Беседа 53

John 8:20. Jesus spoke these words at the treasury when he taught in the church; and no one took Him, because His hour had not yet come. 1. The stupidity and cruelty of the Jews. – 2. Talking with the Jews, Jesus Christ shows them his unity with God the Father. – 3. To receive salvation, you need to diligently read St. Scripture. – You must attend church to listen to the Word of God. – One must carefully study St. Scripture; its benefits and the fruits obtained from it. 1. How crazy the Jews are! Even before Easter they were looking for Jesus, then, when they found Him among the people, they tried many times to seize Him, both directly and through others, but they could not; and with all this they did not marvel at His power, but continued to persist in their malice and did not lag behind (it). And that they always tried (to seize Him), the evangelist says about this: “he spoke these words at the treasury, when he taught in the church; and no one took Him." He spoke in church and as a teacher, which could especially irritate them; Moreover, he said something because of which they were annoyed and accused Him of creating Himself equal to the Father; This is precisely the meaning of the words: “the testimony of two men is true” (John 8:17). And yet, despite the fact that He said this in church and as a teacher, “no one,” it is said, “took Him, because His hour had not yet come,” i.e. the favorable time had not yet arrived at which He wanted to be crucified on the cross. Thus, even then it was not a matter of their strength, but of His looking. They had wanted (to take Him) before, but could not. So, even then, they could not have done so if He himself had not deigned to do so. “Again Jesus said to them: I am going away, and you will seek Me” (John 8:21). Why does He often talk about this? To shock and frighten their souls. In fact, look at the fear this brought to them! Despite the fact that they wanted to kill Him in order to get rid of Him, they are trying to find out where He is going. They thought it was so important! On the other hand, He wanted to teach them that this matter does not depend on their violence, but that from ancient times He prefigured it; at the same time, He already predicted the resurrection with these words. “Here... they said: will He really kill Himself?” (John 8:22). What about Christ? Refuting their assumption and showing that such a thing is a sin, he says: “you are from below” (John 8:23). And this means: it is not surprising that you, carnal people who do not think about anything spiritual, think this way. But I will not do anything like that: “I am from the highest; you are of this world” (John 8:23). Here again he speaks of worldly and carnal thoughts. From this it is clear that the words: “I am not of this world” do not mean that He did not take flesh, but that He is far from their wickedness. In fact, He says about the disciples that “they are not of the world” (John 17:14), and yet they had flesh. Thus, just as Paul, saying: “You are not according to the flesh” (Rom. 8:9), calls them (the Romans) not incorporeal, so He, when He says about the disciples that they are not of the world, testifies to nothing else than their wisdom. “That is why I said to you: ... unless you believe that it is I, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Indeed, if He came for this purpose to take away the sin of the world, and if it is possible to put off sin only through baptism, then the old man necessarily remains in the unbeliever. Whoever does not want to kill him (the old man) and bury him through faith will die with him and go there to suffer punishment for his previous sins. Therefore, he said: “But he who does not believe is already condemned” (John 3:18), not only because he does not believe, but also because he leaves here with his former sins. “Then they said to Him: Who are You?” (John 8:25). What madness! After such a long time, after signs and teaching, they still ask: “Who are you?” What about Christ? “He was from the beginning, just as I tell you” (John 8:25). And this means this: you are unworthy to even listen to My words, not only to know who I am, because you all speak with the intention of tempting Me and do not heed My words in the least. In all this I could now convict you (this is exactly what His words mean: “I have much to say and judge about you”), and not only convict you, but also punish; “but He who sent Me,” i.e. Father doesn't want this. “For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). “For God did not send His Son,” it is said, “to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). So, if He sent Me for this, and He “is true” (John 8:26), then I rightly do not judge anyone now, but I say what serves for salvation, and not for conviction. He says this so that they will not think that He, hearing everything they said, does not take revenge on them out of weakness, or that He does not understand their thoughts and ridicule. “They did not understand what He spoke to them about the Father” (John 8:27). What nonsense! He constantly spoke to them about Him (the Father), and they did not understand! Following this, since he could not attract them to Himself either with many signs or with teaching, He begins to talk about the cross, saying: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that it is I and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, so I speak. He who sent Me is with Me; The Father has not left Me alone” (John 8:28–29). This shows that he rightly said: “He was from the beginning, just as I tell you.” 2. So they were inattentive to His words! “When you lift up the Son of Man.” Don't you expect that you will then be the first to get rid of Me when you kill Me? But I say: then especially you will know “that it is I” from the signs, from the resurrection and captivity; all this really sufficiently demonstrated His power. And He did not say: then you will know who I am, but: when you see that I will not tolerate anything from death, “then,” he says, “you will know that it is I,” i.e. Christ, the Son of God, who bears and eliminates everything, and is not the enemy of Him (the Father). That is why He added: “I do not say anything of Myself.” Then you will recognize both – both My power and My unanimity with the Father. In fact, the saying “I say nothing of Myself” shows both the indifference of the being and the fact that He does not say anything that disagrees with the thoughts of the Father. When you are deprived of worship, when you are not even allowed to serve Him as before, then you will know that He is doing this in vengeance for Me, being indignant at those who did not listen to Me. It’s as if He were saying: if I were an opponent of God and a stranger to Him, He would not have raised such great wrath against you. Isaiah also speaks about this: he will give “a grave with evildoers” (Is. 53:9); and David: “Then he will tell them in his anger” (Ps. 2:5); and Christ himself: “Behold, your house is left to you empty” (Matthew 23:38). The parables also show the same thing when, for example, (Christ) says: “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these vinedressers?... He will put these evildoers to an evil death” (Matthew 21:40–41). Do you see that He says this everywhere because they did not yet believe? But if He destroys them, as He really will destroy them, because it is said: “Bring my enemies who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and kill them before me” (Luke 19:27), then why does He call this not His work, but the Father’s? Because he speaks adaptively to their weakness, and at the same time gives honor to Him who gave birth to Him. Therefore, He did not say: I will leave your house empty, but: “it is left,” - he expressed it impersonally. Meanwhile, since He said: “How often have I wanted to gather your children... and you did not want” (Matthew 23:37), and then added: “Behold, it is abandoned,” this shows that it was He who brought about this desolation. Since you, He says, did not want to know Me when I did good and served you, you will know who I am when you are punished. “The Father who sent me is with me.” So that they do not think that the expression “He who sent Me” means that He is less, He says: “He is with Me.” This indicates the economy, and this indicates the Divinity. “He has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him” (John 8:29). Again He descended into humiliated speech, constantly referring to what they said, namely, that He was not from God, and that He did not keep the Sabbath. Adapting to this, He says: “I always do what pleases Him,” showing that breaking the Sabbath also pleases Him. So He spoke before the cross: do you think, “that I cannot ask My Father” (Matthew 26:53), - although with just one word: “Whom are you seeking” (John 18:4) He cast them down on their faces to the ground. Why doesn’t He say: Do you really think that I cannot destroy you, when I have proven this by my very deed? Out of condescension for their weakness; and, moreover, He tried in every possible way to show that he was not doing anything contrary to God. So exactly here He speaks in human form. And in what sense it is said: “He did not leave Me alone,” - in the same sense it is: “for I always do what pleases Him. When He said this, many believed in Him” (John 8:29–30). When He condescended to speak humiliatedly, then many believed in Him. Will you really begin to ask after this why He speaks humiliatingly? The Evangelist clearly indicated the reason for this when he said: “When He said this, many believed on Him.” Through this event He seems to cry out: do not be embarrassed, listener, if you hear something humiliating, because those who, after such a long teaching, did not believe that He was from the Father, in justice had to listen to more humiliating speech in order to believe. And this also serves as a justification for what will be said further than what is humiliated. So, they believed, but not in the proper way, but simply and as it happened, captivated and calmed by the humiliation of His words. That they really had imperfect faith is revealed by the evangelist in the words that follow, in which they insult Him. And that these are the same persons, he indicated this with the words: “Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him: If you continue in My word” (John 8:31), showing that they had not yet accepted His teachings, but only listened to His words. That’s why he expressed himself more strongly: before He simply said, “You will seek Me,” but now he added, “And you will die in your sin.” It also shows how this will happen, i.e. Having arrived there (to eternity), you will no longer be able to beg Me. “This is what I say to the world” (John 8:26). With these words He already revealed that He was going to the Gentiles. But since the Jews did not yet understand that He had previously spoken to them about the Father, He again speaks about Him. And the evangelist also presented the reason why He spoke humiliatingly. 3. Now, if with such diligence, and not somehow, we begin to search the Scriptures, then we will be able to achieve our salvation. If we constantly practice them, we will learn right dogmas and a virtuous life. At least someone was extremely stubborn, and adamant, and lazy; even though he had not previously acquired any benefit, for all that, now he will reap the fruit and receive some benefit, although not such that he could feel it, but he will still receive it. If the one who comes to the world brewery and sits in such institutions is involuntarily imbued with the fragrance, then much more so is the one who goes to church. Just as laziness is born from inaction, so diligence is born from exercise. Therefore, even if you were filled with countless sins, even if you were unclean, do not run away from this gathering. But what do you say if I listen but don’t perform? It is no small gain to recognize oneself as worthy of regret. This fear is not useless either; This fear is not fruitless either. If you only lament the fact that, while listening, you do not fulfill, then you will certainly come to fulfillment someday. Whoever talks with God and listens to God's conversation, it is impossible for him not to receive any benefit. After all, we immediately adjust our clothes and wash our hands as soon as we want to pick up the Bible. Do you see what reverence there is even before reading? If we read with attention, we will gain great benefit. Indeed, if (this reading) did not bring the soul into reverence, we would not wash our hands; Moreover, the wife, if she is uncovered, immediately puts on the veil, thereby presenting evidence of her inner reverence; and the husband, if his head is covered, exposes it. Do you see how outward appearance is a harbinger of inner reverence? Then, having sat down to listen, a person often calls out and condemns his real life. Let us listen to the Scriptures, beloved! And if nothing else, then at least let the Gospel be a subject of special attention for us, and let it always be in our hands. After all, as soon as you open this book, you will immediately see the name of Christ before your eyes and immediately hear the words: “The birth of Jesus Christ was like this: after the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph, ... it turned out that She was pregnant with the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). And whoever hears this will immediately desire virginity, marvel at birth, and renounce the earth. It is also important that you will see the Virgin, vouchsafed the Spirit, and an angel talking with her. Meanwhile, this is still at the beginning. If you continue reading to the end, you will immediately reject everything worldly and laugh at everything earthly. If you are rich, you will regard wealth as nothing when you hear that she, betrothed to tecton and coming from a humble home, has become the Mother of your Lord. If you are poor, you will not be ashamed of your poverty when you learn that the Creator of the world was not ashamed of the poorest house. Thinking about this, you will not take what belongs to others; on the contrary, you yourself will rather become a lover of poverty and despise wealth. And having achieved this, you will avoid all evil. Further, when you see Him lying in a manger, then you will not try to decorate your child with gold or arrange a silver bed for your wife. And without worrying about this, you will not covet and steal because of it. There are many other benefits that can be obtained that cannot now be recounted in detail; but they will be recognized by those who make the experiment. Therefore, I beg you to acquire books (the Holy Scriptures), and to assimilate their thoughts, and inscribe them in your souls. The Jews, since they were not attentive, were commanded to hang books from their hands; and we don’t even put them on our hands, but in the house, when we should be imprinting them on the heart. Through this we will purify our present life and achieve future blessings, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: