Беседа 29

Spoken to the people in the Church of St. Apostle Peter on the Ascension of the Lord. Reading the Holy Gospel: Mark 16.14–20. Mark 16.14–20. Finally, he appeared to the eleven themselves, who were reclining at the supper, and reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him risen. And he said to them: Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. And so the Lord, after talking with them, ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went and preached everywhere, with the Lord’s assistance and strengthening the word with subsequent signs. Amen. 1. That the disciples were slow to believe in the resurrection of the Lord, the reason for this was not so much their hesitation as our, so to speak, steadfastness. For the resurrection itself, while they doubted it, was confirmed by many proofs. When we learn about them by reading, then what else are we doing if we are not strengthened by their doubt? “For for me, Mary Magdalene, who soon believed, fulfilled her duty less than Thomas, who doubted for a long time, because he, doubting, felt the signs of former wounds and cleansed the wound of doubt in our hearts.” To instill in us the truth of the resurrection of the Lord, we need to notice what Luke narrates, saying: “And having gathered them together, He commanded them: Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from Me” (Acts 1.4). And a little lower: “Having said this, He was lifted up before their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight” (Acts 1.9). Notice the words, understand the sacraments. “Having gathered them together, He commanded them.” He ate and ascended precisely so that through the action of eating the truth of the flesh would be revealed. And Mark mentions that before the Lord ascends to heaven, He reproaches the disciples for unbelief and hardness of heart. In this event, what should we pay attention to, if not that the Lord at that time reproached the disciples so that, after their bodily abandonment, the words spoken upon departure would remain more firmly imprinted in their hearts? - So, let us listen to what He says to this rooted hardness of their hearts, commanding: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” 2. Really, my brothers, should the Holy Gospel be preached both to insensitive things and to dumb animals, as if the disciples were told about this: “preach the Gospel to every creature.” But the name “all creation” means man. For there are stones, but they do not live, they do not feel. There are grass and wood; Although they live, they do not feel. They live, I say, not by soul, but by greenness; because Paul also says: “You fool! what you sow will not come to life unless it dies” (1 Cor 15.36). Therefore, that which dies in order to come to life lives. So, there are stones, but they do not live. There are trees that, although they live, do not feel. But there are dumb animals; they live, feel, but do not think. But there are also Angels (who) live, feel and think. But man has something from every creation. For he has a common existence with stones, with trees - life, with animals - feeling, with Angels - understanding. So, if man has something in common with all creation, then for that reason “all creation” means man. Consequently, the Gospel is preached to "every creature" when it is preached to man alone; because the teaching is accepted by the one for whom everything on earth was created and to whom everything is not alien, due to some similarity. – Under the name “all creation” every nation of pagans can also be designated. For it was said before: “Do not go into the way of the pagans” (Matthew 10.5). And now it is said: Preach the Gospel to every creature, so that the preaching of the Apostles, previously rejected by Judea, may serve us for salvation precisely when she, out of pride, rejected it as evidence of her condemnation. But when Truth sends disciples to preach, then what else does it do in the world if it does not scatter seeds? And he sends out few grains in the seed in order to receive the fruits of many harvests from our faith. For in the entire Universe there would not have been such a great harvest of believers if these chosen grains of preachers had not been sent to the rational earth from the hand of the Lord. 3. It follows: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned." Perhaps each of you will say to yourself: “I believed, therefore I will be saved.” He speaks the truth who justifies faith by works. For true faith consists in the fact that morals do not contradict what is expressed in words. That is why Paul says about some false believers: “They say they know God, but in their works they deny” (Titus 1.16). Therefore, John says: “Whoever knows Him but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2.4). If this is so, then we must know the truth of our faith by the judgment of our lives. For we are then true believers when we express in deeds what we promise in words. Because on the day of baptism we promised to renounce all the works of the ancient enemy and all excesses. So let each of you turn your mind's eye to consider yourself; and if after Baptism he fulfills what he promised before Baptism, then let him rejoice in the certainty that he is already a believer. But whoever has fallen to wicked deeds, to the desire for worldly glory, has not fulfilled his promise; Let's see if he can at least mourn what he has sinned. For before the merciful Judge even he will be recognized as not a deceiver who returns to the truth even after a lie; because Almighty God, accepting our voluntary repentance, Himself hides at His judgment what we have sinned. 4. Then follows: “These signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." “Do you really, my brothers, not believe because you do not perform these signs?” – But they were necessary at the beginning of the Church. For in order for Faith to grow, it was necessary to educate it with miracles; because when we plant trees, we water them with water until we are sure that they are already firmly established in the ground; and if they have already taken root, then we stop watering. That is why Paul says: “So tongues are a sign, not for those who believe, but for those who do not believe; prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe” (1 Cor 14.22). – We also have these signs and powers, if we must judge them subtly. For the Holy Church daily does spiritually what she did bodily then through the Apostles. For its priests, by grace for casting out spirits, laying hands on believers and forbidding evil spirits to live in their hearts, what else do they do if they do not cast out demons? And those believers who have already abandoned the worldly words of the old life, and speak loudly about the Holy Mysteries, tell as much as they can about the glory and power of their Creator, what else are they doing if they are not speaking in new tongues? “With their kind admonitions, destroying anger in the hearts of others, they destroy the serpents. And when, listening to disastrous advice, they are not carried away into wicked deeds, then, although they drink mortal things, they do not harm them. Those who, as soon as they see their neighbors weakening in a good deed, assist them with all their strength and, by the example of their activity, strengthen the lives of those who waver in their activity - what else do they do if they do not lay hands on the sick so that these (the latter) will be healthy? – These particular miracles are all the more important the more spiritual they are, the more important that they restore not bodies, but souls. Do these signs, my brothers, if you want, with the help of God. For those external signs cannot support life in those who perform them. Because those physical miracles sometimes show holiness, but do not produce it; and these spiritual ones, performed in the soul, do not reveal the virtue of life, but produce it. Those can be done by evil people (people), but these can only be done by good people. Therefore, the Truth says about some: “Many will say to Me on that day: Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? and was it not in Your name that they cast out demons? and did they not perform many miracles in Your name? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; Depart from me, you workers of iniquity" (Mt 7.22, 23; Ps 6.9). So, beloved brethren, do not love signs that can be considered common with the wicked; but love those miracles of love and piety, which only we have now spoken about; they are safer the more hidden they are: and for them the Lord should have a greater reward, the less glory people have. 5. It follows: “And so the Lord, after talking with them, ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” In the Old Testament we learned that Elijah was caught up into heaven. But another sky is airy, and another is ethereal. Because the airy sky is close to the earth: that’s why we call the birds heavenly, because we see them flying through the air. So, Elijah ascended into the airy sky in such a way that he was suddenly taken to some hidden region A universe in which he would have lived in great peace of flesh and spirit until he returned at the end of the world and paid the debt of death. For he tore death apart, but did not run away (from it). chariot, in order to clearly show that a pure person needed outside help, because this help was arranged and shown through the Angels, since even one who was burdened by the weakness of his nature could not ascend to the airy sky. But it is told about our Redeemer that He ascended not on a chariot, not on Angels, because He who created everything and above all ascended by His power. For He returned to where He was, and returned from where He had a temporary stay, because when He ascended into heaven in His humanity, then in His Divinity He equally contained both earth and heaven. 6. But just as Joseph, sold by his brothers, prefigured the sale of our Redeemer, so Enoch, “translated,” and Elijah, “taken up” into the airy heaven, prefigured the ascension of the Lord. Consequently, the Lord had heralds and witnesses of His ascension, one before the Law, the other under the Law, in order to come Himself, who was already able to truly pass through the heavens. That is why the very order in their ascension - both of them - differs in certain degrees. For it is narrated that Enoch was “transmitted” (Heb. 11.5), and Elijah was “taken up” (2 Kings 2.11), so that later He would come who was neither “transmitted” nor “taken,” but would penetrate with His power into the ethereal heaven. In order to grant us, who believe in Him, purity of the flesh, and thereby increase the power of purity through the “continuation of times,” the Lord shows this in the very ascension of those who prefigured the Ascension of the Lord, namely, as servants, and in Himself, ascending to heaven. For Enoch had a wife and children, but it is related about Elijah that he had neither wife nor children. Discuss, then, how the purity of holiness gradually increases; because it is clearly revealed both through the ascended servants and personally through the ascending Lord. For Enoch, both born from intercourse and giving birth through intercourse, is “transposed.” Elijah, who was born from intercourse, but did not give birth through intercourse, is “taken.” But the Lord, who neither gave birth through intercourse, nor was born from intercourse, was “ascended.” 7. But we need to think about what Mark’s words mean: “He sat down at the right hand of God,” and Stephen says: “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7.56). What does it mean that, according to Mark, He is sitting, and Stephen sees Him standing? But you, brethren, know that sitting is characteristic of a Judge, and standing is characteristic of someone fighting or helping. So, since our Redeemer ascended into heaven and now judges everything, and in the end he will appear as the Judge of all, Mark, upon his ascension, describes Him sitting, because after the glory of His ascension, they will finally see Him as a Judge. And Stephen, assigned to the feat of battle, saw standing the One Whom he had as an Helper, because He fought for him from heaven, so that on earth he would defeat the unbelief of his persecutors. 8. It follows: “they went and preached everywhere, with the Lord’s assistance and strengthening the word with signs that followed.” What should we pay attention to here, what would be worthy of remembering, if not that the command was followed by obedience, and that obedience was followed by signs? But since we, with God’s help, briefly go through the Gospel reading with explanation, it remains to say something about the very greatness of such a celebration. 9. But the first question seems to us to be the following: what would it mean that at the birth of the Lord Angels appeared, but it is not said that they appeared in white robes, but at the Ascension of the Lord it is said that the sent Angels appeared in white robes? For it is thus written: “Having said this, He was lifted up before their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And as they looked up to heaven, as He ascended, suddenly two men in white clothes appeared to them” (Acts 1.9, 10). But white clothes express the joy and triumph of the soul. So, why do the Angels appear not in white robes at the birth of the Lord, but at the Ascension of the Lord in white robes, if not because the Angels had a great triumph when the God-Man entered heaven? Because at the birth of the Lord, the Divinity seemed humiliated, and at the Ascension of the Lord, humanity was exalted. For white garments are more suitable for exaltation than for humiliation. So, during the Ascension, the Angels must be visible in white robes: because God, Who at His Nativity appeared humiliated, in His Ascension appeared as an exalted Man. 10. But at this celebration we especially need to think about this, beloved brethren, that today the handwriting of our condemnation has been destroyed, the sentence for our injury has been canceled. For that nature, to which it is said: “For you are dust, and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3.19), today ascended into heaven. For for this very exaltation of our flesh, blessed Job figuratively calls the Lord a bird. Since he foresaw that Judea would not understand the mystery of His ascension, he pronounced judgment on her unbelief, saying: “The bird of prey does not know the path there, and the eye of the kite has not seen it” (Job 28.7). For the Lord is rightly called a bird, because he balanced the fleshly body with the ether. The path of this bird was not known to those who did not believe in His ascension to heaven. The Psalmist says about this celebration: “Majestic is Your name throughout all the earth! Your glory extends above the heavens!” (Ps 8.2). It is also said about him: “God rose up with shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet” (Ps 46.6). And it is also said about him: “you ascended on high, you took captivity captive, you accepted gifts for men” (Ps 67.19). Because, ascending on high, He led with Him a captive captive, for He captivated our damage with the power of His innocence. And he gave gifts to people because, having sent the Spirit from above, He gave to another the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another the grace of virtues, to another the grace of healing, to another diversities of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor 12.8-10). So He gave gifts to people. Habakkuk also says about this glory of His ascension: “the sun and the moon stood still in their place before the light of Your flying arrows, before the radiance of Your sparkling spears” (Hab 3.11). Who is designated by the name of the sun, if not the Lord, and who by the name of the moon, if not the Church? For until the Lord ascended into heaven, His Holy Church, opposed to the world, was covered in fear from everywhere; and after His Ascension, she strengthened herself and openly preached what she secretly believed. So, “the sun and the moon stood still in their place,” because when the Lord ascended into heaven, then His Holy Church increased “by the power of preaching.” Therefore, the voice of the same Church through Solomon says: “Behold, he comes, leaps over the mountains, jumps over the hills” (Song 2.8). For she discussed the loftiness of so many things and says: “behold, he comes, galloping through the mountains.” Because while marching toward our redemption, He made some, so to speak, “leaps.” Do you want, beloved brethren, to know about His “races”? He passed from heaven to the womb, from the womb to the manger, from the manger to the Cross, from the Cross to the tomb, from the tomb to heaven. Now, the Truth, which appeared in the flesh in order to dispose us to follow It, made some leaps for us; because He galloped, “he rejoices like a giant to run” (Ps. 18.6), so that we would say to Him from our hearts: “Draw me, we will run after you; - the king led me into his palace, - we will admire and rejoice in you, extol your caresses more than wine; they love you with dignity!” (Song 1.3). 11. Therefore, beloved brethren, we must follow with our hearts to the place where, according to our faith, He ascended with the body. Let us run away from earthly desires; Yes, nothing on earth delights us, who have a Father in heaven. And we need to especially think about this, because He who ascends meek will return fearful; and what He commanded us with meekness, He will demand an account from us with severity. So, no one should neglect the times given for repentance, no one should neglect taking care of himself as much as he can, because our Redeemer will then come to judgment the more severely, the more long-suffering he had before the judgment. So, brothers, think about this with yourselves—discuss this in your mind with careful consideration. Although the soul is still agitated by the disturbances of things, you are already casting the anchor of your hope in Eternal Life, keeping the attention of your mind firmly in the True Light. So we heard that the Lord ascended into heaven. So, let us keep in our thoughts what we believe. And if we are still held here by the weakness of the body, then we will follow Him, at least with love. Our desire is not despised by the One who gave it, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: