Беседа 31

“As He was telling them this, a certain ruler came up to Him and, bowing to Him, said: My daughter is now dying; but come, lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” (Matthew 9:18) Exposition 9:18–26. Request from the head of the synagogue for the healing of his daughter. - Why did the bleeding woman secretly approach Christ, and why did He discover her? - The superiority of the bleeding one over the ruler of the synagogue. – Christ teaches not to be afraid of death. – The truth of the resurrections performed by Christ is confirmed by previous and subsequent circumstances. – Belief in the resurrection and future blessed life prohibits crying for the dead. – Crying for the dead comes from perverted love for them. – Death frees you from earthly disasters. 1. The words were followed by deeds, in order to stop the mouths of the Pharisees all the more. The one who came to Christ was the ruler of the synagogue, and his grief was the most severe: he had only one daughter, who was twelve years old and in the prime of her life. That is why Christ especially immediately resurrected her. If the Evangelist Luke says that some from the house of the ruler of the synagogue came and said to him: “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher” (Luke 8:49), then we must say that the leader of the synagogue called his daughter dead, either judging by the length of the journey, or wanting to increase his misfortune. Indeed, people who ask for help tend to enlarge and present their actions in a larger form, in order to more conveniently win over the mercy of those whom they ask. Note the rudeness of the synagogue leader. He offers Christ two requests - that he come and that he lay his hand. This showed that he left his daughter still breathing. Naaman the Syrian also demanded the same from the prophet: “He said,” says the latter, “... that he will come out... and he will lay on his hand” (2 Kings 5:11). Thus, rude people have a need for vision and sensual things. Evangelist Mark (Mark 5:37) says that Christ took three disciples with Him, as did Luke (Luke 8:51), but Matthew does not determine their number. Why didn’t the Lord take Matthew with him, who had just joined Him? In order to arouse the strongest desire in him, and because he was still imperfect. Christ prefers some to others so that the latter try to be like the former. For Matthew it was enough that he saw the healing of a bleeding woman, and was honored to be at the same table with Christ and have fellowship in food. When Jesus stood up, many followed Him, both in order to look at the great miracle, and because of the personal dignity of the one who came to Jesus, and also because, in their rudeness, they were not so much looking for the correction of souls as the healing of the body. Thus, many people flocked - some, being forced by their ailments, others - by the desire to see the healing of others; but very few came to hear the words and the teaching. However, the Lord did not allow them to enter the house, but took only disciples, and even then not all of them, teaching us everywhere to avoid human glory. “And behold, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the hem of His garment, for she said to herself: If I only touch His garment, I will be made well” (Matthew 9:20–21). Why didn’t she approach it boldly? Because she was ashamed of her illness and considered herself unclean. If a woman was considered unclean during her monthly purification, then even more so could she consider herself unclean if she suffered from such a disease. This disease, according to the law, was considered very unclean. That is why the bleeding one hides and lurks. Moreover, she did not yet have a proper and perfect concept of Jesus; otherwise she would not have thought that she could hide from Him. This wife is the first to come to Jesus Christ in front of the people, because she heard that He heals women too, and now she goes to the dead girl. She did not dare to call Christ into her home, although she was rich; she did not even dare to openly approach Him, but secretly with faith touched His clothes; she did not doubt and did not say to herself: will I be healed of the disease or not? but she began with the firm confidence that she would receive healing. “For she said,” says the evangelist, “to herself: if I only touch His clothes, I will be healed.” She saw from which house He came out - from the tax collector's house, and who followed Him - sinners and tax collectors; and all this produced good hope in her. What about Christ? He did not want it to remain unknown, but he opened it and discovered it for many reasons. Some crazy people say that Jesus Christ did it for the love of fame. Why, they say, did Christ not leave her in obscurity? What are you saying, you wicked and lawless one? Does He really love glory, Who forbids others to speak, and Himself does not mention His countless miracles? So, why does He reveal the bleeding? First, He frees her from fear, so that she, pricked by her conscience as a thief of a gift, does not spend her life in torment. Secondly, he corrects her because she was thinking of hiding. Thirdly, she reveals her faith to everyone, so that others can compete with her. And to show that He knows everything is as great a miracle as stopping the flow of blood. Finally, the leader of the synagogue, who could easily have lost his faith, and with it everything, is corrected by the example of his wife. Indeed, those who came said: “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher,” and those in the house laughed at Jesus when He said that the girl was sleeping; Naturally, the father himself could waver in his faith. 2. To warn the girl’s father against such weakness, Christ discovers his wife. And that the father of the young woman was one of the rudest people, listen to what Christ says to him: “Do not be afraid, only believe, and you will be saved” (Luke 8:50). The Savior deliberately hesitates, and comes to the house when the girl has already died, in order to clearly show that He has resurrected her. For this reason, He walks slowly and talks a lot with the woman, in order to give time to the young woman to die, and for those who announced her death to come and said: “Do not trouble the Teacher.” The evangelist also points to this, saying: “While He was still saying this,” some came from the house (of the ruler of the synagogue), saying: “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher” (Luke 8:49). Christ wanted them to be convinced of the death of the young woman, so that later they could not doubt her resurrection. This is what He does in all cases. So he comes to Lazarus three days after his death. These are the reasons why He discovers his wife and says to her: “Be of good cheer, daughter!” ; just as he said to the paralytic: “Be brave, child!” (Matthew 9:2). The woman was overcome with fear; That’s why He says, “Be of good cheer,” and calls her daughter, because faith made her daughter. Then in praise of her he says: “Your faith has saved you” (Matthew 9:22). Evangelist Luke tells us a lot about this woman. When she approached, he says, and received healing, Christ did not immediately call her, but first said: “Who touched Me” (Luke 8:45)? Then, when Peter and those with him said: “Mentor! the people surround you and crowd you in, and you say: who touched me? - (which served as undoubted proof that Jesus was clothed with true flesh and trampled upon all pride: the people did not follow Him at a distance, but surrounded Him from everywhere), - the Lord again persistently repeated: “Someone touched Me, for I felt the power that came from Me” (Luke 8:46), - adapting His answer to the crude concepts of His listeners. He said this in order to force the woman to voluntarily confess to his act. It was with the intention that He did not immediately expose her, so that, by showing that he knew everything, he would convince her to voluntarily tell everything, and force her to announce what had happened, and so as not to appear suspicious if He Himself began to talk about it. Do you see the superiority of a wife over the ruler of the synagogue? She did not restrain, did not stop Christ, but with the edges of her finger she touched only His clothes; and, having come last, the first left with healing. The head of the synagogue brought the Doctor himself into his house; but for this one, just one touch was enough. Although she was bound by the bonds of illness, faith inspired her. Look how the Savior consoles her: “Your faith,” He says, “has saved you.” If he had discovered it out of ambition, he would not have added these words. But He says this in order to teach faith to the ruler of the synagogue, and to praise his wife, as well as to give her joy and benefit no less than bodily health. And that Christ acted in this way not in order to glorify Himself, but in order to glorify his wife and correct others, this is also evident from the fact that He could equally have been glorious without this miracle (because His miracles surpassed in their multitude the very drops of rain, and also because He created and intended to perform miracles much more glorious than the present), meanwhile the wife, if Christ had not discovered her, would have remained unknown and deprived of great praise. That is why the Lord discovered her, praised her, freed her from fear (she, they say, approached with trepidation), encouraged her and, giving her bodily health, admonished her with the desire for other blessings, saying: “Go in peace.” “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the people in confusion, he said to them, “Come out, for the maid is not dead, but sleeps.” And they laughed at Him” (Matthew 9:23–24). The leaders of the synagogue distinguished themselves well: pipes and cymbals arouse their lament for the dead! What about Christ? He expelled everyone except the parents, and even these he left only so that they would not say that it was not He, but someone else who resurrected the girl. And before he resurrects her, he awakens her with a word, saying: “The maiden is not dead, but asleep.” He did the same on many other occasions. And just as at sea He first reproaches His disciples, so here too He first frees those present from the thoughts that troubled them, and at the same time shows that it is easy for Him to resurrect the dead (as He did at the resurrection of Lazarus, saying: “Lazarus our friend fell asleep” (John 11:11) - and at the same time teaches not to be afraid of death, because death is no longer death, but has become a dream. Since He Himself had to die, then, by resurrecting others, He prepares His disciples in advance for courage and calm enduring of death, since after His coming, death became a dream. Those in the house laughed at Him; but He was not offended by the fact that they did not believe the miracle that He intended to soon perform, and He did not reproach those who were laughing, so that the laughter itself, and the pipes, and the cymbals, and everything else would testify to the death of the maiden. 3. Since people often do not believe miracles that have already happened, the Lord protects them in advance from such unbelief with their own answers. This is what happened at the resurrection of Lazarus; so it was with Moses. God says to Moses: “What is this in your hand” (Ex. 4:2)? - so that, having seen the serpent made from a rod, he would not forget that before there was a rod in his hand, but, remembering his answer, would be surprised at the miracle. And at the resurrection of Lazarus, the Lord asks: “Where did you lay him” (John 11:34)? - so that those who answered: “Come and see,” also: “It already stinks; for four days since he was in the tomb” (John 11:39), they could no longer help but believe that He had raised the dead. So, seeing the cymbals and the multitude of people, Christ sent everyone out of the house, and in the presence of his parents he performed a miracle, not putting another soul into the deceased, but returning the same one that came out of her, and as if awakening the young woman from sleep. To further assure the audience, he takes her hand, thereby paving the way for faith in the resurrection. The Father said to Him: lay your hand; but He does more: He does not lay His hand, but, taking the deceased by the hand, He resurrects her, showing that everything is easy for Him to do, and not only resurrects, but also orders to give her food, so that the miracle He performed would not be considered a deception. And He Himself does not give her food, but commands the parents; just as he says about Lazarus: “Untie him, let him go” (John 11:44) and after that makes him a partner in the meal. Thus (Christ) always had the habit of presenting undoubted evidence of both death and resurrection. But pay attention not only to the resurrection, but also to the fact that Christ commanded not to tell anyone about it, and from here, first of all, learn to be humble and not to be vain, and then notice that He sent all those who were crying out of the house, and recognized them as unworthy to see such a great miracle. And do not be like the flute players whom the Lord drove out of the house; but be like Peter, John and James. If then the Savior sent those who mourned out, then even more so now, since then it was still unknown that death is a dream, but now this truth is clearer than the sun itself. But the Lord does not resurrect your daughter now? But He will undoubtedly resurrect her and, moreover, with greater glory. In fact, she, having risen from the dead, died again; and your daughter, when she rises, will already be immortal. So, no one should cry anymore, no one should grieve and reproach the work of Christ. Truly He conquered death. Why are you crying in vain? Death is already nothing more than a dream. Why do you mourn and weep? If the Hellenes act this way, then they too are worthy of ridicule. When a believer is faint-hearted in such cases, how can he justify himself? How can those who act so recklessly receive forgiveness, despite the fact that so much time has passed since the coming of Christ, and the resurrection of the dead has become certain? But you, as if trying to increase your condemnation, present us with the weeping Hellenic women, intensifying the weeping and igniting the furnace, and do not heed the words of the Apostle Paul: “What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the partnership of the faithful with the unfaithful” (2 Cor. 6:15)? Even the Hellenic sages, although they do not know anything about the resurrection, nevertheless find consolation for themselves, saying: bear it courageously, what happened cannot be changed and corrected by crying. And you, listening to the highest and most edifying truths, are not ashamed to be more cowardly than they are? We do not tell you: bear it bravely, because what happened cannot be changed; but we say: endure it courageously, because it is certain that the dead will be resurrected. Your child sleeps, but is not dead; rests, not perishes; it will be resurrected and receive eternal life, immortality and the angelic lot. Or don’t you hear what the Psalmist says: “Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has prospered you” (Ps. 115:7)? God calls death a blessing, but you complain. What more would you do if you were the opponent and enemy of the deceased? If anyone should cry, then let the devil cry; let him mourn and weep because we are coming to receive the highest blessings. Such weeping is worthy of his anger, but it is not proper for you, who must be crowned and calm. Verily, death is a quiet haven. Look how many disasters real life is filled with; think how many times you yourself cursed her. Our life, the longer it goes on, the more painful it becomes. You are already at the very beginning condemned to great sorrows, because it is said: “In illness you will give birth to children”; and again: “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread” (Gen. 3:16,19); also: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). But nothing similar is said about the future life; quite the opposite, it is said about it: “Sorrow and sighing will be removed” (Is. 35:10); and again: “They will come from the east and west and lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Matthew 8:11). There is a spiritual palace, bright lamps and heavenly life. 4. So, why do you shame the dead? Why do you make others fear and tremble at death? Why do you encourage many to accuse God, as if He had prepared great disasters for us? Or, even more, why do you, after the death of one of your relatives, call the poor and ask the priests to pray for him? In order, you say, so that the deceased receives peace, so that the Judge is merciful to him. So, is this what you cry and weep about? But you contradict yourself. Because he has retired to the harbour, you are exposing yourself to the storm. But what to do? - you will say: such is our nature. No, don’t blame nature, and don’t consider your tears necessary. We ourselves transform everything, we ourselves indulge in weaknesses, we humiliate ourselves and make the infidels worse. In fact, how can we tell another about immortality, how can we assure a pagan of this, when we ourselves are more afraid of him and trembling at death? Many of the Hellenes, despite the fact that they had no concept of immortality, after the death of their children, decorated themselves with crowns and put on white clothes in order to acquire real glory; and you, even for future glory, do not stop becoming like women and crying. But you have no heir, no one to give your estate to? But what would you wish for better: to have your son be the heir of your estate, or to be the heir of heavenly blessings? What would you want more: for him to receive perishable treasures as an inheritance, which he will soon have to leave behind, or for him to acquire eternal and imperishable blessings? You are not allowed to have him as your heir, but God made him His heir instead of you. He has no share in the heritage of his brothers; but he became a joint heir with Christ. To whom, you say, will we leave clothes, houses, slaves and fields? To him, and moreover, with greater security than during his lifetime; there are no obstacles to this. In fact, if barbarians burn their property along with the dead, then all the more should you send away the property belonging to him along with the deceased, not so that it becomes dust, like those of them, but so that the deceased is clothed with greater glory, so that if he departed from here a sinner, it would absolve him from his sins, if he became righteous, his reward and reward would increase. But do you want to see him? Live like him, and you will soon achieve that sacred vision. In addition, you must also think about the fact that if you do not believe us, then time itself will certainly assure you of this; but then there will be no reward for you, because consolation will come from the abundance of time. If you now become wise, you will receive two greatest benefits: you will free yourself from the midst of evil, and you will be crowned with the brightest crown from God, since the generous enduring of misfortunes is much more important than alms and other virtues. Imagine that the Son of God himself died, and for you, too, and you die for yourself. Although He said: “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:39), although he grieved and was horrified, he did not want to avoid death, but faced it with much suffering and heroism. He not only suffered death, but suffered the most blasphemous death; and even before death he was subjected to scourging, and before scourging - reproach, reproach and slander, teaching you to endure everything courageously. However, having died and laid aside his body, He again received it with greater glory, thereby giving you good hopes. If all this is not a fable, then do not cry; If you recognize all this as true, then do not shed tears; if you yourself cry, then how can you assure the Hellenes that you believe it? 5. But despite these beliefs, you still cannot bear your grief? But that is why you should not cry for the deceased, because he was freed from many such misfortunes. So, don't envy him. Indeed, asking for death for oneself, due to his untimely death, and crying that he did not live longer to endure many such sorrows is characteristic of the more envious. Think not that he will never return to your house, but that you yourself will soon move to him; Do not think that the deceased will not return here, but that everything we see will not always remain the same, but will take on a different form. And the sky, and the earth, and the sea, everything will change; and then you will receive your son with greater glory! And if he left here a sinner, then through death the opportunity to continue his evil was taken away from him; after all, if God had seen that he would change his way of life, he would not have delighted him before repentance. If he died a righteous man, then he acquired benefits that he will never lose. From this it is clear that your tears do not come from strong love, but from reckless passion. If you love the deceased, then you should rejoice and be glad that he was freed from real evils. Tell me: what happened in the world that was special, unusual and new that had not happened before? Don't you see the same changes repeating every day? Day follows night, night follows day; after winter comes summer, after summer comes winter, and nothing more; These changes are always the same - only disasters increase and arise again. So, do you really want your son to constantly experience these disasters - so that, while staying here, he would be exposed to illness, sorrow, fear, trembling and - endure some disasters, and fear others? You, after all, cannot say that, sailing on this vast sea, he could be free from sorrows, worries and other similar disasters. In addition, think about the fact that you did not give birth to him immortal, and that if he had not died now, he would have suffered this fate a little later. But you haven't had time to enjoy it yet? You will enjoy it completely in your future life. But do you want to see him here too? What's stopping you? You can see it here too if you are awake, because the hope of future blessings is brighter than sight itself. If your son were in the royal palace, you would not demand him from there to look at him, hearing that he is there in honor; and now, seeing that he has left to receive much better benefits, you cannot indifferently endure a short separation, and, moreover, having a husband in his place. But you don't have a husband? But you have consolation in the Father of the orphans and the Judge of widows. Listen to how Paul respects such widowhood, saying: “The true widow and the lonely one trusts in God” (1 Tim. 5:5). Truly, the more such a widow shows patience, the more she is glorified. So, do not weep for what you can receive a crown for, for which you can claim a reward; you gave the deposit, but returned what was entrusted to you. Do not worry anymore, giving your acquisitions to the treasury, from which they cannot steal it. If you know what the present life is like and what the future life is like, and that the blessings of the present life are a web and a shadow, and the blessings of the future are imperishable and endless, then you will no longer require other convictions. Now your son is freed from all change; and if he were here, perhaps he would be kind, or perhaps not. Don't you see how many people deny their children? How many are forced to keep in their homes children who are worse than the most outcast? So, imagining all this in our minds, let us philosophize; By doing this, we will please the deceased, and we will earn many praises from people, and we will receive great rewards from God for patience, and we will achieve eternal blessings, which may we all be worthy of through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: