Беседа 11. О созерцании тайны Креста; и какую силу несет он невидимо в своей видимой , и о многих тайнах домостроительства Божия, которые совершались среди древних; и совокупность этого во Христе, Господе нашем; совокупность этого несет всесильный Крест. (spuria [подложное слово])

1. In what sense and whose image does the form of the Cross show us, which we hold in such honor and which we joyfully, with love and insatiable desire, worship, the history of which is, as it were, known to all creation and repeated by it? 2. But just as the divine power mysteriously lives in him, just as God is in the habit of acting in every generation, showing the miracle of His power in that on material 532 objects at all times He places His honorable name in a terrible way and reveals miracles and greatness to the world in them and through them provides great benefits to humanity, as far as possible, with a simple word about the glorious and eternal power that abides in the Cross, so so that it becomes clear that He is God, who accomplishes and acts in all things 533 - both among the ancients and among the recent, 534 and forever. 3. We are not talking about a power in the Cross different from that through which the worlds came into being, eternal and beginningless, leading creation at all times and continuously, divinely and above all knowledge, 535 in accordance with the will of His Divinity. 4. What then? The unlimited power of God lives in the Cross, just as it lived in an incomprehensible way in that ark, 536 which the People 537 worshiped with great reverence and fear - performing miracles and terrible signs in it among those who were not ashamed to call him even God, 538 that is, who looked at him in fear, as if at God himself, for the honor of the venerable name of God was on German Not only the People revered Him under this name, but also other enemy nations: Woe to us, for the God of the People has come today into the camp. 539 The same power that was in the ark lives, as we believe, in this worshiped image of the Cross, which we honor in the great consciousness of God. 540 5. What was in this ark that made it so terrible and full of all sorts of powers and signs, besides the vessel with manna, the tablets of the Covenant inscribed by Moses, and the flourishing rod of Aaron? Did not Moses and the people bow down before the ark in great fear and trembling? Did not Joshua the son of Nun lie before him from morning to evening, prostrate on his face? 541 Were not the terrible revelations of God 542 revealed in him, his veneration? For the Shekinah of God lived in him - what now lives in the Cross: she left from there and mysteriously moved into the Cross. 6. The power of this Shekinah is shown no less in the signs and powers of the Cross than in those, but even more so. Were not all those described in the Acts, performed by the hands of the apostles, greater than those performed in ancient times? 543 He who does not accept the latter will not believe in the former. 544 7. For many, by the power of the Cross, tamed beasts, braved the face of fire, walked on waters, 545 raised the dead, stopped the plague, caused springs to flow in dry and wild areas, set boundaries for the seas, commanded the flow of great rivers to flow in the opposite direction, turned rivers back. 8. What can we say about this? Even Satan himself, with all his power, fears the image of the Cross, 546 when it is drawn by us against him. But listen to what is more important than these. which took place in that ministry, 547 with all the signs and powers that took place in their presence, could not eradicate even the smallest form of sin, whereas in the ministry of the Cross sin became like a cobweb on which something heavy hangs, which cannot be supported by it. And if death was so terrible for human nature, now even women and children laugh at it. Death, which reigns over everything, not only now turned out to be easier for the children of faith, but also among the pagans the fear of it was greatly reduced compared to what it was before. 548 9 . We honor the One who canceled His sentence on us through the reconciliation He performed for us. Blessed is He who wished to openly demonstrate in our times His eternal love, which He has for creation. 10. For before that wooden structure, in which it is said that the Shekinah of God dwelt, worship full of horror was constantly offered to God by Moses and all the People. 11. How is it that God said in the Law to the People through Moses: Do not worship the work of human hands or any image or likeness, 549 - and yet the ark was built by the hand of carpenters, and these tablets were hewn out of the mountain by the hands of Moses and inscribed with his finger? But since they used the name of idols in relation to those, they received punishment, while in the case of these, since the glorious and worshiped name of God was placed on them, the power of God was manifested in them openly. 550 Help and salvation were received through them, and terrible signs were performed in them supernaturally. 12. The same Cross. 551 For as soon as this image is depicted on a wall or on a board, or made of any kind of gold or silver or the like, or carved out of wood, immediately it is clothed with the divine power that dwelt there, 552 and is filled with it and becomes the place of the divine Shekinah - even more so than . 553 As the ministry of the New Testament is more honorable before God than that which took place in the Old Testament, and as there is a difference between Moses and Christ, and as the ministry which Jesus received is better than that which was given through Moses, and as the glory of man is greater and more beautiful in the creation than of dumb 554 objects, so this image, 555 which now exists, is much more honorable for the reason the honor of that Man, whom the Divinity took from us into His dwelling place, and because of that divine favor that is in this Man, who has become completely His church, 556 - a favor different from that representative favor that was in wordless objects, which prefigured, like a shadow, those to come in Christ. 13. Likewise, if we were to use another name in relation to the making of this form, we would receive punishment whenever we worshiped it, like those who then replaced the worship of God with idolatry. Now, since it is in the name of Man in Whom the Divinity lives, Whom the Old Testament constantly speaks of, Whose fulfillment our twelve tribes hope to see, diligently serving God day and night, 557 we understand all these. 558 When we look at his image during prayer or worship his image, which is the Man who was crucified on him, we receive divine power through him and through him we receive help, salvation and unspeakable blessings in this world and in the world to come - and all this through the Cross. 14. For even on the mercy seat, 559 which was placed there on top of the ark, which was made of gold and the power of God was revealed openly, the priest, when he first entered there, did not dare to raise his eyes and examine it, since the terrible Shekinah of the Godhead was on it, and it had a more terrible and honorable appearance than all the other objects that formed part of this service. 560 15. For the Orthodox Fathers say, 561 that the mystery of the humanity of our Lord was represented by this lid. If the image was so terrible, how much more so is the execution of these images and that same Prototype, 562 To which belong the secrets and images. But there was severity and great fear, which were required in that ministry, but here - mercy. For there anyone who showed boldness, acting carelessly in relation to those mysteries, images and symbols, immediately received punishment, like those who were burned by the fire of their censers. 563 16. But here grace was poured out without measure, severity was swallowed up by mercy, and boldness 564 appeared and a certain carelessness was born - not real, of course! - but an excess of boldness; and boldness usually drives away fear, thanks to the great mercy of God, which is poured out on us at all times. 17. For true believers, seeing the Cross is no small thing, for all mysteries are understood through it. But every time they raise their eyes and look at him, they seem to peer into the face of Christ and so they reverence him: his vision is precious to them and terrible, and at the same time longed for. And since they are also children, they have even more boldness towards Him, just as children usually have boldness towards their parents because of trusting love. 565 18. And every time we approach the Cross, it is as if we are approaching the body of Christ: this is how it appears to us by faith in Him. 566 19. And through our approach to Him and looking into Him, we immediately consciously ascend with our minds to heaven. As if thanks to some invisible and supersensible vision and reverence for the humanity of our Lord, our innermost vision is absorbed by a certain contemplation of the mystery of faith. 20. Therefore, we are not ashamed to call Him 567 also Lord, Savior and even God, for we must offer prayer to Him as the Creator. 568 21. All this, we believe, belongs to that Man whom we reverently honor in His name and because of Him; and everything that pertains is said about Him. We also without fear call humanity 569 our Lord, Who is truly Man, God, Creator and Lord, and that by His hands the worlds were built and everything was created, 570 we divinely attribute to Him. 571 For He, 572 To whom all this belonged, voluntarily dwelt 573 in Him 574 and gave Him the honor of His Divinity and power over everything, because of the benefits that the creation through Him was to receive and the beginning of which was on the Cross. He also ordered the angels to serve Him, according to the words of Blessed Paul: Introducing the Firstborn into the universe, He said: And let all the angels of God worship Him. 575 For He granted Him to be worshiped together with Himself without distinction, in one worship: Him - the Man Who became Lord, and the Divinity alike. Although the natures are preserved with their properties, there is no difference in honor. 22. For we believe that everything that pertains to Him 576 is raised up to Him 577 Who takes it upon Himself, desiring that He 578 share in this glory. Through the Cross all this became known to us, and we received exact knowledge about the Creator through this object, which unbelievers consider so despicable. 23. In Christ, all verbal beings - angels and people alike - are truly honored with the love of the Creator and the love for each other, 579 of the same confession of the one God, Lord of all. 24. For the Cross is the robe of Christ, just as the humanity of Christ is the robe of His Divinity. Thus, waiting for the time when the true Type will be revealed: then those objects will not be needed. For the Divinity lives in humanity inseparably, without end and forever, that is, without limitation. Therefore, we look at the Cross as the place of the Shekinah of the Most High, the sanctuary of the Lord, the ocean of the mysteries of God’s economy. 25. This image of the Cross reveals to our eye of faith the mystery of the two Testaments, as was shown above in its place. For this is also the seal of the economy of our Savior. 26. Whenever we look at the Cross in this way, 580 with hushed thoughts, 581 the memory of the entire economy of our Lord gathers and stands before our inner eyes. 27. He, in whom the fullness of the Divine dwells bodily, 582 as a man entered the doors of sinners, despised and belittled before men, having neither greatness nor form, according to the words of Isaiah the prophet. 583 28. Oh miracle! The Creator in humanity entered the house of tax collectors and harlots, and when, thanks to Him, 584 they turned to Him, He convinced them, giving them confidence in reconciliation with Him through His teaching. And He sealed the word of truth with true testimonies in powers and signs. And by the beauty of His appearance and His love the whole universe was attracted to a single confession of God, the Lord of all, and the knowledge of the one Creator was sown in every person. 29. And finally, all who accepted His teaching were confirmed in the hope that He gave them, thanks to His own Blood, sealing His words to them. By His death and His resurrection He established twelve men who, from the entire race of Adam, were chosen for this service according to the foreknowledge of the Lord. And in the midst of ineffable splendor He 585 lifted Him up to Himself in heaven—to that place where no creature had trodden, but where He had invited by His own action all creatures of speech, angels and men—to that blessed Entrance to enjoy in the divine light in which Man is clothed, 586 filled with holiness and now abiding in honor and ineffable radiance with God. 30. These are the secrets that the holy image of the Cross carries: this is the reason for the powers that the Creator accomplishes through it for the whole world. This is the one whom we joyfully worship and honor: from eternity He was marked in the mind of the Creator, so that through this image He could give to everyone the knowledge of His glory and the freedom that He intended to gain through it for all mankind. 31. Blessed is God, Who through material 587 objects at all times mysteriously leads us to the knowledge of His invisibility; He sows and imprints in our minds the memory of His care for us in all generations, through visible forms binding our minds with love for His hiddenness. 32. Let our hearts rejoice in the mysteries of faith that we possess; let us rejoice in God, who cares so much about us. Let us enter, through the contemplation of our minds, into this admirable undertaking that He undertook for our sake. Let us rejoice in the hope that has been revealed to us, the children of Christ, in the mystery of the New Testament, which we have received through Him. 33. We adore God, who, for the sake of our salvation, does everything in the world to bring us closer to Himself before the future opens in which we will receive benefits worthy of the sons of God. 34. We worship the mystery of the power of the Cross, which gave us all this. Through him we were rewarded with angelic knowledge thanks to the power through which every creature was created, both visible and invisible. 35. The Divine Nature, Who created us, gave us all these things and will give us others, is worthy of all praise, glorification and glorification: to Him be worship, honor and glorification forever and ever. Amen. Those. in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Sire. qibota (cf. Greek kibotos). The theme of the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Ex. 26:10–22) plays an important role in Eastern Christian anti-Jewish literature of the 6th-7th centuries. Lit. "in the great knowledge of God." Or “revelations of the fear of God.” Lit. “what happened then.” In other words, without faith in the events described in the New Testament, it is impossible to fully perceive what the Old Testament says: this thought is an echo of anti-Jewish polemics. Lit. “across the seas” (i.e. on the surface of the sea). Or the “sign of the cross.” Those. the above-mentioned objects of Old Testament liturgical use (ark, tablets of the covenant, etc.). In other words, the religion of the Cross has brought to the world a different attitude towards death: it is no longer feared, as it was feared in pre-Christian antiquity. Does this text by Isaac refer to times of martyrdom when women and children faced death? Christian calm in the face of death, according to Isaac, also had an impact on the pagan world: the attitude towards death became less dramatic. Rev. Isaac makes a distinction between idols as products of human hands and those works of cult art that were created by human hands for the glory of the name of the one God. In other words, what matters is not the fact that this or that object of worship was created by people, but who it is dedicated to. Lit. “Also here – from to the Cross.” These words reflect the practice of the ancient Church, which did not know special prayers for the consecration of the Cross: it was believed that the Cross, as soon as it was made, became a source of sanctification for people and a place of divine presence. Wed. John 2:19–21. The Christological language of this and the following paragraphs corresponds to traditional East Syrian terminology. Those. if Christians worshiped the Cross as an idol, they would be punished; worshiping it as a sign of the presence of God, they understand the true meaning of veneration of the Cross. Those. than the other articles of the Tabernacle. This refers to the East Syrian writers Narsai and Babai the Great, who have a similar interpretation. Or “Beginning Image” (literally “head of images”). Rev. Isaac uses the Greek term parresia. Lit. “gullibility (confidence) of love.” Var. “into it” (i.e. the Cross). Those. Christ as Man. In this and the following paragraphs Rev. Isaac speaks of what in the Christian tradition is called communicatio idiomatum (Latin “intercommunication of properties”), i.e. about the inseparability of the properties of the divine nature in Jesus from the properties of human nature. Speaking about this, Rev. Isaac uses the traditional language of his Church, drawing a distinction between God the Word and the Man Jesus, but showing how subtle this distinction is, which completely disappears “in worship”: Christians pray to Christ as both God and Man. Those. human nature. Lit. “I wanted it and moved in.” Lit. "in one equality." Lit. "in a composite manner", i.e. realizing that in Christ there are two natures - divine and human. The syntax of this sentence allows us to understand its meaning in two ways: either we are talking about “the light in which man is clothed (i.e., Christ the man),” or about “the light in which (abides) He Who is clothed in man (i.e., Christ the God-man).” The latter understanding does not contradict the usage of Isaac and the East Syrian tradition; however, the first seems to us more consistent with the meaning of this passage. You might be interested in: