Беседа 5

Matt. 1:22–23. And all this happened, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying: Behold, a virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel. Listening to a sermon is beneficial when what you hear is remembered and discussed at home. - The meaning of the expression: this all happened. – Why does the angel remind Joseph of Isaiah’s prophecy? – Why is Christ called Emmanuel? – The Jewish objection to the virginity of Mary is refuted by the translation of the 70, just as it has no support in other translations. – Mary remained a virgin even after her birth. – The example of Christ’s brothers according to the flesh shows that kinship with a righteous man is of no benefit if there is no virtue of one’s own. – The prayers of the righteous cannot save those who themselves are negligent about salvation. – Alms given from unjustly acquired property appeases God. – Crime and harm of usury. 1. Many, as I hear, say: when we are here (in church) and take what we hear to heart, then we come to our senses, but as soon as we leave here, we become different again, and the fire of jealousy in us goes out. What can we do to prevent this from happening? Let's see why this happens. So, why does such a change happen to us? Because we do things we shouldn’t and spend time with thin people. After leaving the church, we should not undertake matters that are indecent to the church; but, having come home, it would be necessary to immediately take the book, and, together with my wife and children, bring to memory what was said; then proceed to the affairs of everyday life. If, after leaving the bathhouse, you prefer not to go to the market, so as not to lose the benefits of the bathhouse in the hassle there, then even more so you should do the same after leaving the church. But we do the opposite and as a result we lose everything. What was useful in what was said has not yet been completely established in us, as a strong stream of everyday affairs, rushing towards us, takes everything with it and leaves emptiness. So, to prevent this from happening, when you leave church, consider it the most important thing for yourself to remember what was said to you. And it would be too unreasonable to spend five or six days on everyday affairs, but not even one day or even a small part of a day on spiritual affairs. Don't you see how our children spend the whole day studying the lessons they are given? We will do the same. Otherwise, there will be no benefit for us to come here, because, without taking the same care to observe what is said to us, which we show in saving gold and silver, we will draw into a broken vessel every day. The one who acquires several denarii hides them in a bag and puts a seal on them; and we, having accepted a teaching that is more valuable than gold and expensive stones, having acquired the treasures of the Spirit, do not hide them in the repository of the soul and with extreme carelessness allow them to flow out of our heart. After this, who will feel sorry for us when we harm ourselves and plunge ourselves into such poverty? So, in order to avoid this, both for ourselves and for our wives and children, let us make it an indispensable law - this one day a week is to be devoted entirely to listening and remembering what we have heard. In this case, we will come here with greater readiness to accept what is said. And there will be less work for us, and more benefit for you, when you begin to listen to what follows, keeping in mind what was said before. This will greatly contribute to the understanding of what is being said - if you are well aware of the order of thoughts that we offer you in connection. Since it is impossible to say everything in one day, then try to keep in memory what is offered to you on different days, make up from it, as it were, one chain, and surround your soul with it, so that in this way a whole body of Scripture comes out. Therefore, now, remembering what was said recently, let’s get down to what we should talk about. 2. But what should we talk about now? “And all this happened, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet who spoke might be fulfilled.” Worthy of a miracle and worthy of himself, the angel exclaimed, saying: “And all this happened.” He saw the sea and the abyss of God’s love for mankind; I saw in reality something that could never have been expected to come true; I saw how the laws of nature were violated, reconciliation was accomplished, - The highest of all descends to the one who is the most insignificant, the mediastinum collapses, barriers are abolished; I saw even more than that - and in a few words he expressed the miracle: “And all this happened, that what was spoken by the Lord might be fulfilled.” Don’t think, he says, that this has just been determined; this was preformed in ancient times, as Paul tried to show everywhere. Then (the angel) sends Joseph to Isaiah, so that, having awakened, even if he forgets his words, as if they were completely new, having been nourished by the Scriptures, he would remember the words of the prophets, and along with them he would bring to memory his words. He did not tell this to his wife, because she, as a young woman, was still inexperienced; but offers a prophecy to her husband, as a righteous man who delved into the writings of the prophets. And first he says to Joseph: “Mary, your wife”; and now, citing the words of the prophet, she entrusts him with the secret that she is a Virgin. Joseph would not have calmed down his thoughts so quickly, hearing from the angel that she was a Virgin, if he had not first heard it from Isaiah; from the prophet he should have heard this not as something strange, but as something known and something that had occupied him for a long time. That is why the angel, so that his words could be more conveniently accepted, cites the prophecy of Isaiah; and does not stop there, but raises the prophecy to God, saying that these are not the words of a prophet, but of the God of all. That is why he did not say, “Let what was spoken by Isaiah be fulfilled,” but he said, “Let what was spoken by the Lord be fulfilled.” The mouth was Isaiah, but the prophecy was given from above. What kind of prophecy is this? “Behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Why, you say, was His name called not Emmanuel, but Jesus Christ? Because it does not say “you will name”, but “they will name”, i.e. peoples and the event itself. Here the name is borrowed from an incident, as is typical of Scripture - to use incidents instead of names. So, the words: “they will call Immanuel” mean nothing more than that they will see God with people. Although God has always been with people, he has never been so clearly. If the Jews shamelessly persist, then let us ask them which baby is named: “Mager-shelal-hash-baz” (“soon captured, brazenly plundered”)? They can't say anything to this. How did the prophet say: “Name his name: Mager-shelal-hash-baz” (Is. 8:3)? Since after His birth it happened that the spoils were taken and divided, the very incident that happened to him is given to him instead of a name. In the same way, the prophet says about the city that it will be called “the city of righteousness, the faithful capital” (“city of righteousness, mother of cities, faithful Zion”) (Is. 1:26); and, however, nowhere is it visible that this city was called “truth”; it continued to be called Jerusalem. But since Jerusalem really became such when it corrected itself, the prophet said that it would be called that. Thus, if any incident shows more clearly than the name itself who committed it or took advantage of it, then Scripture imputes the reality of the event to him in the name. If the Jews, having been refuted in this, find another objection to what was said about virginity, and present us with other translators, saying: they translated not “virgin”, but “young woman” (νεανις), then we will tell them in advance that seventy interpreters, in fairness, deserve greater credibility than all others. They translated after the coming of Christ, remaining Jews; and therefore one can rightly suspect that they said this more out of enmity, and with the intention of obscured the prophecy. The seventy who, a hundred years before the coming of Christ, or even more, undertook this work, and, moreover, in such a large company, are free from any such suspicion; They, both in time, and in number, and by mutual agreement, are predominantly worthy of belief. 3. But if the Jews bring the testimony of those translators, then even then victory is on our side. In Scripture, the name of youth (νεανιονητος) is often used instead of virginity not only about women, but also about men. “Young men,” it says, “and maidens, old men and youths” (Ps. 149:12). And again, speaking about a virgin who was subjected to violence, he says: if the “youth” (νεανις), that is, the virgin (Deut. 22:27), cries out. The same meaning is confirmed by the previous words of the prophet. In fact, the prophet does not simply say: “Behold, the Virgin will receive with child”; but, having said in advance: “So the Lord Himself will give you a sign” (Is. 7:14), then he added: “Behold, the Virgin will receive with child.” If it were not for the virgin to give birth, but for the birth to take place according to the law of marriage, then how could such an incident be a sign? The sign must go out of the ordinary order, be something strange and extraordinary. Otherwise, how will it be a sign? “Rising from sleep, Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him” (Matthew 1:24). Do you see obedience and a submissive mind? Do you see a decisive person who is straightforward in everything? When he suspected the Virgin of something unpleasant and indecent, he did not want to keep her with him. When he freed himself from such suspicion, he not only did not want to send her away, but kept her and became a servant of the incarnation. “And he took,” says Scripture, “his wife.” Do you see how often the evangelist uses this name, not wanting to reveal the secret of virginity until the right time, in order to eliminate any evil suspicion? Having accepted her, “and he knew her not” until (or until, until) “at last she gave birth to her firstborn Son” (Matthew 1:25). Here the evangelist used the words “until” 4; but do not suspect that Joseph later knew her. The Evangelist only lets us know that the Virgin was completely inviolable before her birth. Why, they will say, did he use the word “yet”? Because this is often done in Scripture. This word does not mean a specific time. So it is said about the ark: “He sent out a raven, which flew out and flew back and forth until the earth was dried up from water” (Gen. 8:7, 14), although he did not return afterwards. Also about God, Scripture says: “You are our refuge for generations and generations” (Ps. 89:2), but it does not set limits to this. And again, when, preaching the gospel, he says: “In his days the righteous will prosper, and there will be an abundance of peace until the moon ceases” (Ps. 71:7), this does not mean the end for this beautiful luminary. So here, too, the evangelist used the words “until” as evidence of what happened before birth. What happened after birth is left to you to judge for yourself. What you needed to know from him, he said, that is, that the Virgin was inviolable before birth. And what is self-evident from what has been said, as a true consequence, is left to your own reflection, that is, that such a righteous man (like Joseph) did not want to know the Virgin after she so miraculously became a mother and was honored both to give birth in an unheard-of way and to produce an extraordinary fruit. And if he knew her and really had her as a wife, then why would Jesus Christ entrust her to his disciple as a husbandless woman who has no one, and order him to take her to himself? But they will say: how are James and others called brothers of Jesus Christ? Just like Joseph himself, he was revered as the husband of Mary. The birth of Christ was hidden for the time being by many veils. That is why John also called them (brothers), saying: “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5). However, those who had previously disbelieved became worthy of wonder and glory. Thus, when Paul arrived in Jerusalem to discuss the faith, he immediately appeared to James, who was so respected that he was the first to be appointed bishop. They also say that he led such a strictly ascetic life that all his limbs became dead, that from continuous prayer and incessant prostrations his forehead hardened to such an extent that it was no different in rigidity from the knees of a camel. He also admonishes Paul, who later came to Jerusalem again, saying: “Do you see, brother, how many thousands of people gathered” (Acts 21:20)? So great was his prudence and zeal, or better yet: so great was the power of Christ! In fact, those who reviled Christ during His earthly life, after His death, became so jealous of Him that they were completely ready to even die for Him - which especially shows the power of the resurrection. For this purpose the most glorious thing was kept to the end, so that the proof would be beyond doubt. If those whom we marvel at during life are forgotten after death, then how did those who blasphemed Christ during his lifetime recognize Him as God afterward, if He was an ordinary person? How would they have decided to go to death for Him if they had not had clear proof of the resurrection? 4. I am talking about this not so that you only hear, but so that you can imitate courage, boldness and every virtue; so that no one despairs of himself, although he was previously lazy, and so that, after the mercy of God, he hopes for nothing else but his own virtue. If the relatives of Christ, who lived with Christ in the same house and fatherland, did not receive any benefit from this until they showed virtue in themselves, then how can we receive forgiveness if, representing our relatives and brothers as intercessors for the righteous, we ourselves are not good-natured and confirmed in virtue? The prophet indicates this when he says: “A brother will not deliver, will a man deliver” (Ps. 48:8), even if it was Moses, or Samuel, or Jeremiah? Listen to what God says to Jeremiah: “Do not ask for this people and do not offer prayers for them,” because I will not listen to you (Jer. 11:14). And why are you surprised if I don’t listen to you? Even if Moses and Samuel himself had appeared, I would not have accepted their petition for these people. Although Ezekiel will begin to pray, he will hear that if Noah, Job and Daniel appear, then their sons and daughters will not be delivered (Ezekiel 14:14, 18). Although Patriarch Abraham will be an intercessor for the incurably sick and unrepentant, the Lord, leaving him, will go away so as not to hear his prayer for them (Gen. 18:33). Although Samuel will also intercede, the Lord will say to him: do not weep for Saul (1 Sam. 16:1). Although anyone who begins to pray untimely for his sister will hear the same thing as Moses: “If only her father had spat in her face” (Num. 12:14). Let us not put too much faith in others. The prayers of saints have very great power, but only when we ourselves repent (of our sins) and correct ourselves. And Moses, having once delivered his brother and sixty thousand from the wrath of God that threatened them, could not deliver his sister, although the sin was not equal. Miriam insulted Moses, but Aaron and the people dared to commit obvious wickedness. But I’ll leave this to you to think about for yourself, and I’ll try to solve an even more difficult question. In fact, is it worth saying that Moses could not plead for his sister when this representative of a large people was unable to help himself? After countless labors and disasters, after forty years of caring for the people, he was forbidden to enter that land about which there were so many predictions and promises. What was the reason for this? The one that allowing Moses into the Promised Land would not only have brought no benefit, but would have caused great harm and would have served as a temptation for many Jews. If, for one deliverance from Egypt, having abandoned God, they began to look for everything in Moses and attribute everything to him, then to what wickedness would they not have reached when they saw that he had led them into the Promised Land? That is why his burial place remains unknown. And Samuel could not deliver Saul from the wrath of God, although he often saved the Israelites. And Jeremiah did not help the Jews (2 Mac. 15:15), although at another time he strengthened one with prophecy. Daniel saved the barbarians from defeat, but did not save the Jews from captivity (Dan. 2). And in the Gospel we see that not with different people, but with the same people, both happened: the same person could sometimes save himself, and sometimes not. For example, a man who owed thousands of talents once saved himself from danger through an intense request, but at another time he could not. The other is the opposite: first he was exposed to danger, and then he found the surest way to help himself. Who is this? Wasteful of his father's estate. So, if we do not take care of ourselves, we will not be saved through others. If we are vigilant, then we ourselves will achieve salvation; even by ourselves we will be saved more surely than through others. Truly, it is more pleasant for God to give grace directly to us, and not to others for us, so that, trying to ward off His anger ourselves, we become more bold and virtuous. So He had mercy on the Canaanite woman, so He saved the harlot, so He saved the thief, although there was no representative or intercessor for them. 5. However, I say this not so as not to call on the saints in prayers, but so that we do not become lazy, and, having given ourselves over to carelessness and sleep, do not lay on others only what we should do ourselves. And Christ, having said: “Get yourself friends,” did not stop there, but added: “with unrighteous riches,” thereby demanding your assistance (Luke 16:9) - since here He meant nothing more than alms. And what is surprising is that He no longer exacts anything from us if only we deviate from unrighteousness, because His words have the following meaning: you have acquired something bad, but you will spend it well. Gather unrighteously - squander righteously. What kind of virtue does it seem to be to give away from property acquired unjustly? And yet God, in His love for mankind, condescends to promise us many benefits even for such deeds. But we reach such insensitivity that we don’t give away anything from what we have acquired unjustly; on the contrary, robbing in thousands, we think that we have already done everything by giving a small share. Have you not heard what Paul says: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly” (2 Cor. 9:6)? So what are you skimping on? Is sowing really a waste, is it really a loss? No! This is income and profit. Where there is sowing, there is harvest; where there is sowing, there is also increase. When you cultivate rich and soft soil, which can accommodate a lot of seeds, you sow it with all your seeds and borrow more from others, because in this case you consider stinginess a loss. And when you need to cultivate the sky, which is not subject to any air changes and everything entrusted to it will undoubtedly increase with great increment, you are lazy, procrastinate and do not think about the fact that by saving you lose, and by wasting you gain. So, this one, so as not to lose; do not save in order to save; scatter to preserve; spend to gain. Although you would need to save something, don’t save it, because you will certainly destroy it, but entrust it to God, from Whom no one will steal. Don’t trade yourself because you don’t know how to make a profit; but lend the majority of your capital to the One who gives growth, lend it to a place where there is no envy, no slander, no deception, no fear. Give a loan to the One who himself does not need anything, but suffers the need for you; He who feeds everyone, but hungers so that you may not be hungry, becomes poor so that you may be rich. Lend to a place where you will receive not death, but life instead of death. For such growth alone you can acquire a kingdom for yourself, but for any other growth you will receive Gehenna, because that growth shows the love of money, and this one shows love of wisdom; that one is a matter of cruelty, and this one is a matter of philanthropy. And how can we be justified when, having the opportunity to receive more and, moreover, with firm confidence to receive it at the right time, with complete freedom, without reproach, without fear, without danger, we neglect these blessings, and pursue what is shameful, insignificant, deceptive, perishable, and is preparing for us a fiery furnace? There is nothing, nothing more shameful and cruelty-hearted than taking at interest here on earth. In fact, the moneylender enriches himself at the expense of other people’s misfortunes, turns the other’s misfortune into profit for himself, demands payment for his love of mankind, and, as if afraid of appearing unmerciful, under the guise of love for mankind, digs a deeper hole; helping, presses the beggar; giving his hand, he pushes him; apparently leading into the pier, and at the same time subjecting it to wreck, as if pointing at rocks, cliffs and underwater rocks. But what do you demand, they will say? Should I give the money that I and I myself need, collected at the disposal of someone else, and not demand any payment for it? No, I'm not saying that; on the contrary, I really want you to receive payment - not small, and not insignificant, but much greater; I wish you to buy the sky in exchange for gold. So, why do you subject yourself to poverty, clinging to the earth, and instead of more, you seek little? This proves that you do not know how to get rich. When God promises you heavenly blessings for a small property, you say: do not give me heaven, but instead of heaven give me soon-to-be-perishing gold. This means that you arbitrarily want to remain in poverty. Whoever is zealous for true wealth and abundance will choose the indestructible instead of the perishable, the indestructible instead of the perishable, the much instead of the little, the imperishable instead of the perishable, and such benefits will be followed by those who seek the earth instead of heaven, who will certainly lose it too; and whoever prefers heavenly to earthly things will enjoy both in great abundance. In order for us to achieve this, having despised everything here, we will choose future blessings, and thus we will receive both, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Church "dondezhe" In the synodal text this word is translated “as finally.” – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: