About zeal and piety, and about the man born blind

1. The source of light is the word of God; being filled with light and exuding light, it enlightens and illuminates the souls of the faithful. From itself and by itself it shines and enlightens those who use it; and not only enlightens the souls of the faithful, but also informs them of the name of light. In fact, the Divine Scripture rightly calls the darkness of people immersed in ignorance and persistent in unbelief, not receiving the lamp of truth in order to become sons of light. Therefore, the divine Apostle Paul says: “For you are all sons of light and sons of day; we are not sons of night nor of darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5). And indeed, we are sons of light, i.e. the words of the Gospel, spoken by the mouth of God: “I am the light of the world; Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). That word is the word of light, which, if we believe in it, makes us sons of light. Therefore, the Savior says: “As long as the light is with you, believe in the light, that you may be sons of light” (John 12:36). After all, what this sensory light is for the body, the spiritual light is the same for the soul - the word of God; and that there is darkness at night, that is ignorance for erring souls. Therefore, blessed David writes about such people: “They do not know, they do not understand, they walk in darkness” (Ps. 82:5). Likewise, the synagogue, immersed in ignorance and not wanting to penetrate to the knowledge of spiritual teaching, God calls darkness, because of the ignorance that dwells in it. When God spoke to the Jews through the prophet: “But I made you like your mother,” then explaining that he meant night, which is like darkness, he added: “The people and mine are likened to people who have no understanding” (Hos. 4:5, 6). That is why they “do not know, do not understand, they walk in darkness” (Ps. 81:5). But they are like that, and those who have received the light Christ's teachings - they are perfected in the light. Indeed, our God is light; and His word, born from Himself before the ages, is called light; and the holy and consubstantial and life-giving Spirit is light, and light, and light. And the soul that has received the word is called light. light, as the Evangelist John says about Him: “there was the true Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9). But the light that is from the ineffable light, and the law gives full light, according to the word of the prophet: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Further, the soul that has received the bright word of truth itself becomes light and hears from Paul: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8). And when the soul is imbued with the word of the Gospel, then by faith it is called light, just as by works. “Let your light shine before men,” says the Lord, “so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). It is necessary that he who has received the light of faith should also do works of light. Not only should the soul of a faithful person be light, but he should also shine before people with his deeds. That is why the Savior says: “So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” And here it is surprising: the light emanating from God is simple, and its rays are different - not in nature, of course, but in action. And the enlightening teaching of God is sent to every faithful soul, according to what was said: “And may the glory of the Lord our God be upon us” (Ps. 89:17), so that our deeds may be made right before Him. This lordship in itself is one, but when manifested in us it produces many lordships: the lordship of alms, the lordship of chastity, the lordship of hospitality, the lordship of love. God has one lordship, but in us it seems to sparkle and shimmer with various shades, illuminating one with the gift of prophecy, in another igniting the fire of apostleship, and bestowing on another the brilliance of martyrdom. There is one brightness, but in us there are many, as it is said: “The beginning is with you in the day of your strength and in the brightness of your saints” (Ps. 109:3). In fact, St. Paul wanted to express something different in this series of questions: “Are all of them apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers” (1 Cor. 12:29)? Of course, not without reason, he allows such a division, but in accordance with the spiritual mood of people, not out of his own arbitrariness, but according to the strength of the confession of faith by each of them; He does not give out such names according to his own desire, because his desire cannot be of decisive importance, but according to the abundance of gifts. The sun's rays, sliding over the luxurious decorations of the magnificent royal scarlet and reflecting in it, scatter with countless sparkles of all kinds of colors; and the richer and better the decorations, the more varied and beautiful the rays are reflected by them - the air itself seems to shimmer with gold, then purple, then green, then some other color. And all this is not, of course, because the rays themselves are different in nature, but solely because they are refracted in the decorations of clothing and, reflected in them, become diverse. The variety of rays with which the church always shines and which makes up its beauty is also precisely explained. The church is clothed in royal clothing; she is adorned with heavenly and varied attire, as the psalmist depicts: “the eyes of kings are in your honor: the queen appeared at your right hand in robes of gold and beautifully adorned” (Ps. 44:10). How is it “embellished”? The gift of the Holy Spirit, in the words of Paul: “with God bearing witness with signs and wonders, and with divers powers, and with the dispensing of the Holy Spirit according to His will” (Heb. 2:4). What should I call the Church of Christ? A bride in finery, a queen in jewelry, a cultivated garden, a fruitful meadow? But no matter what these or other names I use, none of them can adequately express its merits. On behalf of the church, as if through its mouth, the prophet Isaiah spoke: “My soul will rejoice in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation” (Isaiah 61:10). But feeling that this image does not provide sufficient knowledge of the beauty of the church, the prophet immediately complements it with other similar images, adding: like a bride he adorned me with beauty, and like a bridegroom he laid a crown on me, and like an earth growing its fruit, and like a vineyard vegetating its seeds (Is. 61:10-11). Indeed, the church of the living God can be called a sealed vineyard ( Song 4:12 ) and a garden, but not a garden in the sense of that ancient paradise; no, she is much taller than him. The serpent reigned there, but Christ reigns here. 2. Judge not by name, but by the merits of the case. Paradise itself would not be anything surprising if there were no observance of God’s commandments; on the contrary, the lowest places would not be at all low if the law of God reigned in them. What is better, what is higher - heaven or a dung heap? And yet, for Adam, paradise turned out to be useless due to his fall, and Job was not harmed by the dunghill thanks to his patience. Adam in paradise is put to shame for his disobedience, and Job is crowned on the heap for his patience. The dignity of a place has no meaning if good disposition does not correspond to it. Heaven and paradise are higher, but the devil falls from there. The earth is below, and the sky above it rises (Prov. 25:3), but those who fall into sin fall from the sky, as can be seen from the words: “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18), and from the earth the poor rise, according to the saying: “from the dust he raises the poor, from clay he lifts up the needy” (Ps. 112:7). Do you see how the difference of place does not in the least weave the crowns of the worthy? What is more modest than a box? What's more shameless than a circus? But what benefit did adultery on the bed bring to the unbridled Egyptian woman? Did the fact that she was taken to the circus naked do any harm to the First Martyr Thekla? The naked woman did not sin, the saint was not desecrated, but crowned. And this one is crowned in the circus, and that one in the bridal chamber acquires eternal shame. What benefit did the idols with their false worship receive from the vastness of their churches? And what do the martyrs lose from the imperfection of their tombs? Has not error been put to shame in the magnificent churches, and the tombs of the martyrs have not been glorified in humility? So, the Church of the living God has replaced the paradise of sweetness. In that paradise the serpent twisted and deceived, in the new paradise the Savior says: “Behold, I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:19). A crime was committed in paradise, because of which the path of life was closed to Adam, but this does not hinder a soul devoted to virtue, which is evident from the fact that outside paradise (a person) receives more than he had in paradise. Paradise is barred to Adam, and Peter is entrusted with the keys of heaven; Adam is cast out of paradise, and Paul is raptured into the third heaven. Adam is removed from the tree of life, so that somehow, according to God, he would not touch the tree of life. There life is suppressed and the tree of life is removed from the transgressor of the commandment; here the tree of the cross is erected and all who wish will reap eternal life. In paradise after the fall, Adam, pricked by his conscience, hides from God, and the One who tests everything binds him and says: “Adam, where are you” (Gen. 3:9)? Don't you know where he is? You ask: “Adam, where are you”? No, obviously, in denunciation of his iniquity, God says: where are you? - instead of saying: what is your condition? Have you been deceived by the serpent into equality with God? Do you see that you are naked? "Are you God"? “I heard Your voice ... and hid myself,” Adam answers (Gen. 3:10). He is hiding from God in paradise, and the apostles say: “But we all, with open face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Do you see what boldness there is outside of heaven? Do you see what shame there is in paradise? In paradise after the Fall, God dressed Adam in leather clothes. Let's now compare the clothes. Adam there put on clothes, and here: “as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). There, at the conclusion of paradise, there is a cherub and a circulating weapon, blocking access to paradise; it was like a wall and barrier for Adam, not allowing him to enter paradise after the Fall for disobedience. I do not say this to censure paradise, but to explain that that godly place did not bring any benefit to those who did not want to remain in goodness. And the consequence was, as it were, a wall of fire that surrounded paradise and did not allow the criminal to enter there. But to show that it was not the fire itself, but solely the crime that prevented Adam from passing through the wall of fire, a chariot of fire carried Elijah to heaven. The Church of God is not deceived when it says: “God has clothed me with the robe of salvation... like a bride he has adorned with beauty, like earth growing its fruit, and like a great mountain of truth” (Isa. 61:10-11). This great helicopter city is the Universal Church. Christ reigns in it and the Church believes in Him as its lawmaker. And if anyone turns out to be in it infected with the disease of heresy, with the teachings of serpents - I mean heretical delusion - he is ejected from here, like Adam from paradise. Just as it was there that he who obeyed the teachings of the serpent was cast out of paradise, so in the Church those who do not obey Paul, are not taught by Peter, but follow the suggestions of the serpent, are expelled from this paradise. Where can you see this? But this is what Paul says: “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God; because I have betrothed you to one husband, in order to present you to Christ as a pure virgin. But I am afraid, lest, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds should be corrupted, straying from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2-3). But the teaching of the serpent has no access here, since the great shepherd erases the heads of the serpents with the rod of faith. In fact, as a shepherd, our wondrous father erases the heads of dragons with the gospel faith and trust in Christ, and as an excellent gardener, he nourishes the growth of the Church, but he uproots every weed plant or seed, every disease of wickedness, pagan error, like thorns, he commits to fire, but heretical error, like grass, he weeds out and throws away. He is clothed with the zeal of God, like few others. People who are in the habit of inventing sophisms against the Church and her holy shepherds do not leave our wondrous father alone, and many, under the guise of meekness, preach negligence, condemn zeal and try to stop the prosperous word of God. It happens to hear how, under the guise of meekness, they say: what do we care about the pagans? A person wants to be saved, and let him be saved. Only one who does not feel any zeal for piety can speak like this. He who sees a dying person and does not grieve over his death, does not think about his punishment, does not know zeal for piety, and is not wounded by the arrows of truth. 3. In fact, who sees someone who is perishing and does not feel jealous of him like Paul: “Whoever faints, with whom I would not faint?” (2 Cor. 11:29) - he is not a disciple of Paul. Compare with this the virtues of our father and you will find that these apostolic words are realized in him: “Whoever faints, with whom would I not faint? Who is tempted, for whom would I not be inflamed? People of this way of thinking are brothers of the apostles. After all, the righteous person grieves not only about his own sins, but also about those sins that are committed before his eyes, as David says: “Sadness takes possession of me at the sight of the wicked who forsake Your law” (Ps. 119:53). He who is saddened by the sins of others has zeal for piety. The righteous person, when his own life needs correction, weeps and grieves in order to completely atone for his sin; when he sees the sins of others, then, having left his own sin, he begins to mourn the sins of others, like Paul: “I will come... so that I will not mourn for many who sinned before and did not repent” (2 Cor. 12:21). Paul grieves for those who have sinned and have not repented; Samuel grieves for Saul to such an extent that God himself says to him: “How long will you grieve for Saul” (1 Samuel 16:1)? Do you see a perishing soul and will not regret it? After all, if someone does not shed a tear at the sight of a dead man being carried to his resting place, he is condemned as merciless, harsh and bestial; and you see a soul mired in wickedness, bringing upon itself eternal condemnation and stagnant in unbelief, and you do not grieve? Doesn't this sadden you at all? Is this characteristic of a pious soul? A well-meaning person should grieve over all the sins of others, especially when he sees a soul mired in the wickedness of paganism. For such a soul should not only grieve, but burn and flame with jealousy for anyone who considers himself a disciple of Paul. When Paul was in Athens, his spirit, according to the writer, was on fire at the sight of a city filled with idols. But what motivates holy men to harbor such jealousy? What motivates our wonderful father to be such a guardian of piety? Just as the king of the earth, having the universe under his authority, has arbiters of justice in every court of justice, so God has faithful shepherds - guardians of piety. Many of the pagans often respond to the remarks of Christians with abuse; They are told, for example: why do you blaspheme? Why do you persist in wickedness? And they immediately object with abuse: these are the intercessors of God! Can't God stand up for Himself? But, indeed, He does not stand up for Himself (because the Divine does not tolerate offense), but punishes ungrateful slaves through faithful servants. Does God need intercessors? Yes, not because, of course, He is unable to defend Himself, but so that you can discover your jealousy. After all, if He did everything by Himself, then the path of life would be closed for the zealot. Didn't Pharaoh once fight against God, wallowing in wickedness? And there was no scourge on him until faithful Moses appeared. Did not the lie of polytheism flourish with its false priests and false prophets, undefeated by God, until Elijah came forward as a zealot for piety? Without a doubt, holy men are intercessors for God. That is why Paul says: “and are ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is completed” (2 Cor. 10:6). And what does Deborah, amazing among women, say, who, despite the inherent weakness of a woman, prophesied with the courage of virtue, about which it is said in Scripture: “I, Deborah, have arisen ... a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7)? She was the mother of the people in piety and was so strong that at the beginning of the war, the generals together with Barak said to her: if you do not go with us to war, we will not go (Judges 4:8). They did not rely on the woman's courage, but on the power of prophecy. Many companions of the council of God went out and destroyed the foreigners. So, this blessed Deborah, proclaiming the truth, says: Lord, those who love You like the rising of the sun, Let Your enemies perish like the dregs of a lamp (Judges 5:31). Lord, those who love You like the rising of the sun - because, of course, the sun never goes out; Your enemies are like the dregs of a lamp; a lamp has light only for a time and is extinguished again. Having then praised the military leader who fulfilled the will of God, she orders the inhabitants of Mazor to be cursed, because they “did not come to the aid of the Lord” (Judges 5:23). Did God really need help? Of course not. But this would serve to demonstrate the piety of those helping. So it is precisely this amazing father who defends piety, not as an assistant to God, as if in need of help, but as the guardian of the law appointed by Him: she imposes punishments on bodies, and instructs souls to salvation. Yes, “the arrows of the mighty are subtle” (Ps. 119:4). And do not be surprised that the shepherds of Christ and teachers of piety stand up for the truth. Even the one who is not a teacher and does not occupy a teaching position, but simply accepted Christ’s teaching and became one of his disciples, should already have zeal for God and give thanks to the benefactor, boldly opening his mouth in defense of the truth and against ungodliness, according to the covenant of Holy Scripture: child, “strive for the truth to the point of death, and the Lord God will fight for you” (Sirach 4:32). It is not surprising if saints advocate piety. It often even turns out that, with the goodness of God, only the prophets do not allow piety to suffer from God’s condescension. For example, God says to Moses: say to Pharaoh: “Let My people go” (Ex. 8:1). If you do not do this, behold, I will send signs and strike you. But the thought occurred to Moses that such words could convince Pharaoh that he had the same rights over the people as God. And taking care that the immeasurable goodness of God would not somehow harm his cause, prompt Pharaoh to oppose God - with these expressions: “your people” and “my people,” Moses turns to Pharaoh with other words: “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let My people go” (Ex. 9: 1), and if you do not let go, I will send signs and strike you and your servants, “so that you may know, that the earth is the Lord’s” (Exodus 9:29) and “that it is full” (Ps. 23:1). The earth would have heard “people” and “people” and would not have followed the word - so he says: “all the earth is the Lord.” God showed leniency in this case, but the prophet did not convey the Lord’s will. And of course, God said this so that the zeal of the pious could be revealed. In general, the faithful always love to surpass the words of God. So, the Savior says to His disciples: “Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Of the disciples, one answers: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:13, 16)! May the zeal of the Holy Spirit teach us to be zealous and to suffer for piety and to fight a good fight for righteousness. 4. It is quite right that good disciples should be imitators of the teacher, just as Paul says: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 4:16). Perhaps you need proof that both an ordinary disciple and one who is in the position of a disciple should have a zeal for godliness? Then listen to how Christ healed a man blind from birth, or better yet, listen to this story from the very beginning. After stories about other deeds of Christ, the evangelist begins his story about this event like this: Jesus “as he passed by, saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him: Rabbi! Who sinned, he or his parents, that he was born blind” (John 9:1–2)? - and so on. And He, spitting on the ground and making clay, “anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay, and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”; Having washed himself, the man born blind received his sight (John 9:6–7). The Jews recognized him and said: “Isn’t this the one who sat and begged for alms”, being blind (John 9:8)? Some said: “yes, it’s him,” and others: “no, he just looks like him.” “And he said, It is I” (John 9:9). The Pharisees and Jewish elders, seeing that this miracle will attract many to Christ, consumed by the zeal of wickedness and struck by the sting of truth, call to themselves the one who was previously blind. It was a sad sight - this trial of piety, moreover, a trial carried out by evil judges; but the consolation is that the defendant had a great defender and God himself directed the competition and watched. The Jews call upon a formerly blind man who has regained his sight, place him before the Sanhedrin and say to him: tell me, how did you receive your sight, and who opened your eyes, and how did he do it? They asked all this not in order to find out the truth from him, but in order to frighten the questioner with their interrogation. Often, by the very method of asking, the teacher instructs the person being asked to answer or remain silent; the same thing happens in court: if the one who must testify about the case begins to say: do you know the essence of the case? were you present with him? where did you get information about him? - then the very form of the question will show him that he must give a negative answer. So do they: who opened your eyes? How did you receive your sight? And he, thinking not so much about their threat as about keeping the truth, answers: “A man called Jesus made clay, anointed my eyes and said to me: go to the pool of Siloam and wash. I went and washed and received my sight” (John 9:11). He did not know the truth, but recognized the good deed; I did not yet know the dignity of the benefactor. A certain man, having made clay, anointed my eyes, and I see. “Then the Jews did not believe that he was blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight” (John 9:18). The stubbornness of anger calls truth into question. They call on the parents of the blind man; anger gathers witnesses against itself. The parents of the blind man appeared. Again the same method of interrogation: “Is it your son, about whom you say, that he was born blind? how can he now see” (John 9:19)? Those, guessing from the threats about the malice that inspired them, answer them: “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind, but how he sees now, we don’t know, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He himself is of advanced years; ask yourself; let him speak about himself” (John 9:20–21). And notice the wisdom of God. So that the testimony of the one who has regained his sight would not be excluded as a minor or unable to respond properly in a public place, God arranged it so that his legal age was first of all attested. “You yourself are of advanced age,” the parents say, “ask yourself.” Minors need defenders, but those who have reached adulthood are responsible for themselves. That is why “his parents answered and said to them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind” (John 9:20). They solemnly declared this so that there could be no doubt that he was blind. “I am in my prime years; ask yourself; let him speak about himself” (John 9:21). “They called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him: What has He done to you? How did I open your eyes? He, finally inflamed by the jealousy of God, neglects their question and leaves it unanswered, but what does he say to them? “I already told you and you didn’t listen; what else do you want to hear? or do you also want to become His disciples” (John 9:27)? He, who has never been a listener to Christ's preaching, imitates the teaching of Christ. On the feast of the renewal of the church, the Jews surrounded the Savior in Solomon’s porch and said to Him: “How long will You keep us in bewilderment? if you are the Christ, tell us directly. Jesus answered them: I told you, and you do not believe” (John 10:24–25). And notice the piety of this defender. He noticed the anger of the Jews, that they were ready for anything and did not skimp on threats in order to force him through fear not to confess Christ as his teacher, but nevertheless he told them: “I have already told you, and you did not listen; what else do you want to hear? or do you also want to become His disciples? With his expression: “or you too,” he showed that in relation to himself this is already indisputable. These are the words that should be on the lips of every Christian when confronted with paganism. If a pagan, holding on to an old error, met you and said to you: are you a Christian? - answer him: yes, don’t you want to become a Christian? This is exactly what this one who received his sight did, both physically and spiritually. “I already told you and you didn’t listen; what else do you want to hear? or do you also want to become His disciples? That is, you are so far from convincing me that I expect you to soon change and confess Him as Christ. What do the Jews have to do with this? “They reproached him and said: You are His disciple, and we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; But we do not know where He comes from” (John 9:28–29). Compare the number of opponents and the strength of one who opposes them. And here the champion of truth did not remain silent, but continued with these words: “It is amazing that you do not know where He comes from, but He opened my eyes” (John 9:30). “If He had not been from God, He could not have done anything” (John 9:33). He withstood the struggle, over which God was the observer and judge; many strong against one strong, a cloud of unbelief against one drop of faith! “It has not been heard since ages that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If He had not been from God, He could not have done anything” (John 9:32–33). Are you vainglorious, he says, about the teachings of Moses? However, he does not mention Moses, so as not to irritate them, but says: “Since the beginning of time it has not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.” That is, who, what other prophet opened? No one surpassed Him, no one compared with Him. But as long as he stood up for the truth, they persisted in shamelessness. Since they were no longer able to deny what happened, they try to bypass this event and say to him: “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner” (John 9:24). The glory of the Father is the glory of the Son, and their glory is inseparable. The feat of the fighter against the Jews continues. They say to him: “give glory to God.” Which one? God of our law? But is it fair to receive a benefit from one and glorify another? "Give glory to God". One has benefited me, and I will give glory to another? They themselves admitted that Jesus made clay and anointed his eyes; He is recognized as a healer, but someone else needs to be glorified? Why give glory to God? Because this work is the work of God? So, against your will, do you recognize Christ as God? "Give glory to God". If this work is God’s work and glory should be given to Him, then the performer of this work is God. “Give glory to God; we know that Man is a sinner. He answered and said to them, “Whether He is a sinner, I don’t know; One thing I know, that I was blind, but now I see” (John 9:24–25). 5. When he reached such bold expressions, they ordered him to be thrown out. “And they cast him out,” says the evangelist, “out” (John 9:34). Blessed is the one who suffered expulsion from the congregation of the wicked! But this is what happens next. Since he fought a good fight and fought for the glory of God and confessed the Savior with all boldness, and meanwhile, when the whole arena was filled with his exploits, the ascetic himself was thrown out without receiving a crown, the leader of the fight looks for him outside the field. “When Jesus heard that they had cast him out, he said to him” (John 9:35). These are wonderful words: “He finds him”! Why did He find him? Why did He find him? was about Christ. And what did He say about Him? That He is a prophet. The Savior said to Himself this way: if now, when he considers Me a prophet and assumes in Me an ordinary person, he strives in this way, then what will he not do when he recognizes the glory of the Divine? If now, when he sees Me as a man and calls Me a prophet, he defended the truth in such a way and such a struggle was undertaken by someone who was not at all initiated, but only enlightened by one good deed - if, while defending a person, he did not depart from the truth, then think what will happen when he learns to speak in the Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1)? And so the Savior, having accepted his feat and sealed his faith, improves his knowledge. The Savior meets a blind man, but he did not even know Him by appearance. After all, when He sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash, he sent a blind man, and when he returned sighted, he was unable to see the Savior entering the crowd, and moreover, immediately before he saw the Lord, he was called to the Sanhedrin, where he had to endure the struggle. And the Lord made clay before he washed and anointed his eyes precisely in order to compensate for his natural deficiency. And so, when the healed man was cast out, Christ, finding him, said to him: “Do you believe in the Son of God” (John 9:35)? You should not believe in the one for whom you fight as a prophet, but as the Son of God. He, not knowing his face, recognized His voice. “Do you believe in the Son of God”? He recognized the voice and joyfully exclaimed: “Who is He, Lord, that I should believe in Him” (John 9:36)? Why do you believe the one who says to you: “Do you believe in the Son of God?” I know that Your word is true, and if I learn anything from You, I will not hesitate to believe You. “And who is He, Lord, that I should believe in Him”? And the leader of the future answers: “And you have seen Him, and He speaks to you” (John 9:37). The one whom he defended inside asks outside: “Do you believe in the Son of God?” And the enlightened one, both in body and soul, answers: “Who is He, Lord, that I should believe in Him?” To this the Lord said to him: “And you have seen Him, and He speaks to you.” He said: “I believe, Lord! And he worshiped Him” (John 9:38). I have told you this so that you all may learn to follow a good teacher and imitate the good shepherd by striving for the truth. After all, your feat is accomplished with the assistance of the great shepherd. You are surprised that a blind man who was blessed became a defender of the truth. You are surprised that a thief, not yet receiving a benefit, stood up for Christ. But the divine soul, zealous for the truth, always, with its own influence, opens many lips in defense of the truth. Christ hung on the cross and two thieves - on his right and left; the Jews reviled Him, the bishops blasphemed: “This is the King of the Jews” (Luke 23:38); and further: “if He is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him” (Matthew 27:42; Mark 15:32); and: “He saved others, but cannot save himself” (Mark 15:31; Matt. 27:42)? In the same way, the thief crucified with Him reviled Him, saying: “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us” (Luke 23:39)! The other robber did not say anything, reproaching the condemned with his silence. When the bishops and scribes, who knew the law, or rather, those who did not know it, although they should have confessed Christ from the prophetic writings, did not confess Him, then God, beyond expectation, opens lips on the cross that testify to the truth. And look what it does. It would not be surprising if the thief first of all heard the words of Christ, stood up for Him and was crowned for this. But here the opposite happened. “Then two thieves were crucified with Him: one on the right side, and the other on the left” (Matthew 27:38), and the Savior was in the middle, like a yoke on the scales of truth, easing the fate of those who confessed Him and condemning those who blasphemed. And it’s amazing: when the scribes and high priests blasphemed Christ and said: “If He is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him,” and the thief said: “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us,” another of the thieves - the prudent one - did not utter a single word. These two thieves were images of the Jewish people and ours. One blasphemes and is condemned, the other believes, repents and is saved. So, says the brother of the ungrateful congregation of the Jews (the ungrateful Jews were truly a robber people, as the Savior testifies: “My house will be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13) - and the disposition of the first thief was Jewish, and the second - Christian, since he sought to cleanse himself of evils through repentance and steal salvation), - So, says the unreasonable, Jewish-minded thief: “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us” (Luke 23:39); and the other turns out to be prudent: condemned at trial - he is a judge on the cross and teaches the fear of God. First of all, he says to his comrade: “Or are you not afraid of God, when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? and we are justly condemned, because we received what was worthy of our deeds, but He did nothing bad” (Luke 23:40–41). What are you saying? You stole there, but here you judge? You killed there, but here you teach fear? “or are you not afraid of God”? Get to know the cross of Christ, so that this voice will teach you piety. Here’s an amazing thing: the robber reproaches his companion: “or are you not afraid of God?” He preaches God to the one who voluntarily crucified with them and generously suffered for the people. And what exactly did he say about the Savior in these words: “Or are you not afraid of God”? Be convinced of this from what follows: “Or are you not afraid of God, when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? and we are condemned justly, because we accepted what was worthy of our deeds, but He did nothing bad.” I dwell for so long on this confession of the thief in order to teach you to strive for piety, both at home and before the people to show zeal and fight for Christ, so that from Him you too may receive the crown of righteousness, like this prudent thief. Consider what he says to his fellow detractor: “Or are you not afraid of God, when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? and we are condemned justly, because we accepted what was worthy of our deeds, but He did nothing bad. And he said to Jesus: remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:40–42)! This is true protection! This is how he confessed Christ himself as the true God: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!” He confesses his sins and stands up for the Lord. How much effort did the judge use to wrest your consciousness out of the robbery and murder and robbery that you committed, but did you confess? Here you say without any coercion: “we have received what is worthy according to our deeds.” Countless torments barely forced you to confess before the hegemon, but here you confess so easily without any coercion? Yes, he says, but there consciousness is accompanied by death, but here consciousness is followed by repentance and life. “We have accepted what is worthy according to our deeds, but He did nothing bad.” We, he says, are fair, but He is unjust. We killed the living, and He raised the dead; We plundered the property of others, but He squandered His wealth for the world. The thief fights with his comrade and says to him: until the moment when you and I found ourselves on the cross, we walked the same road, but now from the cross our road separates: if you want to go to life with me, go, and if not, go your own way. Until now, when I walked with you, our road was one, but now the cross has divided the further road into two. Repentance divides the road of robbers. This is how the psalm was fulfilled, in fact the end of the psalm “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Ps. 1:6). So, having defended the truth, the thief turns to the King of glory and says: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!” 6. May the Arians finally be ashamed and may they hear what the robber says! “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42)! The thief sees the Crucified One and confesses Him as Lord; the heretic confesses to be co-throne with the Father and humiliates him like a creature. “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom”! Someone, perhaps, would have asked the thief: how will Christ remember you? For what merit? Because you killed? For robbing? You say, after all: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom”! Let no one, however, think that the salvation of the thief was only a matter of Christ’s mercy: he received salvation as due according to his deserts. What merit, another will say? What acts of justice have he done? Or did he do deeds of mercy? Did you distribute your property, exhaust yourself with fasting and vigil? No one else has done what he has done. Yes, he believed in God. Of course, the prophets believed in God, and the patriarchs believed, and the hymns believed, the apostles, preachers, and martyrs believed; but they all believed, seeing God in glory, and he believed, seeing Christ in humiliation. Imagine a thousand slaves serving the master when he is in glory and prosperity, and one slave who does not leave his master in times of trial, hardship and exile, while that thousand slaves leave the master in the days of trial and exile: can these slaves, faithful in prosperity and leaving the master in misfortune, be compared to that slave who remains faithful to his master even in misfortune? Of course, under no circumstances. Peter believed, but he believed when he saw Him raising the dead and saw His glory. Paul believed, but he believed when he saw a light from heaven, which blinded his physical eyes and enlightened his spiritual eyes; Abraham believed, but after seeing a divine vision; Isaiah believed, but saw Him sitting “on a high throne” and cherubim around Him (Isaiah 6:1–2). They all saw the Lord, but they saw him in glory, and this one in humiliation, which is why he exclaimed: “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom!” In view of my position, you may ask me: why are you saying this? Because I am a sinner and a murderer, a robber to this hour; my crimes are great, I confess it; but hidden in my heart is a faith that no one knows, only the Lord who suffers with me. From outside, the Lord has visible signs of suffering, but I did not pay attention to His visible humiliation, but rather glorify His kingdom, hidden from everyone. So you say: Lord, do not look at my visible untruths, but at my hidden faith and “remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!” All this time Christ said absolutely nothing, but remained silent, not answering either Pilate or any of the ungrateful Jewish souls, and now he answers; since now silence was too difficult and completely inappropriate, the Lord did not leave the robber’s appeal to Him unanswered. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)! O mercy of the benefactor! You do not expect an ambulance and say: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom”! You asked for mercy in the future, and I will give it to you immediately: “today you will be with Me in Paradise”! Do you see God's salvation? Do you see the goodness of the Lord? Do you see the great Judge of truth? “Today you will be with Me in Paradise”! Until now, none of the Jews or patriarchs had heard the promise of paradise, from which Adam fell and was expelled. And although God gave countless promises to faithful people, he did not promise paradise to anyone except the thief, and never since the expulsion of Adam from paradise did God remind people of paradise before this former thief. Why didn’t God speak about paradise to any of the patriarchs, any of the prophets, or any of the apostles? He promised the ancients: I will give you “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 13:5), and He said to the apostles: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Not a word about paradise: the promise of it is, as it were, saved so that the thief will be the first to hear it. After all, if Paul said: I was caught up into paradise (2 Cor. 12:2), then this was after the thief. But why was the man who uttered only one exclamation the first to enter heaven? So what? Was he diligently singing psalms, or what? Did you struggle diligently? Have you at least often thought about God? It turns out - just once. Just is my God, the author of salvation! Just as He expelled our forefather Adam from paradise not for many sins, but for one disobedience, so on the scales of His righteousness was placed a promise to the thief - to enter paradise not for many confessions, but for one confession of faith. I said that Adam's sin was that he touched the tree contrary to the commandment; What was the robber’s justification? He entered heaven because he touched the cross with faith. What happened next? The thief was promised salvation by the Savior; Meanwhile, he did not have time and was not able to realize his faith and be enlightened (by baptism), but it was said: “Whoever is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). There was neither the opportunity nor the opportunity, there was no time for the thief to be baptized, because he was then hanging on the cross. The Savior, however, found a way out of this hopeless situation. Since a man defiled by sins believed in the Savior and needed to be cleansed, Christ arranged it so that after suffering one of the soldiers pierced the side of the Lord with a spear and blood and water flowed out of him; from His side, says the evangelist, “immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34), confirming the truth of His death and prefiguring the sacraments. And blood and water came out - not just flowed out, but with a noise, so that it splashed onto the body of the robber; after all, when water comes out with noise, it produces splashes, and when it flows out slowly, it flows quietly and calmly. But from the rib blood and water came out with a noise, so that they splashed on the thief and with this sprinkling he was baptized, as the apostle says: we came to “Mount Zion... and the Blood of sprinkling, which speaks better than Abel” (Heb. 12:22, 24). Why does the blood of Christ speak better than Abel’s? While the blood of Abel fell on the head of his murderer, the blood of Christ cleanses the murderers of those who repent. Learn from here zeal for the truth and love boldness for Christ; follow the true Teacher, who labored for the truth, so that, hearing from the Apostle Paul: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1), you yourself may be rewarded with the crowns of righteousness and those eternal blessings that Christ our God has prepared for all those who love Him. May we all be worthy of them, by the mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. To the synod. translated as "sadness". Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and classified in the Minya edition as Spuria.