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Matthew 15:4. “For God commanded: Honor your father and mother; and: He who curses his father or mother shall die by death.” Matthew 15:5. “And you say: if someone says to father or mother: what you would use from me is a gift to God,” Matthew 15:6. “he may not honor his father or his mother; Thus you have made void the commandment of God by your tradition.” “Ingratitude to your father-in-law, for bread and salt and for everything - to this old man, who gave his daughter for you, who loves you a lot and passionately, and his place (albeit due to illness) - is pride before him, his contempt and ingratitude before him. – Honor your father (Matthew 15:4; Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16). Consider yourself not worthy of this place, which he took in his old age, as if as a reward for long service, and you took in your youth. So, honor your father: for husband and wife are one flesh (cf. Matt. 19:5, 6; Gen. 2:24) and her father is your father; May it be good for you and may you live long on earth (Ex. 20:12). Humble your heart before him; be respectful and kind to him without hypocrisy” [11, 237]. Matthew 15:8. “This people draws near to Me with their lips, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me;” “When praying, we must certainly take control of our heart and turn it to the Lord. It must not be cold, crafty, untrue, or double-minded. Otherwise, what is the use of our prayer, of our fasting? Is it good to hear an angry voice from the Lord: These people draw near to Me with their lips, and with their lips they honor Me; but their heart is far from Me [Matt. 15:8]. So, let us not stand in church with spiritual relaxation, but let each one burn in his spirit, working for the Lord. And people do not value very much the services that we do coldly, out of habit. And God wants our heart. Give Mi, son, your heart [Prov. 23:26 ]; because the heart is the most important thing in a person, his life; more - our heart is man himself. Therefore, whoever does not pray or does not serve God with his heart is the same as not praying at all, because then his body prays, which in itself, without a soul, is the same as the earth. Remember that when you stand in prayer, you stand before God, who has the mind of all. Therefore, your prayer should be, so to speak, the whole spirit, the whole mind” [5, vol. 1, 9]. “Our prayer must be deep, sincere, reasonable, fruitful - change our heart, direct our will to good, turning away from evil. Superficial prayer is hypocrisy, blasphemy, vain prayer. These people draw near to Me with their lips and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart is far from Me [Matt. 15:8]" [5, vol. 2, 436]. “From turning my thoughts and my heart to God, to the Lady, to other saints, I receive life, peace, holiness, joy - always when my conversion is sincere. What have you to say against this, you who say that you do not benefit from prayer? Why do I receive? Why do so many others get it? You say: you pray, you pray, but there is no benefit: no one listens to us. Here's what I'll tell you about this. Cleanse your hands, O sinners, before you begin to pray, correct your hearts, double-mindedness: suffer and weep and weep... draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8-9). – Otherwise, you yourself do not approach Him with your heart, but only with your lips (cf. Is. 29:13; Matt. 15:8), falsely, and say: no one hears you. Speak with the voice of your heart in your prayer: and your prayer will be with the Lord in an instant and will bear fruit for you. Gather your thoughts from the scattering of the world and turn them entirely to God; make peace with everyone; let peace and silence reign in your heart - let all passions, all attachments of the heart to earthly things be silent, sigh deeply and sincerely, shed warm and unfeigned tears for your sins, look at your sins, condemn yourself mercilessly and sincerely: and you will see that the Lord will not force you to wait for Him; Still speaking to you, he says: behold, I have come (Cf.: Dan. 9:21, 23), (the prayers of Daniel (See: Dan. 9:4-19), Zechariah (See: Luke 1:5-13), Cornelius (See: Acts 10:1-4). - God, we know, gives true prayer to the one who prays: how can He not hears" [8, 328]. Matthew 15:18. but what comes from the mouth - comes from the heart - this defiles a person, “Why does the tongue sometimes stop at prayer? Why does the hand on the clock stop? Because the inside of the watch becomes dirty or damaged, for example, the wheel, drum or hair is damaged. Likewise, the tongue in prayer, as happens with some, stops because the inside of the human being—the heart—is clogged or damaged, when, for example, the heart is deceitful, full of unbelief (Further in the manuscript follows a word that cannot be read) or when enmity or other impurities enters it. Language is, in some way, the same thing in a person as the hands on a clock. The arrow proves the internal movement of the clock - and the tongue is the herald or advocate of the heart and thought, the herald of what is happening inside, what fills the heart. Therefore the Savior says: what comes out of the mouth... defiles a person; for from the heart come evil thoughts... adulterous, fornicating... (Matthew 15:18–19) and so on” [2, 88]. Matthew 15:19. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy.” “The heart in a person is the most important thing. Man looks at the face, oh, God... at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). In the Epistle to Thessalonians, the Apostle says: establish your hearts (and not yours) blameless... (1 Thessalonians 3:13). For from the heart come evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19). Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem (Jer. 4:14). The heart is the same as the soul: take away wickedness from your souls (Isa. 1:16)” [2, 130]. “Most people have evil eyes. What kind of corruption is this in us, or something, and looking at a good, even holy object, we rather imagine something bad than good, unclean than pure, so that holy, pure and sublime ideas, without nurturing them in our heart and mind, cannot dwell in us. Why is the eye evil? From an unclean heart. “From the heart come,” says the Savior, “evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19), an evil eye, blasphemy, pride.” Oh, how you need to guard your heart with every care, as the wise one says” [2, 329]. “Good, bright thoughts from God or from a bright Angel, our guardian; from man himself, from the heart, without grace, come evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19) and so on” [2, 40]. “The life-giving Mysteries have a divinely powerful effect on the very heart of man, which is nasty, almost constantly emanating from itself evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19), fornication, blasphemy, doubt, unbelief, etc., and causing torment to a person. Accepted with faith, they completely suppress the nest of sin, and it freezes, giving way to good, holy thoughts, living faith, love, and gratitude. Further in the manuscript there follows a word that cannot be read” [2, 65]. “The heart is pure, so the whole person is pure: the heart is not pure, and the whole person is not pure: from the heart come evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy ... [Matt. 15:19]. But the saints, through fasting, vigil, prayer, contemplation of God, reading the word of God, martyrdom, labor and sweat, acquired a pure heart, and the Holy Spirit dwelt in them, cleansed them from all defilement and sanctified them with eternal sanctification. Try above all to cleanse your heart. Create in me a pure heart, O God [Ps. 50:12]" [5, vol. 2, 319]. “When depicting the sign of the cross on ourselves, we place three fingers on the upper end of the cross - on the forehead - in the image of the Father, Who is the uncreated Mind; the lower one - on the womb - in the image of the Son, born before all ages from the womb of the Father: and the transverse part on the shoulders or muscles - in the image of the Holy Spirit. Which is the arm or strength of the Lord, or the hand of the Lord, as it is said: the arm of the Lord is revealed to whom (John 12:38, Isa. 53:1), or: the hand of the Lord was on me (Ezek. 3:22), i.e. Holy Spirit. Another image in man of the Holy Trinity: the thinking mind is the image of God the Father; the heart in which the mind dwells and portrays itself - the image of the Son of God, the hypostatic Wisdom of God; the mouth, through which comes out what is in the thoughts and heart, is the image of the Holy Spirit. Duna, and said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit... (John 20:22). When evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, blasphemy... (Matt. 15:19) come from the heart, then this comes out of the evil spirit nesting in a person... And when a good person brings forth good things from the good treasure of his heart (Luke 6:45), then this is an image of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father through the Son. Great man! It is not in vain that it is said: Az rekh: you are gods, and you are all sons of the Most High (Ps. 81:6). If these are the words of the gods, the word of God comes to them, and the scripture cannot be destroyed (that is, what is said is said truly, immutably), His Father is holy and sent to the world, you say, as if you were speaking blasphemy, you have already said: I am the Son of God (John 10:35-36). Oh, dignity! Oh, human greatness! Look at a person, especially a Christian, in no other way, as a son of God, talk with him as with a son of God by grace in Christ Jesus our Lord” [5, vol. 1, 221]. Matthew 15:21. “And Jesus departed from there and departed into the countries of Tire and Sidon.” Matthew 15:22. “And behold, a Canaanite woman, coming out of those places, shouted to Him: have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, my daughter is cruelly raging.” Matthew 15:23. “But He didn’t answer her a word. And His disciples came up and asked Him: Let her go, because she is screaming after us.” Matthew 15:24. “And he answered and said, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:25. “And she came up, bowed to Him and said: Lord! help me." Matthew 15:26. “And he answered and said, It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Matthew 15:27. “She said: yes, Lord! but the dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Matthew 15:28. “Then Jesus answered and said to her: O woman! great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish. And her daughter was healed at that hour.” "Ch. 15, art. 28. Oh woman! great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish. And her daughter was healed at that hour. What cannot be done with faith! That's it, you can even become a god. This is not an exaggeration: God became man in order to make a believer a god. The faith of God is a great treasure for a Christian: on earth it already unites man with God, making him a participant in Divine omnipotence, and gives him the guarantee of a future blessed inheritance in heaven. With faith, a person lives cheerfully even here, among troubles, sorrows and illnesses, comforted by the idea of ​​future blessings prepared for him in heaven by the Heavenly Father” [1, 75]. “Today we have read, my brothers, from the Gospel of Matthew the story of the persistent petition of a Canaanite woman to Jesus Christ for her demon-possessed daughter (See: Matthew 15:21–28). This Canaanite mother is instructive for us, brothers and sisters! Love for her daughter, who was cruelly suffering from demonic tormenting power, prompted her to seek salvation for the unfortunate one from the Divine, Almighty Wonderworker - and she did not lag behind the Benefactor and Savior until she received what she asked for, although there were difficult temptations to her faith and boldness! Apparently she was refused once, twice, and three times, but she was not embarrassed; I didn’t despair, I didn’t say: no, I won’t ask or bother you anymore, apparently I’m unworthy; but she still had firm hope in the Wonderworker. At first, the Knower of the Heart did not answer her a word to her request - in order to arouse in her the strongest faith and hope and the most ardent prayer, for from obstacles, faith and hope with prayer receive more and more strength and strength in others, they become more inflamed, while in those of little faith and faint-hearted they weaken or are completely extinguished. Indeed, the Canaanite woman did not weaken in faith, hope and prayer, but began to ask and shout even more strongly, following the Lord and the disciples, so that they began to intercede for her so that he would let her go. The Lord, as if not wanting to listen to either her or the disciples, says that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), that is, to the Jews to whom promises, revelations, and prophecies were given about His Coming into the world and the salvation of people through Him. Despite the secondary refusal, she approaches the Lord Himself, bows and says: “Lord! Help me." Notice how great her faith, hope, and boldness are! Being a pagan, she confesses Him as Lord, the Son of David, the almighty King of spirits, trusts in His infinite goodness, which embraces not only Jews, but also pagans, and as a servant of the Lord, or better yet, as a daughter of the Father, she boldly says: “Lord! Help me." When the Lord said: It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs (Matt. 15:26), meaning by dogs the pagans who did not know the true God, to which this woman belonged, she was not at all offended by such a name, realizing that she was worthy of such a disgraceful name, and said: so, Lord! but dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table (Matthew 15:27). Such faith, such hope, humility, and patience were pleasing to the Savior. He praised her for her great faith and said: oh, woman! great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish. And her daughter was healed at that hour. (Matthew 15:28) Yes, such a mother is worth applauding! The Lord found the same faith in one Roman centurion, also a former idolater, who had a beloved servant near death, healed by the Lord at the request and great faith of the centurion - and in his praise the Lord said: I have not found such faith in Israel (cf. Matt. 8:10). After this, I will tell all of you, brothers and sisters: learn to believe like this, hope like this and ask the Lord or the Mother of God like this, with such courage and persistence, as the Canaanite woman asked for her daughter, as the centurion asked for his servant - and you will receive it as you wish, if it pleases God and for your benefit. Ask, says the Lord, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7). The Canaanite woman represents our soul; her possessed daughter is our many-passionate flesh, raging with different passions every day. In what trouble the Canaanite woman and her daughter were in, you and I are in the same trouble. “From my youth, many passions have fought me, but stand up for me and save me, my Savior!” Why do passions, these demons operating in the hearts, often so brazenly dominate people, torment, torment, and shame the people possessed by them? Because these people do not have strong faith, do not pray fervently and persistently, and do not have a strong desire to get rid of them. Oh, who would send us such a mother as the Canaanite woman, who would pray for us to the Lord with the same faith, hope and love as she did for her daughter, so that for the sake of her prayer the Lord would have mercy on us and drive out our passions from us, healing us from our furies? For our flesh is angry with evil. But, brethren, no match for the Canaanite woman, we have a Prayer Book and Intercessor, unashamed and most merciful, the All-Good and Most Pure Mother of our God, who is always ready to intercede before Her Son and God for deliverance from the rage and fury of passions, if only we would always run to Her with faith and hope, in repentance, from a sincere heart, with prayer for help. Her intercession is omnipotent, faithful, trustworthy, for She is the Mother of the Lord Himself and Creator of creation, and Her Son and God, as a debtor to the Mother, will fulfill every request of Her for us. We will always resort to Her, in Her sovereign protection. But we ourselves will refine and increase our faith in the Lord, our trust and our love for God and our neighbors, and constantly resort in repentance to the Lord Himself, like that Canaanite woman; for the Lord has given us all the right to turn boldly to Himself: ask, and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7); and one more thing: whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive (cf. Matthew 21:22). So, brothers and sisters, great is the power of faith! The stronger our faith, the greater the saving power of God it attracts to a person, and there is no sin, there is no such great sorrow or misfortune from which faith could not save. She cleanses sins, relieves passions, drives away demons; heals sorrows; heals illnesses, delivers from death; raises the dead; transforms enemies into friends, sinners into righteous people; she moves mountains; she does all sorts of miracles. One citizen in a certain city, living by faith and waging a stubborn battle with the passions, like a warrior of Christ, told me in a conversation with me that with daily and hourly prayer of repentance and faith he almost constantly admires from God the power that saves him from all sins and passions, that despite countless temptations and internal falls, he, in the end, is always the conqueror of passions and the banisher of demonic dreams and obsessions, a destroyer of demonic wiles - in a word, that by the grace of God and by the faith of God given to him, he is a constant miracle for himself. This is what the prayer of faith, the prayer of repentance means! This is how we believe, this is how we pray, and this is how we conquer our passions! Amen" [9, 270]. Matthew 15:29. “Jesus went on from there and came to the Sea of ​​Galilee, and went up to a mountain and sat down there.” Matthew 15:30. “And a great multitude came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the crippled, and many others, and they cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them;" Matthew 15:31. “So the people marveled, seeing the dumb speaking, the maimed healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and glorified the God of Israel." "Verses 29-31. Having crossed over from there, Jesus came to the Sea of Galilee and went up to a mountain and sat down there. And a great multitude came to Him, having with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at the feet of Jesus; and He healed them; so that the people marveled, seeing the dumb speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and glorified the God of Israel (Matthew 15:29–31). Glory to You, Father Almighty, who sent His beloved Son to the poor land, the fullness of the Divine and, consequently, the fullness of all life - spiritual and physical, His Hypostatic Goodness and Wisdom! What a bright picture: God in the flesh treats people like the most tender Father with children - talks with them, heals all kinds! their illness. The source of life communicates with sinful people who are susceptible to mental and physical illnesses - every disease or disorder in the soul or in the body disappears in people who believe in His miraculous power, everyone becomes healthy: the dumb speak, the lame walk, the blind see Glory, glory to the Visitor of His people - God" [1, 76]. Matthew 15:32. “Jesus called His disciples and said to them, “I have pity on the people, because they have been with Me for three days and have nothing to eat; I don’t want to let them go dumb, lest they become weak on the road.” Matthew 15:33. “And His disciples said to Him: Where can we get so much bread in the desert to feed so many people?” Matthew 15:34. “Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? They said: seven, and a few fish.” Matthew 15:35. “Then he ordered the people to lie down on the ground.” Matthew 15:36. “And he took the seven loaves and fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them, and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples to the people.” Matthew 15:37. “And they all ate and were filled; and they took up the remaining pieces, seven baskets full." Matthew 15:38. “And those who ate were four thousand people, besides women and children.” Matthew 15:39. “And having sent the people away, He entered into a boat and came to the borders of Magdalene.” “32–39 Art. About feeding four thousand men with seven loaves and several fish, not counting wives and children. The Savior commands the people to sit on the ground; He takes the seven loaves and the fish, gives praise to God, breaks them and gives them to His disciples, and the disciples to the people. Everyone ate and were satisfied. There were so many loaves and fish left that seven more baskets could be filled” [1, 76]. “Be at peace and be glad when you treat your brethren to tea, sugar and all sorts of good things, putting aside all regret for perishable sweetness, knowing firmly that for a brother, no matter how hungry and thirsty he may be, very little is needed; and yet due love and honor to the image of God, which a brother bears in his soul, is given through treating the brother. Remember the treat of the hospitable Abraham: Whom he received as guests - the Holy Trinity (See: Gen. 18). Remember how the Lord, treating us with five loaves of bread in the desert, giving us an example of hospitality, let them go, said, “I do not want any food” (Matthew 15:32). Give them, he says, food (Matthew 14:16). - So don’t let your guests go without eating. “Also remember how the Lord Himself was treated to sinners and tax collectors (See: Matthew 9:10–11)” [10, 54]. You might be interested in: