Глава XIX

Matthew 19:1–3. When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and came to the borders of Judea, on the Trans-Jordan side. Many people followed Him; and He healed them there. And the Pharisees came to Him, and, tempting Him, said to Him: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? From Galilee He came to Judea; and so the party of Pharisees and Sadducees asks Him: is it permissible for a husband to divorce his wife for any reason. This is in order to put Him in difficulty with the [so-called] horned inference (syllogismo), for no matter what He answered, He could be caught in words. If He had said that one should let one’s wife go for any reason and marry another, then He would have turned out to be a preacher of what is contrary to modesty. And if He had answered that divorce cannot be granted for every fault, then He would have been caught as guilty of blasphemy, and would have reasoned as acting against Moses, and through Moses he would have been [the enemy] of God. Therefore, the Lord so proportions His answer that he bypasses their trick, bringing into evidence the Holy Scripture and natural law and contrasting the original command of God with the latter, which was a concession not to the will of God, but to the needs of those who sin. Matthew 19:4. He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who created in the beginning made them male and female? This is written at the beginning of the book of Genesis; and by saying: “man” and “woman,” He shows that it is necessary to avoid a second marriage union, because He does not say: “man” and “women,” which was intended to dissolve the first union, but: “man” and “woman,” so that they would be bound by fate with the wife alone. Matthew 19:5–6. And he said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh 410 In exactly the same way He says: “he will cleave 411 to his wife,” and not: “to the wives.” And the two will become one flesh 412. The reward of marriage is that the two will become one flesh. Integrity united with spirit, producing one spirit. “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man put asunder” 413 – God has united 414, making man and woman one flesh; [no] man can divide it except God alone. A person separates when he lets go of his first wife due to the desire to have another wife; God separates - God, who has united - when, for the sake of serving God, by mutual agreement (because the time is near), we have wives as if we did not have them (1 Cor. 7:29). Matthew 19:7. They say to Him: How did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and divorce her? They reveal the slander against the Lord that they have prepared. However, there is no doubt that the Lord did not express his judgment, but only reproduced the events of the ancient life of the people and the commandments of God. Matthew 19:8. He says to them: Moses, because of your hardness of heart, allowed you to divorce your wives; but at first it wasn’t like that. His words are of this kind: “Can God contradict Himself in such a way as to first order one thing, and then violate His sentence with a new command?” This is not how one should reason; and so that when Moses saw that, as a result of the desire to have other wives, or richer, or younger, or more beautiful, the first wives were killed or led a miserable life, he chose to soften the disagreement in order to prevent hatred and murder from continuing (Deut. 24: 1-4). At the same time, pay attention to the fact that He did not say: “Because of the hardness of your hearts God commanded you,” but: “Moses,” so that, as the apostle says (1 Cor. 7:25), 415, this is human advice, and not a command from God. Matthew 19:9. But I tell you: whoever divorces his wife [for any reason] not because of adultery and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Let only one adultery [of the wife] prevail over the inclination towards the wife. And, moreover, when a wife divides one flesh into two and separates from her husband through adultery, then she should not be restrained [by her husband], so that the husband does not fall under the curse of the words of Scripture: “Whoever restrains an adulterous woman is foolish and wicked” (Prov. 6:32-33) 416. So, wherever adultery is discovered, or even only suspected, there the wife is released freely. But since it may happen that someone dishonors an innocent woman, and by a second marriage puts the blame on the first wife, it is commanded that he should release his wife, but in such a way that during the life of [this] first or second wife he no longer has. In fact, His words mean the following: “If you let your wife go not because of lust, but because of resentment [to her, or from her], then why, having experienced misfortune in your first marriage, do you expose yourself to the danger of a new one?” And moreover, it could happen that, on the basis of the same law, the wife could also give a divorce to her husband, so the same warning is given - namely, so that she does not take another husband. And since a dissolute woman and one who has already set foot on the path of adultery will not be afraid of shame, the second husband is given a warning that he will be guilty of adultery if he takes her as his wife. Matthew 19:10. His disciples tell Him: if such is the duty and such is the attitude of a man towards his wife, then it is better not to marry. Wives constitute a great burden if one cannot let them go [for any reason] other than adultery [on their part]. Well, in fact, if the wife indulges in drunkenness or is angry, or of a bad temper, or gluttonous, or not assiduous [fickle, fickle, restless], or quarrelsome, or slanderous, should one really tolerate a wife of this kind [with oneself]? Whether we want it or not, it must be restrained; since we were free and voluntarily submitted to this slavery. Therefore, the disciples, seeing the severity of the marriage yoke, discover the movement of their souls and say: “If this is a man’s duty to his wife, then it is better not to marry.” Matthew 19:11. He said to them: not everyone can receive this word, but to those who have been given it. By this word, let no one mean fate or happiness, because these are 417 [or] virgins (virgines), to whom it was given from God [to be such], or those whom chance brought into such a state; but it was given to those who asked for it, wanted it or worked to achieve it. In fact, to everyone who asks, it will be given, and the one who seeks will find, and to the one who knocks 418 it will be opened (Matthew 7:8; Luke 11:10). Matthew 19:12. For there are eunuchs who were born like this from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who became [such] through people; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven; whoever can accept, let him accept 419 There are three kinds of eunuchs: two are carnal, the third is spiritual. Some are those who were born as such from their mother’s womb, others are those who became such either in captivity, or at the whim of their owners. The third are those who castrated themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, and became eunuchs for the sake of Christ, although they could have been men. It is to such that the reward is promised; and to the above-mentioned [first two clans], whose emasculation is a matter of necessity, and not of will, nothing should be done. We can explain this another way. The eunuchs from their mother's womb are those who are colder by nature and do not seek the satisfaction of lust. And the other eunuchs, made by men, are those who were either raised by the wise men of this world (philosophi) and became effeminate to the level of women (emolliuntur in feminas) by serving idols, or those who, according to the conviction of heretics, lead a feigned blameless life in order to deceive [others] with the feigned purity of their faith (ut mentiantur religionis veritatem). But none of them will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven except the one who castrated himself for the sake of Christ. Therefore, He adds: “Whoever can accept, let him accept” 420, namely: so that everyone pays attention to his own strengths, is it possible for him to fulfill the commandments of virginity and purity. Indeed, purity in itself is seductive and can attract anyone to itself; but at the same time it is necessary to be proportionate 421 with one’s strengths, so that [its vows] are accepted by the one who can accept. These words are, as it were, the voice of the Lord convincing and rousing His soldiers to receiving a reward for the purity of life: “Whoever can accept, let him accept,” 422 [vol. f] whoever can fight 423, let him fight 424, win and triumph. Matthew 19:13–14. Then the children were brought to Him so that He could lay His hands on them and pray; the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said. [The disciples did this] not because they did not want them to be blessed by the words and hand of the Savior, but because, not having completely perfect (plenissimam) faith, they thought that He, like other people, would be tired of the annoyingness (untimeliness) of those who brought. Matthew 19:15. [continuation of the 14th and 15th]: Let the children in and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. And laying his hands on them, he went away from there. He says meaningfully: “such” to show that it is not their age, but their character that is of great importance; and He promises a reward to those who have the same innocence and simplicity. The Apostle also in his words fully agrees with the same sentence of the Lord: “Brothers! Do not be children in mind: in evil be babes, but in mind be mature" (1 Cor. 14:20). Matthew 19:16. [and the beginning of the 17th]: And behold, someone came up and said to Him: Good Teacher! What good thing can I do to have eternal life? He told him. The one who asked how he would inherit eternal life was young, and rich, and proud; and according to the words of other evangelists, he asked not with the goal of learning, but with the goal of testing. Matthew 19:17. [continued]: Why do you ask Me about good (Quid me interrogas de bono). God alone is good. 425 Since the one who asked called the Teacher good, but did not confess Him either as God or as the Son of God, he is given a lesson in the sense that a holy person in comparison with God, about whom it is said: “Glorify the Lord, for He is good” (Ps. 117:1), is not good. But lest anyone think that the words about the goodness of God exclude the goodness of the Son, we read elsewhere: “The good shepherd (bonus good) lays down his life for his sheep” (John 10:11). 426; and the prophet says that the Spirit is good and the earth is good. Thus, the Savior does not reject the testimony of [His] goodness, but He denies the incorrect thought that a teacher without God can be good. Matthew 19:18–19. [end of 17th, 18th and 19th]: If you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments. He says to Him: which ones? Jesus said: Do not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery; don't steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and: love your neighbor as yourself. That the young man who asked was a tempter, we can also prove this by the fact that in response to the words of the Lord addressed to him: “If you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments,” he answers with a cunning question, what commandments they are, as if he himself had not read, or as if the Lord [Jesus Christ] could command something contrary to God. Matthew 19:20–21. The young man said to Him: I have kept all this from my youth; what else am I missing? Jesus told him The young man tells a lie; Indeed, if he actually fulfilled what is said in the commandments: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” then how, then, hearing the words: “Go and sell what you have and give to the poor,” 427 he leaves saddened, because he had many riches? Matthew 19:21. [end]: If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me. Whether we want to be perfect is in our control. But whoever wants to be perfect must sell what he has; and sell not only a part, as Ananias and Sapphira did (Acts 5), but sell everything, and when he sells, give everything to the poor, and thus prepare for himself treasure in the Kingdom of Heaven. But this will be sufficient for perfection only when, having despised wealth, he follows the Savior, that is, leaving evil, he will do good. Indeed, it is easier to disdain wealth (sacculum, that is, a wallet, a bag for money) than pleasure. Many, leaving wealth, do not follow the Lord. And the Lord follows the one who imitates Him and walks in His footsteps. “Whoever says that he abides in Him must do as He did” (1 John 2:6). Matthew 19:22. He went away sad, for he had much wealth. 428 This is the sadness that leads to death (2 Cor. 7:10). 429 The reason for sadness is also indicated here - that he had many possessions, that is, those thorns and thistles that suppressed the Divine seeds. Matthew 19:23. Jesus said to His disciples: Truly I say to you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But how did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, rich people, enter, according to the testimony of the Lord, into the Kingdom of Heaven (Gen. 13; Gen. 36), as well as Matthew and Zacchaeus, according to the Gospel, after they left their wealth? However, here you need to pay attention to the fact that when they entered, they were no longer rich. Thus, they did not enter as long as they were rich. However, although it is difficult for riches to become an object of contempt, He did not say: “It is impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” but said: “It is difficult.” Where difficulty is indicated, impossibility is not presented, but difficulty is only stated. Matthew 19:24–26. And again I tell you: it is easier for a camel (camelum) to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Hearing this, His disciples were greatly amazed and said: So who can be saved? And Jesus looked up and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” These words already show that it is not [only] difficult, but also impossible [for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven]. Indeed, if a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle, and if likewise a rich man cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven; then none of the rich will be saved. However, if we read in Isaiah about how the camels of Midian and Ephah will arrive in Jerusalem with gifts and treasures (Is. 60:6), and also how those who were originally bent and twisted by the ugliness of vices enter the gates of Jerusalem, then we will see that these camels, with which the rich are compared, after they have laid aside the burden of sins and are freed from all the ugliness of the body, can enter the strait gate and enter the narrow path that leads to life (Matthew 7). And when the disciples ask a question and are surprised at the severity of what was said [saying], “Who will be saved in this way?” He mercifully softens the severity of His sentence, saying: “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Matthew 19:27. Then Peter answered and said to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what will happen to us? Great faith: Peter was a fisherman, he was not a rich man, he earned his bread with his own hands and art, and yet he says with complete confidence: “They left everything.” But since it is not enough to leave everything, he also adds what he says about [their] perfection: “And they followed You.” “We have done what You commanded; So what reward will You give us?” Matthew 19:28. Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the rebirth, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. He did not say: “those who left everything,” for the philosopher Crates [or: Socrates] did this, as well as many others left with contempt for wealth; but said: “those who followed Me,” which in the proper sense was done by the apostles and other believers. At the time of rebirth, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His majesty, when the incorruptible are raised from the dead from corruption, you too will sit on the benches of the 430 judges, condemning the twelve tribes of Israel, for when you believed, they did not want to believe. Matthew 19:29–30. And whoever leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life; but many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first. This place coincides with the word of the Savior, with which He says: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword; For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies are his own household” (Matthew 10:34–36). So, the one who, for the sake of faith in Christ and the preaching of the Gospel, leaves with contempt all the inclinations and riches and pleasures of the world, [he] will receive a hundred times more and will have eternal life. Regarding this word of the Lord, many accept the teaching of the thousand-year Kingdom after the Resurrection, saying that then we will receive a hundred times more than what we left behind, and that we should be given eternal life as a reward. They do not understand that if in relation to other things the promise is honorable (digna), then in relation to wives it would be disgraceful for someone who left one [wife] for the Lord to receive a hundred in the future. Thus, the meaning is that he who has left the carnal for the sake of the Savior will receive the spiritual, which, in comparison with the value of his merit, will be such as a small number compared to a hundredfold number. Therefore, the apostle says that those who left only a small house and insignificant fields in one area are “as if they had nothing, but possessed everything” (2 Cor. 6:10). 431 In the translation: The Gospel of Matthew - ed. From the translator according to the old Synodal Russian translation: “And He said: For this reason a man will leave his father [and his mother] and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” - ed. According to the old Synodal Russian translation: will join - ed. According to the old Synodal Russian translation: into one flesh - ed. From the translator, according to the old Synodal Russian translation: “So, what God has united, let no man separate” - ed. From the translator according to the old Synodal Russian translation: combined - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Concerning virginity, I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give advice as one who has received the grace from the Lord to be faithful to Him” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Whoever commits adultery with a woman has no mind; he destroys his soul” – ed. In the lane: to the pusher - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “For there are eunuchs who were born like this from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who are castrated from people”; “And there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Whoever can contain it, let him contain it” – ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Whoever can accommodate, let him accommodate” - ed. In the lane: to come to terms - ed. In the lane: to fight - ed. In the lane: militant - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” – ed. It seems that in this place the reading of the text is spoiled after bl. Jerome, because his interpretation does not imply the question “Quid te interrogas de bono?” , and the question: “Quid me vocas bonum?” or “Quid me dicis bonum?” i.e., the question completely corresponding to the Greek text: “Why do you call me good” (Τί με λέγεις άγαθόν). And the second half of the text, about the exceptional goodness of God, is expressed much more strongly in Greek (Note, translator). According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Go, sell your property and give to the poor” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Having heard this word, the young man went away sad, because he had a large estate - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “For sorrow for God’s sake produces unchanging repentance leading to salvation, but worldly sorrow produces death” - ed. In the lane: “seats” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “We have nothing, but we possess everything” - ed. You might be interested in: