus threatened him" - to whom? Sleepwalker. 274 From this, therefore, it can be seen that he too was unfaithful and that with his unbelief he gave room for the demon to enter him. 19–21. Then the disciples approached Jesus and said to him privately: Why couldn't we cast him out? And Jesus said to them: For your unbelief. For truly I say to you: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: pass from here to there, and it will pass, and nothing will be impossible for you. And this kind is not expelled except by prayer and fasting. The apostles were afraid that they might not have lost the grace power that had been given to them against the demon, so they were upset and asked Jesus privately (why they could not cast out the demon). The Lord reprimands them as still imperfect in faith, answering them: "For your unbelief, because if you had a strong and firm faith you would have done great things no matter how small they seemed." Nowhere is it written that the apostles moved up. They may have moved them, but it is not written anywhere, because not everything is written down. According to another interpretation, they did not move them because there was no opportunity to do so, but instead performed greater miracles. Pay attention to how the Lord says: "You will say to this mountain: pass from here to there...", therefore: "When you tell it, then it will pass." Therefore, the apostles never told a mountain to move, because there was no opportunity or need for that, and therefore they did not move mountains. But if they had said that, they would certainly have moved. "This kind", demons, "cannot be expelled except by prayer and fasting". 275 Therefore, especially those who are in the power of demons, but also those who intend to heal them, must first fast, and only then pray, because prayer does not come from satiety and drunkenness, but from fasting. Understand that strong faith is like a mustard seed. It seems null and void because of the "foolishness of the sermon", 276 but if it finds good soil, it will grow into a big tree on which the "birds of the sky" will settle, that is, thoughts that will soar to the heights. Therefore, every man who has strong faith can say to "this mountain", that is, (in this case) to the demon: "Get out of here" and he will go. Here Christ is referring to the demon he cast out. 22–23. And when they were walking in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; And they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise. And he was very sad. The Lord speaks again about His suffering so that they do not think that He is suffering against His will. In this way, he prepared his students, so that they would not be unexpectedly disturbed when it came. However, he adds joy to what is sad, and promises them that he will rise again (on the third day). 24. And when they came to Capernaum, those who bought didrachms approached Peter and said: Doesn't your teacher give didrachms? Peter said: He gives. God wanted to consecrate to Himself the tribe of Levi in ​​place of the firstborn sons of the Jews. It numbered only twenty-two thousand people, while the firstborn sons of all twelve tribes were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three. 277 That is why God decreed that the priests should be given two drachmas for each of the first-born sons of the Jews who exceed the number of the tribe of Levi. Since then, the custom has been established to pay a tax of two drachmae, which was worth five shekels or two hundred ovols, for each first-born son. 278 Since the Lord was the firstborn, he also paid taxes to the priests. Feeling ashamed before Christ because of His miracles, the tax collectors did not turn to Him, but to Peter. Perhaps they did it in cunning, saying: "Does your teacher, who opposes the Law, agree to pay the didrachma?" 25-26 And when he entered the house, Jesus overtook him, saying: What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings take taxes or customs, from their own sons or from others? Peter said to him: From someone else's. Jesus said to him: So the sons are freed. As God, Christ knew what they were saying to Peter, even though he did not hear them. That's why he overtook him, saying to him: "If earthly kings do not take taxes from their sons but from others, how will the heavenly King receive a didrachm from Me, His Son?" This tax was paid, as stated above, to the priests and was attached to the Church. "If the sons of the earth are freed and do not pay anything, then how much more reason do I have not to pay taxes?" 27. But so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and whichever fish you catch first, take it; and when you open her mouth you will find a statir; take it and give it to them for me and for yourself. "Pay them the tax," says Jesus, "so that they will not be offended by thinking that we are proud and despise the Law, although I do not give to them as a debtor, but condescending to their weakness." Let us learn from this example that we do not mislead anyone because of what does not harm us. But where we have (spiritual) damages from someone's actions, we should not worry about those who are offended for no reason. To show, therefore, that He is God and that He has authority over the sea, He sent Peter to take the statir from the fish. At the same time, we can learn the hidden meaning of this event, because our nature is like a fish that is submerged in the depths of unbelief. It was caught by the apostolic word and in our mouths found "statir" - the words of the Lord and the confession of Christ. Namely, the one who confesses Christ has a statir in his mouth, which is worth two didrachms. As Christ has two natures, being God and man at the same time, so is the "statir" - Christ delivered (to death) for two races: Jewish and Gentile; for the righteous and sinners. If you see a silver lover who has nothing but gold and silver in his mouth, know that that man is like a fish swimming in the sea of ​​life, and if a teacher like Peter can be found, he will catch this "fish" and take gold and silver from its mouth. Some say that the "statir" is a precious stone that can be found in Syria, while others say that it is a quarter of a gold coin. The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, about the temptation, the story of the lost sheep, the church's way of correcting one's neighbor, the power of apostolic authority, about common prayer and forgiveness, a story about a merciless servant 1. At that hour, the disciples approached Jesus, saying: Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? When the apostles saw that Christ showed honor to Peter (by commanding him to give a statue for Him and for himself), they succumbed to human weakness, and fueled by envy, they tentatively approach the Lord and ask who is the greatest (in the Kingdom of Heaven). 2–4. And Jesus called the child, and placed him among them, and said: Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever, therefore, humbles himself like this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Seeing His disciples overcome by the passion of love of glory, the Lord calms them down, showing them the way to a calm mind through an innocent child. 279 We must be like children in humility of spirit, not childish in mind; 280 therefore, non-malevolent, not unreasonable. He tells them: "If you don't convert", to show them that they have gone from the path of humility to the love of glory. "That's why you need to return to the calm mind from which you strayed." 5–6. And whoever receives such a child in my name receives me. And whoever offends one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to hang a millstone around his neck and sink into the depths of the sea. "It is not necessary", he says, "only you to be humble, but if for Me you respect those who are humble, you will receive your reward, because you receive Me when you receive 'children', that is, those who are humble." 281 On the contrary, he says: "And whoever offends one of these little ones", i.e. insults those who pretend to be little and calm down even though they are great, "it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck". He mentions this corporal punishment in order to show that people who insult and offend the humble for the sake of Christ will receive a great punishment. And you, know very well, that not only the man who seduces the one who is really "small", i.e. weak, will be punished, but also the one who does not do everything to bear the burden of his weakness, because the "big" is not as easily seduced as the "small". 7. Woe to the world from temptation; for it is necessary that the tempter come, but woe to the man through whom the tempter comes. The Lord, as a lover of humanity, mourns the world, because temptations and temptations will befall it. But if someone says: "Why cry when it is necessary to help and lend a hand", we answer that even by crying we can help others. Often, namely, it is good to cry and help those whom we cannot help with consolation and advice, in order for them to somehow come to their senses and come to their senses. But if "it is necessary for stumbling blocks to come", how can we avoid them? They must come, but we are not obliged to suffer from them, because we can oppose them. 283 By "seducers" he understands people who prevent us from doing good, and by "the world" those who are down-to-earth, who drag themselves on the ground, and who are easily stopped by any obstacle on the way to good. 8–9. If your hand or foot offends you, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life lame or lame than to have two hands or two legs and be thrown into eternal fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell. By "hand", "leg" and "eye" he understands friends who are like the limbs of our body. Therefore, if these close friends of ours prove to be harmful to our soul, we need to despise them like rotten limbs and cut them off from ourselves, so that they do not harm others. From this it is clear that if the tempter must come, that is, those from whom we suffer harm, we do not have to suffer from them. But if we do what the Lord said and cut off those who harm us, even if they are our friends, we will not lose anything. 10-11. See that you do not despise one of these little ones; because I tell you that their angels in heaven are constantly looking at the face of my heavenly Father. Because the Son of Man came to save the lost. He commands them not to despise those who consider themselves "small", i.e. humble in spirit, because they are great before God. He says that God loves them so much that he gave them guardian angels who do not allow demons to hurt them. Every believer and, moreover, every (baptized) person has his own guardian angel. However, the "small" and humble angels in Christ are so close to God that they always stand before Him and look at His face. From this it can be seen that although we all have angels, the angels of sinners seem to be ashamed of their lack of faith and do not have the courage to look at the face of God and to pray for them, while the angels of the humble look at the face of God with boldness. "But what am I saying that such people have angels", says the Lord, "when I came to save what was lost and to make those whom people consider worthless my closest." 12–14. What do you think? When a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the mountain and go look for the one that went astray? And if he happens to find her, I truly tell you that he rejoices in her more than the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Thus it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish. Who is that man who had a hundred sheep? Christ, because the entire literal creation, angels and people, is a flock of a hundred sheep whose shepherd is Christ. He is neither a sheep nor a creature, but the Son of God. He, therefore, left ninety-nine (sheep) in heaven (that is, angels) and, taking the form of servants, came to look for one sheep - (fallen) human nature, and (when he found it) rejoiced in it more than in the steadfastness of angels. All in all, this shows how much God labors to convert sinners and rejoices more in their conversion than in those who are firm and steadfast in virtue. 15–17. If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him between you and him alone; if he obeys you, you have gained your brother. If he doesn't listen to you, take one or two more with you so that every word remains in the mouths of two or three witnesses. If he does not listen to them, tell the Church; and if he does not obey the Church, let him be like a heathen and a tax collector. Having sharply rebuked those who offend their brothers, he now corrects those who are offended. In order for you, being offended, not to fall completely into error thinking that the words "Woe to those..." refer only to those from whom the offense comes, the Lord says: "I want you who are offended, that is injured, to punish those who do you injustice and cause harm, if they are Christians". 284 Pay attention to what he says (in another place): "If your brother sins against you...", that is, a Christian. However, if an unbeliever sins against you, then give him even what is yours. But if he is your brother, punish him. He did not say "humiliate him", but "punish him". 285 "If he listens to you" means if he comes to his senses and admits his mistake. The Lord wants us to chastise the sinner in private first, so that he does not become even more shameless (in sin) if we do it in front of others. But if he is not ashamed even when we reprimand him in front of two or more witnesses, then bring his sin to the elders of the church. Since he did not listen to two or three, because the Law says that behind every word there are two or three witnesses, 286 let the Church reason with him. "If he does not even obey the Church", let him be excluded from the Church so that he does not transmit his evil to others. The Lord compares such brothers to tax collectors, because tax collectors were considered unclean people. For the one who has been wronged, it is sufficient consolation that his offender is called a "tax collector" or a "heathen", that is, a sinner and a non-believer. Is that the only punishment for those who wrong others? No, so listen to what he says next: 18. Truly I say to you: Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "If you," he says, "to whom injustice has been done, consider the one who harms you to be a tax collector and a heathen, he will be like that in heaven." If you 'absolve' him, that is, if you forgive him, he will be forgiven in heaven." Therefore, not only what the priests loose is loosed, but also everything that we, who have been wronged, bind or loose (on earth) will be bound or loosed (in heaven). 19–20. Again I tell you the truth: If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask for, it will be given to them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. With these words, the Lord gathers us together in love. Since he (previously) forbade us to seduce one another and commanded us not to insult our neighbors, but also not to take insults to heart, he now speaks of mutual harmony. Those who agree in evil, but in good, are called agreeable. Look at what he says: "If two of you agree...", therefore, you who are faithful and virtuous people, because Annas and Caiaphas agreed, but in what is worthy of condemnation. That's why we often pray, but we don't get it - because we don't agree with each other. The Lord does not say: "I will be among them", because He will not be there at some future time or is apparently late, but He says: "I am also there among you", which means that He is present there at the same time. Understand also that when the flesh and the spirit agree, and the flesh does not want what is contrary to the spirit, then the Lord is among them. This also applies to the three soul forces: mental, passionate and volitional. Both the Old and New Testaments agree and Christ is found among them, since both preach him in unison. 21–22. Then Peter approached him and said: Lord, how many times if my brother sins against me must I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him: I do not tell you up to seven times, but up to seventy-ten times seven. Therefore, Peter asks: "How many times should I forgive my brother if he sins against me, and then he repents and comes and asks for my forgiveness." 287 He also says: "If he sins against me", because if he sins against God, I, as an ordinary man, cannot forgive him, but only a priest who has this authority given to him by God. But if he sins against me, then I will forgive him and he will be forgiven even though I am not a priest, but an ordinary man. The Lord says: "Up to seventy times seven" 288 not wanting to limit the number of forgivenesses, because it would be senseless for a person to sit and count cases until there are four hundred and ninety (which is seventy times seven). So, here he wants to say "countless times", as if he is saying: "However many times your brother sins and repents, forgive him." He also teaches us through the following story how we should be merciful. 23. That is why the Kingdom of Heaven is like a human king, who wants to reckon with his servants. The purpose of this story is to teach us to forgive our brothers with whom we serve (God) and who have sinned against us, especially if they come and fall before us asking for forgiveness. However, in order to interpret this story in detail, it is necessary to have the mind of Christ. Still, we'll try. The "kingdom" is the Logos of God, but it is not someone's little earthly kingdom, but a heavenly one. The Logos is like a "human king" because he became incarnate for us, appearing in the form of a man, so he reckons with his servants as a good judge. He does not punish without judgment, because that would be cruel. 24–25. And when they began to count, they brought him a debtor of ten thousand talents. And since he had nothing to repay, his master ordered that he and his wife and children and everything he had be sold, and that he be paid. We are the ones who owe ten thousand talents, 289 because we receive God's benefactions every day, and we do not repay Him with anything good. The one who owes ten thousand talents is also a man to whom God has entrusted power over the people and many people (of which each man is one talent, according to the saying: "Man is a great work"), and who then does not use the power given to him wisely. The sale of a debtor together with his wife and children signifies alienation from God, because the one who is sold becomes the servant of another master. Isn't the "woman" also the body that is associated with the soul, and the "children" evil deeds committed by the soul and the body? The Lord commands that the body be given over to Satan for torture, that is, to be given over to disease or demonic torment, while the "children", that is, the evil deeds done, are given over to be stretched out, similar to how the Lord dries up the hand that stole or makes it immobile by the action of demons. Do you see how the "woman", meaning the body, and the "children", which are evil deeds, are given over to torture in order to save the spirit, so that such a man can no longer steal. 26–27. But that servant fell down and worshiped him, saying: Master, wait for me, and I will restore everything to you. And the master took pity on that servant, and let him go and forgave his debt. Do you see the power of repentance and God's humanity. Therefore, in repentance, the servant fell on his face before his master and stopped his evil deeds, because he who persists in evil is not worthy of forgiveness. God, in His human-loving servant, completely forgave the debt, although he did not ask for a complete forgiveness at all, but only an extension of the deadline. Know, then, that God gives us more than we ask for, because His love for humanity is so great that even what seems cruel to us, I mean the command to sell the servant, God did not say out of mercy, but with the intention of scaring the servant and encouraging him to turn to Him in prayer. 28–30. And when that servant came out, he found one of his friends who owed him a hundred dinars, and he caught him and began to strangle him, saying: Give me what you owe! His friend fell at his feet and begged him, saying: Wait for me and I will restore everything to you. And he did not want to, but took him away and threw him in prison until he paid back the debt. The one whose debt was forgiven a little while ago, goes free and is already strangling his friend. A man who is so merciless and insensitive does not abide in God, but has departed from God and alienated himself from Him. Such was the inhumanity of the servants that, although he was forgiven such a large debt (of ten thousand talents), he was not ready to forgive his friend even the smallest debt (of one hundred dinars), and not even to extend his term, despite the fact that his friend said the same thing as him, thus reminding him of the words that saved him: "Wait for me and I will pay you everything back." 31. When his friends saw that event, they were very sad, and went and explained to their master everything that had happened. "His friends" are angels who appear here as haters of evil and lovers of good. They do not say this to the Lord because He did not know it, but to teach you that the angels take care of us and resent our inhumanity. 32–34. Then his master called him and said to him: Wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your friend, just as I had mercy on you? And his master was angry, and handed him over to the tormentors until he returned all that he owed him. The master in his humanity judges the servant in order to show that forgiveness is withdrawn not because of him but because of his cruelty and ingratitude. What torturers does he hand him over to? Probably by the punishing forces (of darkness) to eternal torture. "Until he pays back all that he owed him", means that he will suffer until he pays all his debt. But, since he will never be able to repay what he owes, that is, the due and deserved punishment, he will be eternally tormented (in hell). 35. My heavenly Father will do the same to you, if you do not forgive your brother from the bottom of your heart their trespasses. He did not say "Your Father", but "My Father", because such people are unworthy to have God as their Father. He wants us to forgive our neighbors from the heart, not just with words. Just think how bad memory is when it turns away God's gift. Although God does not repent of his gifts, they can still be withdrawn. On marriage, divorce and celibacy, Jesus blesses children, about a rich young man, about the reward to the Apostles for their devotion to Christ 1–2. And when Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and came to the regions of Judea across the Jordan. 290 Many people followed him and he healed them there. He goes to Judea again so that the unbelieving among the inhabitants of Judea would not have an excuse to say that he did not come to them as often as to the Galileans. After the teaching and sermon, miracles follow. So we should not only teach, but also act. However, the foolish Pharisees, seeing the miracles, instead of believing, tested Him again. Listen further. 3–6. And the Pharisees approached him to test him, and said to him: Is it permissible for a man to divorce his wife for every fault. And he answered and said to them: Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator created them male and female? 291 And he said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, and he will cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So that they are no longer two, but one body; and what God put together man should not take apart. What madness! They thought that they would confuse Christ with their questions, because if He had said that it was permissible to divorce a woman for any reason, they could have said to Him: "Then why did you say that one should not divorce her, except for adultery." 292 And if He had said that it is not lawful to divorce a woman, they would have accused Him of teaching contrary to what Moses established. Moses, in fact, determined that a man can divorce his wife if he hates her, even without a valid reason. 293 What, then, does Christ answer? He shows that God, who created us, established monogamy from the beginning, because, "from the beginning, God", he says, "made one man with one woman, so that it is not right for one man to take more than one wife, nor for one woman to take more than one husband, but they should remain as they were made from the beginning and not separate without reason". He did not say: "I created them male and female", so as not to offend the Pharisees, but rather vaguely says: "He who created them". Therefore, God is so pleased with the good of marriage that He allowed women to leave their parents and follow their husbands. But why is it written in the book of Genesis that Adam said: "For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother", 294 when here Christ says that God said that? Because Adam spoke from God, and the words of Adam are also the words of God. Since they thus became one body, united to each other by natural love, it is not just for the husband to separate from the wife, just as it is not just to cut off a part of a person's body. The Lord does not say: "Let Moses not separate them", so as not to offend them, but says: "Let no man separate them", thus showing the difference between God who put them together and man who separates them. 7–9. They said to him: What then did Moses command to give the book of dismissal and to dismiss it? He said to them: Moses allowed you because of the hardness of your hearts to divorce your wives; and it wasn't like that from the beginning. And I say to you: Whoever divorces his wife except for adultery, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. When the Pharisees saw that the Lord had silenced them, they were forced to refer to Moses who allegedly contradicted Christ and said: "Why did Moses command that the woman be given a book of discharge and be dismissed?" Then the Lord turns the accusation against them and defends Moses, saying: "Moses did not establish this because he wanted to legalize what is against God, but because of your corruption, so that you would not kill your first wives with the intention of taking others in your lust." The Israelites in their anger and cruelty would have killed their wives if they had been forced to keep them. That is why Moses established that a book of discharge should be given to women who were hated by their husbands. "But I say to you", continues the Lord, "that the woman who committed adultery should be put away as an adulteress, but the one who divorces a woman who did not commit adultery takes part in her adultery if he remarries." Also understand that "the one who unites with the Lord is one spirit with Him", 295 and the believer's soul enters into marriage with Christ. We have all become one body with Him and are members of the body of Christ. Therefore, no one can break such a union, as Paul says: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" Therefore, what God has joined together, nothing can separate, as Paul says, 296 neither man, nor any other creature, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers. 10. His disciples said to him: If this is the case with a man and a woman, it is not good to marry. The students were confused and therefore said: "If the husband and wife are united to be inseparable for the whole life, and the husband must not drive away the wife if she is of a bad nature, then it is better not to marry." Therefore, it is easier not to marry, and to fight against natural desires, than to put up with an ugly wife. When they say: "If it is so for a man and a woman", they mean an indissoluble conjugal union. Some interpret it in this way: "If it is like that for a man, that is, if a man who illegally divorces his wife causes such reproach and condemnation, then it is not good to marry." 11. And he said to them: Not all can receive that word except those to whom it is given. Since the disciples said that it is better not to get married, the Lord says that virginity is a great virtue, which not everyone can preserve, but only those who are helped by God, because the words: "Those who are given" here refer to those who are helped by God. 297 Therefore, it is given to those who ask for it, because the Lord says: "Ask and it will be given to you, because everyone who asks receives." 298 12. Because there are those who have been baptized who were thus born from the womb of their mother; and there are prisoners who were imprisoned by people; and there are those who have been ordained who have ordained themselves to the Kingdom for the sake of heaven. Whoever can receive, let him receive. Few, he says, achieve the virtue of virginity. Some are born from their mother's womb, in other words, they are like that by nature and are not attracted to carnal union with a woman, and they live in celibacy without reward. There are also those that people have collected. 299 However, those who have been emasculated who have emasculated themselves "for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven" are not those who have mutilated themselves, because that deserves damnation, but those who live in abstinence. He also understands this in the following way. A concubine by nature is one who has no natural affection for carnal love; of men he is excommunicated who, by the advice of men, cuts off the flame of carnal lust; and he who has not been taught this by others, but strives for prudence himself, has cultivated himself. The latter is also the best, because he is not guided by others, but guides himself towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ wants us to live virtuously with our free will, and he says: "Whoever can receive, let him receive", because he does not demand virginity by force, nor does he forbid marriage, but he values ​​virginity more. 13–15. Then they brought the children to him so that he could lay his hands on them and pray; and the students picked them up. And Jesus said: Let the children go, and do not prevent them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such. And laying his hands on them, he left. Mothers brought their children so that Christ would bless them by laying His hands on them. But, since they were creating a crowd, the students "begged" them to come closer. They also thought that children detracted from His dignity as a teacher. In order to show that His loved ones are calm, Christ tells them: "Let the children come to Me, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such". He did not say "these", but "such", which means that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who have simplicity, harmlessness and non-maleficence. Therefore, when you are teaching and someone approaches you with simple children's questions, accept them and do not reject them. 16–17. And look, someone approached and said to him: Gentle teacher, what good thing should I do to have eternal life? And he said to him: Why do you call me gentle? No one is gentle except one God. The young man 300 did not come to tempt Christ, but wanted to learn something, being thirsty for eternal life. Nevertheless, he approaches Christ as a simple man, so the Lord says to him: "Why do you call me gentle? No one is gentle except God alone.» This means, if you call me gentle thinking that I am one of the teachers, you are wrong, because no man is good by himself, because we are changeable and easily deviate, but also because compared to God's goodness, human goodness is the worst of evil. 17–19. And if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to him: Which one? And Jesus said: Kill not; do not commit adultery; don't steal; do not testify falsely; respect your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself. The Lord directs the young man to the commandments of the Law, so that the Jews cannot say that He despises the Law. What happened next? 20. The young man said to him: I have preserved all this from my youth; what else am i missing? Some say that the young man was proud and boastful, because how could he gain love for his neighbor if he was rich, since none of those who love his neighbor can be richer than him. Others, again, understand it in this way: "Suppose," he says, "that I have preserved all this." What else am I missing?» 21–22. Jesus said to him: If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; so follow me. And when the young man heard the word, he went away sad; because he had many properties. "Everything, then, that you say you saved, you achieved by being a Jew (fulfilling only the letter of the Law). But if you want to be perfect, that is, My disciple and Christian, go and sell everything you have and give it all away, keeping nothing for yourself under the pretext that you can constantly give alms.» He did not tell him "give alms to the poor", but "give it" once and for all and save it. But since there are those who give alms, and at the same time lead a life full of all impurity, he adds: "Come, follow me", which means: acquire all other virtues. Nevertheless, the young man became sad, because although he wanted eternal life and the "land" of his heart was deep and fertile, he was suffocated by the "thorns" of wealth, because he "had", as he says, "many possessions". The man who has little does not hold him back, while the bonds of greater wealth are much stronger. While talking to the rich young man, the Lord told him that he would have treasure in heaven because he was greedy. 23–24. And Jesus said to his disciples: Verily I say unto you, that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And I tell you again: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. While a person is rich and lives in abundance, and others do not even have what they need (for life), they will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But as soon as he gives away all his wealth, then he is no longer rich and can enter freely. It is as impossible for a man who has much wealth to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. You see, therefore, how Christ first said that it is difficult for the rich to enter, while here he says that it is completely impossible for him. 301 Some say that the "camel" is not an animal, but a thick rope with which sailors tie their anchors. 25–26. And when the disciples heard this, they were very surprised, saying: Who, then, can be saved? And Jesus looked at them and said to them: With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. As people who love people, the disciples do not ask this for themselves, because they were poor, but for the sake of all people. The Lord, however, teaches them not to measure salvation by human weakness, but by the power of God. If a person leaves himself to greed, he will give away more and more of the excess, so that in the end he will also give away what he needs and thus save himself with God's help. 27. Then Peter answered and said to him: Because we left everything and followed you; so what will become of us? Although it seems that Peter did not leave anything particularly big, since he was poor, you should still know that he really left a lot, because it happens that the less we have, the more we are attached to it. Petar despised all worldly pleasures and natural love for parents, because not only rich people but also poor people struggle with these passions 302. What, then, does the Lord answer him? 28. And Jesus said to them: Truly I say to you that you who follow me, in the new life, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, will sit alone on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Are they really going to sit there? Surely not. The Lord wants to use the throne to indicate the great honor that will be given to them. And will Judas also sit there? It will not, because Christ says: "Who followed Me", which means: "Who remained faithful to Me to the end", and Judas was not faithful to Him to the end. According to another interpretation, God often promises reward to those who are worthy. But if they change and become unworthy, as was the case with Judas, He also withdraws the reward. It's the same with threats. The Lord often threatens but does not carry out the threats, if we repent. By "new life" 303 he understands the Resurrection. 29. And everyone who has left a house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for the sake of my name, will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life. Lest anyone think that Christ's words refer only to the disciples, the Lord extends his promise to all who will do so. Instead of with carnal relatives, they will be in kinship and brotherhood with God himself. Instead of the fields, they will inherit paradise; instead of stone houses, the heavenly Jerusalem; instead of mothers, venerable old women; instead of fathers, priests; instead of a wife, all pious women, but not in marriage - none of that - but in love and spiritual kinship. The Lord does not order us to separate ourselves from our neighbors just like that, but only when they hinder us in piety. In the same way, he teaches us to despise our life and body, but not to kill ourselves, but the passions. Do you see how good God is? He not only gives us all this but also promises us eternal life. Therefore, try to sell all your "property" and give it to the poor. And property is: for the angry - anger, for the fornicator - the desire for fornication, for the bad memory - bad memory. Therefore, sell all that and give it to the "poor" - demons, who lack in every good thing. Turn your passions against the cause of passion and then you will acquire the treasure, that is, Christ in your "heavens", that is, high in your heart, because the one who himself has become like the heavenly God has the heavens in himself. 30. But many who are first will be last and the last first. Christ here means Jews and Gentiles, because the Jews who were first became the last, while the Gentiles were the last to be placed in the right place (because they believed in Christ). But, in order for you to understand this better, the Lord tells the following story. The story of the laborers in the vineyard, the journey to Jerusalem and the third prediction of suffering, the plea of ​​the mother of the sons of Zebedee and the primacy, the healing of the two blind men of Jericho 1–7. Because the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who goes out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And having agreed with the laborers for a dinar a day, he sent them to his vineyard. And going out around the third hour, 304 he saw others standing idle in the square. And he said to them: You also go to my vineyard, and I will give you what is right. And they left. And going out again around the sixth and ninth hours, he did so. And at about the eleventh hour, going out, he found others standing idle and said to them: Why are you standing here all day idle? They said to him: Because nobody hires us. He said to them: you also go to my vineyard, and you will receive what is right. The "kingdom of heaven" is Christ, who took on the likeness of man, taking on our likeness. 305 He is also called "the host", because He is the master of the house, that is, of the Church. Therefore, Christ came out of the arms of the Father to hire workers in the "vineyard", that is, in the study of the Scriptures and the fulfillment of the commandments. He also hires every man to work in the vineyard of his soul. 306 He hires one "in the morning", that is, at a child's age, the other at "three o'clock" - in his youth. On the third, again, at the "sixth" and "ninth hour", when they are twenty-five, thirty years old or more, or simply at the age of maturity. He hires the latter at the eleventh hour as elders, because there are many who believed even in their old age. You can understand this story in another way: "day" means the time in which we live, because in it we work as during the day. Therefore, the Lord called to the "first hour" those who lived at the time of Enoch 307 and Noah; 308 in the "third hour" of those from the time of Abraham; in the "sixth hour" the people from the time of Moses; at the "ninth hour" of the Prophet, and at the "eleventh hour", that is, at the end of time, the Lord called the Gentiles, who were deprived of every good work. No one had hired them, because no prophet had been sent to the Gentiles. 8-16. And when it was evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward: Call the workers and give them their wages, starting from the last to the first. And when they came who were the most generous around eleven o'clock, they received a dinar each. And when they came first, they thought they would receive more, and they also received a dinar each. And receiving the roptaha to the host, saying: Here these last worked for an hour, so make them equal with us who endured the burden of the day and the heat. And he answered and said to one of them: Friend, I do you no injustice; didn't you guess with me for a dinar? Take yours and go; and I want to give to this last one as well as to you. Or am I not free to do what I want? Is it evil in your eyes that I am good? So the last will be first and the first last; because many are called and few are chosen. "Evening" means the end of the world. So, in the end, everyone receives one dinar. "Dinar" is the grace of the Holy Spirit that transforms man in the image of God and makes him a sharer of the divine nature. Those who lived before the coming of Christ worked harder, because death had not yet been conquered, nor had the devil been conquered, but sin still reigned. But we, who are justified by the grace of Christ through Baptism, receive the power to defeat our enemy the devil, whom Christ has already defeated and conquered. According to the first interpretation, those who believed in their youth have a greater struggle ahead of them than those who believed in their old age, because the young man, struggling with the passions, must bear the burden of anger and the fire of lust, while the old man lives in tranquility (because his passions have subsided). However, everyone is worthy of the same gift and grace of the Holy Spirit. This story teaches us that even in old age it is possible to repent and gain the Kingdom of Heaven, because it is the "eleventh hour". Saints do not envy those who receive the same reward. There was none of that. Here, however, it is seen that the treasures that the righteous will inherit are such that they could make even the saints envious. 17–21. And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve disciples alone on the way, and said to them: Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes; and shall condemn him to death; and they will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock him and to scourge and crucify him; the third day of resurrection. Then the mother of Zebedee's sons approached him with her sons, bowing to him and begging him for something. And he said to her: What do you want? He said to him: Tell these two sons of mine to sit, one on your right and one on your left, in your kingdom. The sons of Zebedee (Jacob and John), thought that if the Lord goes to Jerusalem, he will rule over the earthly and transitory kingdom there, because they often heard Him say: "We are going to Jerusalem." Being defeated by human weakness, they persuaded their mother 309 to beseech Christ, because they were afraid to approach Him publicly themselves. That is why they approach Him secretly, as Mark says, 310 who writes that James and John came before Him, wanting to say that they came secretly and privately. 22. And Jesus answered and said: You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I will drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They told him: We can. Leaving the mother, the Lord addresses the sons, wanting to show that it is not unknown to Him that they persuaded their mother. He tells them: "You do not know what you are asking", that is, you are asking for what is great and terrible and for angelic powers. In order to dissuade them from such thoughts, he presents them with the dangers that await them. He asked them a question not because he did not know the answer, but so that they would realize by their answer that they were wounded by pride, and would do their best to fulfill their promise. That is why he says to them: "Since no one can have a share in My Kingdom, if they do not have a share in My suffering, tell me if you are ready to suffer in the same way as Me"? He calls His suffering and death a "cup", at the same time showing that dying is as easy as tasting a glass of wine. That is why we should always be ready to suffer. This also shows that He willingly goes to death. Just as the one who drinks a glass of wine is easily overcome by sleep, so the one who drinks the "cup of suffering" is overcome by the sleep of death. He calls his death "baptism", because it cleanses us all. The apostles, therefore, made promises lightly, not knowing what they were saying, just to get what they were asking for. 23. And he said to them: Therefore, you will drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but to whom my Father has prepared. "That you will suffer", I know that. And so it happened, because James was killed by Herod, and John was condemned by Trajan for testifying to the word of truth. 311 "But to sit (on the right and on the left), it is not mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared", that is, to those who find themselves with all the other virtues in addition to the martyr's crown. Such will receive the gift. This gift is prepared for those who have worked hard, just as the crowns of victory in the games are given only to the contestants. Imagine that a race is being held, judged by the emperor himself, and that one who has never run at all approaches and says to the judge: "Give me a crown, O judge, even though I did not compete!" The emperor will certainly answer him: "It is not mine to give you a crown without merit, because it belongs to the one for whom it was prepared", that is, to the one who ran and won. That is why Christ says here: "I cannot give you a gift to sit on the right side of My throne, because that place belongs to those who have made an effort and for whom that place has been prepared." You will ask: "Will anyone sit there at all?" Know very well that no one will sit there. That place belongs only to the divine nature, because to which of the angels did God ever say: "Sit at my right hand"? 312 The Lord said this because of their doubt, because they asked to sit on the right and left of the Lord, not understanding that the One who told them that he would sit on twelve thrones, wanted to show with what glory they would be crowned for their virtues. 24–28. And when the ten heard that, they were angry with those two brothers. And Jesus called them and said: You know that the princes of the nations rule over them and the great ones rule over them. Let it not be so among you; but whoever wants to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever wants to be first among you, let him be your servant; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. When the ten saw how Christ rebuked the two brothers, they themselves began to resent, showing that they too cared about such an honor. Being still imperfect, James and John wanted to rise above the other ten, while the other apostles, again, envied the two brothers. Since the ten apostles were confused after hearing these words, the Lord calls them and reassures them with His own call before He said anything to them. Namely, the sons of Zebedee talked with Christ in private, separating themselves from the rest. Now the Lord is speaking to everyone together. Knowing that the love of power is a great tyrant of the soul, and deserves severe punishment, Christ calms them even more by comparing them to heathens and unbelievers who run after fleeting glory. He shames them by saying: "Other people brag about being princes and rulers, because the love of power is the passion of the Gentiles, however, my disciples get honor for their humility, which is reflected in the fact that the one who wants to be greater should serve those who are subordinate to him, which is a sign of ultimate humility. I show it to you myself, because I am the Ruler and King in the heavens who calmed down and came to serve your salvation. I will serve you to the extent that I will give my soul for the redemption of many", that is, for all, because "many" means all people. 29–34. And when they went out of Jericho, many people followed him. And behold, two blind men sat by the road, and hearing that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, saying: Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. And the people threatened them to keep quiet; and they cried out even more, saying: Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David! And standing Jesus called them and said: What do you want me to do for you? They said to him: Lord, let our eyes be opened. And Jesus had mercy, and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes opened, and they followed him. Rumors had reached the blind about the Lord, and therefore, when they heard that he was passing by, they took advantage of the opportunity, believing that Jesus was of the seed of David according to the flesh and that he could heal them. Their faith was so strong that they did not keep silent even when they threatened them, but shouted even louder. That is why He does not ask them if they have faith, but immediately what they want, so that no one would think that they wanted one thing, and He gave them another. The Lord shows that they did not cry out to get a piece of silver, but to be healed. He heals them with His touch so that we too learn that every limb of His holy body is a life-giving limb of God. Although Luke and Mark mention only one blind man, they do not contradict Matthew, because they mentioned what they considered more important. Another explanation is that Luke tells how Christ healed a blind man before entering Jericho, while Mark mentions another healing, when the Lord had already left the city. To summarize the story, Matthew includes both cases in one event. By "blind" he understands the gentiles whom the Lord healed along the way, because He did not come for the sake of the gentiles, but for the sake of the children of Israel. Just as the blind people learned about Jesus through the rumor, so the Gentiles also believed through the rumor. Those who threatened the blind, telling them not to mention the name of Jesus, are emperors-persecutors (of Christians). They tried to silence the Church, but She confessed the name of Christ even louder. That is why she is healed and sees the light of truth even more clearly and follows Christ, imitating Him with her life. Christ's entry into Jerusalem, the expulsion of merchants from the church, the barren fig tree, about the authority of Christ, the story of the two sons and the evil husbandmen, about the cornerstone 1–5. And when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage towards the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: Go into the village that is towards you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and the donkeys with her; untie her and bring it to me. And if someone tells you something, say that the Lord needs them; and will send them immediately. And all this was to fulfill what was said through the prophet who says: Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your King comes to you meek, and he rides on a donkey, and a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. The Lord sat on the donkey not for any other need, but to fulfill the prophecy and show us how we should be humble. That's why he didn't sit on a saddled horse, but on an unsightly donkey. He fulfills prophecy 313 both literally and figuratively: literally, because he sat on a donkey, which everyone could see, and figuratively because he sat on a donkey, which signifies burdened Jews, and donkeys, that is, wild and unruly Gentiles. 314 The donkey and the donkeys were bound by the bridle of their sins. Two (apostles) were sent to absolve them: Paul to the Gentiles and Peter to the circumcised, that is, to the Jews, just as the apostolic epistles and the Gospel absolve us of our sins to this day. Christ comes meekly, because in His first coming He did not come to judge the world, but to save it. While other Jewish kings were greedy and unjust men, Christ was a meek king. 6–7. And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the donkeys, and put their clothes on them, and sat on them. While Luke and Mark mention only the donkey, Matthew talks about the donkey and her foal. However, they did not contradict each other, because when they brought the donkeys, his mother followed him. He sat "on them", not on both animals, but on the spread clothes. Or, according to another interpretation, he sat first on a donkey, and then on donkeys, because he first lived in the Jewish community, and then came among the Gentile nations. 8–9. And many people spread their clothes on the road, while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. And the people, who went before him and behind him, shouted saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna on high. In a literal sense, the spreading of the robes is an expression of great respect, just as the carrying of (palm) branches shows a festive mood. But, in a figurative sense, understand that the apostles first laid their "clothes", which are their virtues, on the donkeys, and only then did the Lord sit on them. The soul, therefore, will not be able to carry the Lord on itself until it first adorns itself with apostolic virtues. "The people who went before Him" ​​are prophets who lived before Christ's incarnation, while "those who followed Him" ​​are martyrs and teachers (from later times). They spread their clothes on the road, that is, they subjugate the body to the spirit, because the "dress" represents the body which is the covering of the soul. Therefore, the dresses were spread along the road, and the "road" is Christ himself, because He says: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life". 315 Therefore, until a person "spreads his clothes on the road", that is, until he calms his body and stays on the path that is Christ, removing himself from heresy, he will not be able to carry the Lord on him. The words "Hosanna" are said to mean "song" or "psalm". Others say more precisely that it means "Save (us) now". 316 "He who is coming" is the Lord himself, whose coming the Jews have been expecting for a long time. That's why John the Forerunner says: "You are the One who is coming", which means "the One whose arrival we expect". In addition, the Lord is called "He who is coming", because His arrival can be expected every day. Therefore, each of us must constantly expect with hope and prepare for the end of the world and the coming of the Lord. 10-11. And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was alarmed, saying: Who is this? And the people said: This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. The people, being simple and harmless, did not feel malice towards Christ, although they did not understand exactly who He was. That is why they now call Him "Prophet". But since the word "prophet" is used with the definite article, it can be understood that the people are talking about the "long-awaited Prophet" about whom Moses said: "The Lord will raise up a prophet for you." 317 Therefore, they did not say: "This is (some) prophet, but "This is (that) Prophet, that is, the One they were waiting for with hope. 12–13. And Jesus entered the church of God, expelled all those who were selling and buying in the church, and cleaned the tables of those who changed money, and the benches of those who sold doves. And he said to them. It is written: 318 Let it be called my home the home of prayer; and you made a robber's cave out of it. As master of the house, that is, the Church, the Lord threw out the merchants, showing that everything that belongs to His Father belongs to Himself. He did this in His care for the more beautiful Church, but also to show that the sacrifices will be changed. Having chased away the calves and pigeons, he predicted in this way that the sacrifice of slaughtered animals will no longer be needed, but prayers, because, as he says: "My house is a house of prayer, and you have made it a robber's cave", since massacres and bloodshed take place in robber's caves. He also called the church a "cave of robbers" because of those who engaged in fraud, buying and selling. He calls it so because greed is a robber's passion. Money changers got their name from "kolivos", a type of small money, like we have oboles and silver coins. 319 "Sellers of doves" are also those who sell church ranks, 320 because they sell the grace of the Holy Spirit (who appeared in the form of a dove). 321 Such people are expelled not only from the higher but also from the earthly Church, since they are unworthy to serve the altar. And you take care not to turn the "church of God", your mind, into a "cave of robbers", that is, the abode of demons. Our mind will become a "cave" if we keep in our heart avaricious thoughts about selling, buying and collecting money, even if it is the smallest coins (koliv). And the church of our body will become a "cave of robbers" if we buy and sell "pigeons", that is, spiritual teachings and thoughts (for material gain). 14. And the lame and the blind came to him in the church, and he healed them. By healing the sick, Christ shows that He is God and that He rightly uses His authority to expel the unworthy from His home. From this it is clearly seen that the Jews who offered animal sacrifices according to the Law were driven out, and the blind and lame Gentiles entered the Church and were healed. 15–16. And when the high priests and scribes saw the miracles that he did, and the children shouting in the church and saying: Hosanna to the Son of David, they were angry. And they said to him: Do you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to them: Yes! Have you never read: From the mouth of children and infants you have made your own praise? When the Pharisees saw that the children were singing David's song to Christ, which the prophet dedicated to God, 322 they shouted angrily at Jesus, rebuking Him for allowing them to sing to Him a song that belongs only to God. But the Lord, in order to protect the children, says: "Yes! Not only will I not rebuke those who praise Me like that, but I also bring the prophet (David) as a witness, in order to show that you are ignorant and envious. "Didn't you," he says to them, "read the words: From the mouth of children and infants you made praise for yourself?" 323 "To make praise" means to compose a perfect and worthy song, even though children and infants seem imperfect and immature for their age. Actually, these words were not even spoken by the children, but the Holy Spirit Himself spoke through their mouths using them as His tools. That is why he says: "from the mouth of the children", finding that these were not words from their minds, but only their mouths were moved by the grace of God. With this, the Lord predicted that the Gentiles, who were "children and infants" in mind, would bless Him. This was also a consolation for the apostles, because they too would be given the word of God even though they were simple and ignorant. If, therefore, you are also "childish with malice", 324 becoming non-malice, and nourished with the spiritual milk of divine words, you will be worthy to sing the praises of God. 17. And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there. Christ leaves them as unworthy and goes to Bethany, which in translation means "house of obedience". Therefore, He departs from those who are disobedient to those who are obedient to Him and dwells with them, because He says: "I will live among them and I will walk among them." 325 18–20. And in the morning returning to the city of hunger; and seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves, 326 and said to it: May there never be any fruit from you forever and immediately the fig tree withers. And when the disciples saw that, they marveled, saying: How the fig tree immediately withered. The Lord often performed miracles and they were always for the good and benefit of people, because he did not do any miracle to punish someone. Nevertheless, so that they would not think that He is not able to punish, here He also shows this ability, but not applying it, being a man-loving person, on people but on a tree, as He did before with a herd of pigs. He caused the tree to wither in order to make people understand. The disciples were rightly amazed, since the fig has a lot of liquid in it. That's why the miracle was even greater, because she immediately dried up. "Fig" also means the Jewish synagogue, which has only "leaves", therefore, the visible letter of the Law, but not the fruit of the Holy Spirit. However, every person who gives himself up to the pleasures of earthly life is similar to this fig tree, because such a person has no spiritual fruit to give to Christ when he is hungry, but only leaves that wither and fall away like fleeting fantasies of this world. The curse applies to such a person, because Christ says: "Depart from me cursed into the fire." 327 Such a man will wither like a fig, roasted in the fire of hell, and his tongue will dry up like the tongue of the rich man (in the story of poor Lazarus). 328 21–22. And Jesus answered and said to them: Truly I say to you: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only what happened to the fig tree, but also to this mountain if you say: Get up and throw yourself into the sea, it will happen. And everything you ask for in prayer believing, you will receive. It is a great promise that Christ gives to his disciples. He promises them that he will move them upstairs, if only they do not suspect. Whatever we ask for, unshakably believing in the power of God, we will receive. "Yes, but if I ask for something that is not beneficial to me, and I unreasonably believe that God will give it to me, will God grant it to me?" How will the human-loving God fulfill my unchristian request? Listen carefully, when you hear about faith, you should understand that it is not unreasonable faith, but real faith. In the same way, consider the right prayer to be only a prayer that asks for what is of (spiritual) benefit to us, because the Lord gave us such a prayer, after all, saying: "Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil one" and so on. Then, pay attention to the words: "and do not doubt". How can a man who is inseparably united with God and is one with Him, seek something that is not for his (spiritual) benefit? Therefore, if we remain in communion with God and completely surrendered to Him, we will seek only what is beneficial and we will receive it. 23–27. And when he entered the church and began to teach, the high priests and the elders of the people approached him, saying: By what authority do you do this? And who gave you that power? And Jesus answered and said to them: I will also ask you one word, which if you tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do this. Where was John's baptism from? From heaven, or from people? And they thought to themselves, saying: If we say: from heaven, they will say to us: Why, then, do you not believe him. If we say: from the people, we are afraid of the people; because everyone considers John to be a prophet. And answering Jesus they said: We do not know. He also said to them: I will not tell you by what authority I am doing this. Full of hatred that he drove the merchants out of the Church, the teachers of the Law approached and asked Him in approximately these words: «Who are you to drive out of the Church those who work there? Maybe you're not a priest? But you don't have a priestly rank. Maybe you're the emperor? But you're not even a king, and even if you were, you wouldn't have the authority to do that, because even kings aren't allowed to do such things in the Church." This is how they spoke to the Lord, because if He had said: "I do this according to My authority", they would have slandered Him as a rebel because He says that He alone has authority. If He had said that He was doing it by God's authority, they would have driven away from Him a multitude of people who glorified Him as God, saying to them: "Look, He is not God and He is doing all this by God's authority, as a servant." How, then, does Christ, who is the true Wisdom of God, respond? He catches the Jewish wise men in their cunning, and also asks them about John; because if they say that John's preaching is from heaven, they will find themselves as God-fighters, since they did not accept it. If, again, they say that he is from the people, they would find themselves in danger from the people, because everyone considered John to be a prophet. With this example, the Lord shows us that those who ask us with malicious intent should not be answered, because He did not answer the Jews who asked Him with cunning, although He could have done so. At the same time, we can learn that it is not Christian to praise oneself in front of others, because the Lord could have said by what authority he does all this, and yet he did not say, so that it would not appear that he was boasting (before the Jews). 28–32. And what do you think? A certain man had two sons, and coming to the first one, he said: Son, go work in my vineyard today. And he answered and said: I will not! And then he repents and leaves. And approaching the other, he said the same. And he answered and said: I will, master! And he doesn't leave. Which of these two did his father's will? They said to him: The first. Jesus said to them: Verily I say unto you, that tax collectors and harlots shall enter the kingdom of God before you. Because John came to you in a righteous way, and you did not believe him; and the customs officers and harlots believed him; and you, having seen it, do not repent afterwards of believing him. The Lord is showing us two types of people here. The first of them are the Jews who promised from the beginning saying: "We will do everything the Lord tells us and we will be obedient to him." 329 Another type of people are those who did not obey immediately, such as harlots and tax collectors, but also the Gentile people, who did not want to obey God's will from the beginning, but later repented and became obedient. Do you see before the wisdom of God? He did not immediately tell them at the beginning: "Tax collectors and harlots are better than you", but first he made them admit that of the two sons, the one who fulfilled his will was more obedient to his father. And when they agreed with that, he continued by telling them: "John came by the way of the righteous, that is, he lived a virtuous and blameless life, and you cannot say that there was anything wicked in his life, and yet the harlots obeyed him, and you did not. That is why he will "go before you", that is, he will enter the Kingdom of Heaven before you. Do your best to believe so that you can follow them into the Kingdom". If you do not believe, you will not enter (into the Kingdom of Heaven) at all. Even today, many promise to God, their Father, that they will become monks or priests and that they will live a virtuous life, but then they neglect their promise. Others, however, did not even promise to lead a monastic or priestly life, yet they live virtuously like priests and monks. Therefore, obedient sons are those who live a virtuous life, even though they have not promised anything. 33. Listen to another story: there was a man who planted a vineyard, fenced it with a fence, dug a cellar in it, built a tower, gave it to the vinedressers, and left. 330 The Lord tells the Jews another story in order to show them that they did not repent and become better, even though God made them worthy of His great care and attention. The "host man" is the Lord Himself, who calls Himself "man" in His love for humanity. "Vineyard" is the Jewish people that the Lord planted on the promised land, because he says: "You will take them and plant them on your holy mountain." 331 "Plot" is the Law that did not allow them to mix with the Gentiles, or the holy angels who guarded Israel. "Pivnica" 332 is the altar, and the "tower" (Jerusalem) is the Church. "Vinegrowers" are teachers of the Law: Pharisees and scribes. Therefore, the God of the host left and did not speak to them anymore from the "pillar of cloud". 333 The departure of God is His long-suffering, because when the Lord is long-suffering and does not rush to retaliate against those who do injustice, it seems as if He is sleeping or has gone somewhere far away. 34–39. And when the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to receive his fruits. And the husbandmen, seizing his servants, beat one, and killed one, and stoned one. Again he sent other servants, more than before, and they did the same to them. And finally he sent his son to them, saying: They will be ashamed of my son. And the husbandmen, seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir; go, that we may kill him, and appropriate his inheritance. And they caught him, took him out of the vineyard, and killed him. The harvest time approached in the time of the Prophets, because the "servants" sent by God were prophets. They suffered in various ways from the "vineyards", that is, the false prophets and teachers of the time. Some of them broke out, like the prophet Micaiah who was struck in the jaw by Zedekiah; 334 killed others, like Zacharias (Father of the Forerunner), who was killed between the Church and the altar; 335 and they stoned some, like Zechariah, the son of high priest Jehodai. 336 Finally, the Son of God himself was sent, who appeared in the flesh. God says: "They will be ashamed of My Son", not because He did not know that He would be killed, but to show how they should act, because they were obliged to at least respect the dignity of the son if they had already killed the servants. However, the vinedressers saw him and said: "This is the heir; come to kill him," just as the Jews (later) said: "This is Christ" and crucified the Son of God. They took him outside the vineyard because our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified outside the city. 337 Since we have already said that the "vineyard" signifies the Jewish people, the Lord was crucified by the Pharisees, the evil vinedressers, outside the "vineyard", that is, against the will of the simple and innocent people. 40–41. Therefore, when the master of the vineyard comes, what will he do to the vinedressers? They told him: The criminals will be put to death by an evil death, and the vineyard will be given to other winegrowers, who will give him fruits in due time. What time is meant here? Is it at the time of the second coming of the Lord? It seems that it can be understood that way, although it is better to understand these words in the following way: "the master of the vineyard" is God the Father. He sent His Son who was killed by the Jews. When, therefore, He comes, that is, when He looks at the iniquities committed by the Jews, then He will "put the criminals to death by an evil death" by sending the Roman army against them, 338 and He will give His "vineyard", i.e. His people, to other "vineyards" - apostles and teachers. Understand that "vineyard" also means the divine Scriptures, in which "flesh" is a letter, and a dug "wine cellar" is the depth of the Spirit. "Tower" is a sublime theological teaching. Therefore, these Letters were first possessed by the "evil husbandmen", the Pharisees, and God handed them over to us, the "good husbandmen" who cultivate them well. They killed the Lord "outside the vineyard", that is, despite what the (Old Testament) Scriptures said about Christ. 42–44. Jesus said to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; it would be from the Lord and it is wonderful in our eyes. That is why I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and will be given to a nation that produces its fruits. And whoever stumbles on this stone will be broken; and on whomever he falls, he crushes him. The "stone" signifies Christ himself, while the "masons" are the Jewish teachers who rejected Him as unnecessary, saying: "You are a Samaritan and there is a demon in you." 339 But when He rose from the dead, He was appointed as the "head of the corner", that is, He became the Head of the Church that unites Jews and Gentiles in one faith. Just as a stone placed in the corner of a building unites one wall with the one that continues from it into one whole, so Christ united and connected everything in one faith. This "cornerstone" is miraculous and is the work of the Lord. 340 Therefore, the Church that connects and unites us in one faith is a work of the Lord that is worthy of great admiration because it is well built. It is also miraculous because it is witnessed by miracles and miraculous. Therefore, the "Kingdom of God" was taken from the Jews, that is, the communion they had with God, and it was given to those who believed. Those who stumble over this "stone" 341 and stumble over Christ will be "broken" at the second coming of the Lord, even though they are still scattered throughout the universe, as we now see is the case with the unfortunate Jews. That's what the words mean: "they will crush him", that is, they will scatter him (throughout the world). 45–46. And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his stories, they understood that he was talking about them. And trying to catch him, they feared the people, because they considered him a prophet. Do you see once again how the people, harmless and non-malevolent, follow the truth, while the teachers of the Law do evil. The Jews to this day want to catch Jesus, but they fail to catch him or understand him, because they will accept the Antichrist 342 and worship him. And Christ will not be received, that is, understood. The story of the wedding of the king's son, the God of God, the king of the king, about the resurrection of the dead and the greatest commandment, Christ the son of David and the Lord 1–7. And answering, Jesus spoke to them again in stories, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a wedding for his son. And he sent his servants to call the guests to the wedding; and they did not want to come. Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell the guests: Here I have prepared my dinner, my bullocks and feeders have been slaughtered, and everything is finished: come to the wedding. And they went without caring, one to his field, and the other to his trade; And the others caught his servants, mocked them, and killed them. And when that king heard that, he got angry and sent his army to execute those executioners and set their city on fire. This story, like the one about the vinedressers, speaks of the disobedience of the Jews. However, while there it speaks of Christ's death, here it is about the wedding joy that represents the Resurrection. However, here the Jews proved to be greater offenders than in the previous story, because the husbandmen killed those who asked them for fruits, while the people in this story kill those who invite them to the wedding. God is compared here to a "human king", because He does not show Himself in His divine nature, but as it behooves Him to show Himself before people. When we as humans die, being subject to human flaws, God appears to us as a human, and when we live "as gods", then "God stands in the assembly of the gods". 343 When we live like beasts and He becomes sharp for us like a panther, a bear or a lion. Therefore, God arranged a wedding for His Son in order to unite Him with every virtuous soul, because the "bridegroom" is Christ, and the "bride" is the Church and the soul of man. The servants who were sent first were Moses and the others with him, whom the Jews did not obey, but angered God for forty years in the desert, not wanting to accept God's word and spiritual grace. Then other servants were sent, the Prophets, but some of them were killed by the Jews, like the prophet Isaiah, 344 while others were tortured, like Jeremiah, who was thrown into a pit full of stinking fungus. 345 Those who were more moderate simply refused the invitation; one went to "his field", that is to say, he decided to live in carnal lusts and pleasures, because "his field" means the body; the other went to "his trade", that is, the path of avaricious life, since merchants are the most greedy for profit. The story, therefore, shows that those who refuse to go to the spiritual wedding and reject union with Christ and spiritual enjoyment, do so most often because of carnal enjoyment or because of the passion of avarice. In this story, it is said that "lunch" was prepared, and in another place (at Luke's) "dinner" is mentioned. 346 That was not said without reason. It is called "evening" because the wedding ceremony in the last times was shown in a perfect form, that is, the eve, at the end of time, while Matthew mentions "lunch" wanting to show that this secret was also revealed in previous times, map only pelimically. The bullocks and the manger are the Old and the New Testament. The "bulls" represent the Old Testament, which ordered the offering of animal sacrifices, while the New Testament represents the "feeders", that is, calves fattened with wheat, because now we offer bread as true "feeders" on the altar, since bread is made from wheat. Therefore, God calls us to eat the food of both the Old and New Testaments. When you see that someone clearly interprets the divine words, know that he feeds those who listen to him with "wheat edibles", that is, the wise teacher feeds the simple soul with spiritual bread. You must be wondering, how does he tell them to invite the "invited", because if they are invited, why is he calling them again? Know, then, that each of us is called to good by nature, because we are called by the word of the inner teacher of the soul (reason). But God sends out teachers to call those who are naturally called by the word of God. The emperor eventually sent the Roman army and destroyed the disobedient Jews, and burned their city Jerusalem, as the truthful Josephus writes. 347 8–10. Then he said to his servants: The wedding is over, but the guests were not worthy. Therefore, go to the crossroads and invite whoever you find to the wedding. And when those servants went out into the roads, they gathered all they found, both bad and good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. Since the older servants, Moses and the prophets, did not convince them, the Lord sends other servants, the apostles, to call* the Gentiles who did not follow the path of truth, but wandered, disunited and scattered along many paths of worldly wisdom. In fact, they could be found at "crossroads", in great error and ignorance. They lived in discord among themselves because they did not follow the path of truth, but the side paths of the unholy teachings they preached. They did not even agree on those teachings, because some taught this way and others that way. Perhaps it is better to understand these words in the following way: "The Way" is the life and way of life of every person, and "Crossroads" are (various) teachings. The heathen Hellenes followed the ways of the unholy, that is, they led a life worthy of all condemnation and in such an unholy way of life they turned to ungodly teachings, calling shameless gods the patrons of their passions. When, however, the apostles from Jerusalem went out among the Gentiles, they gathered them all, both "evil" and "good", that is, those filled with all mischief and those who were less corrupt than them, which is why compared to the first, the Lord calls "good". 11–14. And when the king entered to see the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. And he said to him: Friend, how did you enter there without a wedding garment? And he fell silent. Then the king said to the servants: Bind his hands and feet, then take him and throw him into the uttermost darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Because many are called, but few are chosen. All people come to the wedding without distinction, because we are all invited by grace, both good and bad. However, the life of those who enter will not be untested, since the Emperor will examine with extreme care all those who are found impure after entering the faith. Let us tremble, then, at the thought that faith itself is of no use to one who does not live a pure life, because such a person will not only be driven out of the wedding, but also thrown into the fire. Who is he that is not clothed in a wedding garment? It is the one who has not clothed himself in kindness, goodness and brotherly love. There are many who deceive themselves with vain hopes that they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and believe that they will be numbered among the elect, thinking of themselves as something great. Being justified in regard to this unworthy man, the Lord shows us two things: firstly, that He is a man-loving God, and secondly, that we must not judge anyone, even if he sins publicly, unless he has already been rebuked for his sin. Therefore, the Lord tells His servants, the angels He sends to punish sinners: "Bind his hands and feet", that is, the active forces of his soul, because now in this century is the time for practical action, while in the future all the active forces of the soul will be "tied up" and man will not be able to do any good deed to propitiate God for his sins. The "gnashing of teeth" is a useless remorse that will then appear in their souls. "Many are called", because God calls "many", i.e. everyone, "but few are chosen", that is, those who are saved and who are worthy to be chosen by God. Therefore, it is God's to call us, while it depends on us whether we will be chosen or not. He shows that this story is told for the sake of the Jews, who were called but not chosen because of their disobedience. 15–16. Then the Pharisees went and consulted together to catch him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians. 348 It was cunning, that's why Luke calls them "spies", because they were secretly sent to catch Christ in his words. "Herodites" were either Herod's soldiers, or those who believed that Herod was the Messiah. Since Herod's rise to power ended the rule of the tribe of Judah, some thought he was the Messiah. 349 Together with them came the Pharisees to catch Him in his words. Listen, then, to what they say to Him: 16–22. Saying: Teacher, we know that you are true and you really teach the way of God and you don't pay attention to anyone, because you don't look at who is who among people. Tell us, then, what you think: should we give taxes to Caesar or not? Understanding their cunning, Jesus said: Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the tax money. And they brought him a dinar. And he said to them: Whose image and inscription is this? They told him: Cesarev. Then he said to them: Give, then, the emperor's things to the emperor, and God's to God. And when they heard it, they were amazed, and leaving him, they went away. They thought that by flattery and praise they would make Him say that (the Romans) should not pay taxes and thus accuse Him of being a rebel and an instigator of rebellion against Caesar. 350 That is why they took the Herodians with them, so that they, as the king's men, could immediately arrest Him as a rebel. "You don't look at who is who among the people," they say, that is, you won't say anything to please Pilate or Herod. "Tell us, therefore, whether we should obey men and pay them taxes, as we give a didrachm to God, or just pay taxes to God? 351 Shouldn't we also pay taxes to the emperor?» They said this, as I have already explained, so that they would catch Him and kill Him if He answered that one should not pay taxes to Caesar, as they did with the followers of Theudas and Judas (the Galilean), 352 who said that no sacrifice should be offered in the name of Caesar. Showing them the emperor's image on the money, Jesus convinces them that the emperor should be given what belongs to him, that is, what bears his image, 353 and that in bodily and external matters we should obey the emperor, while in internal and spiritual matters we must obey God. However, this can also be understood in the following way: Each of us must reject from himself and hand over to the demon - the "emperor" of the underworld - what belongs to him. For example, when you are attacked by anger, which comes from a demon - "the king", reciprocate with the same measure and get angry with him. That way you will be able to give God what is God's. However, since human nature consists of soul and body, we owe food and clothing to our body as the "emperor", and to what is higher in us 354 (i.e. the soul) we owe what is due to it. 23–28. On that same day, the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, approached him and asked him, saying: Master, Moses said: If someone dies without children; that his brother may take his wife and raise seed for his brother. There were seven brothers in us; and having married first, he died, and having no children, he left his wife to his brother. And so do the second and third, all the way to the seventh. And after all, the woman also died. About the resurrection, so which of the seven will be the wife? Because she was after everyone. When the Lord silenced the Pharisees and Herodians, the Sadducees came again to tempt Him. Their error was in the fact that they did not believe in the Resurrection, in the spirit, and in angels, and they held positions contrary to the teachings of the Pharisees. Here they cite an incredible case, because even if we assume that both brothers took a wife and then died, wouldn't the third avoid marrying her, taught by the experience of his predecessors? The Sadducees invented this case in order to confuse Christ and thus prove that there is no Resurrection. They will even extinguish Moses as the defender of their invention. 355 They mention the seven brothers in order to mock the mystery of the Resurrection even more. They ask: "Which of the seven will be the wife?" We could answer them: "Oh, miserable Sadducees, if it is assumed that even after the Resurrection there is a marriage, she will be the wife of the one who married first, because the rest are false and not legal husbands." 29–33. And Jesus answered and said to them: You are deceived, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. Because about the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage; rather, they are like the angels of God in heaven. And about the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read what God said to you, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead but of the living. And the people, hearing it, were wild about his teaching. The Savior shows that there will be a Resurrection, but not in the physical sense as they thought, but in a higher and more spiritual sense. 356 "Why are you deceiving yourself", he tells them, "not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God", because if you knew the Scriptures you would know that God is not the God of the dead but of the living and you would understand that everything is possible for God, and even to make people live like angels. Do you see the wisdom of the Lord! Referring to Moses, they wanted to reject the teaching of the Resurrection, but Christ reassures them with the words of Moses, saying: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." 357 With these words, Christ wants to say that God is not the God of what does not exist, but of what exists and is. He did not tell them, "I was God...", but I am God". Although they died, they still live in the hope of the Resurrection. But, you ask me: "Then how does he say in another place that he will rule over the dead and the living?" 358 Know well that there He calls those who died, but who will live again, "dead". Standing up against the heresy of the Sadducees, who taught that there is no immortal soul, but that it completely disappears after death, the Lord says that He is not the God of the "dead", that is, of those who seem to you to have completely disappeared, but the God of the "living", that is, of those who have an immortal soul and who will be resurrected, even though they are now dead (in the body). 34–40. And when the Pharisees heard that the Sadducees were silent, they gathered together. And asked one of them, the law clerk, 359 testing him and saying: Master, which commandment is the greatest in the Law? And Jesus said to him: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like this one: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. This man comes with great malice to tempt Jesus. When the Pharisees saw that the Sadducees were ashamed and that the people praised the Lord for his wisdom, they approached Him, testing Him, to see if He would add anything to the first commandment, so that they would not find a reason to accuse Him of correcting the Law. But the Lord exposes their malice, because they did not come to learn something, but as people without love, they rather wanted to harm Him in their envy. He reveals to them a love that is greater than other commandments and teaches them that they should not love God half-heartedly, but surrender their whole selves to God. We can distinguish three basic abilities of the human soul: vegetative, animal and rational. When man grows, feeds and gives birth to himself, he is similar to plants. When he feels anger and lust he is like animals, and when he thinks he is called reasonable. Look now, how these three abilities are represented in this commandment: "Love your God with all your heart" - where he means the animal ability of the human soul; "and with all my soul" - here we are talking about vegetative ability, because plants are alive and mobile; "and with all your mind", which refers to the rational (verbal) ability of the soul. 360 In other words, we must love God with our whole soul, that is, we must surrender ourselves to Him with all parts and powers of the soul. "This is the first and greatest commandment", with which we practice piety. "And the other one is like this one" 361 and it encourages people to be fair to others. Actually, there are two things that lead a person to ruin. These are profane teachings and a reported life. Therefore, in order not to fall into ungodly teachings (that is, into heresy), we should love God, and in order not to live a wicked life, we should love our neighbor, because the one who loves his neighbor also fulfills all the other commandments, and the one who fulfills all the commandments truly loves God. 362 Thus, these two commandments depend on each other and are interconnected, since they contain all other commandments. Where have you seen that one who loves God and his neighbor steals, commits adultery, kills or lives in fornication? This lawyer, therefore, initially wanted to tempt the Lord, but after Christ's answer he repented and received praise from the Lord, as stated by Mark, who says that the Lord looked at him with love and said to him: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." 363 41–45. And when the Pharisees gathered, Jesus asked them, saying: What do you think about Christ? Whose son is he? They said to him: David's. He said to them: How, then, does David call him Lord in the Spirit, saying: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, while I make your enemies your footstool? When, therefore, David calls him Lord, how is his son? And no one could answer him a word; nor should anyone from that day ask him more. Since the Pharisees thought that He was just an ordinary man, Jesus reassures them and through David's prophecy reveals to them the truth that He is also Lord and God, thus revealing His divine nature. When the Pharisees said that Christ is the "Son of David", that is, an ordinary man, He answered them by asking them how then David calls Him Lord, and not only simply calls Him Lord but by inspiration, that is, as revealed to him by the grace of the Holy Spirit? With these words, the Lord does not deny that he is the Son of David, but only shows that he is not an ordinary man who comes from the seed of David. The Lord asked them this question so that the Pharisees would ask themselves and learn what they did not know, and that they would believe if they answered correctly, or that, not knowing what to say, they would go away ashamed and never dare to ask Him about it again. Jesus' condemnation of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, mourning over Jerusalem 1–3. Then Jesus said to the people and his disciples, saying: Scribes and Pharisees sat on Moses' throne. Everything, then, that you are told to hold, hold and create; but do not act according to their works, because they speak and do not create. When the Lord silenced the Pharisees, and showed them that they were incurably ill, He began to speak about them, their life and behavior. He warns His listeners not to despise their teachers even though they live a wicked life. At the same time, it shows that He is not opposed to the Law, but, moreover, wants the Law to be respected, even though those who preach it are unworthy. He tells them to accept everything the teachers say as if it were Moses or rather God himself. "Then should we do everything they say, even if they teach us evil?" I think that a true teacher will never dare to lead another to do evil. But if we assume that it happens that some teacher encourages people to lead a bad life, such a person is obviously not from the "seat of Moses" nor does he speak from the Law. The Lord speaks about those who sit on the "chair of Moses", that is, about those who teach the people the Law. 364 It is therefore necessary to listen to those who teach us the Law of God, even if they themselves do not create what they say. 4–5. Rather, they bind burdens that are heavy and difficult to carry, and load them on human shoulders, and they will not move them with their finger. And they make all their works to be seen by men; for they enlarge their amulets, and make great curts on their garments. The Pharisees tied heavy burdens to the people, forcing them to fulfill the petty and difficult commandments of the Law. Moreover, they burdened them with an increasing number of commandments, referring to traditions that went beyond the limits of the Mosaic Law, while they themselves were not ready to lift a finger to fulfill those commandments, nor did they dare to take such burdens upon themselves. When a teacher teaches not only with words but also with actions, then he alone carries the burden of his students and strives together with them. But when he burdens me and does nothing himself, then he burdens me even more, showing by his negligence that it is impossible to fulfill what he says. That is why the Lord blames the Pharisees for not carrying the burden of the commandments themselves and fulfilling them. However, they not only do no good but hypocritically pretend to do so. Even if they did some good deed for the sake of being seen by people, they would be left without a reward. That is why they are truly worthy of all condemnation, because without doing anything good, they wanted people to glorify them as workers of virtue. And what do they actually do? "They widen their charms and make large curts on their dresses." This has the following meaning. In the Law it is written: "And tie them on your arm for a sign and let them be like a starter between your eyes." 365 The Pharisees, therefore, would write the ten commandments of the Law on two pieces of leather and tie one to their forehead, while the other would hang on their right hand (they called it amulets). 366 They made "big skirts" by sewing purple or red tassels on the edges of their dresses. 367 And for this they found words in the Law, which prescribed this rule so that they would not forget the commandments of God. But God didn't want that. When he said that they wear amulets on their hands, he wanted to say that we should fulfill the commandments (of God), while the blood-red tassels showed that we should be marked with the blood of Christ. The Pharisees, however, made great charms and enlarged the curts so that the people who saw them would think that they were zealously keeping the Law. 6–7. And they love the back seats at feasts and the front seats in synagogues, and to be worshiped in the squares, and to be called: teacher! Alas, what is the Lord saying? He judges them just because they like behinds? When, therefore, the one who only loves the place of honor is condemned, how much punishment awaits the man who does more than that? "In the first places in the synagogues"; exactly where they should have taught others humility, they themselves showed their corruption, because they did everything for the sake of (worldly) glory. They not only didn't feel ashamed about it, but even more liked that people called them: «ravi, ravi!», which means «to the teacher!». 8–12. And you are not called teachers; because in you there is one Teacher, 368 Christ, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for there is one Father in you, who is in heaven. Nor are you called teachers; because there is one Teacher in you, Christ. And let the greatest among you be your servant. Because he who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 369 Christ does not forbid us to call someone "teacher", but that we ourselves passionately want others to call us so and that we strive in all ways to do so. The teacher's dignity essentially belongs to God alone. When he says "Do not call anyone your father", He does not forbid the respect that we are obliged to show to our parents, because the Lord wants us to respect our parents and especially our spiritual fathers, but instructs us to know the true Father, God, because our Father is first and foremost God. Our fleshly parents are not the culprits of our birth, but God's servants and helpers. 370 To show them the benefit of humility, he tells them that the one who is great among them should be their servant and last, because the one who exalts himself, thinking that he is something, will be humbled and God will leave him. 13. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for closing the Kingdom of Heaven before men; because you do not enter or let those who would like to enter. "You," he says, "are not only unbelievers who live a vicious life, but you also teach others not to believe in Me and corrupt them with your life and example." People tend to empathize with their leaders, especially if they see them as bent on evil. You see, then, that the words "woe to you" are a threat that follows every teacher and ruler who with his life makes it impossible for others to progress in the good. 371 14. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who eat widows' houses, and falsely pray for a long time; therefore you will be condemned the more. He calls them hypocrites because they show themselves to be pious in front of others, although they do not do what befits piety, but instead pray for a long time in detention and eat widow's money. They were indeed deceivers who mocked the common people and stole from them. "Therefore you will be condemned the more", because you ate all the widow's property, 372 instead of helping them in their poverty. There is another reason why they will be condemned even more. Namely, they prayed under the pretext of doing a good deed, while in reality they were doing evil by eating the widow's property. The one, therefore, who under the pretext of good causes another to do evil, deserves the greatest punishment. 15. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel sea and land to get one follower, and when you get him, you make him a son of hell twice as big as you. "You not only," he says, "corrupt the Jews, but also those who approach the Jewish faith from idolatry, and whom they call proselytes." 373 You try to convert someone to the Jewish way of life and circumcision, and when he begins to live as a Jew, then he perishes corrupted by your wickedness. "Son of hell" means one who deserves hell and who is so close to it in soul that he is burned by its flames. 16–22. Woe to you blind leaders who say: If someone swears by the church, it is nothing; and whoever swears by church gold is guilty. Fools and blind people! Because what is greater, gold or the church that gold sanctifies. And if anyone swears by an altar, it is nothing, and whoever swears by a gift on it is guilty. Fools and blind people! Because what is greater, the gift, or the sacrifice that sanctifies the gift? Whoever, therefore, swears by the altar, swears by it and everything on it, and whoever swears by the church, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. He calls them blind because they did not want to teach others what was needed. They showed respect to less important things, while neglecting what was truly worthy of respect. Church gold, cherub images and golden vessels were valued more than the Church itself. That is why they taught the people that it is nothing to swear by the Church, but that one should swear by the church gold, which was respected precisely because it was in the Church. They said that the gifts placed on the altar were more honorable than the altar itself. They even taught that one who swears by a golden vessel, an ox, or a sheep offered as a sacrifice, and then violates his oath, should be punished by paying a price equal to the value of the gift. The Pharisees valued the gift more than the altar itself because of the profit they made from the sacrifice. But if someone swore by the Church and then violated the oath, he would be freed from the debt, since he could not build anything like the Church. That is why the avaricious Pharisees considered the oath to the Church less important. Christ did not allow the gift to be considered greater than the altar, because with us (in the Church) the altar is sanctified with gifts, after offering even the bread is transformed by divine grace into the very Body of the Lord, thus sanctifying the altar on which it is laid. 23–24. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you give a tithe of mint and dill and cumin, and you have left out what is more important in the Law: justice and mercy and faith; and this should be done and not left. Blind leaders, who drain the gnat and devour the camel. Again he reproaches them as unreasonable, because they despised the greater commandments, and demanded strict observance of the lesser ones, not neglecting even a dozen of the kims they gave. If someone reprimanded them for being petty, they would immediately say that this is what the Law commands. 374 It would have been much better and more pleasing to God if they had asked the people for justice, mercy and faith. What is justice? Do nothing unjust and unreasonable, but do everything with judgment and reason. Right after justice comes mercy. Namely, the one who does everything with judgment knows well to whom he should give alms. After mercy comes faith, because he who is merciful firmly believes that he will lose nothing and gain everything. Or, in another sense, one should be merciful, but also believe in the true God. Many Jelins were merciful, but since they did not believe in the living God, they did not even possess the grace that is born from faith. Therefore, every teacher must "take a tenth" from his people, that is, seek justice, mercy and faith from ten senses: five physical and five mental. The Lord says: "This should have been done", not to encourage them to give a tenth of the herbs, but so that they would not think that he was opposing Moses. He calls them "blind leaders", because they were proud of their learning, thinking that they knew everything, and they were of no use to anyone, but, moreover, they corrupted everyone and pushed them into the abyss of unbelief. He tells them to "drain the gnat", because they were careful of small sins, and to "devour the camel", that is, they overlook big sins. 25–26. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you clean the outside of the cup and the bowl, but inside they are full of robbery and injustice. Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the bowl so that they are also clean on the outside. Adhering to the traditions of their fathers, 375 they washed glasses and bowls for food, although they drank wine and ate food that they had dishonestly acquired and thus defiled them even more. That is why the Lord tells them: "Do not acquire wine by injustice and then the inside of the cup will be clean." According to another interpretation, He is not talking about cups and bowls, but is comparing the physical and external state with the internal and spiritual. "You", he says, "try to make the outside of the glass, that is, your external behavior, as dignified as possible, while inside you are full of impurity, greed and injustice." Therefore, one should first clean the interior, that is, the soul, because the splendor of a purified soul is reflected in the dignity of external behavior. 27–28. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you too, outwardly you appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. And this comparison has the same meaning as the previous one. The Pharisees wanted to show themselves dignified in their appearance. That's why he compares them to whitewashed graves, 376 whitewashed on the outside with lime, but inside full of all impurity, dead and rotten works. 29–31. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for building the tombs of the prophets and decorating the monuments of the righteous. And you say: If we had been in the time of our fathers, we would not have joined them in the blood of the prophet. 377 By this you testify for yourselves that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. He does not pity them because they build the tombs of the prophets, because it is pleasing to God, but because they do it hypocritically, and condemn their fathers, although they are worse than them and far surpass them in evil. They openly lie when they say: "If we had been in the time of our fathers, we would not have killed the prophets", because they intended to kill the Bishop the prophet himself. That is why Christ says to them: 32–33. Fill up the measure of your fathers. Serpents, family of aspidines, how will you escape the condemnation to hell? When he says to them: "You also fulfill the measure of your fathers", He does not order them nor force them to kill Him, but intends to tell them the following: "Since you are snakes and as the offspring of such fathers you stubbornly cling to their folly, being incurable, soon you too will want to surpass your fathers and kill me. You will reach the ultimate level of wickedness when you fulfill the crime your fathers failed to commit. How will you escape punishment as such?» 34. Therefore, behold, I will send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and you will kill and crucify some, and others you will be in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. He reprimands them because they falsely said: "If we had been in the time of our fathers, we would not have killed the prophets." "For behold," he says, "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes, but you will kill them too." This speaks for the apostles, because the Holy Spirit, adorning them with teaching, made them true scribes, that is, teachers of the people, as well as prophets and men filled with all wisdom. He says "I send" to show the power of His divinity. 35–36. May all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth come upon you, from the blood of Abel the righteous to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachi, whom you killed between the church and the altar. Verily I say unto you that all these things shall come to pass. He tells them that all the unjustly shed blood will come upon the Jews who lived then and that they will be punished more severely than their fathers because they did not come to their senses even after such examples. And Lamech was also punished more severely than Cain, although he did not kill his brother, because he did not learn from Cain's example. 378 "On you," he says, "all the blood from Abel to Zechariah will come." He rightly mentions Abel, 379 because he was killed out of envy, just like Christ. But which Zechariah is mentioned here? Some say that it is about one of the twelve prophets, others, again, that it is Father Pretecin. Tradition has it that there was a place in the Church where virgins stood. Therefore, when Zacharias (Father of the Forerunner) was high priest, he placed the Mother of God, after the birth of Christ, in the place designated for virgins. This angered the Jews, who killed him because he included a woman who had given birth with the virgins. It's no wonder that Father Pretechin had a father named Varahia, just like one of the twelve prophets who was called the son of Varahia had. Since they shared the same name, it is quite possible that their fathers were also their namesakes. 37–39. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and I didn't want to! Because your house will be left empty. Because I tell you: You will not see me from now on until you say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. He repeats the name of Jerusalem twice out of mercy and pity for him. Just as a lover tries wholeheartedly to justify himself before his sweetheart who betrayed him, intending to punish her, so Christ accuses Jerusalem (the capital of the Jews) of murder. Many times He wanted to show her mercy, but she didn't want it, she believed the devil who scattered her children and distanced them from the truth that unites her with God, and she didn't accept the Lord who gathered her children. Nothing separates us from God so much as sin, nor unites us to Him so much as a clear conscience. To show His parental love, He gives the example of a chicken. "But since you do not want My love, I leave the Church empty." From this we learn that God dwells in churches for our sake, and when we leave God then our churches remain empty. "You will not see Me from now until the second coming. But then, willy-nilly, you will fall on your face before Me and say - "Blessed is He who comes..." Understand that "from now on" means "from the crucifixion", and not from the time when he spoke these words, because they saw Him many times after that, while they did not see Him after the crucifixion, nor will they see Him until His Second Coming. 380 About the destruction of Jerusalem, the Second Coming of Christ, the end of the age and the need for vigilance 1–2. And having come out, Jesus went from the church, and his disciples approached him to show him the buildings of the church. 381 And Jesus said to them: Do you not see all this? I tell you the truth: There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be flaunted. By leaving the Church, the Lord showed that he was abandoning the Jews. As he said earlier, "Your house is being left empty", he did so. He predicts the destruction of the Church to the disciples, because they, thinking in an earthly way, admired the beauty of the building, so they showed it to Christ, saying: "Look, what a beautiful home You leave desolate." The Lord, however, frees them from attachment to earthly things and directs them to the heavenly Jerusalem, saying: "Not one stone will be left here upon another." He said this in graphic language to indicate the complete destruction of the Church. 3. And when he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: Tell us when it will be and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? They approach Him alone with the intention of asking Him about what was most important to them. Therefore, they ask him two things: first, when will it be, referring to the destruction of the Church and the fall of Jerusalem, and second, what will be the sign of His coming? 4–5. And answering Jesus said to them. Beware that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying: I am the Christ. And they will deceive many. "Many," he says, "will come and declare themselves to be Christ." Even Dositheus the Samaritan said "I am the prophet foretold by Moses" 382 while Simon the Samaritan called himself "the great power of God." 383 6–8. You will hear wars and voices about wars. See that you are not afraid; because all that needs to happen. But it's not over yet. Because nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes throughout the world. It talks about the wars fought by the Romans around Jerusalem. 384 But he does not say that there will only be wars, but also famine and pestilence, showing that God will be angry with the Jews. While wars can be said to be caused by enmity between people, famines and pestilences come from none other than God. So that the apostles would not think that the end of the world will come before they preach the Gospel, Christ tells them: "Do not be sad, it is not the end yet", since the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world will not be at the same time. Nevertheless, he says that "nation will rise against nation and empire against empire" because of the calamities that were to befall the Jews and which will be the beginning of suffering. Just as a woman in labor goes through the pangs of childbirth and gives birth in them, so this present age will also give birth to the future age with turmoil and wars. 385 9–13. Then they will hand you over to torture and kill you, and all nations will hate you because of my name. And then many will stumble, and will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. He foretells future troubles, in order to encourage his disciples in advance with these words, since fear and confusion are usually caused by the unexpected. He calms their fear in advance by predicting the future troubles that will befall them: hatred, enmities, temptations, false prophets who are the forerunners of the Antichrist and who will deceive many and turn them back to every kind of lawlessness. When iniquities multiply as a result of the Antichrist's deception, people will go wild, so that they will not even have any love for their nearest and dearest, but will betray each other to death. Whoever, therefore, endures all this and bravely endures it to the end without giving in to temptation, will be saved and prove to be a proven fighter. 14. And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. No one will stop you on the way of preaching, be brave. The Gospel will be preached to all nations for a testimony, that is, to the rebuke and condemnation of those who did not believe, and then the end will come, not of the world, but of Jerusalem. Therefore, the Gospel will be preached until the fall of Jerusalem. That is why the apostle Paul speaks of the Gospel "which was preached to all creation under heaven". 386 That he is talking about the end of Jerusalem is clear from what follows, because he says: 15. When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, where he stands in the holy place - whoever reads understands. "Abomination of desolation" 387 denotes the monument to the conqueror of the city, which was placed in the place of the inner sanctuary of the Church. It is said "desolates" because the city was ravaged and desolate, and "abominations" because the Jews, who hated idolatry, called statues and images of people abominations. 388 16–18. Then those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; and whoever is on the roof should not come down to take what is in his house; and whoever is in the field does not turn back to take his clothes. Wanting to emphasize that these troubles are inevitable, the Lord says that you should run away without looking behind you and without thinking about property, clothes or any other household item. Some believe that the "abomination of desolation" is the Antichrist who will come at the time of the desolation of the world and the destruction of the churches, and will sit in the Church. They also interpret these words as follows: "he who is on the roof" is one who has reached the pinnacle of virtue and who should not descend from that height to take with him what belongs to the body. The house of the soul is the body. But man must also leave the "field", that is, what is earthly, since the "field" is (earthly) life, and not carry with him the "clothes" - our old wickedness that we have taken off from ourselves. 19. And it's hard for pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. Pregnant women will not be able to run away, burdened by the burden of their wombs. And nursing mothers, out of pity for their children, will not be able to leave them, but neither will they be able to take them with them and be saved together. They will not be able to avoid the wrath of that time. Christ also means that mothers will eat their children. Josephus, in fact, talks about a woman who, because of the famine caused by the siege of Jerusalem, cooked her own child and ate it. 389 20. Instead, pray to God that your flight will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. He said this to the Jews in the name of the apostles, because at that time the apostles will already be outside Jerusalem. Therefore, he tells the Jews to pray that their escape will not be in the winter, because due to weather difficulties they will not be able to escape, nor on the Sabbath, when according to the Law they will rest and will not dare to flee. 390 You can understand these words in another way: we should therefore pray that our "escape" from this life, that is, the end of life, will not be on the "Sabbath", when we do not do good deeds, nor on the "winter", when no fruit (virtue) is born, but in the tranquility of the soul and peace. 21–22. Because then there will be great trouble, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now and will never be. 391 And if those days were not shortened, no one would remain; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time (the fall of Jerusalem) there was unbearable suffering. The Roman soldiers were ordered not to spare anyone, but because of those of them who would believe or those who had already believed, God did not allow the people to be completely destroyed, 392 but ended the suffering and the war. If by any chance the war continued, everyone in the city would starve to death. Some think that this refers to the days of the Antichrist, however, this is not about the Antichrist, but about the fall of Jerusalem. The Antichrist is spoken of after this. Listen then: 23–25. Then if someone says to you: Christ is here or there, don't believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear, and will show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. I told you in advance. 393 The disciples asked Jesus two questions: about the fall of Jerusalem and about the coming of the Lord. Having answered them about the fall of Jerusalem, from here he begins to speak about His coming and the end of the world. When he says: "Then if someone says to you..." he is not referring to the time immediately after the fall of Jerusalem, but to the days when what he is saying will happen. That is why he says that "then", that is, when the Antichrist comes, many false Christs and false prophets will appear, who will deceive the eyes of those who look at them with demonic apparitions, in order to deceive some of them. If they do not watch over themselves, even the righteous will be deceived. "But here," he says, "I told you in advance." You have no excuses and you can protect yourself from fraud." 26–28. Therefore, if they say to you: Here he is in the desert, do not go out. Here he is in the rooms, don't believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and sets to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Because where the carcass is, there the eagles will gather. "If", he says, "deceivers come, saying: Christ has come, but he is hiding in the desert or in some house, chambers or some hidden interior places, do not be deceived." It will not be necessary for anyone to announce the coming of Christ, because He will be visible to everyone, like lightning. Just as lightning suddenly appears and is seen by all, so the coming of the Lord will be seen by all people in the world. When He comes again, He will not go from place to place, as when He first came to the world, but He will appear in the twinkling of an eye. Just as eagles immediately gather around a dead body, so where Christ is, all the saints will gather, who fly in the heights and who will ascend among the clouds like eagles. "Corpse" here means Christ who lay down for us in the grave and died, as Simeon the God-bearer says: "Behold, this one lies down to bring down and raise up many in Israel." 394 29. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will lose its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly powers will move. After the arrival of the Antichrist, who will soon be defeated, because that is exactly what the Lord wanted to emphasize with the word "immediately", "the sun will be darkened", that is, it will become dark. It will not disappear, but will become invisible, being overshadowed by the light of Christ's coming. It will be the same with the stars and the moon, because what is the need for artificial light when there is no more night and the "Sun of Justice" - (Christ) appears? And the powers of heaven "will be moved", that is, they will be amazed and tremble in horror watching the change of matter and all people from Adam until that day as they prepare to give an answer (for their deeds). 30. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will weep; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Then a cross brighter than the sun will appear in the sky to rebuke the Jews. When the Lord comes, He will show the cross as the strongest proof against the Jews, just as the stoned will show the stone with which he was stoned. He calls the cross a "sign" like a trophy or an imperial insignia. Then, therefore, all the tribes of the land of Judea will weep because of their unbelief, and all those whose minds are grounded, even if they are Christians, will weep with them. "Tribes on earth" can also be called those who are attached to earthly things. Although, therefore, the Lord comes with a cross, He also comes "with great power and glory". 31. And he will send his angels with a great sound of trumpets; and they will gather their elect from the four winds, 395 from end to end of the heavens. He will send angels to gather the saints and the risen from the dead to meet Him in the clouds. The Lord truly honors them, because he calls them through angels. Although Paul says that they will be caught up in the clouds, 396 he does not contradict these words, because they will be caught up in the clouds only when the angels gather them beforehand. Then the "voice of the trumpet" will be heard for greater fear. 32–33. And learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches are young and leafy, you know that summer is near. Likewise, when you see all this, know that it is close at the door. "When", he says, "all this comes true, there is not much left until the end of the world and My coming." "Child" signifies the future age and silence after the winter storms, but only for the righteous. Sinners, in turn, are expected by frost and even greater confusion. Therefore, he says: "When you see branches and leaves on a fig tree, expect summer." Likewise, when you see the signs I told you about, the sun and the moon changed, expect My coming.» 34–35. Truly I say to you: This generation will not pass away until all these things come to pass. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Here he is not talking about the "generation" that lived then, but about the generation of all believers, 397 as if to say: "The faithful will not disappear, until all these things come true." But when you hear about famines and pestilences, do not think that the race of the faithful will die out as a result of these misfortunes, but know that it will survive and no evil will overcome it. Some understood that the words "all these" refer only to the fall of Jerusalem and not to the second coming of the Lord, so they interpreted them as follows: "This generation, therefore, the generation of your apostles, will not pass until it sees the destruction of Jerusalem." Confirming what has been said, the Lord says that heaven and earth, those solid and immovable elements, will sooner disappear than if His words prove to be false. 36. And of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, except My Father. Here he teaches students not to seek to know what is beyond human knowledge. When he says "not even the angels", he warns them not to seek knowledge of what even the angels do not know, while with the words: "I am my Father", he also dissuades them from what is more than that. If he had said: "I know, but I don't want to tell you", they would have been saddened, as if he had despised them. But now when he says: "Not even the Son knows, but only My Father", he dissuades them from further questions. It often happens that fathers hold something in their hands and when their children ask for it, they don't give it to them, saying: "We don't have what you want," and then the children stop crying. The Lord does the same, wanting to reassure the apostles who wanted to know about the day and hour of His coming, so He tells them: "Even I do not know, but My Father alone." That He Himself knows well about that day and hour is quite clear, because everything that the Father has, the Son also has. 398 Since the Father knows about that day, the Son certainly knows it too. This is even more clearly seen from the following: How is it possible that the Son does not know about the day of His second coming when He knows what precedes that day (that is, the signs about which He just spoke)? The one who ushers another into the vestibule surely knows well where the door is. But Christ did not open this door (of knowledge) to us for our good, because it is not useful for us to know when the end of the world will come, so that we do not become lazy. The uncertainty of that hour makes us more cheerful. 37–39. For as it was in the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Because just as in the days before the flood, they ate and drank, married and married until the day Noah entered the ark. And they didn't understand until the flood came and took everything away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. To confirm the truth of His words, He mentions the events of the time of Noah. 399 Just as at that time there were people who mocked the building of the ark, until suffering befell them and killed them all, so even now some mock the words about the end of the world. But Christ says that death will befall them suddenly. He shows that at the time when the Antichrist comes, people will give themselves up to pleasures and feast with pride on weddings and revelries like the 400 giants did in the time of Noah. 40–41. Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two will grind on millstones; one will be taken and the other will be left. Then, he says, when everyone will live carefree, dealing with their domestic affairs, "one", i.e. the righteous, "will be taken", that is, he will be taken up in the air to meet the Lord, while the "other", the sinner, will be left down (on earth). Even of those who grind in the mill as servants, some who are worthy will be taken, while the unworthy will be left. From this we can also learn that nothing prevents neither servants nor women from the path of virtue. 401 42–44. Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. But know this: If the owner of the house knew at what time the thief would come, he would watch and not let his house be broken into. Therefore, be prepared; because at what hour you do not think the Son of Man will come. The Lord commands us to watch and be ready, and to have virtuous deeds prepared in advance, so that we will have something to give to the Lord when He comes and asks for what He wills. You see how he didn't say: "I don't know what time the thief will come", but: "You don't know...". "Thief" calls the end of the world and the death of every human being. Here He hints that His coming will be at night. "Just as, then, a thief comes unnoticed, so will My coming be. Therefore, do not be careless, but watch." If we knew when our end would come, we would try to please God as much as possible on that day. But now, since we do not know (that hour), we constantly watch in virtuous deeds. 45–47. Who, then, is that faithful and wise servant whom his master placed over his household to give them food in time? Blessed is the servant whom his master, when he comes, finds doing so. I tell you the truth: he will set him over all his possessions. The Lord asks himself who is the "faithful and wise servant whom his master has appointed over his household", wanting to show that such a person is rare and hard to find. Two things are required of every home manager: faith and wisdom. For if he is faithful and does not steal anything, but lacks wisdom and wastes his property, there is no use for him. Even if he is wise, but he steals, there is no benefit from such a person either. Whoever, then, is found both faithful and wise will reap what is greater than possessions, I mean the Kingdom of Heaven. The saints will be the heirs of all that belongs to God. A "faithful and wise servant" is also every teacher who gives appropriate spiritual food to his students at the right time. Such was Paul who sometimes gave them milk to drink, and sometimes spoke wisdom to them (feeding them solid food). He was a faithful servant of the Lord, although before that he was a blasphemer, but he was also wise, because he was not unfamiliar with the thoughts of his enemies. Therefore, therefore, everyone who receives from God, be it money, power or authority, should manage what is entrusted to him faithfully and wisely, since he will give an answer to God for it. 48–51. If that wicked servant said in his heart: My master will not come for a long time; and began to beat his companions, and to eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that servant will come in a day when he does not hope, and in an hour when he does not think, and will cut him in half, and will give him a portion with the hypocrites; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Having already said that the faithful servant will be rewarded, he now tells how the wicked servant will be punished. If, therefore, the one who is entrusted with a gift given by God, despises the coming judgment and says: "My master is late", which means that God does not send quick and sudden punishment, the Lord will "cut him in half". If such a man uses the non-maleficence of God as an opportunity for his malice, and strikes at his brothers, offending them and hurting their conscience, which happens when subjects see their superiors abusing what is entrusted to them, then the Lord will also "cut him in half", that is, he will be naked and deprived of his gift of grace. Then it will be clearly shown what kind of man that servant was and he will be cast into darkness. Previously, he could deceive others with his exterior, as many archbishops do, whom they consider sacred because of the rank they wear. But, then (in judgment), they will be deprived of grace and will be punished as hypocrites, who pretended to be one thing while being another. A story about wise and crazy girls, a story about talents, about the Last Judgment 1–5. Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise and five were foolish. Because the fools took their lamps and did not take oil with them. And the wise men took oil in vessels with their lamps. And since the bridegroom was late, they all dozed off and slept. 402 In the story of the virgins, the Lord speaks of almsgiving, in order to teach those who appreciate the greatness of virginity not to strive for the acquisition of only these virtues, while neglecting the others. Therefore understand that if you are not merciful, you will be cast out with the fornicators (from the Kingdom of Heaven), even though you live in virginity, because he who has no compassion and mercy rightly deserves to be cast out even though he is a virgin. A fornicator is defeated by raw and natural passion, while a merciless man is defeated by money. Since he is fighting an adversary weaker than the demon of fornication, a man who is overcome by the passion of avarice is all the less deserving of forgiveness. Such a person is truly "crazy", because after overcoming the natural passion of the body, he is overcome by a worthless passion for money. The word "fell asleep" signifies death, while "the delay of the bridegroom" indicates that His second coming will not come quickly. 6–13. And at midnight there was a shout: Here comes the bridegroom, go out to meet him. Then all the girls got up and decorated their lamps. And the fools said to the wise: Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out. And the wise answered, saying: So that we and you do not lack, you had better go to the sellers and buy for yourself. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they entered with him ready for the wedding, and the door was closed. And then the other girls came saying: Master, Master! Open to us. And he answered and said to them: I tell you the truth, I do not know you. Watch therefore, because you do not know the day or the hour in which the Son of Man will come. In the story, it is said that the shout was heard "at midnight", 403 to show that the Lord will come suddenly, because in the middle of the night we all sleep in a deep sleep. He comes with a "shout", because His second coming will be heralded by a trumpet. 404 The "lamps" are our souls, because the mind of every man is the light of his soul. 405 The lamp burns when it is filled with the "oil" of virtues and charity. Those girls were really crazy because they went looking for oil when it wasn't time for it. The wise girls say: "So that we and you will not lack", which means that the virtue of my neighbor is hardly enough for his answer at the Last Judgment, let alone for me, since every man will be justified by his own deeds, and not by the deeds of his neighbor. However, crazy girls go to "sellers", that is, to the poor. What is that supposed to mean? They repented because they did not give alms (on time) and now for the first time they understand that the "oil" should have been obtained from the poor. This is what he means when he says that they went "to buy oil from the sellers", that is, they mentally went to the poor, thinking what a good deed almsgiving is. But the door was closed for them, because after leaving this life there is no time for repentance and action. That is why the Lord says to them: "I do not know you", because the human-loving and merciful God does not know the merciless. How could He know those who are not like Him and who are alien to Him? Know well that every soul has received a "lamp" and enlightenment from God and that all souls stand up to meet the Lord, because they want to meet and unite with Him. However, wise souls pour oil on their God-given enlightenment and "lamp" with their good deeds, while fools leave their lamps without oil to go out, because they have no good deeds to ignite the light in them. Therefore, if we do not do good, we will extinguish the light of God that is in us. 14–19. For just as a man, going on a journey, called his servants and handed over his treasure to them; and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to the third one, to each according to his ability: and he immediately departed. And he who receives five talents goes and works with them, and receives five more talents. So the one who receives two, gets two more. And whoever receives one goes and buries it in the ground and hides his master's silver. And after a long time, the master of these servants came and began to settle accounts with them. Since he said above: "You do not know the day on which the Lord will come", the Lord adds this story to show that he will come suddenly. He called his servants like a man preparing for a long journey, and entrusted them with his possessions, some to one, some to another. "The man who goes on the journey" is Christ who became man for our sake. He "traveled" because he ascended to the heavens, but also because of his long-suffering, because he does not immediately seek the fruits of our actions, but waits for them. His "servants" are those who are entrusted with the ministry of the word of God: bishops, priests and deacons, therefore, those who have received spiritual gifts, some greater, others less, but each according to his strength, 406 that is, according to the measure of his faith and purity (of heart). God will place His gift for me in the vessel that I offer to Him. If, therefore, I offer a small vessel, I will receive a little; if, again, I offer a great one, I will receive a greater gift from Him. That servant who received the five talents immediately went and multiplied them. Look at his zeal, how he does not idle, but immediately goes to work, doubling what he has received. When a man is endowed with speech, wealth, reputation with the emperor, or any other ability or skill, he doubles what is given to him, and not only benefits himself, but also wants to help others. However, the one who only cares about his own benefit, without thinking of others, buries his talent, and that is why he is condemned. If you see a smart and capable man, who spends his intelligence in various vain occupations, frauds and worldly affairs, you can rightly say that such a man has buried his talent "in the ground", that is, in worldly affairs. But, after a long time, the One who entrusted His servants with "silver" returns, that is, His divine words, which are "pure (like) silver purified in fire", 407 or simply every gift that makes a person famous and famous. In the end, he gathers them all together to hear what those who received them did with the talents. 20-30. And the one who received the five talents approached, brought another five talents, saying: Master, you gave me five talents; here are five more talents i got with them. And his master said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful in a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your master. And the one who received the two talents approached and said: Master, you handed me two talents; here are two more talents i got with them. And his master said to him: Good, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful in a few things, I will make you over many things; enter into the joy of your master. And the one who received the one talent approached and said: Master, I knew you were a hard man: you reap where you did not sow, and gather where you did not winnow; so I got scared and went and hid your talent in the ground; and here's yours. And his master answered and said to him: Wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not winnow: You should, therefore, have given my silver to the money changers; and coming I would take mine with the gain. So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. Because everyone who has it will be given, and will be threatened; and from him that hath not, and that which hath shall be taken from him. And cast the rogue servant into the uttermost darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The master equally praises those servants who tried and increased to give them a gift, and each of them listens to the words: "Good, good and faithful servant." The word "good" here means a "philanthropic and non-malevolent" person, the one who transfers his kindness to his neighbors. Those who have proven themselves faithful in small things will be set over great things. If we receive (some) bounties in this life, it is still nothing compared to future goods. "The joy of the Lord" is the endless joy of the Lord who rejoices in His works, as David says. 408 Saints also rejoice in their deeds with such joy, just as sinners grieve over their (evil) deeds and repent of them. Saints have the Lord as their wealth and rejoice in Him. You see how both servants are worthy of the same treasures, both the one who received five talents and the one who received two. Therefore, when a person receives a little, but properly uses the received gift, no matter how small it is, he will receive the same honor as the one who received a lot and achieved a lot. That is why every man is considered successful according to how much he has achieved in what he has been given. Such are the grateful servants, while the evil and lazy servant justifies himself in his own way. He calls his master a "hard man", as many call their teachers today. It is difficult to ask for obedience from people, whom God did not make obedient, nor did he sow the seeds of obedience in them. This is exactly what the evil servant means when he says: "You reap where you did not sow"; in other words, you seek submission from one in whom you have not sown the seed of submission. Calling the master "hard", the servant condemns himself. That is exactly why he was obliged to make even more efforts, since he knew that his master was hard and strict, because if he asked for support from others, he would ask even more from him. That is why he should have multiplied the talent he had received and made disciples for himself, from whom the Lord could demand what they owed. 409 Christ calls his disciples "money changers", because they are strictly responsible for the word entrusted to them. What kind of "profit" (interest) does He expect from the students? To show their deeds, because a student who receives a word from a teacher, must not only preserve it and return it in its entirety, but also hand over the "profit", that is, good deeds. Thus the Lord takes away the gift from the wicked and lazy servant. The one who received a gift in order to use it to benefit others, and does not do so, loses the gift given to him. Do you see that the one who works harder gets a greater gift (from God)? The one who makes an effort will be given greater grace and that in abundance. But the gift that he thinks he has will be taken from a man who does not work hard, because he who is not zealous and does not trade with what is entrusted to him does not actually have a gift, but only thinks he has it. He lost it through his carelessness and laziness. 31–33. And when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. And all nations will gather before him, 410 and they will separate one from the other as a shepherd separates the sheep from the kids. And he will place the sheep on his right and the kids on his left. The Lord says: "When He comes in His glory", since His first coming was accompanied by blasphemy and insults. When he comes the second time, he will come in glory, accompanied by angels. First, He will separate the saints from the sinners, thus delivering them from suffering, and He will place them (on His right hand) and speak to them. He calls the saints "sheep", because of their meekness and because they, like sheep, give us their fruits and serve us, like sheep that give us "wool", that is, divine and spiritual cover, and "milk" as spiritual food. The "kids" are sinners, because they walk on the ruins (of sin) and are messy and barren like a kid. 411 34–40. Then the King will say to those standing on his right: Walk blessed by my Father; inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Because I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and they received me; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him saying: Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty, and let's drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you? Or naked and clothed? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the responding King will say to them: Truly I say to you: as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Until He first judges, the Lord does not reward or punish anyone. Being humane, He also teaches us not to punish others until we have thoroughly examined their guilt. Thus, those who are punished will not have any excuse after the trial. He calls the saints "blessed", because the Father received them (into the Kingdom of Heaven). He calls them heirs of the Kingdom to show that God makes them partakers of His glory, as His sons. He did not tell them "receive" but "inherit", as sons inherit their father's property. He calls his disciples, or simply the poor, his brothers, because every poor person is a brother of Christ, since Christ himself lived in poverty. Do you see God's righteousness, how he praises the saints, but also their benevolence, because they calmly deny that they served Him. Nevertheless, what is done to the poor, the Lord accepts as done to Himself. 41–46. Then he will say to those standing on his left: Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Because I was hungry, and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me drink; I was a stranger, and you did not receive me; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they will answer him saying: Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not serve you? Then he will answer them saying: Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me. And these will go to eternal torment, and the righteous to eternal life. Those on the left are sent to the fire prepared for the devil. Since the demons are merciless and treat us cruelly and hostilely, it is understandable that those who agree with them and who are cursed for their own actions are punished with the same punishment. You see that God did not prepare fire for people, nor did he create hell for us, but for the devil, but we make ourselves guilty of hell. Tremble therefore, O man, and understand from this that these men were not punished for fornication, robbery, or any other evil deed, but because they did not do good. Indeed, if you think about it, a robber is one who has a lot and does not give alms, even if he does not publicly wrong anyone. All that he possesses beyond his needs he has stolen from those who are in need and who have received nothing from him. If he had shared his property with them, they would not have lacked. But because he locked up his treasure and appropriated it for himself, they found themselves in poverty. That is why a merciless man is a thief and does injustice to all those whom he could have helped, but did not. Therefore, he and those like him will go to eternal torment without end, and the righteous to eternal life. Just as the saints dwell in infinite joy, so the unrighteous will inherit eternal torment, although Origen 412 vainly proclaims that the torments of hell will come to an end and that sinners will not be tormented forever, and that the time will come when they too will enter the abodes of the righteous, cleansed by the torments of hell. Origen's teaching is clearly refuted here when the Lord speaks of "eternal torment", which has no end, and when he compares the righteous to sheep, and the unrighteous to goats. Just as a kid can never become a sheep, so a sinner (after the Judgment) can never be cleansed and become righteous. The "ultimate darkness" (mentioned in the previous story about the talents) is quite far from the light of God, which makes the torture even more difficult. There is another reason that could be mentioned: the sinner is still in darkness in this life, having fallen away from the "Sun of Righteousness", but since there is hope for conversions, it is not yet "ultimate darkness". However, when he dies and when the evil deeds he committed are investigated, then he is overcome by "ultimate darkness". 413 Then there is no hope for conversion and the sinner remains completely deprived of God's treasures. While still in this life, a person enjoys God's goods to some extent, I mean artificial treasures, and believes that in some way he is a servant of God and that he lives in this created world as in the house of God, nourished and helped by God. But then he will be completely cut off from God, and will not have any share in His goods. It is this darkness that is called "ultimate," as compared to the darkness here which is not "ultimate," since the sinner is not yet completely cut off from God. That's why you also run away from unkindness and do charity, not only physically but above all spiritually. Feed Christ who is "hungry" for our salvation. If you feed and water someone who is hungry and thirsty for spiritual learning, you have fed and watered Christ himself, because Christ lives in every Christian and his faith is nourished and strengthened by learning. If you see someone who has become alienated from the heavenly homeland, take him with you. While you are ascending to the heavens, take him with you so that by preaching to others, you will not show yourself inexperienced. If someone throws off the garment of incorruption that he received at baptism, and remains naked, clothe him, and help the weak in faith, as Paul says. 414 Visit the one who is imprisoned in the dark "dungeon" of this body and shine your advice on him like light. Exercise, then, these six kinds of love, bodily and above all spiritual, because since we are composed of soul and body, both can participate in these works of love. The last prophecy of suffering, the conspiracy of the Jews against Christ, the anointing in Bethany, Judas' betrayal, the Passover dinner and Communion, the prayer in Gethsemane, Judas' kiss, arresting Christ and leading him before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, Peter's renunciation and remorse 1–2. And when Jesus finished all these words, he said to his disciples: You know that in two days there will be Passover 415 and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified. Since he had already mentioned the Kingdom and the reward, it was time to say something about His suffering, so Jesus seemed to say: "Those who crucify me will deserve the fire." 3–5. Then the high priests and the scribes and the elders of the people gathered in the court of the preacher named Caiaphas; and they consulted in order to catch and kill Jesus by deception. And they said: But not about the holiday, so that the people would not rebel. Although the Law provided for only one high priest, 416 who performed his office for life, the Jews had many because they chose a new high priest every year, apart from the Law. 417 So that year they came to the high priest to consult with him about murder, since the duty of the high priest was to punish murderers. 418 Here, those who have already completed their one-year service are called "high priests". Intending to commit an ungodly murder, they did not fear God, but the people. They were afraid to kill Jesus on the day of the feast, because in that case the people could rise up in His defense, or because of the murder they would not participate in the offering of the prescribed sacrifices, because of which the high priests would be left without the income they received from the sacrifices. They probably also feared to kill Him on the day of the feast itself because then His death would become known and celebrated to all, while they wanted to completely erase all memory of Him. That is why they agreed before the holiday to kill Him right after the holiday. However, Jesus allows them to capture Him at the time of the Passover, wanting to show that He is going to suffer not when they want it but when He wants it, so that on the day of the foreshadowing Passover the true Passover will be completed. From this we can also understand how bloodthirsty they were, because although they did not intend to kill Jesus on the feast day, when they found the traitor, they committed the murder on that very day, forgetting even the people, just to fulfill their purpose. 6–7. And when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman approached him with an alabaster vessel of expensive perfume, and poured it on his head as he sat at the table. Some say that the four evangelists are referring to the three women who anointed the Lord. Others, again, say that there are only two of them: Mary, the sister of Lazarus, from John's Gospel, and the one who is now mentioned here by Matthew, who, again, is the same one that Luke and Mark speak of. Some say that this Simon the leper was the father of Lazarus and that Christ cleansed him of leprosy and then dined with him. It is said that the Lord sent his disciples to him when he told them to go to a man who would show them the veiled upper room. As they say, he then received the Lord who celebrated the Passover with him. Therefore, when the woman 419 saw the cleansed leper, she boldly believed that she too would receive forgiveness of sins and cleansing from mental leprosy. She professed great faith when she poured out such expensive myrrh without hesitation. 420 She poured it on His head, paying homage to the most important part of the body. That's why you too, man, if you suffer from mental and pharisaical leprosy that makes you proud and alienates you from God, welcome Jesus into your "home" and anoint Him with the "peace" of virtues, because you too can get myrrh for Jesus who healed you of leprosy and pour it on His head. What is the "head" of Christ if not His divinity to whom the fragrance of virtue is offered? "Let my prayer be corrected," says David, "as before You, Lord." 421 Offer, therefore, to Christ's deity the fragrance of peace, made of many virtues. If you teach that Christ is not only a simple man but also God, then you have anointed His "head" with peace, that is, you have glorified His divinity with the words of theology. 8-11. And when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying: Why this harm? Because this fragrance could be sold expensively and given to the poor. And when Jesus understood, he said to them: Why are you disturbing the woman? She did a good deed on me. Because you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me. Since the disciples had already heard a lot about almsgiving and understood how important it is, they rebuked the woman, thinking that God prefers mercy to other people than the honor shown to Himself. The Lord, however, reproaches the disciples for unjustly rebuking the woman. We should not expect lofty things from those who have just turned to Christ, especially not from a weak woman, but receive from them as much faith as they have. When someone offers a gift to God, do not turn him away and despise his zeal, sending him to give his gift to the poor, but allow him to fulfill what he intended. If he asks for your advice, whether to give to the poor or to give to God, advise him to help the poor. However, if he has already offered a gift to God, there is no reason to dissuade him, because the honor shown to God should be valued more than anything else, even than charity itself. Even though we know that Christ, in his love for humanity, receives mercy shown to others as a gift to Him, we should still not despise God and do only charity. If that were the case, we would have to steal valuables from churches and give the stolen goods to the poor. But, it is not so, and so that you can understand that it is not the same to be merciful to the poor and to show honor to Christ himself and to serve Him, listen to the following words: "The poor," he says, "you always have with you, but you do not always have Me." Do you see, therefore, that it is one thing to serve Christ, and another to show mercy to the poor, even though Christ in his love of humanity accepts what is done to the poor as his own. 12–13. And she, having poured this perfume on my body, did it for my funeral. Truly I say to you: Wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, her memory will also be told of what she did. The Lord teaches us that the woman did this by some divine inspiration, foreshadowing His death and the burial of His body. The Lord would not have allowed him to help Him with peace if that work had not hidden some secret. As God, he foretold what would happen - that the work of this woman would be praised everywhere. Look at God's love for humanity, how he rewards a woman with a great gift. He promises her that she will be talked about everywhere, as long as there are Gospels. How did the myrrh symbolize His burial? Among the Jews, it was customary to prepare bodies for burial by anointing them with peace, as the Egyptians did. They did this to prevent the decomposition of the body and the spread of unpleasant odor. That's why he says: "By pouring out myrrh, the woman shows that My body will be buried." He says all this in order to shame and rebuke Judas who will betray Him and deliver Him to death. Understand this also in a figurative sense. "Leper" means a heathen people. The "sinner woman" is the synagogue and the Gentile Church, which poured out "peace", that is, faith on Christ's "Head", which is His divinity. Everyone who believes that Christ is God pours myrrh on His head. But Judas, who rebuked the woman, represents, as John says, 422 Jews, who grumble against the Church to this day. 14–16. Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests and said: What will you give me and I will betray him to you? And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. And since then, he was looking for a convenient time to betray him. When a foreign woman and a harlot showed Jesus such an honor, then His disciple went to betray Him. The evangelist does not say by chance: "Then he went away", but with the intention of showing Judas' shamelessness. He adds the name "Iscariot" in order to show as clearly as possible who he is talking about, because there was another Judas, who was also called Levi. 423 The traitor, however, was from a village called Iskara. 424 "And they paid him 425 thirty silver coins", that is, they agreed and decided to give him that much money, and not, as many think, that they had already calculated and paid him that much money. "(And since then) they were looking for an opportune time", in order to betray Him when He was alone. Because they were afraid of the people, they hired Judas to inform them when Jesus was alone. 17–19. And on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples approached Jesus, saying to him: Where do you want us to find out that you are eating the Passover? And he said: Go to the city of so-and-so, and tell him: The Master says: My time is near, I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your place. And the disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and observed the Passover. The evangelist calls the day before the "unleavened bread" the "first day of unleavened bread". The Passover was supposed to be eaten on Friday evening, which is why it was called the day of unleavened bread, but the Lord sent the disciples on Thursday, on the day that the evangelist calls "the first day of unleavened bread", 426 because it preceded Friday, when unleavened bread was eaten in the evening (according to custom). Then the disciples approach Him and ask Him: "Where do you want us to find out that you eat the Passover?", 427 since neither they nor He had their own house. Jesus sends them to an unknown man who did not even know them, as he did when he sent them to find the donkey. With this, he showed them that he is able to convince even those who do not know him at all to accept him with just his words. The Lord wanted to celebrate the Passover so that the Jews would not think that he was going against the Law. He calls his slaughter "His time", so that we understand that He was not killed without knowing what awaited Him and against His will. With the words: "I will celebrate the Passover at your place", he adds: "...with His disciples", so that everything would be ready for the larger number of guests who will come. 20–22. And when in the evening, they sat at the table with the Twelve disciples and while they were eating he said to them: Verily I say unto you; one of you will betray me. And being greatly saddened, each of them began to say to him: Was it not me, Lord? Based on these words, some think that the Lord did not eat the Passover that year, because they say that the Passover lamb was eaten only while standing. Since the Lord was sitting, he did not eat the Passover. However, we can assume that he first ate the Passover while standing, then sat down and gave the disciples His Mysteries. 428 First he celebrated the (Old Testament) Passover as a pattern, and then he carried it out in reality. He predicts what Judas will do in order to correct and shame him, if nothing else, then with a common meal, but also to fill him with fear and horror for betraying God who knows the hearts (of people). The other disciples were horrified, because although they had a clear conscience, they placed more hope in Christ than in themselves, since He knew their hearts better than they did. 23–25. And he answered and said: Whoever dips his hand in the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man, therefore, goes as it is written for him; but woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man; it would have been better for him if that man had not been born. And Judas, his betrayer, answered and said: Was it not I, Master? He said to him: You said. He publicly reprimands the traitor, since the latter did not repent when he previously rebuked him secretly. That is why he is now publicly distorting him by saying: "He who dips his hand with Me in the bowl...", so that at least at that moment he would be corrected. But, being shameless, Judas dipped his hand into Christ's cup. The Lord then says: "The Son of Man is coming, just as it is written about Him." Therefore, although it is predestined 429 that Christ should suffer for the salvation of the world, Judas should not be considered worthy of our salvation, but rather he should be pitied. What he did was not done as a co-worker in God's purpose, but out of his own malice. If you think about it, even Christ did not want to be crucified before. 430 This is shown when (in Gethsemane) he prays that the cup of suffering may pass him by. But since He (by His divine nature) knew before all ages that men could not be saved otherwise because of the malice of the enemy, what was not His intention before now becomes so. By saying that it would have been better if that man who would betray Him had not been born, he shows that it is better not to exist than to live in sin. Pay attention to the words "The Son of Man goes...", which show that His dying will not be death but going to another place. 26. And when they were eating, Jesus took bread 431 and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said: Take, eat; this is my body. Matthew adds the words: "and when they ate", in order to show Judas' inhumanity, because if Judas had been a beast, he would have become tamer by tasting the food from the common table. But, although disfigured, he not only did not come to himself, but remained unrepentant after tasting the very Body of Christ. Some interpreters say that Christ gave the Mysteries to the other disciples only after Judas had left. 432 This is how it would be appropriate for us to perform and withhold the Mysteries from unholy people. Before breaking the bread, the Lord gave thanks in order to teach us to offer Bread with gratitude (to God). 433 At the same time, this shows that He voluntarily accepts the breaking of His Body, that is, His dying, 434 and does not show bitterness, as if it were something contrary to His will, so that we, in the same way, could voluntarily accept martyrdom (for His sake). Saying "This is My Body", he shows that the bread consecrated on the altar is the true Body of the Lord and not His image. He does not say: "This is the image (of My Body)", but "This is My Body". In an unspeakable way, the (proposed) bread changes, although it still retains the appearance of (ordinary) bread. Since we are weak and cannot bear to eat raw meat, least of all human meat, it still looks like bread, although it is actually meat. 27–28. And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Just as in the Old Testament there is sacrifice and blood, so in the New Testament we have blood and sacrifice. It says: "Which is poured out for many", which means "for all", because "all" are also "many". Why didn't he say above: "Take, eat all of you", but only here he says: "Drink from it all of you?" Some say that he said this because of Judas, because Judas took the Bread and did not eat it, but hid it, in order to show the Jews the Bread that Jesus called His Body. Nevertheless, Judas drank the cup, although against his will, since he could not hide it at all. That is why Christ said: "Drink from her, all of you." Figuratively, some say that all men cannot access solid food, but only those who are more perfect, while all can drink. That's why He says: "Drink from it all", because everyone is able to rhyme the simpler teachings. 29. I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine of Vinograd until that day when I will drink a new one with you in the Kingdom of my Father. Having drunk the cup, the Lord renounces bodily drink, but promises another way of drinking in the Kingdom, that is, after the Resurrection. Namely, when He was resurrected, He ate and drank in a new way, not because He needed food with a physical taste, but to confirm the true nature of His body. 435 He rightly calls His Resurrection the "Empire", because when he conquered death he really showed himself as an Emperor. But you can also understand this in the following way: "new drink" is the revelation of God's secrets, which will be revealed in the Kingdom of God, that is, after the second coming (of God). They are "new", that is, they are of such a nature that we have never heard of them. It is said that Christ will "drink" them together with us, because He considers His food and drink to be beneficial to us. 30. And having sung praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 436 When they ate dinner, they sang praises, so that we would learn to do the same. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and not to some other place, so that it would not appear that he was running away. He is not going to some unknown place, but to a place that was (well) known to the Jews. 437 At the same time, He leaves the bloodthirsty city, leaving it and leaving it to suffer, so that later He could rebuke the Jews for persecuting Him even when He left them. 31–32. Then Jesus said to them: You will all stumble over me this night; because the Scripture says: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. And after my resurrection I will go before you to Galilee. He, as God, predicts what will happen, and so that the disciples would not be offended by thinking that he is accusing them, he tells them that it is written: "I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." With this, he wants to say: "I gathered you all together, and after My departure you will scatter." It is said of the Father that he will "smite" the Son, because the Jews, according to His idea, or rather, with His permission, crucified the Lord. Although He was able to prevent them from doing so, He did not, and that is why it is said that the Father "struck" (the shepherd) by permission. 438 Then he comforts them by giving them the good news that he will rise again and go before them to Galilee. By this he shows that he will leave Jerusalem and go to the Gentiles, since the Gentiles lived in Galilee. 33–34. And Peter answered and said to him: Even if all are offended by you, I will never be offended. Jesus said to him: I tell you the truth: Tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. With great self-confidence, Peter promises that he will not be deceived. That is why Christ allowed him to fall in order to teach him not to trust in himself, but in God, but also to trust Christ's words more than his conscience. Peter's words: "If all are offended..." show his boasting and ignorance of his own weakness. The Lord then predicts to him the hour that will come that night before the rooster crows, as well as the number of denials, because he will deny Him three times. 35–36. Peter said to him: I will not give you up even if I have to die with you! That's what all the students said. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, 439 and said to the disciples: Sit there while I go there to pray to God. Wanting to show his true devotion to the Savior, Peter contradicted Him. Having freed himself from the fear that he might be a traitor, Peter now with great love, but also love of honor, begins to stand up against others and even oppose Christ. Then the rest of the disciples, even before they were tempted, ignorantly promised what they would not be able to fulfill. Jesus goes away to pray in solitude, because prayer seeks peace and solitude. 37–39. And taking Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, they began to mourn and grieve. Then Jesus said to them: My soul is sorrowful unto death; stay here and watch with me. And having gone a little, he fell on his face praying and saying: My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; but again not as I want, but as you! He does not take all the disciples with Him, but only those three to whom He showed His glory on Tabor, so that the others would not be offended by seeing Him praying with pain in his heart. But He leaves even them and goes to pray in an even more lonely place. He grieves and suffers according to God's plan in order to show that he is truly human, because it is human nature to fear death, since death came against nature, and that is why our nature runs away from it. At the same time, he does this wanting to deceive the devil, so that he would attack him as an ordinary man and kill him, but in that way he himself would be defeated. If the Lord had, by any chance, gone to death himself, he would have given the Jews reason to think that they had not committed a sin by killing the one who himself so wanted to suffer. From this we can learn that we should not run into troubles and temptations, but rather pray to be delivered from them. This is precisely why He did not go so far from the apostles, but stayed close to the three disciples so that they could hear Him and remember His words when they themselves fall into temptations and pray like that. He calls His suffering a "cup" because of the dream that comes after the cup, but also because it became the culprit of our joy and salvation. He wants the cup to pass by Him to show that, as a man subject to natural laws, He wants to avoid death, as stated above, but perhaps also because He did not want the Jews to commit such a terrible sin that would cause the Church to be destroyed and the people to be killed. Nevertheless, He wants the Father's will to be done, so that when nature pulls us away from obedience, we too learn that we must obey God and fulfill His will. 40–41. And coming to the disciples, he found them where they were sleeping, and said to Peter: Couldn't you stay awake with me for an hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; for the spirit is strong, but the body is weak. Because Peter and the other disciples were full of self-confidence and careless promises, the Lord rebukes them for their weakness, addressing Peter in particular. "When you can't spend a single hour with Me, how will you lay down your life for Me?" But, immediately after he had hurt them with his rebuke, he consoled them by saying that the spirit is strong, but the weakness of the body opposes it. In other words, He says: "I consider you worthy of forgiveness because you fell asleep, not because of contempt for Me but because of the weakness of the body." But since you are so weak, do not trust in yourselves, but pray that you do not fall into temptation." Others think that the words: "Do not fall into temptation" mean: "Do not be overcome by temptation". Therefore, they say, the Lord does not command us to be without temptations, because through temptations we gain crowns, but that they do not overcome us, and that we do not find ourselves swallowed up as in the belly of some wild beast. That's why he commands us to pray, because he who is overcome by temptation falls completely under his power. 42–44. Again he went a second time and prayed, saying: My Father, if this cup cannot pass from me that I may not drink it, let your will be done. And when he came, he found them again where they were sleeping; because their eyes were heavy. And leaving him, he went again and prayed a third time, saying the same words. When you hear that the Lord prayed more than once, learn, man, to pray often in trials. When he found the disciples sleeping, he did not scold them so as not to grieve them, but left them (in peace). He left them and prayed a third time to convince us of His human nature, since the number three is the number of truth and trustworthiness. 45–46. Then he came to his disciples and said to them: Sleep still and rest! Behold, the hour draws near, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Get up, let's go! Behold, my traitor has come near. Wanting to show that He does not need their help, even at the moment of betrayal, the Lord tells them: "Sleep still." Perhaps he is saying this in irony, intending to say: "Here, the traitor has approached, and you, if you want and time permits, still sleep." Then he calls them to leave the place where he was praying and goes to meet those who will catch him, approaching them as if they were bringing him some joy. Thus we see that He prayed (as a man) to confirm the divine Providence. His prayer also shows that he wanted to avoid suffering in order to spare the Jews from the destruction that would befall them because of their sin against Him. 47–50. And while he was still speaking like this, behold, Judas, one of the Twelve, came, and with him many people with knives and with clubs from the high priests and elders of the people. And his betrayer gave them a sign, saying: Whom I kiss, it is he; hold him And immediately approaching Jesus, he said: Hello, Master! And heals him. And Jesus said to him: Friend, is that what you came for? Then, approaching, they put their hands on Jesus and caught him. Do you see what the high priests use? Butcher 440 and knives! And so they were calm and full of the spirit of meekness! The evangelist says: "one of the Twelve", marveling at Judas who gave himself up to the devil, even though he was chosen and appointed as one of the first apostles. That's why you, man, be afraid, even if you are among the closest to the Lord, so that you don't become lazy and fall away from God. Judas gave them a sign because it was night and they could not see clearly in the darkness. Namely, those who came to arrest Him were not people from the people, but servants of the high priest, who could not immediately recognize Jesus. But the student shows them the teacher with a kiss. Knowing that the Lord is human-loving, Judas dared to kiss Him. The Lord was patient with him until the last hour, hoping to win him over with His longsuffering. Nevertheless, Judas did not come to his senses, even when the Lord brought down the servants of the high priest to the ground, as John says, 441 so that they would know His power. Seeing that they do not give up their insolence, the Lord surrenders to them. He calls Judas "friend" in order to embarrass and ridicule him for his supposed friendly kiss. He says to him: "Is that what you came for", which means, "Why did you come here?" As a friend? Then you shouldn't have come with the knives. Maybe as an enemy? But why are you kissing me then?» In this way, it misrepresents him as a cunning deceiver. 51–54. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus, waving his hand, took out his knife and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him: Return your knife to its place; because all who brandish the knife will perish by the knife. Or do you think that I cannot now ask my Father to send me more than twelve legions of angels? How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled if this is how it should be? The disciple who took out the knife was Peter, as John says, 442 because he had the knife, having recently sacrificed the lamb they were eating (for the Passover). But let's not blame Peter, because he didn't do this for himself, but out of zeal for his Master. Turning Peter to the evangelical life, the Lord teaches him not to use weapons, even if he wants to avenge God with them. By cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant, Peter symbolically shows that the Jews were suffering from disobedience. Then Christ quotes the words of the Law according to which everyone who kills will be killed himself. The law says that "everyone who wields a knife will perish by the knife." 443 With these words, the Lord also wants to say that the Jews who rose up against Him with a knife, will themselves be executed by the knife of the Romans. The Lord does not say "I can bring twelve legions of angels", but "I can plead with my Father...", speaking according to God's plan as a man, condescending to their weakness. He showed His human nature through sweat, fear and in many other ways, so His words would not be convincing if He said: "I alone can bring angels." Instead of twelve disciples, he says, "twelve squads of angels will come if I wish." The Legion is the largest military unit consisting of six thousand horsemen. 444 All this, therefore, must happen in order to fulfill the Scriptures that foretold these events. The Jews were not evil because the Scriptures predicted that they would be so, but these events were previously described in the Scriptures by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because the Jews intended to do this according to their evil will. 55–56. At that time, Jesus said to the people: Like a robber, you came out with knives and clubs to catch me, and every day I sat with you teaching in the church, and you did not catch me. And all this was to fulfill the letters of the prophets. The Lord shows how foolish their endeavor is, as well as the fact that they did not catch Him by their own strength. "While I was in the Church", he says, "you wanted to catch Me, but you could not because I did not allow you to do so. But now I willingly hand myself over to you, because I know that the Scriptures that foretold your malice do not lie.» 56–58. Then all the disciples left him and ran away. And those who seized Jesus took him to the high priest Caiaphas, 445 where the scribes and elders gathered. And Peter followed him from afar to the courtyard of the high priests and, having entered, sat down with the servants to see the consummation. The other disciples fled; only Peter, who was most sincerely devoted to his teacher, followed them from afar. If John also followed them, he did so not as a disciple, but as an acquaintance of the high priest. 446 59-60. And the chief priests and the elders and the whole Sanhedrin sought false testimony against Jesus in order to kill him, and found none; and although many false witnesses came, they found none. Jesus is taken away by Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. There the other elders spent the night with him and waited to kill the Lord, not eating the Passover then and thus breaking the Law. While the Lord ate the Passover at the appointed time of the Law, they despised the Law only to kill the Lord. 60–64. Finally, two false witnesses came and said: He said: I can destroy the church of God and build it in three days. And the high priest stood up and said to him: Do you not answer for anything that these testify against you? And Jesus was silent. And the high priest answered and said to him: I adjure you by the living God to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God! Jesus said to him: You said. They were indeed false witnesses. Christ did not say: "I can break it", but "Break it". He did not say "the Church of God", but "this church", that is, "My Body", nor did he say "I will build it", but "I will raise it up" (that is, I will resurrect it). 447 Thus they were indeed false witnesses, since Christ said one thing, and they testified that he said another. That's why Jesus kept silent knowing that their judgment was lawless, because how could he convince them with words of justification when they didn't even believe in the signs he did? The high priest asks Him a question with the intention of making Him commit blasphemy, because if Jesus had answered: "I am the Son of God", they would have condemned Him as a blasphemer. If, however, he denied it, he would be testifying against himself. Nevertheless, the Lord caught these "wise men" in their cunning, so he answered the high priest: "You said", which means: "Your mouth confessed that I am the Son of God". 64. But I say to you: from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. He speaks in the words of Daniel's prophecy, which says: "I saw as the Son of God coming on clouds." 448 Since the Jews thought that He was in error, seeing Him in a humble form, He answered them: "From now on you will see Me coming in power and sitting together with the Father." By "power" he means the Power of the Father, but also that the Son of Man will not come from the earth, but from heaven. 65–66. Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying: Blaspheme God! What more do we need witnesses? Now you can hear his blasphemy. What do you think? And they answered and said: He deserved death. There was a custom among the Jews to tear their clothes whenever something unbearable happened to them. Caiaphas did the same, deceiving the people that it was open blasphemy. He wanted to show how Christ uttered a grave blasphemy, and thus lead the people to say that He deserved death. However, he understands that the moment when Caiaphas tore his robes is also a symbol indicating that the high priesthood of the Old Testament was "torn", that is, ended. 67–68. Then they spat in his face and hit him, and others hit him on the cheeks saying: Prophesy to us Christ, who hit you? When they condemned Him, they began to shame Him and mock Him, covering His face with a garment, as the second evangelist says. 449 They mocked Him in this way because the people considered Him a prophet. They hit Him with clenched fists and slapped Him. 69–75. And Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant girl approached him, saying: You too were with Jesus the Galilean. And he denied it in front of everyone saying: I don't know what you are saying. And when he went out to the door, another saw him, and said to those who were there: This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he renounced with an oath: I do not know that man. And a little later those who were standing approached and said to Peter: Truly you are also one of them; because even your speech betrays you. Then he began to beg and curse that he did not know that man. And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter was reminded of the words of Jesus that he said to him: Until the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. And when he went outside, he cried bitterly. Being seized with great fear, Peter forgot his promises and bowed down in human weakness, as if fear had completely numbed him, so he did not know what he was saying. Understand this also in a figurative sense. Peter was (first) accused by a "maid", that is, a human weakness that is down-to-earth and should be kept in submission, until finally the singer spoke up and brought him to his senses. The "singer" represents the voice of conscience that does not allow us to laze around and sleep, but constantly tells us: "Wake up and get up, sleepers." Therefore, Peter was awakened by the voice of conscience like a singer. Leaving the courtyard of the "house of the high priest", that is, from the state of blinded mind and freed from the insensitivity of the heart, Peter begins to weep bitterly. While he was in the "courtyard" of the blinded mind, he could not cry, because he was numb, but as soon as he came out, he came to himself. 1–2. And when morning came, all the high priests and the elders of the people held a council against Jesus to put him to death. And having bound him, they took him away and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor. Look, how the devil took control of them and made them commit murder on those festive days when they were supposed to offer many sacrifices for the sins of others, on days of innocence and purity. Instead, they DID bind Jesus and lead Him to the governor Pilate, 450 originally from Pontus, who, as a subject of Rome, was sent as governor of Judea. Therefore, they handed the Lord over to Pilate on the charge of being a rebel and plotting against the emperor. 451 3–5. Then, seeing Judas, his betrayer, about to condemn him, he repented and returned the thirty pieces of silver. to the high priests and elders, saying: I have sinned by shedding innocent blood. And they said: What do we care about that? You will see. And throwing the silver coins in the church, he went out and went and hanged himself. Thinking about what he had done, Judas repented, 452 but not in the right way. It is good to condemn yourself, but it is the work of the devil to hang yourself. Unable to bear the shame that awaited him, Judas took his own life, instead of weeping and begging forgiveness from the One he had betrayed. Some say that Judas, being greedy, thought that he would be able to get silver by betraying Christ, and that Christ would not be killed, but would manage to escape from the Jews, as he had done on many occasions. But when Judas saw that Jesus was accused and already sentenced to death, he repented, because everything turned out the way he did not expect. That is why (in the opinion of those interpreters) Judas hanged himself in order to reach Hades before Jesus and beg Him for his salvation there. However, know that when he put the noose around his neck and hanged himself, the tree bent, and he remained alive. God wanted to leave him alive for repentance or to publicly disfigure and shame him. It is said that Judas later became so bloated from dropsy that he could not pass where even carts could easily pass. 453 Then, throwing himself headlong, he "broke in the middle", as Luke says in the Acts of the Apostles. 454 6-10. And the high priests, taking the silver coins, said: They should not be put in the church treasury, because they are the price of blood. Instead, they agreed, and bought for them a potter's field for a cemetery for foreigners. That's why that field is called Blood Field to this day. Then was fulfilled what was said through the prophet Jeremiah who says: 455 And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of the prized one, who was prized by the children of Israel; and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord told me. "Korvan" was called the church treasury, in which they put the gifts offered to God. See how God distorts them, publicly displaying their bloodthirstiness. To this day, he says, that field is called the "Field of Blood", in order to constantly remind people that they killed the Lord. He also learns that the Jews tried so hard in hospitality that they even bought foreigners a field where they could bury themselves. Shame on us, then, who think we live a more perfect life, but overlook foreigners. He mentions "The price of the esteemed one", which means the price of Christ. The Jews valued Him who cannot be valued, that is, the children of Israel determined His price by agreeing to give Judas thirty pieces of silver. 11–14. And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Are you the king of Judea? And Jesus said to him: You say. And when the high priests and elders sued him, he answered nothing. Then Pilate said to him: Don't you hear how much they testify against you. And he did not answer him a single word, so that the governor became very wild. Accusing Jesus of a crime against the state, they bring Him to Pilate, who therefore asks Him if He intended to raise an uprising and try to rule over the Jews. But Jesus tells him: "You say", thus giving him the wisest answer. Therefore, he did not say either that he is or that he is not the king of Judea, but something in between - "You say." These words can also be interpreted in the following way: "I am what you say", or: "It is not I who say that, but you." However, he did not tell him anything else, knowing that his judgment was unjust. Pilate admired the Lord because He despised death, but at the same time because He did not answer or pay attention to His accusers, although as an eloquent He could say a lot in His defense. Therefore, let us also learn from this not to say anything when we find ourselves in front of a dishonorable court, so as not to create a greater commotion and thus incite to even more furious anger those who will not listen to our defense. 15–18. And on the Feast, it was the custom of the governor to release to the people one slave each they wanted. And then they had a famous slave named Baravu. And when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them: Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas or Jesus called Christ? Because he knew that they handed him over out of envy. Pilate looked to release Christ, although he did not try as hard as he was obliged to do as a man who should represent the truth. First he asked the Lord: "Don't you hear how much they testify against You?" He asks Him how Christ would justify Himself and thus give Him a reason to let Him go. But, since the Lord did not say anything in His defense, because He knew very well that they would not have released Him even if He had defended Himself, Pilate went the other way and resorted to the custom of the holiday, saying: "Even if you do not release Jesus as innocent, at least give Him freedom as a convict for the holiday." How could Pilate assume that the Jews would ask to crucify Jesus, who was innocent, and let the guilty robber go free? Pilate knew very well that Jesus was not guilty, but that he was handed over out of envy, so he asked the people to choose which prisoner they wanted to release. Here it is clearly seen what a weakling he was, because he should have exposed himself to danger for a good cause. That is why he deserves to be condemned for concealing the truth. "Barabas" 456 means "father's son", since "var" is a son and "ava" is a father. Therefore, the Jews asked for the son of their spiritual father - the devil, and they crucified Jesus. To this day, there are people like them, who approached the Antichrist, the son of their father, and renounced Christ. 19–26. And when he was sitting in court, his wife told him, saying: Don't meddle in the judgment of that righteous man, because today I suffered a lot in my dream because of him. And the high priests and elders persuaded the people to seek Barabbas, and to execute Jesus. And the governor answered and said to them: Which of these two do you want me to release to you? And they said: Barabbas. Pilate said to them: And what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said to him: Let him be crucified! The governor then said: And what evil did he do? And they cried out, saying: Let him be crucified! And when Pilate saw that nothing was helping, but that there was an even greater riot, he took water and washed his hands in front of the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; you will see. And all the people answered and said: His blood is on us and on our children! Then he released Barabbas to them, and after whipping Jesus, handed him over to be crucified. Oh, what a miracle! The one whom Pilate tried, frightened his wife in a dream. It was not Pilate who had the vision in the dream, but his wife, 457 probably because he himself was not worthy of the vision, or because the Jews would not have believed him, but would have thought that he was defending Jesus. Or maybe he would have kept quiet if he had a vision in his dream, since he was a judge. This dream was the work of God's Providence, and it did not appear so that Christ would be freed, but so that the woman could be saved. Why, then, did Pilate not release him? Because it was dangerous, since Jesus was accused of a crime against the ruler. However, Pilate should have asked for evidence as to whether Jesus hired soldiers or forged weapons. Instead, He allowed himself to be deceived as a fool and a weakling. That's why he is not without guilt, because when they asked him to release a man who was notorious, he handed Barabbas over to them, and for Christ he asks: "And what will I do with Jesus?", thus giving them the power to judge Him. Since he was the steward, he could deliver Him, just as the captain delivered Paul. 458 But they cried out: "Let Him be crucified", not only wanting to kill Him but also to accuse Him as a criminal, since the cross was the punishment for criminals. 459 Pilate washes his hands, 460 to show that he is clean of all hatred, even though his thoughts were vile. He rightly calls Jesus righteous, but still hands Him over to murderers. The people take upon themselves the punishment for His murder, and this punishment really caught up with them when the Romans destroyed them and their children. But even to this day, the Jews, as descendants of those who killed the Lord, carry His blood on themselves. 461 Because of their unbelief, everyone persecutes them, and before their persecutors they have no excuse because of the words they said before Pilate. Pilate flogged Jesus to please the people, or, perhaps, to show that he was the one who condemned Christ, and that he would not crucify an innocent but a condemned man. This is how Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled, which says: "I have laid my back against those who beat me." 27–30. Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus to the courtroom and gathered the whole company of soldiers to him. And having stripped him, they put a purple cloak on him. And having plaited a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand; and kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, King of Judea! And spitting on him, they took a reed and beat him on the head. Here the words of David were fulfilled: "You have made me a laughingstock to the foolish." 462 Since they were foolish, the soldiers did what suited them as such. They clothed Him with a robe instead of imperial porphyry, gave Him a reed instead of a scepter and put a crown of thorns on His head instead of a crown. They worshiped Him, mocking Him, because that is what the words "kneeling on their knees" mean. You see, how they inflicted every kind of shame on Him: they mocked His face with spitting; head with a crown of thorns; a hand with a reed; body with a cloak, and His ears with blasphemous words. Although they did this to mock Christ, nevertheless, you can understand this in a more mysterious way, as a picture of the humiliation that the Lord suffered through His incarnation. The "purple robe" signifies our nature, inclined to blood and murder, which He took, and by wearing it avenged. The "crown of thorns" are the sins that come from our life's worries. Christ destroyed them with His divinity, because the head signifies His divinity. The "reed" is a symbol of our weak and powerless body, which the Lord took, as David also says: "Right hand of the Lord, exalt me." 463 Listening to the blasphemy with His ears, He delivered us from the serpent's whisper that we received through Eve's ears. 464 31–32. And when they mocked him, they stripped him of his cloak, and dressed him in his clothes and led him to be crucified. And going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon and forced him to bring him a cross. The three evangelists say that Simon carried the cross of Jesus, while John claims that the Lord himself carried it. Both are probably true. At first, the Lord carried the cross himself, because no one else wanted to carry it, but on the way they found Simon and placed the cross on his back. Also learn that Simon means "obedience". Therefore, the one who lives in obedience (to God) carries the cross of Christ. Cyrene was one of the five cities of the Pentapolis, 465 and (symbolically) signifies our five senses which must bear the cross. 33–37. And coming to the place called Golgotha, that is: Place of the skull, they gave him vinegar mixed with gall to drink, and when he tasted it, he would not drink. And when they crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. And they sat there and watched over him. And they placed over his head his guilt written: This is Jesus the king of the Jews. It was called the "Skull Place" because, according to paternal tradition, Adam was buried there. As we all die in Adam, it was necessary that we should all be made alive in Christ. 466 Don't be sad when you hear Matthew say that vinegar with gall was given to the Lord, and then Mark who says that it was wine with myrrh. 467 John, again, speaks of vinegar mixed with gall and hyssop. 468 Many things were done by various people, since there was a mixed mass of people in that place, and some did one thing, and others another. It is possible that one gave the Lord wine, and the other vinegar mixed with gall. 469 There were various types of death penalty, but Christ still suffered on the cross to avenge the tree through which the curse came to us and blessed everything with the death of the cross: the heavens, which signifies the upper arm of the cross; the underworld, as its base, 470 and the ends of the earth, east and west, represented by the cross arms of the cross. He also suffered so that, spreading his hands on the cross, he would call and gather all the scattered children of God. The soldiers distributed his clothes, since he was poor and had nothing else. What the other evangelist calls "inscription", 471 Matthew calls "guilt". It was written, therefore, why he was crucified, since he was accused as the king of the Jews and a rebel. They called Him emperor in order to misrepresent Him (as a rebel against Roman rule). Nevertheless, their testimony was faithful, even though it came from the enemy, because the Lord is really the King who came to save the Jews for this very reason. However, since the Jews according to the flesh did not want Him to rule over them, Christ became King of the Jews" according to the spirit, that is, of those who confess Him, because Jew means "one who confesses". 472 38–44. Then they crucified two robbers with him, one from the right and one from the left. And those who passed by mocked him, waving their heads and saying: You who destroy the church and build it in three days, save yourself; if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. And so also the high priests with the scribes, elders and Pharisees, mockingly said: He can save others, but he cannot save himself. If he is the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if it pleases him; because he said: I am the Son of God. Likewise, the robbers crucified with him mocked him. Wanting to slander Christ, they crucified two robbers along with Him, 473 so that people would consider Him as lawless as they were. These two robbers represent two peoples: Jewish and Gentile, because both transgressed the Law and mocked Christ. But later one of the robbers recognized Christ and confessed Him as King, saying: "Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom." 474 This is how the Gentile people confessed Christ, while the "other robber", that is, the Jewish people, blasphemed Him. The devil encouraged them to say: "If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross", in order to provoke Him to come down and thus ruin the work of salvation for all that was to be done on the cross. Nevertheless, Christ, who is also the Son of God, did not listen to the enemy, so that you too could learn that we must not give in to the devil's wiles, but do good, no matter how bad others think of us. 45–49. And from the sixth hour there would be darkness all over the land until the ninth hour. And around the ninth hour, Jesus cried out at the top of his voice saying: Or, Or, lima savahtani? That is: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And some of those who were standing there, hearing it, said: This is calling Elijah. And immediately one of the dohs ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, poured it on a reed, and poured it on. And the others said: Let us see if Elijah will come to rescue Him. The darkness that occurred was not a natural phenomenon resulting from an eclipse of the sun, because there is never an eclipse of the sun on the fourteenth day of the lunar cycle, but such phenomena occur at the time of the new moon. The crucifixion was undoubtedly on the fourteenth day of the lunar cycle, that is, on the day when the Jews celebrate Passover. 475 That is why this event was supernatural. 476 The darkness took over the whole world and was not partial as it used to be in Egypt, 477 so that it could be shown that the whole substance is crying because of the suffering of its Creator, and that the light (of truth) was taken away from the Jews. Now let the Jews, who were looking for a sign from heaven, look at the eclipsed sun. Since man was created on the sixth day, and at the sixth hour he tasted from the forbidden tree, because it was the time of eating, 478 the Lord was nailed to the tree on the sixth day of the week at the sixth hour, in order to transplant man and heal him from the original sin. Jesus speaks prophetic words (psalms) in the Hebrew language with the intention of showing that he does not contradict the Old Testament. He says: "Why did you leave me?", 479 confirming that he was truly, and not apparently, a man, because man has a natural desire for life and loves it. Since Christ fought and suffered before the cross, showing the fear inherent in our nature, that is why he says even now: "Why have you forsaken me?", revealing our natural love for life. He was truly human and in all respects similar to us, except for sin. 480 Some understood this in the sense that the Savior said on behalf of the Jews: "Why did you leave the Jewish people, O Father, to commit such a sin and be given over to destruction?" Since Christ himself was of the Jews, He says: "Why have you forsaken me?" wanting to say: "Why did you leave My relatives, My people, to do such evil to themselves?" Not understanding His cry, the people of the people, who were simple and ignorant of the prophetic books, thought that He was calling Elijah. All Jews, therefore, did not know the prophecies, just as perhaps not all Christians now know the Gospel. They made Him drink vinegar so that He would die faster, before Elijah came and helped Him. That's why others say: "Leave it, let's see if Elijah will come to rescue Him." In other words: "Don't let Him die, so we can see if Elijah will help Him." 50–53. And Jesus cried out again at the top of his voice, he gave up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the church was torn in two, from the upper end to the lower end; and the earth shakes, and the stones crumble; and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died arose; and coming out of the graves after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Jesus cried out at the top of his voice so that we would know that he was speaking the truth when he said: "I have the authority to lay down my life", 481 because he surrenders the soul with his authority. But why did he cry out: "Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit". 482 Because He did not release His spirit under compulsion, but voluntarily. That's why he uses the word «teaching». This shows that he will take it again, because the pledge can always be taken back. Thanks be to God, that when he was dying, he placed his spirit in the hands of the Father, because since then the souls of the saints are also given into the hands of the Father, and not, as before, into the dungeons of hell. Thus Christ's death became our sanctification. That is why He calls death with a loud voice, because she did not dare to approach Him until He Himself called her. The church curtain consisted of a cloth that was hung in the middle of the Church and separated the inner part from the outer part as a kind of partition wall. 483 The curtain was torn, and with that God showed that the (until then) inaccessible and invisible Church, whose inner part (the Holy of Holies) was covered by a curtain, was so humiliated and desecrated that it became accessible and visible to everyone. Some give additional explanations. The torn veil signified that the letter of the Law was abolished in order to reveal the fullness of the Law, which until then had been hidden by the letter as a curtain, and all that was previously obscure and secret in the Law, was now revealed being fulfilled in Christ. 484 It can also be said that the Jews used to tear their clothes when they heard blasphemy against God. So now the divine Church, angered by the death of God, tore its "clothes", that is, the church curtain. More can be said about this, but this is enough. The natural elements were set in motion showing at the same time that the One who suffers is the Creator himself, and that there will be a change in things, because the earthquake is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures to indicate a change in the course of events. 485 And indeed there was a change in God's favor, which passed from the Jews to the Gentile nations. Even the "stones", that is, the stones of the hearts of the Gentiles, crumbled to receive the seed of Truth, while those who died in sins arose and entered the "holy city", Jerusalem above and appeared to many who walk in the broad way. Having appeared to them, they showed themselves to be a pattern of good life and conversion, because the one who sees a man who previously died in the passions, where converted ascends to the holy heavenly city, imitates him in everything and turns to God. These events are explained in quite some detail, but you understand that the resurrection of the dead that happened at the time of the Lord's crucifixion also showed the liberation of souls from hell. Those who were resurrected at that time, many saw, so that this event would not be considered an apparition. They were resurrected for a sign and it is obvious that they died again afterwards. Some say that they were resurrected after the Resurrection of Christ and that they have not yet died, although I do not know if this can be accepted. 54–56. And the captain and those who guarded Jesus with him, seeing that the earth was shaking and what would happen, were very afraid, saying: Truly this was the Son of God. And there were many women who followed Jesus from Galilee and served him, and among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Josiah, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. The Gentile captain and those who were with him believed because of these great signs, while the Jews who listened to the Law and the prophets remained in unbelief. Such was their malice. That captain was later martyred for Christ. 486 The women who observed these events and who really suffered the most for Christ, even though they were of a condemned race (because of Eve's sin), were the first to be honored with a joyful vision. 487 The students scattered while the women remained brave and persistent. "Mary, the mother of Jacob and Josiah" is the Mother of God, the Mother of God, because Jacob and Josiah were Joseph's sons from his first wife. Since the Mother of God was called the "wife" of Joseph, she is rightly called the "mother" of his children, that is, stepmother. The mother of Zebedee's sons was called Salome. She is also said to have been Joseph's daughter. 57–61. And when in the evening 488 a rich man came from Arimathea 489 named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. Approaching Pilate, he asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that the body be given to him. And taking Joseph's body, he wrapped it in clean linen. And put him in his new grave which he had cut in the stone; 490 and throwing a large stone at the door of the tomb, he left. And there were Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who sat down towards the tomb. Joseph had been hiding before, but now he dares to do a great deed, laying down his soul for the Master's body and receiving the wrath of all the Jews. Pilate gives him the Body as a great gift. Since Christ was executed as a rebel, it was likely that they intended to leave His body unburied. It is possible that Joseph, as a rich man, also gave Pilate gold. Then he took the Body and honored Him by laying Him in a new tomb in which no one had been buried before. It was God's plan, so that after the Resurrection of Christ, no one could say that the resurrected person was another dead person who was buried there before. That is why he was laid in a new grave. Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary", i.e. the Mother of God, who was called the "mother of Jacob and Josiah" above, sat in front of the grave and waited for the anger of the Jews to die down, so that they could go, wrap the body in funeral bandages and anoint them with peace. Isaiah said about these women: "You women who come from the sight of this, get out of here, because this is a people without understanding." 491 It is obvious that he is saying that the Jewish people who crucified the Lord have no sense. 492 Therefore, he calls women to leave the foolish people and go to the apostles and bring them the good news about the Resurrection. 62–66. The next day, on Friday, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered at Pilate, saying: Master, we remember that the impostor said while he was still alive: After three days I will rise. That's why he ordered that the tomb be fortified until the third day, so that they don't come like his disciples at night, so that they don't steal it and say to the people: Mouth from the dead; and the last fraud will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You have a guard (custodian), go and establish as you know how. And they went and fortified the tomb with a guard and sealed the stone. The evangelist does not call Saturday "Saturday" because, judging by the wickedness of the Jews, it was not Saturday at all. Although the Law forbade going from place to place on the Sabbath, the law-breaking Jews gathered at the Gentile Pilate, instead of being at the meeting appointed by the Law. Fueled by their malice, they go to Pilate and secure the tomb. Nevertheless, it was God's Providence, so that the Resurrection would be confirmed by the testimony of the enemies, who sealed the tomb and set a guard in front of it. It is interesting how the Jews knew that Jesus would be resurrected on the third day, since the Lord did not say it clearly and openly anywhere. It can be assumed that they learned this from the example of the prophet Jonah, since earlier Christ said: "As Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale, so I will be in the belly of the earth." 493 It is possible that they concluded that when he said: "Destroy this church and in three days I will raise it up." Before, they did not understand these words, but thought that he was talking about the Jewish Church. Based on those words, they condemned him. But now that they understood that by "church" He meant His own Body, they were afraid and called Him a deceiver, not ceasing their malice even after His death. "Custody" is the Roman name for a guard, and that is why the evangelist calls the soldiers who were appointed to guard the tomb "custody". Resurrection of Christ, appearing to the myrrh-bearers and disciples, The Sanhedrin bribes the guard, The Risen Lord sends the Apostles to preach and baptize around the world 1–8. And after Saturday passed, at dawn on the first day of Sunday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to inspect the tomb. And behold, the earth shook greatly; because the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, approaching, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it. And his face was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. And the guards trembled in fear of him, and became as if they were dead. And the angel answered and said to the women: Do not be afraid; because I know that you are looking for Jesus crucified. It's not here; because he got up as he said. Go to see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples to rise from the dead; and behold, he will go before you into Galilee; you will see him there. I told you. And quickly coming out of the tomb with great fear and joy, they hastened to tell his disciples. "And after the Sabbath passed" means the same as in Luke: "early in the morning", or in Mark: "very early, around sunrise". 494 The sun here should be understood as "morning sun rays", because at eight o'clock at night the new day begins and that is already considered morning. This, therefore, happened "after the Sabbath passed" and Sunday began, which the evangelist calls "the first day of the Sabbath." Since the whole week of days was called "Saturday", Sunday is "the first day of Saturday", that is, the first day of the week (as we say today). The first day is followed by the second, third, fourth and fifth day. When the Lord resurrected, the stone was still lying on the tomb. After the Lord's Resurrection, an angel comes to roll away the 495 tombstone and let the women enter the tomb. The ground shook for the guards to wake up and understand what had happened. The Lord rose again on the third day. How are these three days counted? At the sixth hour, on Friday, he was crucified. From then until the ninth hour there was darkness, which I understand as "night". 496 Then again after the ninth hour light appeared, which means "day". So, one day and one night. Then, the night before the Sabbath together with the Sabbath day make another day and night. And finally, we have Saturday night and Sunday morning, of which Matthew says: "At dawn on the first day of the week", since the whole day is counted from the morning. There, three days and nights. However, we can calculate this in another way. On Friday, the Lord gave up His spirit; it's the first day. He was in the grave on Saturday; it's another day. On the night before Sunday, he was resurrected; Sunday is still considered the third day, even though it has just begun. There, you see, three days. It is the same with the deceased, because if someone dies at the tenth hour of the day (around 4 in the afternoon), and the other at the first hour of the same day (at 7 in the morning), we say that they both died on the same day. I will also tell you another explanation of how three days and three nights are counted. Listen, then. On Thursday evening, the Lord had dinner and said to his disciples: "Take, eat my body". Since He had the power to lay down His soul, it is clear that from that moment He gave Himself up for slaughter, since He shared His Body with the disciples. Therefore, no one can eat meat unless it has been slaughtered first. Therefore, count three days: on Thursday evening he gave them his body. That night and the day of Friday until six o'clock make up the first day and night. Then, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness, and from the ninth hour there was light until evening; here is the second day and night. And finally, we have the night after Friday and the Sabbath day, therefore, the third day and night. After the Sabbath was over, the Lord rose again. That's three whole days and nights. Matthew says that the angel sat on the stone, while Mark says that the angel sat in the tomb, on the right side, having previously rolled away the stone. Do they contradict each other? Not in the least. It seems that the angel first appeared sitting on a stone, and when the women entered the tomb, he went ahead of them and appeared again inside the tomb sitting on the right side. He said to the women: "Do not be afraid", that is: "The guards have reason to be afraid, but you, women, disciples of the Lord, do not be afraid." After encouraging them, he announced the Resurrection to them. Therefore, it was necessary to dispel fear first, and only then to bring good news. He is not ashamed to call the Lord "Crucified", because he praises the cross as a victory trophy from which all good things have come to us. 9–10. And when they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying: Rejoice! And they approached and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them: Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me. Jesus says to the women "Rejoice!" Since the female race was condemned to sorrow, the Lord brought joy to the female race with His Resurrection and blessed it. Therefore, with the utmost reverence and fear, they took hold of His feet, not daring in their piety to touch any other part of His body than His limbs. Some say that they deliberately took hold of His feet, in order to find out if He had really risen and was not an apparition or a ghost, because they suspected that it was a ghost. These two Marys therefore grabbed His feet, while, according to John, Mary Magdalene tried to touch Him in the desire to stay with Him forever as before, but she was not allowed to do so. 497 Perhaps she was not allowed to touch Jesus, as John says, because she was too curious. Since she had already touched His feet, as Matthew says, what was the need for her to touch Him again? That's why she was kept at a distance because of her excessive curiosity. 11-15. And while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the high priests all that had happened. And they gathered together with the elders and made a council, and gave the soldiers enough money, saying: Say: his disciples came at night and stole him while we were sleeping. And if the governor hears this, we will convince him and relieve you of your worries. And they took the money and did as they were taught. And this word was proclaimed among the Jews to this day. The guard reported everything (to the high priests): that there had been an earthquake, that the stone had suddenly rolled away and that they had become terrified. However, the miracles at the Lord's Passion did not embarrass the Jews, let alone the miraculous events at the tomb, which were witnessed by the soldiers. Instead, they infected the soldiers with their own passion of avarice, persuading them to say the most impious and foolish thing—that the Lord had been stolen. How, oh fools, could the disciples who had shut themselves up in fear, and did not even dare to go outside, steal Him? How, if they had stolen Him, they would later suffer for Him, preaching that He was resurrected and being cut to pieces because of a lie. 16–20. And the Eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus commanded them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him; and some doubted. And when Jesus approached, he spoke to them, saying: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always until the end of the age. Amen! According to John, Jesus was first seen by His disciples on the same day of the Resurrection, when the doors were closed, and then eight days later when Thomas also believed. However, when he was supposed to meet them in Galilee, they had not yet all gathered, so he showed himself only to those seven fishermen on the Sea of ​​Tiberias. Thus, the events described by Matthew happened later, while they were preceded by the events from John's Gospel. During the forty days, Jesus appeared to the disciples many times, coming and going, but he did not stay with them all the time. Eleven top disciples worshiped the Lord, along with all the others who followed Him "but some doubted". This can be understood perhaps in the following way: eleven disciples went to Galilee and eleven worshiped Him. "But some" of the seventy probably thought of Him. Later, however, they were also convinced. Some understand this in another way: Matthew failed to say who those who doubted were, but John mentioned what Matthew left out, and said that it was Thomas. 498 Perhaps they all suspected, as Luke says. 499 That is why you must understand this so that they worshiped Him only when they came to Galilee. But those disciples who worshiped Him in Galilee first doubted in Jerusalem, as Luke says. Jesus told them: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me." This means: "As God and Creator, I always had authority over everything", because "Everything serves You", as David says to God. 500 «But I have not yet had voluntary submission. Now I will have that too. Everything will submit to Me, because with the cross I have defeated the one who has the power of death." Submission is twofold: one is involuntary, when we all serve God by necessity, like demons. The second is voluntary, as seen in Paul who voluntarily became a servant of God. Previously, it seemed that the Savior had only partial authority over all, that is, he had only the unwilling submission of all. But, after the cross, when the knowledge of God became available to everyone and when everyone voluntarily submitted, Christ could say: "Now I have received all authority. Before, my authority was partial, while they served me unwillingly, since I am the Creator. And now, when people serve me with knowledge, all and complete authority is given to me.» From whom was it given to Him? From Him Himself and His humility. If He had not calmed down and defeated the enemy with the cross, He would not have saved us. That's why the words: "I was given power", is understood in the following way: "I saved people with my own exploits and efforts, and they became My share, the chosen people." The Lord has authority on earth because all the earth has known Him, and in heaven because the reward of those who believe in Him and their abode is in the heavens. On the other hand, the previously condemned human nature is now hypostatically united with God the Logos, and sits in heaven receiving the worship of the angels. That is why He rightly says: "All authority in heaven is given to Me." Therefore, the human nature that was previously in servile service now rules over all in Christ. In short, you can understand Christ's words: "I have been given all authority", first that God the Logos himself says: "All authority has been given to Me, because those who previously served Me with unwilling submission, now willingly acknowledge Me as God"; and secondly, that He speaks in the name of His human nature: "I, nature, who was previously condemned, have now become a god through the inexhaustible union with the Son of God, 501 and therefore I have received authority over all, so that the angels in the heavens worship Me and glorify Me in all the ends of the earth." That is why the Lord no longer sends disciples only to the Jews, but since He has received authority over all, and sanctified in Himself all human nature, He rightly sends them to all nations, commanding the disciples to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Let Arius and Savelius be ashamed; 502 Arius because Christ did not say baptize "in names", but "in name", because the name of the Trinity is one, the Godhead, and the Trinity is one God, and Savelius, because the Lord speaks of Three Persons, and not, as that man vainly claims, of one person who has three names and is sometimes called the Father, sometimes the Son, and sometimes the Holy Spirit. Three Persons, therefore, have one Name, which is God. Since it is not enough to just be baptized, but we must strive for good even after baptism, the Lord says: "Teaching them to keep everything that I commanded you; not just two or three but all My commandments.» Let us tremble, brothers, seeing that if we lack even one thing, we are not perfect servants of Christ, because we are required to keep all the commandments. See how the Lord's words include two basic principles of Christianity: theology and practical virtue. When he said that we need to baptize in the name of the Trinity, he handed us theology. Saying, again, that it is also necessary to teach men to keep the commandments, he showed us the way of active virtue. Directing them among the Gentiles where they will face death and danger, He encourages them by saying: "Fear not, for I will be with you until the end of the age." You see, how he mentions the end of the century to them in order to arouse in them contempt for dangers. "Don't be discouraged", he tells them, "everything will come to an end, both the cares and the joys of this world." Don't give up in the face of troubles, because they will pass, but don't let the good things of this world seduce you either, because they too will pass.» He did not only promise to the apostles that he would be with them, but to all his disciples. Certainly the apostles will not live until the end of the world. He promises even to us, as well as to those after us, not that he will be with us only until the end and that after the end he will depart from us - no such thing! From then on, He will be with us in a clearer and more obvious way, because the word "until", wherever it appears in the Holy Scriptures, does not exclude what will happen afterwards. Giving thanks, then, to the Lord who is here with us and gives us every good thing and who will dwell with us in a more perfect way after the end of the age, let's bring our interpretation to an end, because to Him belongs all thanksgiving, glory and honor forever and ever. The Bogumili were members of a religious sect that appeared in Bulgaria in the 10th century, and then spread throughout the Balkans and among the Slavic peoples. Bogumilism arose as a result of a mixture of Eastern dualistic heresies (Manicheanism, Paulicianism) and an attempt to reform the Church in Bulgaria. The founder of the Bogumil heresy is considered to be a certain "Pope Bogumil". They lived a strict ascetic life, rejecting icons, hierarchy and sacred secrets. In particular, they fought against fasting, monasticism, veneration of saints, the venerable cross, icons and holy relics. In the 12th century, this sect was mostly eradicated in Bulgaria. Seventy so called are called seventy. minor apostles. In the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Logos of God, there is an unbroken, unchangeable, indivisible and inseparable union of two natures: divine and human. Hence He is called the God-man. This Christological teaching was precisely formulated at the Fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon in the year 450. Genealogy (lit. book of kinship). The word does not mean simple birth, but origin, origin and becoming, (cf. Lk.3:23-38). The Hebrew form of the name is (Yehoshua', later Yeshua') which means Yahweh (God) is salvation. Cf. 2. Moses. 29:7; 1King.15:1, 3King.19:16; Is. 61:1. The Holy Fathers interpreted that the essence of sin is that man, in spiritual deception and blindness, directs his natural and God-given energies in the wrong direction and in this way distances himself and alienates himself from God. Living in sin, man lives unnaturally. Is. 9:7; Because. 25:3; Jeez. 34:23, 37:25; Am. 9:11 a.m 1Kings 13:11–14; 1Kings 15:1; Act. 10:13. They were also promised about the coming of the Savior of the world (cf. Genesis 18:18, 22:18, 24:4, 28:14; etc.). By his willingness to sacrifice his own son Isaac (cf. Genesis 22:1-19). Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32. Is. Nav. 2:1-21; 6:21–25. David had a son, Solomon, in adultery with the wife of Uriah Hethein (cf. 2 Kings 11:2-27, 12:24). In 587 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and destroyed Solomon's Temple. Then a large number of Jews were taken into exile in Babylon. (cf. 4 Kings 24 and 25). Among the Jews, betrothal was as serious a matter as marriage itself. The man to whom the girl was betrothed was called her husband and she his wife (cf. 1 Moses 29:21, 5 Moses 22:33). 1 Moses. 49:10: "The ruler's scepter will not be separated from Judah, nor from his powers the one who sets the law, until the one to whom it belongs comes, and the nations will obey him." When Herod the Great, who was not a Jew, but an Idumean, usurped power and took the title of "King of the Jews", the line of inheritance of the tribe of Judah was broken for the first time. It was a sign of the coming of Christ (Messiah) and the fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy. From one of the oldest apocryphal Gospels, the "First Gospel of Jacob" (see G. Rauschen, Monumenta minora saeculi secundi, Florilegium Patristicum 3, Bonn 1914) we can learn many details about the birth of the Lord Christ. It contains various stories about the Savior's earthly life, especially His childhood, as well as many details about the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This apocryphal Gospel was first mentioned by Origen, and it was also used by Clement of Alexandria and Justin the Philosopher. A particularly beautiful and exhaustive review of the story of the Savior's birth can be found in the Lives of the Saints, by Archimandrite Justin Popović, for December 25, volume 12, p. 722, Belgrade, 1977. Always a Virgo. This is one of the common names of the Blessed Virgin Mary in theological literature and liturgical poetry. In our language, this word is most often translated as the Slavic word "Prisnodjeva" and means that the Blessed Virgin was and remained a virgin before birth, at the time of birth, as well as after the birth of the God-child. Certainly this does not mean that she ever afterwards had carnal intercourse with Joseph. According to the tradition of the church, the Holy Mother of God spent her entire earthly life in virginity. Fleshly sin never touched not only Her body, but also Her soul. In addition, Joseph, according to Tradition, was an old man of eighty years, who fatherly took care of Her as if he were his own daughter and kept her in his house in Nazareth. "Don't ask," says Chrysostom, "in what way did the Holy Spirit make the Virgin pregnant? It is impossible to explain the way of conception when it happens under natural conditions, let alone when it happens by the miraculous action of the Spirit". (Comment. In Matth. Migne P.G. t.57, Homil. 3,1). "Know only this", adds Zigaben, "that the Son is incarnated by the favor of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit" (Comment. In Matth. C.1, v.18; Migne P.G. t. 129). In the Holy Scriptures, a righteous person is called a man "who has all the virtues", and "righteousness is the sum of all the virtues" (St. John Chrysostom, Ibid, Homil. 4,3). Cf. 5. Moses. 22:23–24. Although the groom and bride did not live as husband and wife, any form of infidelity was considered adultery and was punished by stoning. In the Syrian translation, it says "think of leaving it a secret". This emphasizes Joseph's philanthropy even more, because not wanting to disfigure Mary even by sending her away from home, he intended to go far away himself. 2 Kings 7:12–16; Ps. 88:35–37. St. Vasilius the Great thinks similarly, who says: "The angel calls Mary a Virgin and a betrothed to her husband, so that virginity would be respected and the marriage would not be rebuked. Virginity, therefore, would be chosen for a holy birth, and the betrothal, which is the beginning of marriage, would be performed according to the law so that no one would think that what is to be born is from iniquity; and also so that Joseph would be a constant witness of Mary's purity, and that they would not start slandering her as she allegedly defiled her virginity. This is how she had a witness and guardian of her life in the face of her betrothed Joseph. (Word on the Nativity of Christ). "Joseph will be named," says Zigaben, "as a father by law, though not by nature, and he will take care of him as a father, though he is not his child. According to the teachings of Saint Maximus the Confessor, God in His preeternal providence foresaw the union of divine and human nature. This union was to be realized in Adam and through him all matter was to be made partaker of the divine nature. After the original sin, Adam lost communion with God, and the Son of God himself became incarnate, as a new Adam, to accomplish what Adam failed to do. However, in order to accomplish the deification of man, it was necessary for God himself to suffer in the flesh and rise again and free the human nature bound by sin and death. Since God knew in advance that Adam would sin, it can be said that He foresaw the incarnation of His Son "from the beginning" (cf. Saint Maximus the Confessor Quaestiones ad Thalassium (60) Migne P.G. t. 90; De ambigus, P.G. t. 91, 1308). The word 'almah in the Hebrew language can mean a virgin or a young woman. However, in the Old Testament this word appears only 8 times, in the meaning of a young unmarried woman, a virgin (cf. Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Proverbs 30:16; Ecclesiastes 1:3; 6:8; Is. 7:14). The text of the book of the prophet Isaiah that was found among the scrolls from the Dead Sea at Qumran in 1947 supports the translation of the Seventy who translated the word ('almah) as virgin. "The name Emmanuel reveals to us the great secret of God incarnate, the Lord Christ. What does it mean? It means this: God is with us, with us humans, with our human nature. He took upon Himself all human nature. If He had left anything out, He could not have accomplished the salvation of the whole man. Because it would not be saved if left out". (arch. Justin Popović, "Interpretation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew", p. 24, Belgrade 1979.) In addition to Bethlehem of Judea, there was also Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulon, near the Sea of ​​Galilee (Is. Nav. 19:15). As we learn from Luke's Gospel (Lk. 2), Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth in Judea to the city of Bethlehem to be registered in their homeland, since Joseph was from the tribe of David. When Joseph approached the city, it was time for Prechista to give birth, and he started looking for a house where Mary could give birth in peace. Not being able to find a place in the inn because of the multitude of Jews who had gathered in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary took refuge in a cave where the shepherds shut up the sheep at night. According to tradition, the Most Holy Mother gave birth to the Child of God without pain at midnight and swaddled Him herself and placed Him in a manger, as Luke says. From the apocrypha we learn that the ox and the donkey were tied in the cave in order to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy: "The ox knows its master and the donkey its master's manger" (Is. 1, 3). Joseph took them from Nazareth; a donkey because of the pregnant Maiden, to carry her during the journey, while he was taken to be sold and thus pay tribute to the emperor and buy himself everything he needs. According to the teachings of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, the Lord was born on the night between Saturday and Sunday (cf. Prem. Sol.18:14-15). That is why Sunday is celebrated as the day on which the Lord created light, on which he was born, received baptism, rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples (cf. Lives of the Saints, December 25, "The Story of the Birth of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ", p. 722, Belgrade 1977) From ev. yadah – confession of God 1. Moses. 49:10; see footnote for Matt. 1:17 Emperor Herod the Great was the founder of the Idumean dynasty. He ruled Galilee and Judea from the year 40. before Christ until the birth of Christ. He divided his empire between his sons: Archelaus (Mt. 2, 22), Herod Antipas and Philip. Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, and he is the same Herod who executed John the Forerunner (Mt. 14, 1-12). Later representatives of the Idumean dynasty are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles: Herod Agrippa I (D. ap. 12) and Herod Agrippa II (D. ap. 25; 26) Stars, sages. It is a name that among the Chaldeans, Medes and Persians was common for sages, teachers of magic, priests, scientists, astrologers, interpreters of dreams and sorcerers. They were usually advisors to emperors and had enormous influence. In the opinion of St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria and some other fathers, sages, were from Persia, which was famous for the science of stargazing. St. Justin the Philosopher, St. Cyprian and St. Epiphanius of Cyprus thinks that they were from Arabia, which was rich in gold, frankincense and myrrh. Bl. Jerome, however, believed that the wise men came from Ethiopia. In the later tradition of the Church, it is mentioned that the names of the three wise men were: Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior. A writer, a connoisseur of letters. (Jew. sofer). They are also called scribes or teachers of the Law. They were addressed by the title of rabbi. They were experts in the Law of Moses and sacred writings, interpreters and folk teachers. They especially dealt with the interpretation of hard-to-understand legal provisions, so they introduced various rules that should enable a more complete fulfillment of the Law. Since their opinion was highly valued during court hearings, they were also represented in the Sanhedrin. There were also priests among them, although most of them were laymen, the Lord often puts them in the same group as the Pharisees because they did not understand the spiritual meaning of the Law, but interpreted it literally and legalistically. See the book of the prophet Haggai and Matthew 1:12 Heb. Zerubbabel comes from the word (zarab - to be born from somewhere, to be born) and the word (babbel - confusion, Babylon). Yisra'el is most often translated as "will rule as God." Etymologically, it is derived from the word (sarah – iamti power, force) and the word (El – God). Blessed Theophylact here finds a connection with the section of 1.Moses. 32:28–30, where Jacob saw God face to face and wrestled with Him. Those who see (ie know) God are truly God's people. There are different opinions about the time of the appearance of the star. Some say that she appeared on the very night and hour of the Savior's birth from the Virgin, which does not seem logical, because then how could the wise men from such a distance reach Jerusalem in such a short time? St. Epiphanius believed that the star appeared at the time of Christ's birth and that the wise men came to worship after two years (that's why, in his opinion, Herod ordered to kill all children from two years old and below). This is the opinion of Bl. Jerome. However, according to most interpreters, this is difficult to accept, because Joseph and Mary with the Child, after worshiping in the Church, immediately went to Nazareth, from where they traveled to Egypt. It is clear that the wise men could not have found them in Bethlehem after two years. However, the opinion of St. is most likely. Chrysostom who claims the following. "The star appeared to the wise men before the birth of Christ. Since they had to spend a lot of time on the road, that is why the star appeared to them a long time before the birth of the Savior so that the fathers could arrive in Bethlehem in time and worship Christ while he was still in his infancy. shut up the Lord in Mary's womb (see: arch. Justin Popović, Life of the Saints, "The Story of the Adoration of the Wise Men", p. 738, Belgrade 1977) The Gospel does not mention the place where Josig went with Mary and the Infant. Tradition mentions the village of Matareja, near Leontopolje, on the Nile Delta itself. There is a very rich apocryphal tradition about the stay of the Infant Christ in Egypt. In the liturgical books, the number of 14,000 newlyweds killed in Bethlehem is mentioned. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, there is no predestination (praedestiantio), but only God's foreknowledge (praecognitio). Therefore, God foretells through the prophets by foreknowledge, not by predestination, because he does not limit man's free choice by anything (cf. Footnote for Mt. 26:23-25). Saint Damascene writes: "One should know that God knows everything in advance, but does not predetermine everything; he knows in advance what is in our power, but he does not predestinate it, because neither does he want to be evil, nor does he force virtue. Therefore, predestination is the work of divine prognostic command. However, what is not in our power, God predetermines by His foreknowledge; because, according to His foreknowledge, God has already prejudged everything, according to the measure of His goodness and righteousness, (Tačno naklodje Orthodoxna vera, glava 44, p. 98; Nikšić. 1985). Ev. ramah – hill, height, hill. The erroneous teaching of Apollinarius of Laodicea was condemned as heresy at the Second Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 381. The word that is translated as "soul" in the Gospel literally means "breath of life", so it can be translated as "soul" and as "life" depending on the context. Compare the interpretation on Matthew 6:25; and Matthew 22:37 Archelaus ruled Judea so cruelly and tyrannically that the emperor Augustus deprived him of the throne and sent him to captivity in Gaul, where he died (see note for Matthew 2:1). Both Jews and Gentiles lived in Galilee at that time. The Jews of Jerusalem looked at their compatriots from Galilee with contempt because they accepted many pagan customs while living in their midst. It was thought that nothing good could come from Galilee (cf. John 1:46) Nazarene - means a resident of the city of Nazareth, but at the same time it has the Old Testament meaning of a Nazarene, a person separated from others by a special vow that he takes upon himself. The word repentance means a change of thinking, a change of mind, a change of mind. Repentance does not consist only in regretting the sin committed, but also implies an active effort in acquiring virtue, changing one's life and way of thinking. According to the interpretation of Zigaben, the prophet calls the souls to whom the preaching of the Gospel was to come by the way of the Lord and His paths. He advises that souls be prepared, that is, cleansed through repentance: to pull out the thorns of passion, throw out the stones of sin, and thus prepare healthy and smooth ways for receiving the Gospel (Ibid, c.3, v.3; col. 160 A). The Jews had detailed regulations on the basis of which animals were divided into clean and unclean. (cf. 1.Moses.8:20; 3.Moses.7:21; 3.Moses.20:25; 5.Moses.14:3-20) This word can also be translated as grasshoppers, although Blessed Theophylact, like most interpreters, thinks that it is about plant food. According to the ancient Palestinian tradition, the Holy Forerunner fed on some kind of oblong and hard fruits that resembled grasshoppers, from which they got their name. Acrids can also refer to the sheaths (ends) of twigs and leaves from desert grasses and thistles. Wild honey, according to St. Athanasius the Great, was "very bitter and unpleasant in taste". John's baptism was performed by immersion in the river. At John's baptism, people confessed their sins and received forgiveness and thus spiritually prepared for the coming of Christ. This was the only water baptism received by the apostles and nowhere is it recorded that they were baptized again until Pentecost. It is a sect that arose after the Babylonian captivity. In addition to all the books of the Old Testament, the Pharisees believed that oral tradition was the basic standard of belief and life. They made special efforts in the outward performance of legal rules and piety, such as ceremonial washings, fasting, prayers, giving alms, but with their hypocrisy they were far from the spirit of true piety. They were very proud of their deeds, and that is why even today the term Pharisaism means hypocrisy. They firmly believed in the existence of good and evil angels and were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. They also believed that the souls of the dead go to a state of bliss or punishment according to their deeds and that the Messiah will eventually resurrect them and repay them according to their deeds. Against the rule of Herod the usurper and the Roman tyranny, they stood for theocracy. They had a great influence on the common people. According to Josephus, at the time of Christ there were about 6,000 of them. They were His great opponents because He regularly rebuked them for their greed, glory, self-confidence and false piety with which they wanted to gain popularity among the people. A religious sect whose members rejected the oral tradition and believed that only the written law was binding. They rejected the Resurrection of the dead, the immortality of the soul, the existence of spirits and angels, and more. It was a sect of the priestly aristocracy and according to tradition it descended from Zadok. It is probably a high priest from the time of David and Solomon or some other person from a later period. Regarding these words of the Forerunner, Euthymius Zigaben says: "The children of Abraham are really those who imitate his virtues." And they will become worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven with him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, because kinship by virtue is greater than kinship by blood, as much as the soul is more precious than the body. (Ibid, c.3, v.9; col. 165 Ab) According to Zigaben, John's baptism consists in abstaining from sins, and Christ's in receiving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire (cf. Acts 2:1). Then they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire (Ibid, c.3, v.11 col. 168 BC) Blessed Theophylact here refers to Origen's teaching about the "establishment" (of everything), which was condemned at the Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 553 (see more in the footnote to Mt. 25:41-46) Having become incarnate, the Lord appeared in the "form of the body of sin" in everything similar to us except for sin, in order to save us all, as St. Gregory the Theologian says: "What he (Christ) did not take (by incarnating himself), he did not heal" (Epistula 101 ad Cledonion PG, p. 37, 177-180). Jesus immediately came out of the water, that is, he did not stay in it. There is a tradition that St. John the Baptist plunged every man he baptized into water up to his throat and held him until he confessed all his sins, and then let him come out of the water. Christ, since he had no sin, did not stay in the water, which is why the Gospel says that he immediately came out of the water (cf. Archim. Justin Popović, Life of the Saints, January 6, "Word on the Epiphany", p. 217, Belgrade. 1977.) According to tradition, the Lord was tested on the so-called The burning of tasting, in a desolate and waterless place from which you can see the entire fertile Jericho oasis and the Jordan Valley in the background as if in the palm of your hand. The word "Fasting" means not eating, voluntary abstinence from food. Satan is the Jewish name for the devil, and otherwise, it means opponent, enemy. According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, the Lord Christ, as the New Adam, overcame the three main temptations to which the first parents succumbed (1 Mo. 3, 6: "And the woman, seeing that the fruit of the tree was good for eating and that it was pleasant to look at and that the tree was very dear for the sake of knowledge, she picked fruit from it and tasted it, and gave it to her husband, and he also tasted it.") into loaves, even though he was hungry; love of glory, by not jumping from the wings of the Church so that the people would glorify Him and avarice, by not accepting the offer of the devil who offered Him all the kingdoms of this world. In addition, the Lord showed with His feat on the Mount of Temptations how all three mental powers can be healed: mental, vigilance and prayer; passionate, by opposition to the devil and willing, by fasting and abstinence (cf. Callistus Angelikoudis, Dobrotoljubje t. 5, so1. 36.). Galilee is an area in northern Palestine. It borders Syria to the north, Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and Cape Carmel to the west, Samaria to the south, and Jordan to the east. It is divided into Upper and Lower Galilee. Galilee is known under the name "Gentile Galilee" (Is. 9:1), because Gentiles, i.e. the population of non-Jewish origin, made up the majority of its population. The word "synagogue" comes from the word "to gather". In a narrower sense, it means the prayer community of the Jewish people. Synagogue was also called a place where Jews in a town or village gathered for the purpose of reading and interpreting the Holy Scriptures, as well as for prayer. Unlike synagogues, where the people directly participated in prayer and reading the holy scriptures, temple worship was the exclusive privilege of the clergy who only had access to the Jerusalem Temple (the people gathered in the porches and courtyards for offering sacrifices, prayer and teaching). That is why synagogues, which were numerous in Jesus' time, became the centers not only of the spiritual but also of the social life of the Jews. They also had the function of courts and schools. Ten cities, Greek: Decapolis, were located on the other side of the Jordan, northeast of Palestine. They were mostly inhabited by Greeks and Syrians. These cities formed an alliance, were under the direct administration of the Romans and enjoyed special privileges. According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, the body is not only a temporary dwelling of the soul, nor a prison in which the soul is trapped after the fall and needs to be freed, but it is also called to transformation, deification and eternal life. Without the Resurrection of the body, souls would not be able to experience the fullness of the bliss of the age to come. In the Holy Scriptures, it is clearly seen that bodily diseases are the result of spiritual weakness and sin. The Lord, as a true physician, heals not only the illness of the body but also the main cause of the illness of the body, the sinfulness of the soul Blessed Augustine says that the Lord now opened his mouth himself, while in the Old Testament he used to open the mouth of the prophets (On the Sermon on the Mount, Migne, P.L. t. 34) Blessed are those who are "God-fearing and calm in spirit". The Holy Fathers teach us that passions are our natural, God-given energies, which are deformed by sin. The goal of our spiritual life is not, therefore, to achieve a state of insensitivity, but dispassion, which does not imply the absence of passion, but the redirection of our natural energies towards a God-given goal and the acquisition of virtues (Evagrius of Pontius believes that dispassion is inseparable from love, while Diadochus of Photica speaks of the "fire of dispassion"). Therefore, it is good to become rich, but not with material wealth, but with God. It is good to be angry, but not at your neighbor, but at sin and sinful thoughts. It is good to love glory, but not the fleeting and vain glory of this world, but the heavenly glory that is gained by humility and service to others. Rev. In his interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew, Justin Ćelijski writes: "Prudence is the virtue that does not allow an evil thought, an evil feeling, an evil desire to remain in a person's soul. From all that, the soul should be healthy, whole, clean. Therefore, it is best to translate it with szadrumlje, čelamlje. Chrysostom calls this virtue - universal virtue", (Ibid, p. 145). In the Holy Scriptures, the term "heart" has a much broader meaning than it has today. The heart is the spiritual center of the human being. It is not only an organ of emotion, but also an organ of epistemology. In the Bible, we can see that the heart can "think", "understand", "imagine", "remember". The heart can "decide". The Holy Father tradition considers the heart to be the main organ of knowledge of God. This is why the Gospel says: "Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God", since knowing God in the biblical tradition is not a matter of intellectual knowledge of the rational mind, but "seeing" God with a pure heart, the way He is and union with Him. In the Holy Scriptures, we have several cases of suicide: Saul, the king of Israel (cf. 1 Kings 31:4-5; 1 Dn. 10:4-5); Ahithophel (cf. 2 Kings 17:23); king Zimri (cf. 3 Kings 16:18) and Judas (cf. Mt. 27:5; Acts 1:18). Greek letter «iota» (Hebrew jodh). It is the smallest letter of the Jewish alphabet and is a symbol of something small and insignificant. In the Greek number system, iota followed by an accent means the number 10, which is the symbol of God's ten commandments. Cf. 1Moses. 9:5–6; 2 Moses 20:13; 5 Moses. 5:17 Sanhedrin, assembly (Heb. Sanhedrin); it consisted of 71 members and consisted of writers, elders, prominent members of priestly families and the high priest who was the chairman. The Sanhedrin had the role of a court since the Romans left the Jews judicial autonomy and could pass all judgments, including the death penalty, although its execution required the consent of the Roman procurator. Not only the Sanhedrin was called the Sanhedrin, but also every local council that had the role of a local court. Heb. reyk. It is an insult that was common at that time. In the New Testament, hell is most often referred to by the word "geena". It is a word of Jewish origin, which means the valley (son) of Hinnom (Heb. ge-henna, Ge-Hinnom). This valley is located south of Jerusalem where garbage was thrown and dead animals were burned. Hence, this valley became a symbol of eternal punishment. Bl. Augustine believes that the word "adversary" means "God's commandment", which opposes those who want to sin. Therefore, we should come to terms with God's commandment while there is time, so that we are not given over to eternal torture. Venerable Dorotheus Gaski in his teachings (3, 3) calls conscience a rival because it constantly opposes our evil will. Nevertheless, the majority of ancient interpreters consider that the rival is the devil, as it is said in 1Pet.5:8. Cf. 2 Moses 20:14; Numbers 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:18 Compare 5 Moj. 24, 1–4. According to Jewish laws, only the husband could divorce his wife, while the wife did not have the right to leave her husband arbitrarily. During the divorce, the woman would receive the so-called discharge book. This law allowed a woman to remarry, and legally protected her from her ex-husband, should he wish to take her back. At the time of Christ, there were different opinions on this issue among the scribes. Rabbi Shammai argued that adultery was the only reason for divorce, while Rabbi Hillel was more liberal and believed that the words of Deut. 24:1 can relate to several reasons. Among other things, he claimed that a woman can be fired if she cooks badly. Exodus 21:22–27; Leviticus 24:19–20; Deuteronomy 19:19 One Roman mile was about 1.5 kilometers Cf. 2 Moses 22:25; Leviticus 25:36–37; Deuteronomy 23:19–20 At that time, customs officials were despised not only by Jews but also by other peoples, because they were often greedy, cruel and dishonest in the performance of their work. In Luke (6:33-36) we find additional teachings related to this mentioned. The Holy Fathers often write about the passion of people-pleasing, which involves doing virtuous deeds in order to please people and receive praise or some material benefit from them. (cf. Gal. 1:10) The word means fast and inarticulate speech and frequent repetition, therefore, babbling, gibberish. In the religions of heathen nations, prayers were often recited quickly and inarticulately. There is an opinion that these words entered the text of the Gospel later. We do not find them in the earliest manuscripts of the Vulgate. They were unknown to Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Jerome, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa and other fathers. Euthymius Zigaben is of the opinion that they were added by interpreters or copyists, since in the church service they are pronounced by the priest after the Lord's Prayer has been read. Here the Lord shows that fasting is not only physical abstinence from food and drink, but at the same time implies labor in works of mercy, purification of the senses through repentance, as well as the absence of all hypocrisy and vanity. A word of Aramaic origin that means wealth and greed. It is about the personification of avarice. Cf. Luke 6:37; Rom. 2:1-2, 14:34, 14:10-13. The scholia in the Slavic translation reads: "The burden, the yoke, and the way signify commandments." They are easy and good for all who sincerely desire to obtain eternal and unspeakable blessings, but they are difficult and painful for the careless and lazy and all those who lust after the things of this world. That is why there are few who are saved. See that you too find yourself among them.» If it is grafted with a fertile sapling, even a barren tree can bear fruit. In the same way, a sinful and fruitless man grafted with Christ can bear the fruits of virtue. (cf. Rom. 11:19–24). Leprosy, or leprosy, is a type of severe skin disease that was prevalent in the Middle East. Parts of the patient's skin gradually turned into wounds, rotted and fell off. Leprosy patients also lost their teeth. Among the Jews, it was considered to be a direct message from God and there was a belief that it comes only from God and that only God can heal it. Therefore, the doctors did not treat her, but the lepers were isolated outside the settlement according to the strict provisions of the Law and were considered unclean, and no one was allowed to touch them. The only thing left for them was to hope in God's mercy and wait for His healing. When the healing took place, the sick person had to show himself to the priest who would confirm that he was healthy and cleansed. Then a sacrifice was offered and the healed person could join the common life (cf. Gen. 13:14). Saint Chrysostom says that he touches him with his hand to show that he heals not as a servant, but as the Lord", (cf. Ibid. Homil 25,1; c.328) Centurion, captain, centurion. Military commander of a unit numbering between 50 and 100 people. One Roman legion numbered up to 60 centurions. This captain could have been a Jew in the Roman military service. Perhaps that is why he considered himself unworthy to receive the Lord into his house and to go to Him (cf. Lk. 7:6-7). According to the testimony of Josephus, the Jews considered their compatriots in the Roman military service to be sinners and worse than tax collectors. However, it was more likely a foreign convert (proselyte). In Capernaum, the remains of a synagogue, which according to tradition was built by a Roman officer, have been preserved to this day. The Scholia in the Greek text says: "Others interpreted these words like this: When Jacob, the famous patriarch, saw the ladder that reached to the heavens and the angels of God ascending and descending on it, he understood that the Lord was present in that place, but not that He was present everywhere." So he said: 'What a terrible place this is! Here is truly the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven', (1 Moj. 28:16-17). The Lord now admires the great and supernatural faith of a heathen, and says: 'Not even in Israel...', therefore, not even with Jacob, 'I did not find so much faith; because Jacob believed that I can appear in one place, but this man believes that I am present everywhere, in every place, and that with a word I can accomplish everything.' That is why he said: 'Just say the word and my servant will be healed.'" Eh collatione codd. Venet S. Marci St. the apostle Peter, like some other apostles, was married. Besides Peter, his wife (whom the evangelist does not mention) and his sick mother-in-law, Peter's brother Andrej also lived in that house. When John says that Peter and Andrew were natives of Bethsaida, he does not contradict Matthew. Namely, there were two Bethsaidas. Bethsaida - Julia on the northeast side of the Sea of ​​Galilee and this Bethsaida where Peter lived and which was a fishing village on the outskirts of Capernaum. Even today, you can visit the place where Peter's house was, not far from the famous Capernaum synagogue. Based on the Gospels of Mark and Luke, we can conclude that the sick were brought in the evening of the day when Jesus spoke in the Capernaum synagogue. Since it was the Sabbath day, it is logical that the sick did not come before evening, since it was forbidden to treat the sick on the Sabbath. Son of Man - this is the name Christ used most often for Himself. Only in one place does someone else call Him by this name (Acts 7:56). According to Origen, the Lord who performed miracles on land also performed this miracle on the sea to show that He is Lord of both land and sea. In the text of the original, Matthew mentions the land of Gadarina, while Mark (Mk. 5:1-6) mentions "the land of Gerasin", and Luke (Lk. 8, 26,27) "the land of Gergesin" (although there are differences depending on the manuscripts that were taken as the basis of the translation). At the time of Christ, there were three cities in that area, after which it was named. They were: 1.) Gerasa, a little distance from the Sea of Galilee, then 2.) Gadara, which was mostly inhabited by Greeks, so Josephus Flavius calls it a "Greek city", belonged to the so-called Decapolis (ten city); 3.) According to the testimony of Origen and Eusebius of Caesarea, Gergesa also existed, while others believe that Gerasa and Gergesa are one and the same city. The described event probably happened near these cities. "Pay attention," says Saint Chrysostom, "to the meekness of Jesus Christ united with strength." When He did good to the inhabitants of that country, they forced Him to leave, and He, without any opposition, left and left those who showed themselves unworthy of His teaching, leaving as teachers those whom He had freed from demons and swineherds, so that they would learn from them all that had happened. (Ibid, Homil. 28,3; c.354) Customs officers were tax collectors for the needs of the Roman administration, which collected several types of taxes from the Jewish people. They were despised by the people because they often took more money than was prescribed, but also because they worked for the hated Roman state. This story is mentioned by the famous church historian from the 4th century, Eusebius of Caesarea in his "Church History", chap. 8.8; (Eusebius, The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine, Penguin Books, London 1988). St. 2–4, cf. Mk. 3:13–19; Luke 6:12-16 In all three synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles we find a list of apostles. The differences that can be observed are the result of the fact that some apostles had two names each, so that in one list they are mentioned under one name, and in the other under another name. In addition, the order of the names is different: 1.) ( Mt. 10:2–4 ): Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James Alphaeus, Levi, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot; 2.) ( Mk.3:16–19 ): Simon Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot; 3.) ( Lk.6:14–16 ): Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas of James, Judas Iscariot; 4.) (Acts 1:13–26): Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas of Jacob and the newly elected Matthias. Nathanael, who is mentioned in John's Gospel (Jn. 1, 46-50; 21,2), is not included in any of these lists. St. Chrysostom and Augustine believed that Nathanael was not even one of the Twelve. Some recent interpreters believe that it is about the apostle Matthew, although nowhere do we find confirmation of this assumption. It is most likely, however, that it is about the apostle Bartholomew, because that name is not mentioned anywhere in the Gospel of John. According to this interpretation, Bartholomew is not a name, but a title that means "son of Ptolemy". From the division of the empire until the 8th century before Christ, Samaria belonged to the Israelite empire and was inhabited by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. With the strengthening of Assyria's power, the capital of the Northern Empire, Samaria, fell into the hands of the Gentiles in 722-721. After that, most of the Jewish population from the entire area was deported to Assyria and Babylon, while Emperor Sargon settled the Gentile population there in Samaria. They intermarried with the remaining Jewish natives there ( 4 Kings 17, 24 ), accepting many of their customs. A new wave of pagan colonization occurs during the time of the emperors Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal (Ezra 4:10). The Samaritans built a kind of syncretistic cult, and although they respect the Torah, strong influences from heathen religions are noticeable. The Jews looked upon them with contempt as Gentiles, and when they went from Judea to Galilee, they preferred to travel along the river Judean rather than through the Samaritan regions. Desperation, destitution, voluntary poverty. The Holy Fathers consider greed for acquiring and possessing material things as one of the main obstacles in spiritual life. The saints opposed this passion by not acquiring and voluntarily becoming orphans, so that they would not be attached to anything fleeting and thus more easily acquire true love for God and their neighbors. Therefore, the Lord teaches us that it is necessary to be both wise and harmless, because wisdom without harmlessness is cunning, while harmlessness without wisdom is naivety. Saint Basil the Great says: "Wise as a snake is he who proposes teaching with prudence and prudence, in order to more successfully lead the listeners to adopt the teaching." And the one who does not even think of taking revenge on the one who thinks evil of him is as harmless as a dove. (Saint Basil the Great, Epist. 125,3). The name of a Philistine deity from Akaron (cf. 4 Kings 1:2,3,16). In translation, it means "god of flies". In some manuscripts, the form "Veelzevuv" also appears. It is also the name for Satan, the prince of demons. Euthymius Zigaben says in this place: "Conquer fear with fear - conquer the fear of people with the fear of God" (Ibid p. 10, V. 28, so1. 340 S). The fear of God does not mean only the fear of God's punishment and eternal torture, but also the fear of not making God sad with our sins, of moving away from Him and losing communion with Him. That is why in the perfect, love casts out fear. According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, hell is a place of self-exile where, by their own choice, those who have chosen the works of darkness in this life go. Hell is not a punishment by which God punishes man to satisfy his offended dignity (as claimed by the medieval Roman Catholic theologian Anselmo of Canterbury). St. Irenaeus of Lyons says: "Those who distance themselves from God by their personal choice, God allows separation from Him, which they voluntarily chose. But separation from light is darkness…” (Contra Haereses, 5, 27:2). In other words, God is not a torturer, but a man-lover, but those who deviated from God, in the other world will experience His love and light as torture and punishment, because after the Universal Resurrection, God will be everywhere and in everything. That's why St. Vasilije says: "The evils in hell do not come from God, but from ourselves." (EPE 7, 92). St. Isak Sirin means exactly that when he says: "I say, those who suffer in hell, suffer because they cannot bear that someone loves them passionately... It is completely incorrect to think that sinners in hell are deprived of God's love." Love is the fruit of knowing the truth, therefore Love is given to everyone equally. But love has a double effect: it is painful for sinners, while it is a pleasure for those who have lived according to it». The Greek word means testimony but also martyrdom. The Lord did not preach pacifism, peace at any price, peace that comes as a compromise between truth and lies, God and the devil. Speaking about the war of St. Zlatoust says: "Unanimity is not always good, because even robbers agree." Thus, the war is not a consequence of Christ's determination, but rather the work of the will of the people themselves. Christ himself wants everyone to be unanimous in acts of piety, but as people were divided among themselves, that's where the war arose" (Ibid, Homil. 35, 1). That is why the Lord Christ is the only "peace of ours, peace that is reached through war and victory over sin, death and the devil (cf. Eph. 2, 14-16). Bearing this in mind, St. Gregory the Theologian says: "A praiseworthy war is better than a peace that separates from God" (Homil. 2, 82. RS 35, so1. 488). "These words from Micah's prophecy (Mich. 7:6) were omitted in Matthew. He (the prophet) says: "A daughter stands up to her mother, a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law, a man's enemies are his own." This prophetic word, that a man's enemies will become all his own, was again said for the Jews, who were divided among themselves. Therefore, Christ timely predicted to those present that all the household of those who will believe will eventually become their enemies. Ex. Collatione codd. Venet. S. Marci "The Lord does not command this", says Chrysostom, "to simply hate, because that would be contrary to the Law, but if someone wants you to love him more than the Lord Christ, hate him for that, because it destroys both the one who loves and the one who is loved". (Ibid, Honil. 35,1; col. 407). According to St. Macarius the Great, man, with his love of sin, simply creates in himself, in his god-like soul, another soul, the soul of sin. And when the Savior asks His followers to hate their own souls, He asks us to hate that other soul within us, the soul of sin (cf. Lk. 14:26). (See Sermons of St. Macarius, 15, 35; P.G. t.34, col. 600). Matthew already mentioned that John was imprisoned (4:12). He was, as Josephus Flavius ​​writes, in the fortress of Maheron. As we learn from other evangelists, John was imprisoned because he told Emperor Herod that "he cannot have his brother's wife." At the time of Christ, messianic expectations among the Jews were at their peak. The people expected God's Anointed (Messiah, Christ) who would deliver his people and establish his kingdom. Some thought that John was the Forerunner of the Messiah (John 1:20). Others said that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (John 7:42). However, the majority of Jews expected the Messiah to be a political leader who would overthrow the Roman tyranny and restore the Davidic empire. That messianic expectations were alive among the common people can also be seen from the response of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (Jn. 4:25-26). The Lord publicly avoided being called the Messiah (although He revealed it to His disciples in Mt. 16:16-17), because His Kingdom is not of this world, but spiritual (Jn. 18:36). If he had publicly presented himself as the Messiah, the people would have thought that he was an emperor who raised an uprising against the Romans. This was precisely the main stumbling block (1 Cor. 1, 23) for the Jews who were expecting a military leader, but they got the One Who takes upon Himself the sins of the world and suffering for all people (Is. 52, 13-53, 12), that's why many were disappointed and left Him. It can be assumed, therefore, that John's disciples had different ideas about the Messiah. That's why John sends them to Jesus so that He can answer them with a prophecy that reveals the purpose and meaning of Christ's coming to earth. This opinion is represented by other well-known interpreters: Zlatoust, Jerome, Ilaria, Zigaben and others. Heb. Sheol – the dark abode of souls after death. Before the coming of Christ, the souls of both the righteous and the unrighteous went to hell. With His Resurrection, the Lord broke the doors of hell and enabled the exit of righteous souls, who would have believed in Him if He had come in the time in which they lived. Hell is a place of ignorance and not seeing God. The Lord responds with the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah (cf. Is. 61:1). In Orthodox iconography, the Holy Forerunner is often depicted with wings, as an angel - Saint John the Winged. One who forces himself, an ascetic, an ascetic. Mal. 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes." Tire and Sidon were ancient Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast, in present-day Lebanon, known for idolatry and debauchery. Cf. Genesis 37:34; Joel 1:8; It is. 4:1–4; Job 16:15; 3 Kings 21:27 Sodom and Gomorrah were ancient cities on the shores of the Dead Sea. Because their inhabitants unrepentantly lived in unnatural fornication, the Lord destroyed them with fire. The Greek word etymologically means one who cannot speak, thus a child, a harmless creature. Cf. 1. Cor. 14:20 where the apostle Paul says: "Brothers, do not be children in mind, but childish in wickedness, and be perfect in mind." In the Talmud, picking ears of corn and separating grains of wheat is one of the 39 jobs that are strictly forbidden on the Sabbath. Cf. Rom. 14:4,5,17; Col. 2:16–17. Hosea 6:6; Is.1:11-17; Mich. 6:6–8. The word "Pharisee" in Hebrew means - "one who is separated". Is.42:1-4; cf. Eph. 1:3–6; Hebrews 10:5–10. "And the judgment is revealed to the nations, that is, justice, because the prophet usually calls justice judgment" (St. John Chrysostom, Ibid. Homil. 40,2; c.441). "I believe", says Basil the Great, that a "broken reed" symbolizes a man who carries out the commandments of God with some passion, and who is not worth breaking and cutting down, but rather healing, as, after all, the Lord taught us by saying: "Be careful not to do your alms in front of people so that they can see you" (Mt. 6, 1). And the Apostle commands us: "Do everything without grumbling and doubting... Do nothing out of defiance or for empty glory" (Phil 2:14.3). A 'weevil that smoulders' is one who carries out God's commandments without a sincere attitude and real zeal, but does so lazily and carelessly. Such a person should not be 'extinguished', but rather raised and reminded of God's judgments and His promises. Beelzebub (Hebrew: Baal-Zebub) translated as "Lord of the Flies" was the "god of Ekron" (3 Kings 1:2-3; 6:16). This was the name under which the Philistines in the city of Ekron honored the god Baal. He was considered a god who punishes by bringing flies to people, but at the same time as a god who protects against this scourge. In the New Testament, Beelzebub was considered by the Jews to be the head of evil spirits (Mt. 10:25; 12:27; Lk. 11:18-19). The Pharisees called him the "demonic prince", and the Lord identifies him with Satan. Interpreting these words of St. Chrysostom says: "If I, having a demon in me, use it to cast out other demons, it means that there is discord and conflict among the demons and that they rise up against each other; and if they rise up against each other, then their power is lost and perishes.» (Ibid, Homil. 41,1; c.446). Therefore, there is no sin that will not be forgiven, except the sin of the unrepentant. According to the Jewish and Byzantine reckoning of time, which was also adopted by the Church of Christ, the "day" begins at sunset. So "Sunday night" is actually what we call "Saturday night". Hence, in the liturgical cycle, the daily services begin with the evening service (cf. Footnotes for Mt. 28:1–8). According to Zigaben, the unclean spirit that brings seven other spirits is gluttony, and the seven spirits are the seven passions: fornication, avarice, anger, laziness, carelessness, pride and envy. (Ibid. c. 12, v. 43–45; col. 276). This is the name given to Gospel stories, which, with certain fictitious and didactic content, lead the listener to spiritual conclusions and lessons. Some interpreters, together with Blessed Augustine, believe that "the seed that brings forth a hundred" means martyrdom for Christ. "Seeds that bear sixty" signifies the virtue of evangelical poverty, while "thirty" are brought by those who strive to fulfill the gospel virtues. According to Euthymius Zigaben, the Savior "under a hundred" implies perfect fruitfulness of virtue, under sixty - medium, and under thirty - small. Ibid "That's why", says Chrysostom, "we should not blame the things themselves, but (our) perverted will." A man can possess wealth, but not be deceived by it, and he can live in this world, and not surrender to cares.» (Ibid, Homil 44,4; c.469) Zigaben preached: "Some say that under the branches should be understood the people who believe, in which the birds of the sky reside, that is, the angels, their guardians." And others say that virtues should be understood under branches, and people under birds, who soar above all earthly things and with the wings of the mind rise to the height of knowledge of God and aspire to heaven". (Ibid, ad loc. col. 408 B) Heb. seah – Jewish measure. Three "satons" make one "efu", i.e. about 14 liters. We are talking about three soul forces that correspond to Plato's tripartite division of the soul (cf. Republic, book 4) and which was accepted by the Greek Holy Fathers. There are two aspects from which the mystery of the Incarnation can be seen. The first, that the Son of God, taking our flesh, united the divine nature with the human. Another aspect is that the human nature of those who have been perfected in Christ through the feat of baptism, without losing their properties, will be transformed by divine grace. Thus they will become gods by grace. Is. Nav. 10:12; 2 Moses. 14:21. Matthew 12:37; cf. Luke 19:22; Job 15:6; Ex. 13:3. According to some other interpreters, it was Esther and Tamar. See footnote for Mt. 2:1. Herod's mother was a Maltese Samaritan. He ruled Galilee and Perea. He was married to the daughter of the Arab emperor Areta, whom he banished in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. The so-called levirate law, cf. 5 Moses. 25:5–10 (Gen. 38:8,11) "God is tested by the one," says Zigaben, "who, without any necessity, rushes into obvious danger, trusting in God." (Ibid). According to Jewish time, evening came around three o'clock in the afternoon. The book in which all the apostolic epistles of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament are collected is called an apostle. According to the Jewish and Byzantine reckoning of time, the ninth hour of the night was before dawn. It is an oral tradition that was believed to contain the regulations and teachings that Moses left orally and which were respected as well as the written Law. This custom was not established by the Law, but appeared in oral tradition. The Jews adhered to this custom so strictly that, according to a Jewish story, a certain Rabbi Akiba, being imprisoned in a tower with such a small supply of water that he only had enough to sustain himself, was rather ready to die of thirst than to eat with unwashed hands. The Manichaean heresy arose in the 2nd century AD and advocated dualistic teaching. According to the teachings of the Manichaeans, the God of the Old Testament is not the God of the New Testament and, therefore, the Old Testament commandments had no value for them because they came from an "evil" god. According to the teaching of the Church, the Old Testament commandments were given by God himself and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ together with his Son and the Holy Spirit, but only as a model of future commandments whose full meaning will be revealed to us by the incarnate Son of God. "It is a great evil to be blind," says Chrysostom, "but to have no leader when you are blind and to assume the position of leader is a double or even a triple crime, because if it is disastrous to not have a leader when you are blind, it is far more disastrous to lead others." (Ibid. ad. loc). St. Theophylact thinks of courage, wisdom, prudence and righteousness. Obviously, in anticipation of the Messiah as an earthly king and the liberator of Israel from Roman tyranny, the Jews believed that Jesus appeared among them for this reason, so they immediately wanted to proclaim Him as king. Nevertheless, the Lord never mentions the need for liberation from the Roman occupation. On the contrary, He calls the people to conversion of heart and fight against the tyranny of sin. Zealots who expected Jesus to call the people to an uprising were especially disappointed by this attitude. Saint Chrysostom says that the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus to stop the sun like Joshua (Is, Nav. 10:12-13) or to make the moon invisible, or to bring down lightning, to make some change in the air, or something similar. Ibid. Cf. 2 Moses 7:12; Job 1:16. Caesarea Philippi was located north of the Sea of ​​Galilee at the foot of Mount Hermon. She is mentioned in the New Testament only in this event (see Mk. 8:27). The second (Strato's) Caesarea was on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles. The Jews figuratively called human nature, man, "flesh and blood". The greatest number of Holy Fathers consider that the "stone" on which Christ will build the Church is "Peter's confession of faith in the Son of God", that is, his faith. This place is interpreted by St. Hilary, Ambrose, Augustine, Chrysostom, Gregory of Nazianzus, Athanasius and many other great Fathers of the East and West (St. Cyprian of Carthage, for example, in his work "De unitate ecclesiae" openly claims that "Peter's Cathedra" is located in every local Church, and St. Gregory of Nyssa that all bishops were given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven through Peter). Therefore, according to the ancient tradition of the Catholic Church, Peter's successors are all orthodox bishops who confess Christ as the Son of God. The primacy of the Roman bishops in the first centuries was an institution of exclusively historical origin, since Rome was the capital of the Empire and the Roman Church was the most prestigious in terms of the number of its Martyrs and Confessors. Hence, from the Holy Father's, Orthodox point of view, the teaching about the supposed divine institution of the primacy of the Roman Pope and his infallibility is completely untenable. This refers to David's adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite (David's faithful warrior) and the murder of Uriah, which David organized in order to cover up his sin (cf. 2 Sam.11:2-25). If this authority had been given only to Peter, then the Lord would have said: "Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven." Since the verb is plural, it is clear that this gift was given to all the apostles, and through them to all the bearers of the apostolic inheritance. The goal of the Christian feat is not the biological destruction of the body. The Holy Fathers teach us that we must be killers of passion, not killers of the body. These words should be understood in this sense, because ascetic literature often talks about despising and mortifying the body, and refers to abstaining from all superfluous bodily needs and fighting against sin that is carried out by the body (cf. 1 Cor. 6:18). Here we see that losing one's life (for Christ's sake) and losing one's soul are not the same, because one who loses one's life for Christ will find one's soul. "Why didn't Christ take and lead his twelve disciples to the mountain, but only Peter, John and James? Because Judas was not worthy to contemplate the glory of the Lord with treacherous eyes. But, some will say: "If that's the case, then why didn't he leave Judas alone and take the eleven with Him?" We, however, are not more reasonable and wiser than the Lord Christ. If, in fact, it happened that he left Judas alone below, and took the other disciples with Him to the mountain, someone could perhaps say that because of this Judas betrayed the Lord and sold Him to the Jews. So that we could not say something like that, the Lord, not wanting to give us a reason for such a conclusion, leaves with the other eight apostles and Judas, so that, in this way, three of the disciples, knowing by sight, would be glorified, and the other nine, believing what was famous, would be called blessed, because of them the Lord says: "Blessed are those who did not see, but believed." (Jn.20:29) In addition, He took only three with Him: Peter, James and John, in order to fulfill what was said: "Let every word remain on the lips of two or three witnesses:" (Mt. 18.16) The three witnesses are: Peter, Jacob and John, and the two: Moses and Elijah, on whom rests the pillar of the Law. This does not contradict…” Ex collatione codd. Venet. S. Marci While some of the old interpreters (Zlatust, Ilarius, Zigaben and others) do not mention which mountain it is, Origen and Cyril of Jerusalem (from the 5th century) claim that it is Mount Tavor, a hill that dominates the northeastern part of the Ezralon valley, ten kilometers from Nazareth in Galilee. In the 6th and 7th centuries, it had already become generally accepted that it was this mountain. According to the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas from the 14th century, the apostles saw "unreal light". Since man cannot see the divine essence, God communicates to him through immaterial divine energies. Teaching about immaterial divine energies and immaterial light are one of the basic foundations of the Orthodox faith and teaching about the deification of man. Having defeated the rationalist thinking of the heretic Varlaam, the Orthodox Church confirmed and dogmatically explained the age-old belief that God is directly accessible to man and that God can be "seen as He is" at the famous "Palamite councils" in the 14th century. (1 John 3:2) The prophet Elijah did not die a natural death, but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. (cf. 4Kings 2:11) See footnote for Matt. 26:1. A sea monster that is represented as a cruel enemy who was defeated by God (Job 3, 8). Some interpreters see Leviathan as a symbol of cruel enemies of God's people: eg. Egypt (Ps. 74, 13-14) and the Assyrian-Babylonian Empire (Is. 27,1). Leviathan is also a symbol of the devil who hides in the water and whom the Lord overcame by baptism in the Jordan, atoning the essence of the waters. "Then the Lord will punish Leviathan... the crooked serpent and kill the dragon that is in the sea" (Is. 27:1). St. Jerome Hilary, Chrysostom and other older Orthodox interpreters together with Blessed Theophylact believe that Christ's words of rebuke were addressed to the father of the sick child, while newer interpreters in the West think that they refer to the Apostles who were unable to heal the child. The Lord nevertheless threatened the demon, which is clearly seen from parallel passages in the other two Gospels (cf. Mk. 9:25; Lk. 9:42). There is no prayer without fasting, no real fasting without prayer. The Holy Fathers teach us that these two virtues are mutually inseparable. Just as the sown seed of prayer cannot sprout on the ground that has not been previously weeded and modeled by the feat of active virtue, so also "cultivated soil", active virtue is an excellent base for every kind of weed of pride, if it is not sown in time with the spiritual seed of prayer. As seen from 2.Dn. 24:6; 4th emperor 12:12; Neem. 10:33, it was established that all Jewish males who reached twenty years of age paid two Attic drachmas annually for the needs of the Church and worship. This tax was paid even by Jews in the Diaspora. From ancient times, there is a tradition that this child was Ignatius Bognosac, who later died as a martyr in Rome as bishop of Syria. Imitating the God-man Christ, according to Zigaben, people of the evangelical faith follow the path of voluntary virtuous calmness, the path of God-manlike calmness: they acquire through asceticism what children have by their natural harmlessness. Here we are talking about a special kind of ascetic feat, in which the ascetic, aware of his own weakness and human fall, offers a prayer and a cry to the Lord. Euthymius Zigaben says: "It is necessary that there be scandals due to the existence of demons, but people devoted to virtue are not forced by necessity to make scandals, because free will is characteristic of people. It does not depend on us whether the seditious will come forward, but it depends entirely on whether we will accept them.» (Ibid). The word "reprimand", according to Chrysostom, means here: "remind him of his sin and tell him everything you have suffered from him." If you do it right, you've done two things: you've done your duty and brought the offending party to reconciliation." (Ibid; Homil. 60, 1; c. 584). "And the doctor," says St. Zlatoust, "seeing that the disease does not stop, does not leave the patient and does not get angry with him, but invests even more effort. The Savior commands us to do the same here" (Ibid.Homil. 60,1; p. 585). The Holy Fathers considered hatred of man and apostasy from divine love when someone leaves a brother uncorrected in sin out of pretended love. However, only those who have already "taken the log out of their own eye" have the right to "take out the mote from their brother's eye", that is, those who, having conquered their passions, are able to rebuke their neighbor with love, without causing him even greater harm with that rebuke. That's why we remember the unforgettable words of St. Gregory the Theologian: "First you need to purify yourself, then purify (others); to make oneself wise, then to make one wise; to become light itself, then enlighten; to draw closer to God, and (only then) to bring others; to avenge oneself, then to avenge." Peter asks Him this because the Jews had regulations in their tradition about how many times an offense could be forgiven. So in the Talmud we find the following rule: "Forgive a person who sins against you the first time, forgive the second time, forgive the third time, but do not forgive the fourth time." (Bavil. Yoma, lib. LXXXVI, 2), cf. Am.1:3). Tertullian and Jerome relate this number to the words in Genesis. 4:24 where Lamech says: "When Cain will avenge himself seven times, Lamech will avenge himself seventy-seven times." Talent was a measure of weight among the Jews. A talent of silver was worth 45 kilograms of silver, and a talent of gold was worth 91 kilograms of gold. So, we are talking about an extremely large and unpayable value of the debt. The Lord went from Galilee to Judea via the Jordan, thus bypassing Samaria. Euthymius Zigaben writes: "God created one man and one woman so that one husband could have only one wife." If He wanted a husband to leave his wife and take another for himself, He would have created many wives from the beginning, but since He did not create many, it is clear that He wants the husband not to divorce his wife". Ibid The Greek verb here literally means to cooperate, to act together. God's grace and power, therefore, contribute to man's will and effort. The Lord says: "... until those to whom it is given", according to St. Gregory the Theologian, "does not exclude anyone, because it is given to everyone who wants, who strives, strives". (Letter 2, P.G. t. 35, 172). Therefore, every Christian is called to dispassion, ie. The natural and God-given state of human nature, because, as Reverend Father Justin Ćelijski says: "dispassion, and through it deification and baptism, is the goal of all Christ-longing feats of Christians on earth." (Ibid, p. 420). This was a common occurrence in ancient times. In Eastern courts there were many eunuchs, who performed various court functions. Eunuchs were known as the guardians of the harem. (4 Kings 9:32). The obstacle to salvation is not in wealth itself, but in the selfish attitude of rich people towards Christ and the Gospel. According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, sin does not lie in the matter that God created, but in its misuse and improper use. Abraham was rich in silver and gold (1 Moj. 13:2), but that wealth did not prevent him from gaining the Kingdom of Heaven (Lk. 13, 28; Jn. 8, 56, etc.). A man who possesses great material wealth can hardly love God with his whole heart and unite with Him, because he easily becomes a devotee of his wealth. Carelessness and love for God is replaced by constant concern about how to preserve and multiply one's wealth. Natural love for parents and relatives becomes passion when it prevails over love for God. The establishment of the original and perfect order that existed before the progenitor's fall, which the Jews expected in connection with the coming of the Messiah, and the Christians expect as the Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection of the dead. This word is used in the New Testament only in Titus 3:5. By Jewish reckoning it is nine o'clock in the morning; and further: six o'clock is noon, eleven o'clock is five o'clock in the afternoon. Since the hours were counted from sunrise to sunset, one hour, depending on the time of year, lasted from 59–70 minutes. Origen believed that the "vineyard" represents the Church of God, and what is outside the vineyard is what is outside the Church. Zlatoust understood by the vineyard "orders and commandments of God." Some interpreters believe that the mother of Zebedee's sons was Salome, sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And it follows that Jacob and John were Jesus' relatives. By the way, Salome was among the women who followed Christ in Galilee and served Him. (cf. Mt. 27:56; Mk. 15:41). Apostle Jacob, who was the first bishop of Jerusalem, was thrown from the top of the church by the Jews and then beaten with sticks. Apostle John was banished during the reign of Trajan to the island of Aptmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. It is about messianic words of praise taken from the 118th Psalm from the so-called of the great Hallel (Ps. 113-118). Over time, among the Jews, these words lost their original meaning and acquired the meaning of our "hooray", "long live" (the Greeks and Romans had corresponding exclamations). Money from the time of Saint Theophylact. A similar allegorical interpretation was left to us by Ilaria, who says that "doves" mean the Holy Spirit and "benches" priest's chairs (cathedra). "According to that", he says, "the Lord has shaken the chairs of those who trade in the gift of the Holy Spirit". (Ennaratio in Matth. P.L. t.9). The sale of ecclesiastical ranks for money is called "simony", after Simon Magus who asked the Apostle Peter to give him the power to confer the grace of the Holy Spirit through ordination for money (D.Ap.8:18-23). In the spring, the fig tree blooms and bears fruit before the leaves appear on it. When Jesus saw the leaves on the fig tree, he rightly expected fruit on it. Obviously the fig tree was barren. A vessel in which grapes are crushed, a press. See Theophylact's interpretation on Mt. 23:35–36. The place of Christ's crucifixion, Golgotha, was located outside the city walls at the time of Christ. Since the 66th year after Christ, the Jews rose up against Roman rule in Palestine. The Roman army under the command of the emperors Vespasian and Titus soon attacked the Jews and conquered Jerusalem in AD 70. Then the Jerusalem temple was razed to the ground and burned. Cf. Is.8:14-15 and Dan.2:44. A false prophet who will appear in the last days before the Second Coming of the Lord. The word itself denotes the one who opposes Christ, but also the one who stands in place of Christ (anti - means both against and instead). (cf. 1 Jn. 2:18-22, 4:3; 2 Jn.7; 2 Dn.7:8-7; 7:11, 13-14; Rev.13:1-4; 11-12; 16-17; 14:9-11; 19:20; 20:10, etc.) Ps. 81:1: "God stood at the assembly of the gods, in the midst of the gods he pronounced judgment." Compare the footnote to Mt. 13:43. therefore, to those who became "gods by grace", cf. 81:6, God appears "as God", while to those who are unable to see Him "as He is", He condescends and appears as a man. According to oral tradition, the prophet Isaiah was cut alive with a saw. Joseph Flavius, was born around 37 AD and was of wealthy Jewish descent. He was captured by the Romans during the Jewish uprising between 66 and 70 AD. Later, he became a Roman citizen and settled in Rome, where he wrote his famous "History of the Judean War". These were Jews of influence and position who in New Testament times were supporters of Greek customs and Roman law. Although they should not be identified with the Sadducees, they shared sympathies with Rome, as opposed to the Pharisees, who were anti-Roman. Nevertheless, the Herodians joined the Pharisees against the Lord Jesus Christ. In Galilee, the Herodians and the Pharisees organized a conspiracy against Jesus (Mk. 3:6). The Lord therefore warns his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod (Mk. 8.15). The Herodians seem to have misunderstood the prophecy of the patriarch Jacob to his son Judah, 1 Mo. 49.10: "The ruler's rod will not be separated from Judah, nor from his feet the one who sets the law, until the one to whom it belongs comes, and the nations will obey him." (See footnote for Matthew 1:17). Ćesar (Lat. Caesar) imperial title worn by several Roman emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius and Nero. Apparently wanting to get Him to say that one should not give taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians compare the payment of the state tax to the payment of the "didrachm" to God, wanting to allude in this way that the one who pays taxes to Caesar indirectly acknowledges his divinity, since the Romans considered their Caesar to be a god. D. app. 5, 36–37. Tevda was the false leader that Gamalilo spoke about before the Sanhedrin around the year 32. after Christ. According to Gamalil, about 400 people joined Tevda in the rebellion, and after the failure, they were executed together with their leader. Not much information about Tevda has been preserved. Luke records that Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census. It is assumed that this Judas was Judas the Golan, who, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, caused riots at the time of the census for the administration of Quirinus, around the year 6. after Christ. Then Joseph mentions a certain sorcerer Tevda who, as a false prophet, convinced many people to cross the Jordan River. The Romans executed him by cutting off his head. However, this Tevda lived in the last years of Herod the Great's reign. Among the Jews, there were no depictions of human figures on money, as this was considered idolatry. Thus, the Asmoneans minted their money with inscriptions in Hebrew and Greek with images of a bowl of manna, or Aaron's scepter, etc. However, since the imperial tax was paid with Roman money, it is understandable that the image of the emperor was on it. On the Roman coin of Emperor Tiberius, that is, from the time of Jesus, there was the inscription: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGUSTUS (Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus), on the other side of the coin it was usually written: PONTIF MAXIM (that is, pontifex maximus - supreme high priest). God created man from the dust of the earth, breathing into him the "spirit of life", 1 Mo. 2, 7. Interpreting these words of St. Gregory the Theologian writes: "The Logos of God, taking a part of the newly created earth, created our body with his immortal hands and gave it life, because the spirit that breathed into it represents the 'outflow' of the invisible Godhead." That is how man was created in the image of the Immortal... Being (in body) nothing but dust I must live here below, but since I also have a divine share in my chest I long for eternal life... The soul is the breath of God and although it is of heavenly origin it still allows itself to mix with the earth. It is a light enclosed in a cave, but still nothing less than a divine and unquenchable light» (Poemata dogmatica, VIII, PG. I. 37). Moses in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) talks about the so-called the law of "levirate" according to which a man had to marry his brother's widow if he died without a male heir. The word "levirate" itself means "husband's brother". The purpose of this law was to provide an heir to the deceased brother and thus preserve his name and property. In addition, the levirate provided financial support to widows. Levirate is also mentioned in the book of Ruth (Ruth 4:5). Bl. Theophylact wants to say that during the Resurrection, the body will be transformed and spiritualized, and will not have a gross material nature as in this life. 2 My. 3, 6. There are other places in the Holy Scriptures in which the Resurrection is hinted at: Job 19:25; Isaiah 26:19; Is.66:14; Ezek. 37:1-14; Dan. 12:12; 2 Makk. 7:9, 12:14 and others. The scribes were experts in matters of the Mosaic Law. The Holy Fathers always emphasized the mutual connection between these two commandments of the Lord, saying that the measure of the love of God is known by the measure of the love of humanity and vice versa. Blessed Jerome says: "By cathedral (chair) understand the teaching of the Law." (Interpretation of the Gospel from Matthew, Mignae, P.L. t. 26) Phylactery, amulet, amulet, in the Old Testament «totafot», in the Rabbis «tefillin» (Exodus 13:16; 6:8; 11:18). Phylacteries were small leather cases containing four strips of parchment with quotations from the Pentateuch. (often only ten commandments). In biblical times, phylacteries were worn by all male Jews over the age of 13, but only during morning prayer, except on the Sabbath and holidays. They are made from the skin of ritually clean animals. They were attached, as mentioned by Saint Theophylact, with leather straps for the forehead or hand. The Pharisees, who tried to fulfill the Law in detail, probably constantly wore and even expanded phylacteries, in order to constantly remember God and show their piety in front of people. Cf. 2 My. 28, 33–34; 39, 24–26; 4 My. 15, 38–40; 5 My. 22, 12. As it is the case with phylacteries (amulets), the Pharisees used to add new tassels to their "laps" in order to show themselves in front of people as more pious and zealous for their father's traditions. Our translation does not show the difference that exists in the Greek language. Therefore, a more precise translation would read: "And you are not called rabbis, because there is one Teacher (Christ) in you." Christ, therefore, does not want his disciples to be called rabbis, which was the usual honorary name and title for teachers of the Law among the Jews, but calls himself simply Teacher. When the student successfully completed his studies, the teacher would declare him a teacher by laying on his hands. Thus, he was appointed as a teacher and as such could independently answer questions and dispense justice. As a "master" he was addressed by the honorific title "ravi". Rabbis wore special clothes, and according to St. Epiphanius of Cyprus (Haeres.15), special robes and dalmatics. He had a place of honor in the synagogue. The people greeted him with respect. Jewish rabbis were often such experts in the Holy Scriptures that, in the absence of books, they could write them down to the last letter from memory. Cf. Job 22:29; Ex. 29:23; Ezek. 21:26–27; 1Pet.5:5. Blessed Jerome writes: It is one thing to be a father or a teacher by nature (natura), and another by condescension (indulgentia). If we call a man father, we show him honor, according to his age, and we do not consider him the culprit of our life", (Ibid, P.L. t.26). "This does not mean", says Chrysostom, "that no one should be called father, but that we know who should really be called Father" (Ibid). In Orthodox monasticism, there has been a custom since ancient times to address monks and priests with the word "father", out of respect. Christ, according to most interpreters, does not forbid honorary titles, but rather the pride and vanity that accompany those titles. According to Origen's interpretation, the scribes and Pharisees do not enter the Kingdom of Heaven alone and do not let others who want to enter. Those two sins are naturally connected and inseparable from each other. "Many teachers", he says, "who do not allow those who want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, usually do so by deciding without reasoning, not because they do not allow sins, but because of envy and enmity, and they often forbid those people who are better than themselves to enter", (Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew, P.G. p.13) It is most likely that, with the intention of supposedly helping widows, they proposed themselves as their representatives in the management of the estate, thereby extracting a large financial profit for themselves. A similar phenomenon was condemned even at the time of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 10:1-2). "The stranger who came to faith". In the New Testament it refers to Gentiles who fully embraced Judaism or looked upon it with sympathy. A fully converted proselyte received circumcision and participated in temple and synagogue worship on an equal basis with all other Jews. They also observed the Sabbath, the laws of clean and unclean food, and all other Jewish customs. There were many proselytes in the Jewish dispersion. They were made up of people who were disillusioned with pagan polytheism and immorality and sought faith in one God and a life dedicated to holiness, justice and mercy. A large number of them accepted the Jewish way of life, but not all legal provisions, including circumcision. Later, proselytes en masse accepted Christianity, which offered them the possibility of a highly moral spiritual life, but without the obligation to adhere to the Old Testament Law (cf. D. ap. 2,10; 6, 5; 13,43). The custom of tithing existed in Jewish history even before the Law of Moses. The forefather Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-20). And Jacob made a commitment before God that he would give Him a tenth of everything he acquired (Genesis 28:22). The Law of Moses prescribes tithing in detail (Leviticus 27:30-32). The tithe of land also included plant seeds and fruits. In addition, every tenth animal from the herd was given. The rules about giving tithes are also found in the Fourth of Moses. 18:21–32 and Deut. 26:12–15. In the Old Testament, the tithe was to meet the material needs of the clergy (Levites), foreigners, orphans and widows. It was an expression of gratitude to God from His chosen people. In the Talmud, all 12 tractates are devoted to the regulations of purification, which deal with the elaboration of the regulations from the Old Testament Law. (Leviticus 11:15; Numbers 5:1-4 and especially chapter 19). In Jesus' time, the graves of wealthier people were in natural caves (of which there are many in Palestine, given that it is a limestone area) or dug into the rocks. The graves of the poor were located near the roads and in the fields and were whitewashed a month before Passover so that passers-by could avoid them and be protected from desecration by touch (cf. Gen. 19:16). Genesis 4:1–15; 25; 1 John 3:12. After the crucifixion and death on the cross, the Lord Christ appeared only to His disciples. Those who crucified Him will not see Him until His second coming. Herod the Great began the construction of the huge Temple in Jerusalem in the 19th year. before Christ. The main building was completed in the 9th year. before Christ, while the rest of the buildings were built until the year 64. after Christ. The area of ​​the Church included a plateau measuring 446 x 296 m, while the entire building complex was surrounded by a large stone wall. Inside this area there were huge courtyards surrounded by high porches, assembly halls, priests' apartments and other auxiliary buildings. At the very entrance to the Church complex, there was the so-called "Courtyard of the Gentiles" into which non-Jews could also enter. The inner part of the Church, accessible only to Jews, was divided into three courtyards: the "women's courtyard" into which Jewish women could enter, the "Courtyard of Israel" open for access only to Mugakars and the "priestly courtyard" which surrounded the Church building itself. The people gathered on the spacious porches of the Church where prayers were read, the Scriptures were interpreted and discussions about faith were held. The church consisted of the "Sanctuary" and the "Holy of Holies". It was so magnificently made that it attracted people from all over the world with its beauty. In the year 70, the Roman emperor Titus and his army completely destroyed and burned Herod's Church. Only one part of the sub-wall remained from it, which today is called the "Wailing Wall" and is the largest sanctuary of the Jews. Simon Magus, cf. D.Ap. 8:9ff. Some interpreters think that these words refer to wars that have been fought all over the world. In the year 38, there was a great revolt of the Jews against the procurator Flaccus in Alexandria, while around that time about 50,000 rebellious Jews were killed in the city of Seleucia. At that time, several catastrophes occurred in which Christ's words were fulfilled: 45 or 47 AD. there was a great earthquake in Crete, in the year 51. in Rome, 53. in Apamea and Phrygia, 60. year. in Laodicea. Historians state that many people died of hunger. The great famine during the time of Emperor Claudius (D. ap.9:28) took about 30,000 lives in Rome. Dn. 9:27: "And on the church there will be an abomination of desolation." There is a belief that this Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled in the year 165. before Christ when Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), the Greek ruler of Syria, desecrated the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the main altar. This sacrifice to the Jews of an unclean animal was the worst possible form of profanation that could happen. Some Sieti Fathers believe that this prophecy from the Gospel of Matthew and Mark was fulfilled in the year 70. before Christ when the Roman army captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Church. Others, again, think that it refers to the figure of the "man of lawlessness" - the Antichrist, who will be placed in the place of God in the Church and to whom people will worship (cf. 2 Thess. 2:3-4). According to this interpretation, this will be a sign of ultimate blasphemy and the beginning of the end of the world. Blessed Jerome says that Pontius Pilate had placed Caesar's statue in the Church, while Emperor Hadrian placed his own statue on the site of the former Sanctuary, which stood there until Jerome's time. The historian Josephus writes about the desolation predicted by Daniel and which happened when the Romans destroyed the Church, (cf. Antiquitates X, 11, 7). 5 My. 7.25; 27.15; 32,16. The making of "graven figures" and "images" from "what is above in heaven or below on earth" was strictly prohibited by the second commandment of the Decalogue (2 Moj. 20:4-6). Nevertheless, the Lord soon gave the command to Moses to make two cherubim (angels) of gold over the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (cf. 2 Moj. 25, 17-22; 1 Dn. 28, 18; Jev 9, 5). The images of these angels were embroidered on the ten curtains of the tent (2 Moj. 26, 1; 36, 8) as well as on the porphyry curtain of the sanctuary (2 Moj. 26, 31; 2Dn 3, 14). In the time of King Solomon, two statues of cherubs were made from olive wood covered with gold. Each was about 4.6 meters tall with the same wingspan (3 Kings 6, 23-28; 8, 6-7; 2 Dn. 3, 10-13; 5, 7-8). They were also housed in the Holy of Holies. In addition, the Church was decorated inside with carved figures of cherubim, trees and flowers (1 Kings 6, 29-35; 7, 29, 36; 2 Dn. 3:7). Is it a contradiction? Obviously not, because the object of the second commandment was to prevent the idolatry into which the Jews easily fell, and not to completely forbid the representation of images intended to encourage piety and prayer. That is why icons are used in the Church, which are not idols, because by worshiping icons of the Lord or saints, we show honor and respect to the archetype, that is, to the one whom these icons represent, and not to the material itself, i.e. wood and paint (St. John of Damascus, Ibid., ch. 89, p. 167; St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit, ch. 18; EPE, book. 10, p. 402.) Joseph Flavius, "The Jewish War", vol. 6, chapter 3, 4, Prosveta, Belgrade, 1967 (cf. Deuteronomy 28:53-57; Lamentations Jer. 2:20). Cf. 1 Max. 2:32–37; 2 Max. 5:25–26. Cf. Jer. 30:7; 1Mac. 9:27. According to historians of the time, more than a million Jews perished in the siege of Jerusalem. About 97,000 were taken into slavery According to Blessed Jerome, these words can be interpreted in three ways: in connection with the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, in connection with the end of the world or in connection with the fight of heretics against the Church. It means the four corners of the world. Goldilocks thinks so too. Jerome is of the opinion that "this generation" can refer to the human race, but also to the Jewish people. "Those who are in the field, therefore, people in this world, are farmers, simple people of poor origin, those who are rich in property, but not in fame. Some (of them) are just, and others are unjust. The righteous will be taken, and the unrighteous will be left in the fire. Those who grind (on millstones) denote women, but partly also human souls who bear the yoke of slavery and who spend their lives in weakness. There are just and unjust women. Some people are weak, but righteous, like Job and Lazarus. Others are unjust, like Cain and Gehazi (4 Kings 4:12, 29, 31). To show their weakness, he says: "Two will be on the bed", and the righteous will be taken while the sinners will be left. How will the righteous be taken, let Paul say: "We who are alive... will be caught up on the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17). How will the unrighteous be left? "They (angels) will gather their elect from the four winds (Mt. 24, 31), and will burn (the ungodly) with unquenchable fire" (Lk. 3:17). Do not think that wood will burn in the unquenchable fire of hell and that the fire will ignite some servants, as many think, but look at Sodom and you will see a fire without wood. Remember how Lot's wife was petrified (Gen. 19:26) and tremble before the horror of the fire. Although they were together, Lot, his wife and two daughters, Lot and his daughters were not burned, but only the wife (his) did not escape the effect of the fire. To each, therefore, was given according to his share, so that at the Judgment the righteous will be taken like Lot, while the unrighteous will be left as his wife. Guard...' Ex collatione codd. Venet. S. Marci Cf. Ps. 44 , Song of Songs, 1 Makk.9:37. Chrysostom says: "The Savior says this either to fit the story or to show that the Resurrection will take place at midnight" (Ibid). Bl. Jerome goes even further and claims that there is a Jewish tradition" according to which "Christ will come at midnight, as was the case in Egypt, when Passover was celebrated and when the punishing angel came, and the Lord passed over the houses", (Ibid.) cf. 2 My. 12. There is an ancient tradition in the Orthodox Church that the Lord will come in the night between Saturday and Sunday, and that is why, from ancient times, there was a custom among Christians for believers to stay longer on Saturday night at prayer and vigil in anticipation of their Bridegroom. Cf. 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16. "God foresees", writes Reverend Father Justin, "how a man will use his free will and all his powers, and therefore entrusts him with the amount of His treasure, His property." The main thing is that he does not leave even his dirty and lazy servant without treasure, because he also gives him one talent. And that's it? - A god-like soul with all its god-like properties: reason, feeling, love, truth, justice, prayer, freedom". (Ibid, p. 481). "It is proper for servants to give, while it is up to the master to ask." That is why the (lazy) servant says to the master: 'Seeing that your command is hard because you demand obedience from people, whom by nature you did not make obedient, I was afraid of being careless, so I preserved what was handed to me without bothering about others...' Eh collatione Venet. S. Marci This place has caused difficulties for interpreters, because it is not entirely clear whether the words "all nations" refer only to Christians or to all people, therefore also Gentiles. Origen writes: "It is not entirely clear whether the word 'all' means 'from all generations' (ab omnibus generationibus) or from those who will remain until the day of judgment, or from those who believed in God through Christ", (Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew, Migne P.G. t.13). Zigaben believes that this is only about Christians, which can be clearly seen from the Emperor's conversation with his subjects. Then, quite naturally, the question arises whether other peoples, except the Christian ones, will be judged or not? If not, then the judgment will not be universal. Some interpreters are of the opinion that the judgment will really be universal and all people will be subject to it, only Christians will be judged on it based on Christ's law, while Gentiles will be judged according to natural law (cf. Rom. 2:12-16). In John's Gospel, it can be seen that not everyone is judged, but only those who did not believe in the Only Begotten Son of God, while those who believe in Christ and the Father who sent Him have eternal life and do not come to judgment, but pass from death to life (cf. Jn. 3:18-21; 5:24). Origen was a great church writer and exegete of the 3rd century, whose erroneous teachings (among them the teaching of apokatastasis, the establishment of everything) were condemned at the Fifth Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in 553. Origen, being heavily influenced by Platonism and Gnosticism, taught that God creates eternally (and not only in time, as the Church teaches). He believed that all people must go through "purification" after their death, whereby the righteous are immediately purified by God, while the sinners go through a process of purification (their number depends on the degree of sinfulness) that will occur after this. In the end, everyone will be purified, even the demons. So, according to his teaching, hell is a kind of purgatory of a temporary nature. At the end, there will be an "establishment of everything". the coming of Christ to the world and the spiritual resurrection of the body. Wisely looking at this secret, Prep. Abba Justin says: "By sending him to the uttermost darkness, God acted as a just and merciful judge, because he sent him to where he rushed and rushed with all his being. God would have been a bully and a tyrant if He had forcibly brought him in and made him dwell in His heavenly divine Kingdom. But even here He acts as a God of love; he does not compel a free creature, man, to enter His Kingdom by force. That would be both unnatural and illogical. Because in order to live eternally in the Kingdom of God, one must love God: with all one's heart, with all one's soul, with all one's mind, with all one's strength, and with all one's being, voluntarily belong to God". (Ibid, p. 486). "Pasha" is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word (Pesach), which means "passage". This word refers not only to the passage of the children of Israel across the Red Sea and the holiday that celebrates this event, but also to the slaughtered lamb as well as to the entire meal that God commanded to be eaten on this holiday. High priest, archbishop. From ancient times, high priests were appointed to "offer gifts and sacrifices" (Heb. 8:3). They were also called "people's elders" (D.ap. 23:5). In New Testament times, the high priest presided over the Sanhedrin, the supreme governing body of the Jews. In the beginning, this service was hereditary, but in the New Testament time it became the subject of political manipulations by Rome. The religious influence of the high priests was greatly weakened by the increasing influence of the Pharisees and scribes, and it is known that the high priests at that time were known for their greed and lust for power. See Eusebius of Caesarea, book 1, 10. while Matthew and Mark mention only the high priest Caiaphas, until then Luke (3,2) and John (18:13,24) also mention Anna who had retired from the office of high priest, but still kept the title by which the evangelists address him. He was replaced by his brother-in-law Caiaphas (25-26 years after Christ) whose personal name was Joseph (Ibid). "There are different opinions about who this woman could have been. Zigaben, for example, claims: "Three women anointed the Lord with peace." One that Luke talks about, a former sinner... the other that John talks about, named Mary.... and the third, the one about whom Matthew and Mark tell the same story and who came (to Christ) two days before Passover, in the home of Simon the leper". Myrrh, fragrant olive oil mixed with various aromatic substances. Moses received a command from the Lord to prepare "holy anointing oil". It consisted of myrrh, fragrant cinnamon, ijirot, cassia and olive oil (cf. 2 Moj.30:22-25). Many of these ingredients were very expensive. Myrrh was most often procured from Phenicia in small alabaster boxes to preserve the aroma. It was used for ritual and religious purposes, as a cosmetic and fragrance, for the treatment of some wounds, as well as for anointing the dead body before burial. Karioth (or Kiriot) was a Judean city in the Negev near Edom (Is. Nav. 15:25). The name "Iscariot" means "man from Kariot". Otherwise, the price of 30 srebreniks was the usual price of goods at that time. You can read about Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12:1-13,16; 23.15; 34,18–20,25; 3My. 23:4–14; 4Moi.28:16–25; Deuteronomy 16:1–8; Is. Nav. 4:19–23, 5:10–12; 2 days 30, 2.3.13.15. Passover was the first of the three major Jewish holidays. She reminded the Jews of the sacrifice of the lamb in Egypt, at the time when the Jews were slaves. They marked the doors of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered lamb so that the Lord would know that he would "pass through" (heb. pacach) their houses when he killed all the firstborn in Egypt and thus convinced the pharaoh to let his people go. The Passover (passover) was celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Aviv. The celebration began with an evening service, because in the evening of that day the Jews left Egypt. Since the Jews left their homes in a hurry and did not have time to put yeast in the bread, unleavened (unleavened) breads are brought to the Passover table in addition to the sacrificial lamb. In New Testament times, Passover was a pilgrimage festival. Large masses of people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate this holiday together. The paschal lamb is the first image of the lamb of Christ who voluntarily gave himself to be slaughtered in order to redeem the human race from sin, death and the devil with his blood. That is why he suffered on the Passover holiday. By law, the Passover was celebrated on the night between Nisan 14 and Nisan 15, so that on the 15th the holiday itself would take place and was celebrated until Nisan 21. Pressed bread was eaten throughout the celebration. In order to prepare the Passover meal, the disciples had to take the lamb to the Church for ritual slaughter and sacrifice, so that it could be roasted and served at dinner with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. As I Bl. Theophylact says, other Orthodox fathers and writers did not agree with him when, or rather, whether in that year the Lord ate the old Passover, that is, the Old Testament Passover dinner. According to Theophylact's interpretation, the Lord ate the old Passover the day before the legally prescribed time for the Passover dinner, because "on the first day of Unleavened Bread" actually means "on the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread". This point of view is confirmed by John's Gospel, which says that the dinner of Jesus with the apostles was before the Passover Jn. 13.1. The Passover lamb with the first unleavened bread was therefore eaten on Friday evening. This can also be understood bearing in mind that since the Babylonian captivity, the Jews have counted the 14th of Nisan (Friday) as part of the Passover week because the Passover was eaten on Friday evening. Since, according to the Jewish way of calculating time, the day began the previous evening, it is clear that the evening of Nisan 13 (the Thursday evening when the Lord ate the Passover with the disciples) also belonged to the Passover week, and that is why it is called "the first day of unleavened bread" by the synoptics. Chrysostom interprets this place as follows: "Someone can say: if it is written that Christ will suffer in this way, why is Judas condemned? He just fulfilled what was written. Yet he did this not with that intention (to fulfill the prophecy) but out of his malice. If you don't pay attention to the intention, then you will also absolve the devil. But both he (Judas) and others (the devil) are worthy of immeasurable tortures, even though the universe was saved through them. It was not the betrayal of Judas that brought us salvation, but the wisdom of Christ, which in a miraculous way turns the evil deeds of others to our advantage» (Ibid, Homil. 81,1; p. 731). Euthymius Zigaben says: "Some say that Judas is innocent, because what was destined was fulfilled. To such we answer that Judas betrayed (the Lord) not because it was predestined, but because he betrayed, it was predestined, since God sees in advance everything that will happen» (Ibid, ad loc.). Therefore, God's predestination always depends on His foreknowledge. In other words, God predestined to suffer in the flesh for the salvation of the world, because He knew in advance that Adam would fall into sin, and that the only way for man's nature to overcome the power of sin, death and the devil and unite with God is for Him Himself, as a new Adam in the flesh, to come into the world and suffer for us, so that He would defeat death with His death and Resurrection (cf. footnote for Mt. 2:17). As perfect God and perfect man, the Lord Christ possesses two wills, divine and human, whereby the human will is freely subordinated to the divine. In order to show that His suffering was not against His human will and imposed as a necessity, His divine will freely allows the natural fear of death of His human nature to manifest itself, which by its free will, submitting to the will of the Father, accepts to suffer for the salvation of the world. St. John of Damascus teaches us: "When His human will refused to accept death, His divine will made it possible for His human nature to manifest itself, and the Lord, according to His human nature, experienced fear and apprehension and prayed to spare Him from death." But since His divine will wanted His human will to accept death, Christ's human nature voluntarily accepted suffering" (Ibid., III, 18, 1073 VS). In the Roman Catholic and Protestant West in the Middle Ages, the opinion appeared that the Lord used unleavened bread at the Last Supper, which is why unleavened bread has been used in Western liturgies since the 9th century. However, the Greek word used here, as well as the unique practice of the early Church to use leavened bread for the Eucharist, clearly show that these new theories are unfounded and that Christians from the earliest times were well aware that the Last Supper was held the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (see above). This issue was one of those that caused great controversy between the Orthodox East and the Roman Catholic West. Blessed Jerome writes: "After the end of the Pre-Reformation Passover, and when (Judas) ate the meat of the lamb with the apostles, he received bread." (Ibid). On the other hand, Hilary claims that Judas did not receive the Body of Christ. That is why the offering of gifts at the Holy Liturgy is called the Eucharist. (thanksgiving). Although the Lord truly died on the cross in His human nature, death did not dominate Him but was defeated by His divinity. St. Gregory of Nyssa compares victory over death to fishing. The hook is Christ's divine nature, and the bait is His human nature. The devil throws himself at the bait, but the hook pierces him - he could not swallow the deity and therefore he himself was defeated. In other words, death has come into contact with divinity and completely lost its power. That is why in the Easter troparion we sing: "Christ rose from the dead, he destroyed death with death..." That is, to show that His body is not an illusion. An elevation to the east of Jerusalem, from which there was a view of the great Church and the entire city. In the past, the entire Mount of Olives was covered with lush vegetation. Even today, you can find old olive trees on it, after which it got its name. God acts in full respect of man's freedom. Often, however, there are places in the Holy Scriptures where God seems to do violence to the human will or to do evil. In 2 Moj. 11:10 we see that by God's permission Pharaoh's heart remained stubborn so that the Lord would multiply His miracles in the land of Egypt, even though it is said that "the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart". It's the same here. When he says "I will smite the shepherd..." the Lord is actually saying: "I will allow the Jews to smite My Son, because that is what they want, but I will turn their wickedness to good and to the salvation of the whole world." The Garden of Gethsemane was located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Stream, opposite the Church. The very word "Gethsemane" means Lresa for olives. Even today, it is not known exactly where the Garden of Gethsemane really was. According to tradition, it is considered to be the place where Empress Jelena built the great basilica in 325. Under slaughter, we mean sticks, clubs. Roman legions from the time of Christ consisted of 3,000 to 6,000 infantry and 100 to 200 cavalry. Saint Theophylact here is probably referring to the legions of later Byzantine times. John states that Jesus was first taken to the high priest Anna (Jn. 18:13-14), while Luke mentions only "the house of the high priest". Probably both high priests lived in the same court. John 2:19: "Destroy this church and in three days I will raise it up." Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (administrator) of Judea. He ruled from the 26th to the 36th year. after Christ. The Jewish historian Joseph brings us some information about Pilate's life. He assumes that Pilate was a Roman of Italian origin, who before assuming the administration of Judea exercised certain military functions. (Bl. Theophylact, on the contrary, advocates the opinion that he was from Pontus, from Asia Minor.) He was married to Claudia Procula, with whom he lived in Caesarea Palestine, where the seat of the province was. Pilate was subordinate to the Roman governor in Syria (Luke 2:2). The Jews did not like him, because he did not show understanding towards their religious and national feelings. He especially angered them when he forcibly took money from the church treasury to build an aqueduct for Jerusalem's water supply. Then a rebellion broke out, which was suppressed in blood (cf. Lk.13:1-2). Because of the massacre of the Samaritans on Mount Gerezim, Pilate was deposed and brought before Caesar's court. He is believed to have spent his last years in exile in southern Gaul (France). The Jews brought Christ before Pilate because they themselves could not, according to the Law, execute a man without the permission of the Roman authorities. Pilate is remembered as an example of a man who, although he knew of Jesus' innocence, still allowed the Jews to execute Him in order to preserve his reputation and career. The elders took Jesus to the Roman court, because the jus gladii (right of the sword) and jus vitae necisque (right of life and death) were taken away from the Jews by the Roman administration. Judas felt sorrow and despair because of the crime he had committed, but not true repentance. If Judas had truly repented like Peter, he would have been forgiven. True repentance, therefore, consists not only of acknowledging the sin committed, but also of acknowledging one's weakness and confessing God's omnipotence. That is why repentance is alien to despair and its most terrible fruit - suicide. "Not only did his head swell from the tumor, but his eyes were so swollen that he couldn't see the light at all. Even the doctors could not open his eyes with their medicine, which were so sunken into the sockets. His private parts were shamefully disfigured and blood was oozing from all parts of his body and maggots were crawling. Then, after terrible torment, he split in the middle, as Luke says in the Acts of the Apostles. From the stench that spread from him to the present day, the village in which he unleashed his squalor was left desolate and uninhabited, and even today no one can pass by that place without covering their nose with their hands. His body received such a punishment while still here on earth." Ex collatione codd. Venet. S. Marci Acts 1:18. The majority of interpreters believe that Judas committed suicide by hanging and that he then fell and burst in the middle. The interpretation of Blessed Theophylact can be understood as his personal opinion, which is obviously dependent on the written sources and oral traditions he used. We do not find these words in the prophet Jeremiah, but in Zechariah 11, 12, 13. It is not entirely clear why the evangelist mentions Jeremiah and not Zechariah. It is probably an oversight, or, as Origen thinks, the text was taken from some unknown writing of Jeremiah. Bl. Jerome found these words verbatim in an apocrypha of the prophet Jeremiah, which he received from a member of the Nazarene sect. Zigaben also agrees that the text is also an apocryphal book. Barabbas is called a "famous robber". "The evangelist", says Chrysostom, "did not simply say: "They had a robber", but: "a well-known robber", famous for his crimes, who committed many murders.", Ibid. Pilate's wife, Claudia Procula, is included in the image of the Saints under October 27. Crucifixion on the cross was applied as a punishment by many ancient peoples: Assyrians, Midians, Persians. After conquering Tyre, Alexander the Great crucified 2,000 inhabitants. The Jews never applied it themselves, but executed their convicts by stoning (cf. 3 Moj. 20, 2; 5 Moj. 22:24). Later, this custom was taken over by the Romans. It was the cruelest way of execution that was applied only to slaves and robbers. Roman citizens were not crucified, but were punished by beheading with a sword. The victim was crucified on the cross completely naked and slowly died in excruciating pain, since the blood could not circulate normally in that area. Such a position of the body caused a drop in blood pressure and gradual suffocation of the Victim. In order to prolong the torture, a slat (supedanei) was often placed under the feet, on which the convict could lean and thus ease his pain. Since the crucifixion of Christ and the two robbers was on the eve of the holiday itself, the torturers beat the shins of the robbers to hasten their death. The Romans, by the way, had the custom of leaving the bodies of the dead to rot on crosses or to be eaten by vultures. The Jews, however, did not allow the bodies of the executed to hang on the tree (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). This custom existed among the Jews, which can be seen in Deuteronomy 21:6; Psalm 26:6; 73:13. Regarding these words, John Chrysostom says the following: "Even though the Jews acted with so much foolishness towards themselves and their children, the Lord, the Lover of Man, not only did not address these words to their children, but also to them themselves, since he received from them and from their children those who repented and considered them worthy of countless treasures. Wasn't Paul one of them, and also thousands of people in Jerusalem who believed, because it is said: 'Do you see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believed (Acts 21-20)?' "Today, the One who established the earth on the waters hangs on the tree. The King of Angels is crowned with a crown of thorns. He who covers the sky with clouds covers himself with false porphyry. He receives the blows, the One who freed Adam in the Jordan (by baptism). The Bridegroom of the Church would be nailed with nails, the Son of the Virgin pierced with a spear..." (Verse from the ninth hour on Good Friday, Lent Triod). The area of ​​Pentapolis was named after five cities that were a Greek colony on the North African coast, between Carthage and Alexandria, in the area of ​​present-day Libya. Cf. Mk. 15:23. Myrrh is an oily resin of plant origin that was used to create peace or fragrance. It also has anesthetic properties. It is obtained from the Commiphora myrrha tree, which grows in Ethiopia, Arabia and Somalia. Jn. 19:29 (in fact, John does not mention gall at all). These substances were given to the sufferers as anesthetics, to ease their pain and suffering. "After they mocked Him", says Chrysostom, "they led Him to the crucifixion and stripped Him, took His clothes and sat down to see when He would give up His spirit." His clothes were distributed as was customary with convicts of low origin, rejected, unprotected and helpless. They distributed those robes which had worked so many miracles and which then did not show any effect, just as Christ himself withheld his ineffable power», Ibid. In Matthew and Mark, it can be seen that both robbers insulted the Lord. However, in Luke (23, 39ff.) only one robber who blasphemed is spoken of. Interpreters have long paid attention to this discrepancy. Origen, Chrysostom, Zigaben and, as we can see, Theophylact, as well as some other interpreters, said that in the beginning both robbers insulted Christ, and then one of them repented, seeing Christ's long-suffering, and began to rebuke the other robber. (Luke 23:42). That is, on the day they eat the Passover, the 14th to the 15th of the month of Nisan. We find a prophecy about this event in the prophet Amos (Am. 8, 9.10). Origen believed that darkness did not cover the whole earth since there is no historical evidence of this event in other parts of the world. In his opinion, it is about the thick and dark clouds that hung over Jerusalem and Judea. In any case, it was a great sign from God, because while heaven and earth, being insensitive elements, "experienced" the crucifixion of the Son of God, petrified and insensitive human hearts blasphemed the crucified Christ. The sixth hour is 12 o'clock, that is. noon. Christ voluntarily subjected His human nature to the consequences of sin and the state of fallen human nature, taking upon Himself the sins of the world - putting on "the form of the flesh of sin" (Rom. 8:3). He took not only the human nature that Adam had before the fall, but also that which is contrary to nature - the consequences of sin, that He might be like us in all things, except in sin. By taking upon Himself the consequences of sin, He made His immortal and incorruptible human nature capable of suffering and receiving death (cf. St. Maximus the Confessor: Quaestiones ad Thalassium (21), PG, p.90, 312-13). This refers to the curtain of porphyry, scarlet and wormwood, on which cherubim were embroidered. This curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy of Holies, into which no one could enter except the high priest (cf. 2 Moi.26:31-33). Miraculous signs at that time are mentioned in the Apocrypha, the Talmud and the historian Josephus. Cf. Matthew 24:7, 28:2; Jl. 2:10; Am.1:1; 3 Kings 19:11; Is.29:6; Jer. 23:19 and others. We are talking about the Holy Martyr Longinus the Captain, whom the Church celebrates on October 16. Despite their feminine weakness, these women remained with Christ until the end, while the apostles, who were considered stronger, fled in fear of the Jews. That is precisely why, because of their courage, they were the first to see the Risen Lord. The Jews distinguished the so-called "first and second evening". Since it was Friday evening, the beginning of Saturday, a non-working day, the body had to be buried as quickly as possible. The "first evening" started around 9 o'clock in the afternoon, that is. our 3 o'clock in the afternoon. According to the Law, it was allowed until the "second evening", i.e. until 12 o'clock (our 6 o'clock in the afternoon) I can do only the most necessary jobs. Due to the lack of time, it was not possible to perform all the funeral customs, obtain myrrh and anoint the body. That is why the myrrh-bearers will go to the grave immediately after the end of the Sabbath and anoint the body of Jesus. Arimathea was a city in the Judean highlands, northwest of Jerusalem. It was home to Joseph, who was a member of the Sanhedrin, and a secret disciple of Jesus, as well as Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1-11). Due to the hot climate in Palestine, the bodies of the dead were buried soon after death, no later than 24 hours. The face was tied with a napkin with the jaws tied (Jn.11:44), and after it was washed, (D. ap.9:37) the body was anointed with perfumes and wrapped in linen bandages (Jn.19:40). The body was then laid, depending on the wealth of the deceased, in a shallow grave covered with stones, in a natural cave or in a tomb cut in the rock. It was considered a great shame for the body to remain unburied. Unlike the Greeks and Romans who cremated the dead, the Jews never used this method of burial except in exceptional cases (1Kar.31:13). The bodies were also not embalmed or placed in sarcophagi, as some surrounding nations did. This particular word was used because the graves in Palestine were usually in a hollow and a heavy stone was rolled down the stone groove into the opening to close and seal the grave. In this way, the bodies were protected from beasts and predators. Archaeological investigations have shown that an average grave required several strong men to remove the stone from the grave. In the Gospel text it is said that the stone was big. This means that the women would only be able to push the stone away from the tomb with the help of a few Roman soldiers. Therefore, the Lord was crucified "at the sixth hour" - ie. at 12 noon, and the darkness lasted until the "ninth hour", i.e. 3 o'clock in the afternoon. That is, in unbroken union with the divine nature of God the Logos. The heretic Arius wrongly taught that Jesus Christ is not consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and his teaching was condemned as heresy at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, in 325 AD. Saveli's heretical teaching was condemned at the church councils in Alexandria in 261 and in Rome in 262.