Беседа 11

Spoken to the people in the Church of St. Agneta on the day of her martyrdom. Reading the Holy Gospel: Matthew 13.44–52. Matthew 13.44–52. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which, having found, a man hid, and out of joy over it he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for good pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught fish of all kinds, which, when it was full, they pulled ashore and, sitting down, collected the good things into vessels, and threw the bad things out. So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and they will be thrown into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus asked them: Have you understood all this? They say to Him: Yes, Lord! He said to them: Therefore, every scribe who has been taught the kingdom of heaven is like a master who brings out of his treasury new and old. 1. The Kingdom of Heaven, beloved brethren, is called similar to earthly things in order for the spirit to rise from the known to the unknown, since by the example of the visible it must ascend to the invisible, and through what it has learned experimentally, as if squeezed, it must warm up so that, through the ability to love the known, it must learn to love the unknown. For the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a treasure hidden in a field, “which, having found, a man hid, and out of joy over it he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that field.” What is also remarkable in this matter is that the found treasure is hidden for safekeeping, because he does not sufficiently guard the jealousy of heavenly desire from evil spirits, who does not hide it from human praise. For in real life we ​​are, as it were, on the path along which we continue the march to the Fatherland. And evil spirits, like certain robbers, besiege our path. Consequently, he who publicly carries treasure on the road wants to be robbed. But I say this not so that our neighbors do not see our good deeds, when it is written: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5.16), but so that we do not desire outside praise for what we do. Let the matter be arranged in such a way that its intention is secret to the public, so that we and our neighbors can set an example in a good deed, and yet, according to the intention with which we wish to please the only God, we must wish to keep it secret forever. The treasure is a heavenly desire, and the field in which the treasure is hidden is the doctrine of heavenly desire. This field is actually acquired by the sale of everything by the one who, refusing the desires of the flesh, throws away all his earthly desires through the guardianship of heavenly teaching, so that the spirit no longer approves of anything that the flesh delights in, and is not afraid of anything that kills carnal life. 2. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is called like a man “merchant”, looking for good beads, but finding one precious one, who, upon finding, buys everything at a sale, because whoever fully knows the sweetness of Heavenly Life, as far as he admits this possibility, willingly leaves everything that he loved on earth: in comparison with it, everything becomes cheaper; he leaves the property and squanders what he has collected; (his) spirit flares up with the heavenly, he doesn’t like anything earthly, everything that he liked by the appearance of an earthly thing seems ugly, because in (his) mind the only sparkle of a precious bead shines. It is rightly said about his love through Solomon: “love is strong as death” (Song 8.6), precisely because just as death deprives the body of life, so love for Eternal Life kills love for bodily things. For whomever it completely dominates, it makes him seem insensitive to earthly, external desires. 3. For this Saint, whose day of martyrdom we now celebrate, could not have died in the body for God if she had not previously been dead in mind to earthly desires. For the spirit, exalted to the very height of virtue, despised torment and rejected rewards. Brought before the armed kings and governors, she appeared stronger than the striker, higher than the judge. What do we say to this, the proud and the weak, who are overcome by anger, inflated by pride, disturbed by ambition, desecrated by luxury, we who see young women walking through iron to the Heavenly Kingdom? – If we cannot acquire the Kingdom of Heaven through a war of persecution, then it should be shameful for us that we do not want to obey God even during peace. Now God does not say to any of us at the present time: “Die for Me.” But: “Just kill the unauthorized wishes within yourself.” So, if during times of peace we do not want to tame carnal desires, then when during times of war would we give up our very flesh for the Lord? 4. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is called like a “net” thrown into the sea, collecting all kinds of fish, and being drawn full to the shore; and the good fish are collected in vessels, and the bad ones are cast out. The Holy Church is compared to a net, both because it is entrusted to the fishermen, and because through it everyone is drawn to the Eternal Kingdom from the waves of the present age, so as not to sink into the abyss of eternal death. She collects all kinds of fish, because she calls for the remission of sins of the wise and foolish, free and slave, rich and poor, strong and weak. Therefore, through the Psalmist it is said to God: “all flesh flees to You” (Ps 64.3). This net is completely filled precisely when the sum of the human race lies at death. They take him out and sit on a safe shore, because just as the sea means the century (the present), so the seashore means the end of the century. At this very end, the good fish are collected in vessels, and the bad ones are thrown out, because each chosen one is accepted into the Eternal Abodes, and the wicked, having lost the light of the inner kingdom, are sent into utter darkness. For now the good and the evil in general, like mixed fish, are contained by the net of faith, but the shore will reveal what was drawn by the net, that is, by the Holy Church. And although captured fish cannot change, we, captured by the evil ones, change into good ones. So, having been caught, let us think about how we will not be thrown back on the shore. This is how pleasant today's celebration is for you, so that the one who had to leave this meeting of yours would condemn himself no less. What will he do on that day who withdraws from the gaze of the Judge, rejects the message of the elect, who turns from the light into darkness - suffers eternal burning? - Why the Lord briefly explains this very comparison, adding: “So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and throw them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This, beloved brethren, is more necessary to fear than to explain. For the torment of sinners is clearly stated, so that no one would resort to an excuse for their ignorance, if anything was said in darkness about eternal torment. Therefore, it is added: “Did you understand all this? They say to Him: “Yes, Lord!” 5. And in conclusion it is added: “For this reason, every scribe, having learned the Kingdom of Heaven, is like a housewife, who wears out of his treasure the new and the old.” If by what is called new and old we mean both Testaments, then we do not admit that Abraham was a learner, who, although he knew the events of the New and Old Testaments, did not proclaim (about them) in words. We cannot compare Moses with the learned master, who, although he taught the Old Testament, did not pronounce the sayings of the New. So, when we depart from this understanding, then we are called to another. But in this it is worth understanding what the Truth says: “every scribe, having learned the Kingdom of Heaven, is like a housewife,” because it was not spoken about those who were, but about those who could be in the Church. These people wear out the new and the old when the messages of both Testaments are spoken of in words and deeds. - However, this may be understood differently. Because the old thing for the human race was that it should descend into the rivets of hell and bear eternal punishment for its sins. Through the coming of the Mediator, something new was added to him, so that if he tries to live virtuously, he can penetrate into the Kingdom of Heaven; and a person who has lived on earth, although he dies from a damaged life, must nevertheless be placed in heaven. So, he is both old in order for the human race to perish in eternal punishment for guilt, and new, in order to be converted to live in the Kingdom. This is what the Lord adds at the conclusion of His speech, i.e. what He said ahead. For first He likened the Kingdom (Heavenly) to a found treasure and good beads, and then He spoke about hellish punishments in the burning of the wicked, and in conclusion adds: “Therefore, every scribe who is taught about the Kingdom of Heaven is like a master who brings out of his treasury new and old things.” It was clearly said as follows: in the Holy Church there is a trained preacher, one who knows how to expound both the new - the joys of the kingdom, and the old - speaks of the fear of punishment, so that those who are not touched by rewards, let them at least be frightened by punishments. Let everyone hear about the Kingdom, which must be loved, and let everyone hear about the punishment that must be feared, so that an insensitive and too earthly soul is shaken by at least fear, if it is not attracted to the Kingdom by love. For it is said about the expression of Gehenna: “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” But since real joys are accompanied by incessant sorrows, then, beloved brethren, here avoid vain joy if you are afraid of crying there. For no one can rejoice here in peace, or reign there with the Lord. So, limit the outpourings of temporary joy, curb the pleasures of the flesh. What smiles at the soul of the present age becomes bitter from discussions about eternal fire. What is childishly joyful in the mind must be tempered by the appreciation of youthful learning, so that by voluntarily running away from temporary joys, you can easily receive eternal ones, with the assistance of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom honor and glory belong, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: