Беседа в день памяти Святаго Апостола и Евангелиста и Христу весьма возлюбленнаго Иоанна Богослова

It talks about love for God and neighbor 251 1. Today we celebrate one of the first-called Apostles of Christ and praise him as the father of all those called by Christ, or better yet, as the patriarch of those “who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). Because, just as Jacob begot twelve patriarchs in the flesh, from whom came the twelve tribes of Israel, so Christ spiritually begot twelve secret men; because instead of the unfortunate one (Judas Iscariot), the great Paul, upon whom Christ looked from heaven, fulfilled the measure (of the Apostolic Face). If the tribes descended from them 252 are clearly not equal to their number 253, then this is not surprising: because spiritual gifts are inseparably divided; eg Man has five bodily senses, which, however, as far as the soul is concerned, are represented as a single indivisible faculty of sensation, although divided into five channels 254. But the twelve springs of water at which the Israelites settled under the leadership of Moses, and the thirst that they suffered as a result of traveling through the desert (Ex. 15:27) 255, prefigured these Twelve (Apostles). Because they are the ones who, through spiritual irrigation, delivered the human race from the thirst that came due to idolatrous madness, previously walking through the impassable deserts of godlessness. Then the twelve stones that Joshua installed in Gilgal as a sign of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 4) prefigured these Twelve. Because they serve as an eternal sign for us that the true Jesus stopped the stream of sin that flooded the entire universe, and gave those who believe in Him the power to pass the path of life without harm, just as he then gave the Israelites to cross the Jordan without water (as if on dry land). 2. But all this and the like, like the calling by Christ Himself, the Only Begotten Son of God, is common to all the Apostles. The one whose memory we celebrate today is not only called, but also numbered and chosen, not in the general sense being chosen among the elect of all who live under heaven 256 (Luke 14:24), but also from among those chosen - chosen and a luminary in the ranks of the luminaries, I mean - the other Apostles, walking next to those who were singled out, (among the other Apostles) Peter and Jacob. Therefore, together with them, taken by the Savior, he ascends Mount Tabor and hears the conversation of Moses and Elijah with Christ, and with reverence in a divine image sees this great and transcending nature vision - the ineffably shining radiance of the light of the Divinity of the Son (God) - and hears the Fatherly voice, relating only to Christ: “This is My beloved Son, in Him I am well pleased: Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). And thus, blessedly John becomes a disciple not only of the Son, but also of the Father. 3. But this is also common to him with Peter and James, the foremost Disciples of the Savior; just as being an Evangelist for him is common with other Evangelists who wrote the sacred Gospel, the words of eternal life, although he greatly surpassed them in power 257 and the height of theology. What word will adequately represent that in which he alone has a happy destiny (“eumyreans”)?! - The only virgin of all, he deserved on the basis of everything to be called so, not only among the Apostles, but also all - before him and after him, former famous people, which, I think, stems from two principles: as having preserved his soul and body, mind and feelings throughout his entire life in virginity. Because the virginity of the body is actually observed by few people, although it is accessible to everyone; The highest virginity of the soul lies in the disposition to not want to have anything to do with any evil 258. Thus, based on the above, in calling John the Virgin, a state of almost sinlessness is attested to him: on the basis of which he became the beloved of Christ, who was sinless by His nature, and he alone acquired this name. 4. Can anyone find something to praise that would be greater than these names? 259 – Among all other people, it would be unlikely that anyone would find not only greater and better, but even something equal to these names. To this also belongs something else greater than this: namely, he is not only a beloved virgin, but also the son of the Virgin, the Virgin Mother Herself and the Mother of God, which Christ was to Her by nature, and he became to Her by grace. If he alone received the Mother of Christ as an inheritance, then, therefore, on the basis of everything, He is His brother and relative and likened to the Son of God. This one is the Beloved Son, and this one is the Beloved Disciple; This one is in the bosom of the Father, and this one is the confidant of Jesus; That one is a virgin, and this one also, by His grace; “The Lord will roar from heaven” (Ps. 17:14), and this one is Thunder; on the basis of which, more than others, he is called “Thunder” and “Son of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), the most theological Thunder, thundering to all ends, and theologizing the Word, who was in the beginning from the Father and who is with God, and who is God, and who has in Himself life and the true Light, enlightening every person coming into the world and through Whom in the beginning everything came into being. 5. This Thunder also presented to us a witness sent from God, testifying to the coming of the True Light 260, and He Himself announced to us the Word that had descended from heaven, becoming flesh for us, and most clearly depicted His entire life in the flesh on earth: words, deeds, Passion, the Resurrection, which existed after the Cross, and what followed this to heaven, from where He descended, Ascension. And this is all that he himself was an eyewitness, He wrote for our sake, so that we might be saved. But he also sends a message of exhortation to all Christians, calling everyone to the communion of Eternal Life, which was with the Father from eternity and appeared to us. As one who is among the first-called Apostles and is deliberate and called the Beloved, he explains to us about the most important virtue, that is, about love; saying that God is love, so that he who has love also has God, and he who abides in love also abides in God, and God abides in him in whom love abides. He shows that the action 261 of love that exists in us is purely: in relation to God and in relation to our neighbor; although he divides it into two manifestations, he points out that it is inseparable, and teaches that love consists of two inseparable parts and consists of one through the other, and calls anyone a liar who believes that in order to possess love it is enough to have only one part of it without the need to have the other 262. Because he says that the sign of love for God lies in keeping His word and commandments, as the Lord Himself taught, saying: “He who loves Me, let him keep My commandments”; “This is My commandment,” He says, “that you love one another”; “By this they all understand that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 14:21, 15:12, 13:35). 6. Do you see how inseparable is love in relation to God and in relation to one’s neighbor? Therefore, the Beloved Disciple says: “If anyone says that I love God, but hates his brother, it is a lie: for if you do not love your brother, who you see, God, who you do not see, how can you love?” (1 John 4:20). But also - “He who says to abide in Him must eat, just as He went out to eat, and let this one walk in the same way” (1 John 2:6) 263. But what did He do? He was obedient to the Heavenly Father, fulfilled all righteousness, He Himself performed good deeds to nature, healed illnesses, taught the obedient, rebuked the disobedient, for the sake of the obedient endured insults from the disobedient, spitting from worthless people 264, strangulation, mockery, whips and, finally, a shameful death, giving His soul for us, which is nothing more in the matter of love. Let us also look at the Beloved Disciple, the Disciple in practice: because in everything he strictly followed the teachings of the Teacher; miracles and suffering, showing benefits to everyone in deeds and words, bringing us out of darkness into the light, and making the worthy from the unworthy, while he himself suffered for our sake. He suffered not only death for the testimony of Jesus and for our benefit, which is the same thing as saying - for the sake of love for God and for people, but throughout his entire life he gave himself up to death. How many times has he been mocked? how many times was he beaten; how many times have you suffered stoning? How many times he stood before tyrants and princes, was interrogated, and was sentenced (to punishment and torture), he is a real establisher of piety! The harshest tyrant of tyrants, Dometian, he was exiled to Patmos, rejoicing and everywhere preaching the teachings of the Good Lord and Teacher. 7. Prompted by this, brethren, we, too, will, as far as we are able, act as Christ and His Beloved Disciple did, obeying their fathers; “A submissive son,” it says (Proverbs 13:1), “will come to life; but a disobedient son will perish,” obeying not only his fathers according to the flesh, but to a much greater extent, his spiritual fathers, and through them, the Highest Father Himself, “from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph. 3:15): because that love and that obedience and obedience that we have in relation to our spiritual fathers flows to God; and he who does not obey them, offends the God of the fathers Himself, as Christ revealed when he said: “Hear you, He listens to Me; “Obey your teachers and submit: for they keep watch over your souls, lest they groan for you; for it is not profitable for you” (Heb. 13:17), cries the great preacher Paul. Let us strive to do every righteousness and every good work; and if you do not do something because of our inherent weakness of nature, the merciful Lord, with His grace, will fill up what is missing due to our weakness and will accept us as if we were in good deeds to the end; especially if he sees that we are humbled because we are impoverished in the practice of virtue, and are not puffed up on the grounds that we do it 265. 8. Everyone, in every possible way, in whatever way you can, do good to your neighbor. Can’t you heal people’s infirmities with a miracle-working word? “However, you can encourage with words of consolation; if you serve personally, then you yourself will have Christ as your Servant (oh, miracle!), according to His words relating to the future age: “He girds himself and makes them sit down, and comes and ministers to them” (Luke 12:37). If you take part in your neighbor by helping him with the necessary things you have 266, then you will become a participant in God’s wealth and the Kingdom of Christ, and as the one who clothed Him and fed Him, you will be satisfied with immortality 267 and will be clothed in royal clothing. Do you not have the gift to teach, to encourage to virtue, do you not have the power to reprove, to turn away from evil, to exhort to virtue? - Be a teacher through (your) very deeds, becoming a doer of good both for yourself and for your neighbor. This is also a way of rebuking the wrongdoers. Let such people say about you: “It is hard for us to look at him, because his ways are not like ours” (Wis. 2:15). And if, not putting up with this, they would subject you to insults and slander, weave accusations and start all sorts of tricks, stand motionless, so that by deviating or weakening, you do not change your course of action, but also for yourself and for them, be beneficial, looking, as an example, to Christ Himself and to His Beloved Disciple. And taking this example to walk the right path of the Lord, follow it without looking back. “If you cast me out, you will also be cast out” (John 15:20), He says. If you act this way and endure insults this way, it will be obvious to everyone that you have implanted divine love within yourself. 9. If you really want to know: by what signs can one judge its presence in you, then this too will be shown to you, just go immediately to find them. – When, having stretched your mind to God, you are not distracted by anything in existence, but forgetting about everything without labor and compulsion, without reasoning about anything, joyfully enjoying the memory of God and prayer to Him, then know that you have definitely achieved love for God, and no matter how long you are involved in it, so long does the time of your such communication with God extend, or better yet, unity with Him. Again, when with contrition and sweet pain in your heart you pray to God equally for yourself and for every person, known and unknown to you, enemy and friend, who has grieved you and not, then know that you have loved your neighbor from the bottom of your heart. But these inner dispositions do not come unless you have obvious deeds of love. Because if you do not accustom yourself to reject your will and fulfill the will of your neighbor, then how will you endure his attacks on you if it happens? If you do not nobly and generously endure troubles from people, then how will you achieve such a state as to pray for your enemies? If, without obeying the One who says: “Give alms from what you have, then everything will be pure for you” (Luke 11:41), you hold on to your property and save it for yourself and do not spend it to help the needs of your neighbor, then how will you shed tears for them? “Because he who has love,” says one of God’s friends, “is the one who wastes his money; and whoever claims to have both, i.e. both money and love, he is mistaken: either he is empty of money, or empty of love, and this is the same as saying - empty of God”; because God is love and He declares to us, saying: “You cannot work for God and Mammon” (Matthew 6:24); Mammon, calling everything that we have beyond our needs, be it gold or silver or anything else, and shows that it is impossible for one who stands guard 268 of his money to pray: “For where your treasure is,” He says, “there your mind is also” 269 (Matthew 6:21, cf. Luke 12:34), and he did not go to prayer. So the Lord also said this about this kind of people: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; but they worship Me in vain” (Matthew 15:8–9). Therefore, God's Beloved Thunder 270 cries out: “Whoever has the riches of this world and does not satisfy the needs of his brothers, the love of God is not in him” (1 John 3:17). Because love for the world and love for God cannot reside together in the same person. For love of the world is enmity towards God. Therefore, again he says: “Do not love the world, neither those who are in the world” (1 John 2:15). What is this: “even (that) of the world,” if not the pursuit of money, from which there is no benefit to the soul, carnal lusts, arrogance, earthly desires? All this is not only not from God, but also separates from Him those who have these (passions) in their souls, and kills the soul defeated by them, and buries it in a gold and silver mound; which is so much worse than the simple grave in which we usually bury our ashes, insofar as it, corresponding to our dead bodies, seals the stench emanating from them and makes it so that it is not felt at all 271; gold and silver sand, as far as it would come to the minds of the rich, used in addition, makes the deceased even more stinking, so that the stench reaches right up to heaven and the heavenly Angels and the Heavenly God Himself and repels the mercy of God flowing from heaven and His favor towards the deceased. 10. Therefore, the Beloved Disciple is sent by our Savior Jesus Christ who loved him, so that he can teach us all the truth and resurrect us from these dead works and motivate us to bright works, the head of which and the bringer of eternal life - which he most clearly explained - is love for God and neighbor. How can we show him love and honor him? Isn’t that right - as a person who revealed all truth to us? - We will show him love and respect by not doing, brothers, what is contrary to his instructions, and by appearance and in language showing love and faith towards him, we will not be unfaithful to him in deed, which he himself forbids, saying: “Brotherhood 272., let us love not in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). So, if we, in love, honor the Beloved of God above all, then we will show by deed and truth our love for him, being not only listeners of his words, but also doers of them. Because in this way we will receive the gospel of Eternal Life and the Kingdom, in the King of the ages Himself, Christ, to Whom belongs eternal glory in heaven and on earth with His Beginning Father and the Co-Eternal Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. In Greek ed. 1861 is listed as No. 44 pp. 29–40. Those. There are no specific 12 Christian nations. There is a typo in the book, the 5th chapter is indicated, but the 15th follows. Reference to the words of the Savior: “Many are called, but few are chosen”_ Orig. - "great publicity." See this in detail in the “Conversation on the Annunciation” That is "virgin" and "lover". That is speaks of St. John the Baptist. Orig. – “energy”, which is usually translated as “action” or “action”. Somewhat loose translation. “Whoever says that he abides in Him must do as He did”: The translation may also read: “from ungrateful people.” In this phrase we replaced a number of participles with other verb forms. Orig. “you will be satisfied with ambrosia” - the immortal food of the gods, immortality. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”: Apostle text: "My children": You might be interested in: