Беседа 10

1. The great abundance of the Divine Scripture and the breadth of its teaching, my brethren, are perceived, unerringly and without much difficulty, by those whose hearts are filled with love. Because the apostle says: “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). And in another place he says: “The goal of exhortation is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith” (1 Tim. 1:5). What is the purpose of exhortation if not the fulfillment of the commandment? And what constitutes fulfilling a commandment if not fulfilling the law? Consequently, what he said there in the words “love is the fulfillment of the law,” he says the same here with the words: “The goal of exhortation is love.” And there is no doubt that the person in whom love dwells is the church of God. The Apostle John says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The apostles who proclaimed this to us, pointing out the superiority of love, could not, of course, say anything other than what they themselves perceived. The Lord Himself, feeding them with the word of love, because He is the living bread that comes down from heaven, says: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another” and also: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). He who came to save us from corruption by the humiliation of the cross and to break the bonds of death by His death creates a new man with a new commandment. The original law was for man to die. But what was not always valid even for man was completely new for God, namely, that God could undergo death. But since He was mortal according to the flesh, and not according to Divinity, then, due to the eternal life of the Divine, His flesh could not be completely destroyed. He, as the apostle says, “was delivered for our sins and rose again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). Thus, He who brought a new beginning of life against the oldness of death, He also gives a new commandment against the old sin. Therefore, if you want to eradicate the old sinfulness in yourself, try to suppress passion in yourself with the new commandment and take love into your arms. Just as the root of all evil is sinful passion (cupiditas), so the root of all good is love. 2. All the greatness and breadth of Divine utterances is comprehended by love when we love God and our neighbor. The Heavenly Mentor teaches us and says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... love your neighbor as yourself; on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37, 39–40). So, if you cannot explore all the sacred pages and understand the hidden things in them, penetrate the secrets of Scripture, hold on to love, on which everything hangs. Then you will have both what you learned there and what you have not yet studied. Because if you have known love, you have known something that is based on something that perhaps you did not yet know. In what you understand from Scripture, love is revealed, and in what you do not understand, love is hidden. So, whoever realizes love in his life masters both what is revealed and what is hidden in the Divine Scripture. 3. So, brothers, follow love, this sweet and saving union of souls, without which the rich are poor and the poor are rich. She is patient in misfortunes, self-controlled in happiness, courageous in severe suffering, generous in virtue, firm in temptations, cordial in hospitality; between true brothers she is joyful, between false ones she is patient. In Abel she was pleasing during the sacrifice, in Noah during the flood she was safe, in the migrations of Abraham she was firm, in Moses during her sorrows she was meek, in David during her persecutions she was gentle. In the three youths she fearlessly looks at the fire engulfing them; in the Maccabees she courageously endures the cruel torment of the fire. It is pure in Susanna in relation to her husband, in Anna after the death of her husband, in Mary, who does not have a husband. Bold in Paul for reproof, humble in Peter for obedience, exalted in Christians for confession, divine in Christ for forgiveness. But what more can I say about love in comparison with the praises that the Lord puts into the mouth of the apostle, who shows the most excellent way of love and says: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then I am a ringing brass or a sounding cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. And if I give away all my property and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good. Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:1-8). This is love - the soul of scripture, the power of prophecy, the guarding of secrets, the foundation of knowledge, the fruit of faith, the wealth of the poor, life for the dying. What greater generosity can there be than to die for the wicked? What could be nobler than love for enemies? Only she is not burdened by other people's happiness, because she is not jealous. Only she does not exalt herself with her happiness, because she is not proud. She is free from the torment of an evil conscience, because she does not think evil. In the midst of reproach she is calm, in the midst of hatred she is benevolent, in the midst of anger she is kind, in the midst of deceit she is pure, in the midst of untruth she grieves, and in the truth she is consoled. What is stronger than it for forgiveness of offenses? What is more reliable than it, not in relation to vanity, but in relation to eternity? That is why she endures everything in this life, because she expects everything from the future life. And he endures everything that happens here, because he hopes for everything that is promised there. Verily, it never ceases. So, achieve love and, thinking about it sacredly, bear the fruit of righteousness. And whatever you find greater in praise than I could express, let all this appear in your life. We should take care that our old speech is not only convincing, but also short (Opportet enim, ut senilis sermo non solum sit gravis, sed etiam brevis). You might be interested in: