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Luke 22:1. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was approaching. Luke 22:2. and the chief priests and scribes sought how to destroy Him, because they were afraid of the people. The scribes sought to kill Him (Jesus). Since the time of Easter was approaching, and they therefore saw danger for themselves from the people gathering, especially on the holiday, they finally sought a way to kill Him without exposing themselves to any danger. Luke 22:3. And Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, one of the twelve, “Satan entered into Judas,” “one of the twelve,” that is, one of the close and sincere disciples. No one should rely on himself, but be attentive to your life, because you have a terrible enemy. Some words: “one of the twelve” were understood as follows: supplementing only the number of apostles, but not a true apostle and disciple. For what kind of a true disciple is he who stole what was put into the box? (John 12:6). Luke 22:4. and he went and spoke with the chief priests and rulers, how to betray Him to them. Luke 22:5. They were delighted and agreed to give him money; Luke 22:6. and he promised, and sought a convenient time to betray Him to them, not in front of the people. Thus, Judas accepted Satan who had entered into him and agreed to betray Jesus to those who sought Him. For this means the word “promised”, that is, he finally concluded a condition and an agreement. And he was looking for a convenient time to find Him (Jesus) without the people, that is, alone, and hand him over to them. “Chiefs” here refers to those in charge of the church buildings, or overseers of the deanery. For the Romans appointed certain overseers over the people, so that they would not be indignant, for they were rebellious. These are the ones he calls chiefs (in Church Slavonic - “voivodes”). Or perhaps those who, belonging to the priesthood, had military positions, were called voivodes. For, suffering from a love of primacy, they interfered in such positions. That’s why I called them the commanders of the church, perhaps in order to touch them more sensitively. Luke 22:7. Now the day of unleavened bread had come, on which the Passover lamb was to be slain, That Easter, called Fasek in Hebrew, means the exit from Egypt, many spoke about this, and in general everything that happened then on this holiday was explained by the saints. And we need to talk about what day is called the day of unleavened bread. “Day of Unleavened Bread” refers to Thursday, on the evening of which the Passover had to be sacrificed. Luke 22:8. and Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go, prepare for us to eat the Passover. Luke 22:9. They said to Him, “Where do you tell us to cook?” Luke 22:10. He said to them: Behold, as you enter the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him to the house that he will enter, So, on Thursday, perhaps in the morning, the Lord sends the disciples Peter and John, one as a lover, the other as a loved one, sends them to a “strange” house; for neither Himself nor the disciples had their own, otherwise He would have celebrated the Passover with one of the disciples. Look what poverty! He sends them to an unknown person to show that He accepts suffering voluntarily. For if He did not want to suffer, then, by inclining the mind of this unknown man to accept them (Himself and the disciples), He could have brought about in the Jews what He desired. Some say that the Lord did not say the name of this man and did not announce him, but brought the disciples to his house according to some sign so that the traitor, having learned the name, would not point out this house to the Pharisees, and they would not come to take Him before He established the supper, before He taught His spiritual secrets. Therefore, Christ, a little later, says: “I greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.” That is, I made every effort to hide us from the traitor, so as not to suffer prematurely, before we taught the sacraments. Anyone can accept this explanation. Luke 22:11. and say to the owner of the house: The Teacher says to you: Where is the room in which I can eat the Passover with My disciples? Luke 22:12. And he will show you a large, furnished room; cook there. Why does the Lord celebrate Passover? In order to prove with all His actions until His last breath that He is not an opponent of the Law. Let us also eat this Passover wisely; let us understand by the day of unleavened bread the whole life spent in spiritual light, not having at all the oldness of the former disobedience in Adam. Living truly such a life, we must be saturated with the mysteries of Jesus. These mysteries will be prepared by Peter and John, activity and contemplation, ardent zeal and peaceful meekness. For a believer must be ardent to do good, zealous against evil and meek towards those who do evil. For one must hate evil, and not the one who does evil. This one needs to be treated, because he suffers. To do evil means to be troubled by the evil one and suffer from malice. If we have Peter and John preparing the supper, that is, the good life that Peter portrays, and the true teaching that John the Theologian depicts, then “man” will meet with such preparers, that is, we will then find a truly human being created in the image of the Creator, or better yet, the Creator, carrying a “jug of water.” Water means the grace of the Spirit, as the Evangelist John teaches (John 7:38–39), and the jug means the crushability and softness of the heart. For he who receives spiritual grace is humble and contrite in heart, but the Lord gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Conscious of being earth and ashes and speaking to Job: “You have molded me like clay.” (Job 10:9), he will carry the grace of the Spirit in an easily broken and easily broken vessel of his heart. Following this mood, we will enter the house of the mind, whose owner, the mind, will show us a large, decorated room. “The upper room” is a high room of the mind, that is, divine and spiritual objects, among which it lives and treats with love. They are removed, because they have nothing harsh, but even what is crooked for such a mind is made right, as Solomon said: “all of them are clear to those who understand and fair to those who have acquired knowledge” (Proverbs 8:9). You will not be wrong if you say that the mind, although it performs a high task, acting according to the power of the mind, nevertheless, its knowledge is still extended and very close to the earth. But knowledge is truly lofty, and ignorance that exceeds the mind is above all heights, when the mind no longer acts, but perceives action. First we must act with our minds, then the grace of the Lord will act in us, delighting us, like the prophets, and freeing us from all natural power. Truly it is said that in such and such a prophet there was admiration from the Lord. Just as here, when this upper room is cleaned, Jesus comes with His disciples and performs the sacraments, coming to us Himself and revealing His Own power in us, and not waiting for our coming to Him. The “disciples” of God the Word are all reflections on created things. When the Word acts in us in this way, then we will understand the communion of Easter and will be even more saturated with reflections on creation, according to what was said: “I look to the heavens - the work of Your fingers” (Ps. 8:4). Luke 22:13. They went and found as he had told them, and prepared the Passover. Luke 22:14. And when the hour came, He lay down, and the twelve Apostles with Him, They ate Easter while standing: how is it said about the Lord that He reclined? They say that, having eaten the lawful Passover, they reclined afterward, as is common custom, to eat some other dishes. Luke 22:15. and he said to them, “I greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffered, The Lord says to the disciples: “I greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.” He seems to be saying this: this is My last supper with you, therefore it is dear and desirable to Me, for in the future I will not eat with you. This is similar to how those who are going on a journey make their last speeches with family and friends with more pleasantness and love. And otherwise: I “really desired... to eat this Easter with you,” because in it I have to teach you great sacraments - the sacraments of the New Testament. By this He shows that He will suffer voluntarily. For Him, since He knew about the upcoming sufferings, without a doubt, it was possible to evade them, just as in the previous time (John 8:59). Luke 22:16. for I tell you that I will no longer eat it until it is completed in the Kingdom of God. Luke 22:17. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he said: Take it and divide it among yourselves, Luke 22:18. For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. The words: “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” were understood by some of the saints as follows: until I am resurrected. For after the resurrection, speaking to the disciples, He ate and drank with them, just as Peter says to Cornelius: “those who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead” (Acts 10:41). That the resurrection is the Kingdom of God is obvious. For resurrection is the destruction of death. Death reigned from Adam to Christ; and from that time, destroyed, she gave up victory and the kingdom to the Lord, as it is said: “Death!... where is your victory?” (Hos. 13, 14). And David says: “The Lord reigns” (Ps. 93:1), and then in explanation of how he reigned, he adds: “clothed with greatness,” when the body got rid of corruption and was adorned with the Divine, as Isaiah says: “so majestic in His clothing, appearing in the fullness of His power” (Is. 63:1). And the Lord himself, after the resurrection, says: “All authority has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). So, when the resurrection came, which, since it had destroyed death, was called the Kingdom of God, the Lord again drank with the disciples to assure that He had not risen ghostly. Others understood the future state by the Kingdom of God, and by the drinking of the Lord with us in the future age - the revelation of mysteries by Him. For He, the Lover of Mankind, by making us glad, He Himself rejoices and, feeding us, He Himself feeds, and counts our drink and food, that is, teaching, as food for Himself. So, He will then drink some new drink with the worthy, always revealing to them something new and extraordinary. Luke 22:19. And he took the bread and gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying: This is My Body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Luke 22:20. Likewise the cup after supper, saying: This cup is the new covenant in My Blood, which is shed for you. Luke seems to be referring to two cups. He says about one: “Take it and divide it among yourselves” (Luke 22:17), which others may call an image of the Old Testament, and about the other he speaks after the breaking and distribution of bread. The Lord Himself divides it among the disciples, calls it New Testament and says that it is renewed in His Blood. For when the Old Law was given, the blood of foolish animals was used as a seal (Ex. 24:5-8); and now that God the Word has become Man, the New Testament is sealed for us with His Blood. The words: “which is given up for you” and “which is shed for you” not only show that His Body was given over and His Blood was shed for the apostles alone, but for the entire human race. So, when he says that “for you” he is being given over, you understand: for the entire human race. The ancient Passover was celebrated for deliverance from Egyptian slavery, and the blood of the lamb was shed for the preservation of the firstborn: and the new Passover - for the remission of sins and the preservation of thoughts assigned and dedicated to God. The bread is taught first, and then the cup. For first there is activity that is difficult and impossible to complete. Virtue is preceded by sweat, just as bread is not only cultivated by the sweat of the brow, but also requires labor during consumption (Gen. 3:19). Then, after labor, there is joy from the grace of God, which is signified by the cup. For whoever labors in a virtue that cannot be accomplished is subsequently rewarded with gifts and experiences good intoxication, renouncing this world, like Paul and David, or, to put it even more boldly, like God in the prophet Habakkuk. Luke 22:21. And behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me at the table; There is nothing more unhappy than a soul rigid in stubbornness. For look what the Lord says: “Behold, the hand of him who betrays Me is with Me at the table,” but the fool did not feel it. The Lord says this not only to show that He knows what is going to happen, but also to show us His goodness and the malice of the traitor, for which he was not ashamed to be at His supper, and then did not abandon the fulfillment of his intention. The Lord also gives us a model so that we strive to the end for the benefit of those who fall. Luke 22:22. however, the Son of Man goes according to his destiny, And the Son of Man, he says, goes, not because he allegedly cannot defend himself, but because he destined death for himself for the salvation of people. but woe to the man by whom He is betrayed. Although He was destined to suffer, why were you so angry that you decided to betray Him? For this reason, you will receive “grief” as your inheritance, because you turned out to be prone to betrayal, since the serpent is cursed for having served as an instrument of the devil’s machinations. Luke 22:23. And they started asking each other which one of them would be the one who would do this. Hearing this, the disciples were confused. You will learn more about this in the interpretation of the Gospel of John (see Chapter 13) Luke 22:24. There was also a dispute between them as to which of them should be honored more. They are now embarrassed not only by the suspicion of betrayal, but from this confusion they move on to an argument, arguing about which of them is greater. They came to an argument about this consistently. Probably one of them said to the other: you want to betray, and this one again said: no, you want to betray. From here they moved on to saying: I’m better, I’m bigger, and the like. What about the Lord? Luke 22:25. He said to them: Kings rule over nations, and those who rule over them are called benefactors, Luke 22:26. but you are not so: but whoever is the greatest among you must be like the younger, and the ruler like the servant. He calms their confusion with two examples. Firstly, by the example of the pagans, whom they considered bad, declaring that if they think so, they will be like the pagans. Luke 22:27. For who is greater: the one who reclines or the one who serves? isn't he reclining? And I am in your midst as one who serves. Secondly, by His own example, for, having explained that He serves them, He thereby leads them to humility. It was at that time that He is said to have divided the bread and the cup among them. If I, Whom all angelic and rational creation worship, serve among you, then how dare you think much about yourself and argue about primacy? It seems to me that He did not mention this reclining and serving in passing, but to remind them that if you have eaten from the same bread and drunk from the same cup, then the same meal makes you friends and like-minded. Why do you have thoughts unworthy of them? Moreover, I did not do it in such a way that I would serve one and not another, but all of you are the same. Therefore, you too have the same feelings. Perhaps from all this you will understand how the disciples were still imperfect at that time, but later they shone so miraculously. Let the Manichaeans be ashamed, who say that some are by nature incapable of learning, and it is impossible for such to change. Luke 22:28. But you remained with Me in My troubles, Luke 22:29. and I bequeath to you, as My Father bequeathed to Me, a kingdom, Luke 22:30. may you eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, Having said, “Woe” to him who betrays Me, and at the same time teaching them (the disciples) that one should be humble in wisdom, the Lord destined “woe” for the betrayer, but, on the contrary, He says to them: you are the ones who have only been with Me in My temptations; Therefore, I also bequeath reward to you, that is, I agree with you so that, just as My Father bequeathed to Me, that is, assigned Me the Kingdom, you too will eat and drink at My table. He said: “Let you eat and drink,” not because there would be food there and as if His Kingdom was sensual. For in answer to His Sadducees He Himself taught that there is angelic life (Luke 20:36); and Paul teaches that the Kingdom of God is not “food and drink” (Rom. 14:17). Therefore, when hearing the words: “Let you eat and drink at My table,” let no one be tempted, but let him understand that they are spoken in relation to those who are honored by the kings of this world. For those who share the king’s meal are considered superior to everyone else. So the Lord says about the apostles that He will prefer them to everyone. and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Likewise, when you hear about sitting “on thrones,” do not mean thrones, but glory and honor. For none of those created and born will sit there. It is fitting for the One Holy Trinity, the Uncreated One and the King of all to sit, God, but the creature, like a slave, must stand, and then we are talking physically about sitting and standing. “Judge”, that is, condemn those who do not believe from the “twelve tribes”. For the apostles, who themselves are Israelis, nevertheless believed, serve no small condemnation to the disbelieving Israelites. Luke 22:31. And the Lord said: Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan has asked to sow you like wheat, Since He rewarded the traitor with grief, and for them, who remained in love for Him, He predicted high honor in the future, so that they would not become proud, as if they had accomplished something great, that they remained in love for Him and did not betray him, he says: “Satan asked to sow you,” that is, to confuse, spoil, tempt; but “I prayed.” Don’t think, he says, that all this perfection is from yourself. For the devil is straining all his might to tear you away from My love and make you traitors. The Lord addresses this speech to Peter, because he was more daring than others, and was probably proud of the promises of Christ. Therefore, humbling him, the Lord says that Satan was greatly strengthened against them. Luke 22:32. but I prayed for you, He says this according to humanity, for, as God, what need did He have to pray? so that your faith does not fail; I, he says, prayed “so that your faith does not fail.” Although you will waver a little, the seeds of faith will remain in you, and although the spirit of the tempter will shake the leaves, the root lives, and your faith will not fail. and you, having once turned, strengthen your brothers. It is convenient to understand this, namely: since I addressed you first with My word, then, after you have mourned your denial of Me and come to repentance, strengthen others. For this is fitting for you, who first confessed Me as a rock and as the foundation of the Church (Matthew 16:16-18). But these words can be applied not only to the apostles, whom Peter was then to establish, but also to all believers until the end of the age. Peter! You, having turned, will be an excellent example of repentance for everyone, and none of those who believe in Me will despair, looking at you, who, being an apostle, denied and, however, through repentance again received its former importance among all the apostles and among the chosen ones of God from the whole universe. Satan asked to sow you and spoil you like pure wheat, mixing dirt into it, because he, as usual, is jealous of your love for Me. This is what he did with Job. But I did not leave you completely, so that your faith would not become completely lacking. Although I myself prayed for you, do not fall, but by turning, that is, bringing repentance and tears, be an example of repentance and hope for other believers. What about Peter? Luke 22:33. He answered Him: Lord! I am ready to go with You to prison and to death. Relying on strong love, he promises what is still impossible for him. Luke 22:34. But He said: I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you do not know Me. But the Lord, seeing that he speaks rashly (for, having once heard from the self-existent Truth, which told him that he would be subject to temptation, he should not yet have contradicted), announces to him the type of temptation, namely: renunciation. From here we learn the truth that human will is not enough without the help of God. Peter was left for a short time and, apparently, even loved passionately, however, when God left him, he was stopped by the enemy. Likewise, God’s help is not enough without human permission. Judas, although the Lord did everything for his benefit, did not receive any benefit, for he did not have a good will. So, let us tremble at the thought of the wiles of the devil, how powerful they are against the careless. Here too, although Peter was supported by God, however, when he was abandoned for special purposes, he came to the point of renunciation. What would he be subjected to if he were not protected by God and there were no good seeds hidden in him? For the devil’s goal was to bring him to betrayal; for the devil has “luxurious food,” as the prophet says (Hab. 1:16). Thanks be to God, who does not abandon the saints, the righteous and the good-hearted, like Peter, who tenderly loves and is alien to any suspicion regarding the Teacher. Luke 22:35. And he said to them: When I sent you without bag and without scrip and without sandals, did you lack anything? They answered: nothing. The Lord, at the beginning of the sermon, sending his disciples to villages and cities, commanded them not to take unnecessary things, not to carry with them anything even necessary, and not to worry about anything. And in this case they were to know His power. For, Himself caring for them as weak, He arranged it in such a way that even without their care, everything they needed flowed to them in abundance. Luke 22:36. Then He said to them: but now, whoever has a bag, take it, and also the bag; and whoever does not have it, sell his clothes and buy a sword; And now He commands the opposite, without contradicting Himself, but declaring to them that hitherto He looked after them like children and did not force them to care about anything, and from now on they should consider themselves mature and take care of themselves. “I,” he says, “your caring Father, am already leaving.” From now on, take care of your affairs upon yourself, and do not place everything on Me; For your deeds will not be as they were easy or difficult, but you will suffer hunger and thirst and many disasters. This is hinted at with words about a bag, a scrip and a sword. Therefore, be cheerful, since you have to hunger and need food, as hinted at by the “bag,” and courageous, since you will fall into many dangers, as indicated by the “sword.” He says this, of course, not so that they carry swords with them, but so that, as I said, to announce wars and disasters and make them ready for anything. So that descendants do not think that the apostles did not bring anything of themselves for piety, but everything was from God, the Lord says: no, let it not be so. For I do not want to use My disciples as soulless instruments, but I demand that they contribute what they can from themselves. And indeed, you will find that the apostles, and especially Paul, successfully performed many of the human arts (Acts 18:3, 20:34); unless they also lacked the help of God. At the same time, this was also useful for the modesty of the apostles. For if they, without caring about anything themselves, expected everything from God and everything was given to them, then they could become proud, as if they had received as their inheritance something higher than human nature. Moreover, nature would become inactive and would be corrupted if they did not invent anything on their own, but expected everything, as they say, in a ground form. Therefore, the Lord says to them: from now on, carry “bags,” that is, position yourself and take care as those who are about to experience hunger, and buy “swords,” that is, take care of yourself as you would to face dangers and wars. Luke 22:37. For I tell you that this which is written must also be fulfilled in Me: I am numbered with the evildoers. For what is about Me comes to an end. Some understood the purchase of a sword differently. By this, they say, He hints at the attack on Him that will soon take place and that He will be captured by people - murderers. Since before this time they argued with each other about primacy, the Lord says: now is not the time for disputes about primacy, but a time of danger and murder. For Me, your Teacher, will be taken to death, and, moreover, to a dishonorable death. But through this, what was said to Me will be fulfilled: “And I was numbered with the evildoers” (Is. 53:12). So, wanting to point out the robber attack, He mentioned the sword, and did not reveal it at all, so that they would not be embarrassed by some horror, did not remain completely silent, so that they would not be confused in the event of a sudden attack, especially so that, remembering later, they would marvel at His foreknowledge and wonder how He, however, gave Himself up to suffer for the salvation of people, and therefore they themselves did not run away from any diseases for the salvation of some. Luke 22:38. They said: Lord! behold, here are two swords. He said to them: enough. I think that the Lord speaks this way specifically so that they will benefit later, when they remember and understand. Because then they were in such a misunderstanding that they said: “Lord, here are two swords,” and He, seeing that they did not understand, says: “enough,” although it was not enough. For if it were necessary to use human help against those who came in a robber manner, then even a hundred swords would not be enough. If not human, but Divine assistance was needed, then two swords were unnecessary. However, the Lord did not want to accuse them of misunderstanding, but, saying “enough,” he went. This is similar to how we, when, talking with someone, see that he does not understand our words, we say: okay, leave it; although it’s not good, so as not to offend him, we leave it. The Lord did this because he saw that the disciples did not understand what was said. He goes forward and leaves speech, leaving the understanding of what was said to the flow of circumstances, just as He once said: “destroy this church,” and the disciples understood later, after His resurrection (John 2:19-22). Some say that the Lord used the word “enough” to indicate the inconsistency of the words with the circumstances. The disciples said: “behold, there are two swords,” and the Lord, they say, pointing out this incongruity, said: if there are two swords, then this is a lot and enough for us against the crowd that will come against us. Luke 22:39. And going out, he went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. After supper, the Lord does not indulge in inaction, pleasure and sleep, but teaches and prays, giving us a model and example for this. Therefore, woe to those who, after dinner, turn to shameful acts of fornication. Having taught the disciples this, the Lord ascends the Mount of Olives to pray. He liked to do this alone, so he also leaves his students. However, He takes with Him disciples, but not all of them, but only those three who saw His glory on the mountain (Luke 9:28). Luke 22:40. Having arrived at the place, he said to them: Pray so as not to fall into temptation. Luke 22:41. And He Himself went away from them a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, Luke 22:42. saying: Father! Oh, that You would deign to carry this cup past Me! however, not My will, but Yours be done. Since He is in struggle and prays, so that this does not seem a sign of fear, He takes those who have themselves seen His Divine glory and have themselves heard the testimony from heaven, so that, seeing Him in struggle, they consider this a matter of human nature. For to ensure that He was truly Man, He allowed this nature to act in its own way. As a Man, He desires to live and prays for the cup to pass, for man is a lover of life; and through this he overthrows the heresies, according to which He became ghostly man. For if even after such actions (human nature) they found a reason to talk idle talk in this way, then why would they not have punished them if these actions had not happened? So, the desire for the cup to be carried past belongs to human nature, and soon after that the words spoken: however, “not my will, but yours be done” show that we must have the same disposition and also be wise, submit to the will of God and not deviate, even if our nature leads us in the opposite direction. “Not My” human “will, but Yours be done,” and this Yours is not separated from My Divine will. The One Christ, having two natures, had, without a doubt, the will or desires of each nature, Divine and human. So, human nature first wanted to live, for this is characteristic of it, and then, following the Divine will for all people to be saved, the will common to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, it decided to die, and thus one desire became a saving death. Luke 22:43. An angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him. Luke 22:44. And, being in struggle, he prayed more diligently, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. That the prayer was from human nature, which, by assumption, had a passion for life common to all, and not from the Divine, as the damned Arians say, this is evident from the fact that Jesus was in sweat and such struggle that, as the proverb says, drops of blood fell from Him. For those who work hard are usually said to sweat blood, just as those who lament bitterly are said to cry blood. Wanting to show this, namely, that it was not some thin liquid flowing from Him that seemed to be showing for appearances, but large drops of sweat falling, the evangelist used drops of blood to depict reality. Hence it is clear that the nature that exuded sweat and was in struggle was human, and not Divine. For human nature was allowed to experience such states, and it experienced it in order, on the one hand, to show that He was not a ghostly man, and on the other, a hidden goal, in order to heal the timidity common to human nature, having exhausted it in Himself and subordinating it to the will of God. Another may say that the sweat coming out of the body and falling to the ground means that, with the encouragement and strengthening of our nature in Christ, the sources of timidity in us evaporate, turn into drops and fall from us. For if He did not have this in mind, that is, the desire to cure our human timidity, He would not have sweated like that, even though He was very timid and cowardly. “An angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him.” And this is for our consolation, namely: so that we recognize the strengthening power of prayer and, having learned it, turn to it in case of misfortunes. At the same time, the prophecy of Moses, spoken in the great song, is also fulfilled: “and may all the sons of God be strengthened” (Deut. 32:43). Some explained these words in such a way that an Angel appeared to Him, glorified Him and said: Thine, O Lord, is the strength! For You have overcome death and hell and freed the human race. That's true. Luke 22:45. Rising from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping with sadness. Luke 22:46. and said to them: Why are you sleeping? stand up and pray that you will not fall into temptation. He, having found the disciples sleeping, reprimands them and together convinces them to pray in temptations, so as not to be overcome by them. For not to fall into temptation means not to be consumed by temptation, not to fall under its power. Or he simply commands us to pray that our property will be safe and that we will not be exposed to any trouble. For to plunge oneself into temptations means to be courageous and proud. How does Jacob (James 1:2) say: “Count it all joy... when you fall into various temptations”? What is this, aren’t we contradicting ourselves? No, for Jacob did not say: plunge yourself, but when you are exposed, do not lose heart, but have all joy and make the involuntary free. For it would be better if temptations did not come, but when they did come, why grieve madly? Can you show me a place in Scripture where it is literally commanded to pray in order to fall into temptation? But you can't specify. I know that there are two types of temptation and that some people have a duty to pray not to fall into temptation; they mean the temptation that overcomes the soul, for example, the temptation of fornication, the temptation of anger. And we should have all joy when we are exposed to bodily illnesses and temptations. For to the extent that the “outer... man... decays,” the “inner man is renewed” (2 Cor. 4:16). Although I know this, I prefer what is more true and what is closer to the real goal. Luke 22:47. While He was still saying this, a crowd appeared, and ahead of them walked one of the twelve, called Judas, and he came to Jesus to kiss Him. For he gave them this sign: Whomever I kiss, He is the one. Judas signaled a kiss to those approaching Jesus, but so that they would not be mistaken because of the night, he did not indicate from afar. So that Jesus does not hide, for this purpose they come with lanterns and lamps. What about the Lord? Luke 22:48. Jesus said to him: Judas! Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? He allows you to approach Him with this enemy kiss. And the thunder arrows did not wake up in the ungrateful and treacherous! Thus, the Savior teaches us kindness in such circumstances. He only says reproachfully: “Judas! Do you betray with a kiss? Aren't you ashamed of the very sight of betrayal? Why do you mix betrayal, the enemy’s work, with a friendly kiss? And who are you betraying? “Son of Man,” that is, humble, meek, condescending, becoming human for your sake, and, moreover, the true God. He says this because until recently he was in love with him. Therefore, he did not offend him, did not call him inhuman and extremely ungrateful, but called him by his own name: “Judas.” And he would not reproach him if this did not serve to improve him, if he so desired. For He did this and, apparently, reproached him so that Judas would not think that He would hide, but so that, at least now, having recognized Him as the Master, as the Omniscient, He would fall to Him and repent. The Lord knew that Judas was incorrigible, however, he did His own, just as His Father did in the Old Testament; He knew that the Jews would not listen, however, he sent prophets. And at the same time he teaches us this very thing, namely: so that we are not offended when those who fall are not corrected. Luke 22:49. Those who were with Him, seeing where things were going, said to Him: Lord! Shouldn't we strike with a sword? Luke 22:50. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. The disciples are inflamed with jealousy and draw their swords. Where did they get them from? It was natural for them to have them, since they had previously killed the lamb and left the table. But the hot-tempered Peter receives a reproach because he used jealousy contrary to the Lord’s intention. While others ask “shouldn’t we strike,” he does not expect approval (as everywhere he was ardent for the Teacher!), but strikes “the servant of the high priest” and cuts off his “right ear.” This did not happen by chance, but as a sign that the high priests of that time had all become slaves and lost their correct hearing. For if they had listened to Moses, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (John 5:46). Luke 22:51. Then Jesus said: Leave it, enough. And touching his ear, he healed him. Jesus puts in his ear; for it becomes the great power of the Word to heal the disobedient and to give them an ear to hear. Jesus performs a miracle in order to show His kindness by this visible miracle above the ear and, at least by a miracle, to lead them to the idea of ​​​​restraining themselves from rage. Luke 22:52. Jesus said to the chief priests and rulers of the church and the elders who had gathered against Him, “As if you had come out against a thief with swords and staves to take Me?” Luke 22:53. Every day I was with you in the church, and you did not raise your hands against Me, but now is your time and the power of darkness. He speaks to “the high priests and rulers of the church,” that is, the stewards appointed to satisfy the demands of the priests; or he calls those who were entrusted with the construction and decoration of the church as bosses. He says to them: I taught every day in the church, and you did not want to take Me, but now you have come as against a robber. However, you are truly undertaking the works of the night, and your power is the power of darkness. Therefore, you have definitely chosen a time that is suitable for both you and the business you are undertaking. Luke 22:54. They took Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed from afar. Luke 22:55. When they had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down between them. Luke 22:56. One maid, seeing him sitting by the fire and looking closely at him, said: “This one was with Him too.” Luke 22:57. But he denied Him, saying to the woman: I do not know Him. Luke 22:58. Soon after, another, seeing him, said: “You too are one of them.” But Peter said to the man: No! Luke 22:59. About an hour passed, and someone else insistently said: Surely this one was with Him, for he was a Galilean. Luke 22:60. But Peter said to the man, “I don’t know what you are saying.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. Luke 22:61. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said to him: before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. Peter, according to Christ’s prediction, turned out to be weak and denied the Lord Christ not once, but three times, and denied with an oath, for Matthew says: “Then he began to swear and swear that he did not know this Man” (Matthew 26:74). Perhaps such timidity took possession of him, and he was left for some time for his boldness, as if to teach him so that he would be lenient towards others. For he was very bold, and if he had not been humbled by this circumstance, he would have acted in many ways autocratically and without condescension. But then he fell into such horror that he would not have felt the fall if the Lord had not turned and looked at him. O goodness! He himself is under condemnation, but cares about the salvation of the student. And fair enough. For He endured the very condemnation for the salvation of man. First the disciple denied, then the rooster crowed. He again denied, even up to three times, and the rooster crowed again another time. Mark describes this precisely and in detail (Mark 14:66–72) and conveys this as having learned it from Peter, for he was his disciple. And Luke, since Mark said this, spoke briefly, without going into details. And Luke's words do not contradict what Mark said. For the rooster has a custom of crowing two or three times for each meal. So, Peter was brought into such oblivion by human weakness that he did not come to his senses even at the crowing of the rooster, but even after the rooster crowed, he denied it again, and again, until the benign glance of Jesus brought him to his memory. Luke 22:62. And, going out, he wept bitterly. Mark says that Peter came out even after the first denial (Mark 14:68). Then it was natural for him to enter again, so as not to give rise to greater suspicion that he was Jesus’. When he came to his senses again, he came out and cried bitterly. And in order not to be noticed by those in the yard, he goes out secretly from them. Some, I don’t know why, put up an insane defense in favor of Peter, boldly saying that Peter did not deny, but said: I do not know this “man,” that is, I know not as a simple man, but as God made Man. Let's leave this crazy argument to others. For they represent the Lord as false, contradict the connection of the Gospel speech, and cannot in any way agree on the order of the narrative. And why should Peter cry if he did not renounce? Luke 22:63. The people holding Jesus mocked Him and beat Him; Luke 22:64. and, covering Him, they struck Him in the face and asked Him: Prophesy, who struck You? Luke 22:65. And many other blasphemies were uttered against Him. Those who did this to Jesus were some scolders and unbridled people; for it was necessary that the devil should not abandon a single form of malice, but pour out all of it, so that our nature, being holy in everything, would defeat and trample upon him. Since the Lord took our nature for this purpose in order to strengthen it against all the tricks of the devil and to show that initially Adam would not have been defeated if he had been alert, therefore, when all types of the devil’s malice are poured out on Him, He endures so that we subsequently take courage, knowing that our nature has won in Christ, and not be timid before anything that is apparently offensive and bitter. Therefore He endures ridicule and beatings and, being the Lord of the prophets, is ridiculed as a false prophet. For the words: “prophesy” to us, “he who struck You,” refer to him in order to ridicule Him as a deceiver, arrogating to Himself the gift of prophecy. Luke 22:66. And when the day came, Drunken servants ridiculed and slandered Jesus Christ at night. the elders of the people, the chief priests and the scribes gathered together and brought Him into their Sanhedrin Luke 22:67. and they said: Are you the Christ? tell us. And during the day the elders and honorable people ask: Is this the Christ? He told them; if I tell you, you won’t believe it; Knowing their thoughts and the fact that, if they do not believe deeds, which can convince more powerfully, they will certainly not believe words, He says: “Even if I tell you, you will not believe.” For if you believed My words, what need would there be for a real meeting? Luke 22:68. even if I ask you, you will not answer Me and will not let Me go, “If I ask, you won’t answer.” For they often remained silent when asked questions, for example, about the baptism of John (Mark 11:30, 33), about the words: “The Lord said to my Lord” (Matthew 22:44–46), about the bowed woman (Luke 13:11–17). When did you listen to Me and believe? When did you not remain silent when asked a question? Therefore, I will only say that from now on it is not the time to tell you and explain who I am (for if you wished, you would have known Me from the signs I performed), but from now on it is the time of condemnation. Luke 22:69. from now on the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God. You will see Me, the Son of Man, sitting “at the right hand of the power of God.” Luke 22:70. And they all said: So, are you the Son of God? He answered them: you say that I am. Luke 22:71. They said: What more evidence do we need? for we ourselves have heard from His mouth. At this, one should be afraid, but after such words they became even more furious and frantically asked: “So, are you the Son of God?” He, with moderation and pointing out the incongruity of their question, answers them: “You say that I am,” for He despised their rage and spoke to them undaunted. Hence it is clear that the stubborn do not receive any benefit from the fact that secrets are revealed to them, but receive much greater condemnation. Therefore, it must be hidden from such people, for this is a more humane matter.