Беседа 18

Eph.5:5–6. For know this, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for for this reason the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. Covetousness is idolatry. - You need to correct your neighbor. 1. It seems that our ancestors also had those who allowed the people to be willful, carried out the deeds mentioned in Ezekiel, even did what is characteristic of false prophets - who “dishonor God before His people for handfuls of barley” (Ezek. 13:19). I think others are doing the same now. So, when we say that he who calls his brother a freak is subject to hell, some ask: is he really liable to hell? No! - they answer. And when we say that a covetous person is an idolater, they again laugh at this, saying that this expression is exaggerated; and with these in mind, blessed Paul then wrote to the Ephesians, saying: “For know that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous man is an idolater. has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.” Then he adds: “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” Vain words are those that have temporary charm, but are never shown in deeds, because their work is deception. For adultery, he says, for covetousness, for uncleanness, or for both this and deception, since they are unscrupulous. He calls the very stubborn ones who do not listen (to God) as disobedient sons. “So do not be their accomplices. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:7-8). Look how wisely he made the exhortation - first by Christ, that is, love one another and do not offend anyone; then again - punishment and hell. “You were once darkness,” he says, “but now you are light in the Lord.” The epistle to the Romans says the same thing: “What fruit did you have then? Such are the things of which you yourselves are now ashamed” (Rom. 6:21)? And he reminds them of their former vices, i.e.: reflect, he says what you once were, and what now; do not return to your former wickedness, and do not despise God's grace. “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Not because of your virtue, he says, but by the grace of God, this happened to you, that is, you were once worthy of it, but you are no longer worthy. Therefore, “walk as children of light” (Eph.5:8). And what does it mean: “children of light,” he explains, immediately adding: “because the fruit of the Spirit consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Test what is pleasing” to the Lord (Eph. 5:9–10). “In every kindness,” he says, “this is against the angry and cruel. “And to the truth”: this is against the covetous. “And to the truth”: this is against false pleasure. Not about what I said, he says, take care, but about the opposite. “In every way,” that is, spiritual fruit must be revealed in everything. “Prove what is pleasing” to the Lord. Therefore, this is characteristic of childish and imperfect understanding. “And do not participate,” he says, “in the fruitless works of darkness, but also reprove. For what they do in secret is shameful to even talk about. Everything that is revealed is made manifest by the light, for whatever is made manifest is light” (Eph. 5:11-13). Said you are light; light reveals everything that happens in darkness; so that if you, he says, are virtuous and worthy of admiration, the wicked will not have the opportunity to hide. Just as when the lamp stands, everyone is illuminated, and the thief cannot approach, so, when the light shines from you, the convicted wicked will be amazed. Therefore, it must expose. But how does (Christ) say: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1)? To reprove, said (the apostle), that is, to admonish, and not to condemn. And, in addition: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” - it is said about the most minor sins. Accordingly, Christ added: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not feel the beam in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). And the words (of the apostle) mean the following: just as a bodily wound is hidden until it is covered from the outside, and until it deepens further, it does not benefit from any treatment, so sin, as long as it hides as if in darkness, continues to act very boldly; but as soon as it is discovered, it becomes light; not the most sin - how is this possible? - but the one who made it. If he is brought into the middle (of the meeting), if he is admonished, if he repents, if he receives absolution, then have you not driven away his darkness? Didn't he heal his wounds then? Did the fetus cause infertility instead? Either this is what he says, or the fact that your life, being open, is light - because no one hides an impeccable life; nevertheless, what is hidden is hidden because it is darkened. “Therefore it is said: “Awake, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph. 5:14). He speaks of a sleeping and dead person - one who is in sins, because he also emits a bad smell, like a dead person, and he is motionless, like a sleeping person, and like a sleeping person, he does not see anything, but he is delirious and dreams. Others read: “And you will touch” (έπιψαόσεις) “Christ”; others: "will illuminate you" (έπιψαόσει σοι) "Christ". But this last one is better. Rise from sin and you can see Christ. “For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light” (John 3:20). So, he who does not do (evil) comes (to the light). 2. But he does not say this only about the unbelievers, because many of the faithful, no less unbelievers, are attached to wickedness; there are even those that are much more. That is why it is necessary to say to them: “Arise, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will illuminate you.” It is appropriate to say this to them: “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:32). So, if not dead, then we will live. Some say that the expression: a covetous person is an idolater is exaggerated. But it is not exaggerated; on the contrary, it is absolutely true. How and in what way? Such that the covetous person moves away from God, just like an idolater. And lest you think that this is said unfoundedly, here is Christ’s saying, which says: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). Those who work for mammon have removed themselves from the service of God; those who have renounced His sovereignty and serve soulless gold are clearly idolaters. But I did not, says (the covetous), make an idol, I did not set up an altar, I did not sacrifice sheep, I did not pour out wine - I went to church, and raised my hands to the Only Begotten Son of God, and I participate in the sacraments, and I have fellowship in prayer and in everything else that is appropriate for a Christian. So, how do I worship idols, he says? This is the most amazing thing that you, having experienced and tasted God’s love for mankind, and seeing that the Lord is good, left the Good One and took upon yourself (the dominion) of a cruel tyrant; You say that you are not working for him, but in fact you have subjected yourself to the cruel and unbearable yoke of love of money. You did not tell me about any of your good deeds, but only about the gifts of the Master. Tell me, I ask, on what basis do we judge a warrior? Is it based on the fact that he serves as the king’s bodyguard, receives his allowance from him and is adorned with his name, or is it based on the fact that he does not think about his affairs, but only shows the appearance that he keeps his side and cares about his affairs, while he himself contributes to the success of his enemies? Obviously, he is the king’s bodyguard. Therefore, he is worthy of a more severe punishment than if he had clearly rejected serving the king and handed himself over to his enemies. That is why you boldly rebel against God, like an idolater, not with your lips alone, but with the offense of countless people. But (the covetous) is not, they say, an idolater. And when the Hellenes say: a Christian is a covetous person, then he is not the only one who disgraces himself with his deeds, but also forces the offended to often say this. If they don’t speak, it should be considered a consequence of their caution. Don't we see that things happen this way? What is an idolater? Isn't he the one who worships passions instead of owning passions? For example: when we say that so-and-so worships idols, he says: no - not to them, but to Aphrodite and Ares. And if we say: who is Aphrodite herself? – the more knowledgeable of them say: pleasure. Who is Ares? Anger. So do you (answer) about Mammon. If we say: what is mammon? Covetousness - and you worship it. I don’t worship, you say. Why? Because you don't bend yourself? But you give much more worship through deeds and deeds, because such worship is more important. And so that you can be convinced of this, look, in relation to God, who worships Him more worthy - those who simply stand in prayer, or those who fulfill His will? Obviously the latter. So it is in relation to mammon - those who do his will worship him more. Moreover, those who worship passions (personified) are often free from (their own) passions. So, look at the admirer of Ares - he often controls anger. That’s not the case with you – you make yourself a slave of passion. But won't you slaughter the sheep? But - people and reasonable souls, some - by hunger, others - by slander. There is nothing more violent than such a sacrifice! Who has ever seen souls stabbed to death? Cursed be the altar of covetousness! If you come to the altar of idols, you will smell from it the blood of goats and the blood of bulls; if you approach the altar of covetousness, you will smell the heavy smell of human blood. And if you stop here, you will not notice the burning wings of birds, nor the smell of that and the rising smoke, but - the murdered human bodies. Some threw themselves down the steep slope, others threw a noose around themselves, others cut their throats with a knife. Have you seen brutal and inhuman victims? Do you want to look at even more cruel ones, compared to these? I will show you not only human bodies, but also human souls that are tempered there. After all, the soul can be slaughtered with a slaughter corresponding to the soul, because both for the body there is death, so for the soul. “The soul that sins,” says (Scripture), “will die” (Ezek. 18:4). The death of the soul is not the same as the death of the body, but is much heavier. That death is physical, having separated the soul and body from each other, one relieves one from many worries and labors, while the other transports the other to a certain place; and then (the body), separated for a time and removed, is again united with incorruption, and again receives its soul. 3. Such is this death; the death of the soul is terrible and terrible. She does not transfer the soul (to a certain place), as happens with the body, after its separation from it, but, bound again by the incorruptible body, she plunges into unquenchable fire. Such is the death of the soul! So, just as there is death of the soul, there is also slaughter of the soul. What is the slaughter of the body? In killing and in taking away spiritual strength. What is the slaughter of the soul? And this is also killing. What is the mortification of the soul? Just as the body then dies when the soul leaves it deprived of its power, so the soul then dies when the Holy Spirit leaves it without His power. These slaughters are especially performed on the altar of covetousness. They are not satisfied, they do not stop at human blood, but if you do not offer the soul itself, the altar of covetousness will not be satisfied - unless it accepts the souls of both, the souls of the one offering the sacrifice and the one being offered. After all, it is necessary first to be sacrificed to the one who offers it, and thus he performs the sacrifice and, being dead, sacrifices the living. If you slander, slander and are indignant, aren’t these incurable wounds of the soul? Do you see that the expression is not exaggerated? Do you want to listen and learn how covetousness is idolatry, and is worse than idolatry? Idolators bow down to God's creation. “And they worshiped,” says (the apostle), “and served the creature instead of the Creator” (Rom. 1:25); you worship your own creation. God did not create covetousness, but your immeasurable gluttony invented it. And look how crazy and laugh-worthy it is. Those who worship idols honor those they worship, and if anyone says anything bad about these idols, if he laughs at them, they defend them. You, as if in some kind of intoxication, worship an object that is not only not free from censure, but is also full of wickedness. So, you are much worse than them, because you cannot say in your defense that this is not evil. If even those are very unpardonable, then you are even more so, as you have countless times condemned covetousness and ridiculed those who serve it, subserviently before it, and indulge in it. But wouldn’t it please us to examine where idolatry came from? One wise man says that a certain rich man, consumed by the premature loss of his son, and having no consolation in grief, wanted to satisfy his suffering by making a soulless image of the deceased, and then looking at it, he thought to take the image for the deceased himself (Wis. 14:15). Some flattering people, for whom God is their belly, serving in his honor before the image, introduced the custom of idolatry. So, it was introduced by weakness of the soul, unreasonable custom, intemperance. Covetousness is not like that. And it comes from a weak soul, but only from a worse one. No one has lost his son, does not seek consolation in grief, is not forced by flatterers. But how? I'll tell you. Cain deceived God because he kept what should have been given to Him, and brought to Him what should have been kept for himself, and began evil with God. If we ourselves are God’s, then even more so are the first fruits of our acquisitions. From covetousness, in turn, was born the desire for women. They saw the daughters of men and gave themselves over to lust (Gen. 6:4). From them - again to money, since the desire to have more means of living than one’s neighbor has comes from nothing other than the fact that love has cooled. The desire to have more does not come from anything else, but only from madness, misanthropy and arrogance. Don't you see how big the earth is? How incomparably more air and sky are needed than needed? God designed creation to such an extent in order to extinguish your covetousness. But even with all this, you rob and, hearing that covetousness is idolatry, are you not horrified even at this? Do you want to take over the land? But isn’t there an inheritance in heaven that you are depriving yourself of through this? 4. Tell me, if someone gave you the right to take everything, wouldn’t you want to? You can if you want. Some say that they grieve if the inheritance is transferred to others; they would rather destroy it than see others as its owners. I do not excuse you for this weakness either, because this is also characteristic of a weak soul. But so be it. Make Christ your heir in your will. After all, (the heir) must be alive; this will also testify to a well-directed will, and besides, you, although out of necessity, will become more generous. Christ commanded to give to the poor in order to make us living wise, to convince us to despise money, to teach us not to respect earthly things. This is not the contempt for money, that when you die and are not a master, you give it to one or the other. You do not give the remainder voluntarily, but out of extreme necessity. Death deserves gratitude, not you! This is not a matter of tender love, but of need. However, let it be so, but at least then free yourself from passion. Think about how much you stole, how much you acquired by deception? Return everything in fours, and thus you will justify yourself before God. But some have reached such madness and depravity that even then (before death) they do not understand what is due, but act as if they were trying to make God’s judgment harder for themselves. That is why the blessed one (Paul) says in his epistle: “Act as children of light.” The covetous man primarily lives in darkness, and spreads great darkness over everyone. “Do not participate,” he says, “in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but also reprove. For what they do in secret is shameful to even talk about. Yet everything that is revealed is made manifest by the light, for everything that becomes manifest is light.” Listen, I admonish everyone who does not want to be indignant in vain. He steals and you do not reprove? Are you afraid of anger? Although your indignation is not in vain, although you reprove justly, are you still afraid of anger? Reprove your brother, show enmity, out of love for Christ, out of love for himself; stop him if he goes into the abyss. Communication at meals, in kind speeches, friendliness and tenderness is a small act of love. We give our friends gifts that would deliver their souls from the wrath of God. Let us raise them up, seeing them thrown into the furnace of wickedness. But, you say, he is not improving? And you do your part, and you will be right before God. Don't hide your talent. For this you have a mind, for this you have a tongue and a mouth, to correct your neighbor. Some dumb people do not care about their neighbors and have no idea about others. But you, calling God Father and your neighbor brother, seeing him committing many evils, prefer being kind to him to his benefit? Let this not happen, I beg you. There is no greater proof of love than to despise erring brothers. Did you see them feuding? Make peace. Have you seen people purchasing property by deception? Stop it. Did you see the people being offended? Protect. By doing this you will show love to yourself first, and not to them. This is why we are friends so that we can benefit each other. A friend listens differently to a friend than to someone else. He, perhaps, will not trust a stranger, as well as a teacher, but not so much a friend. “For what they do in secret is shameful to even talk about. Everything that is discovered is made manifest by the light.” What does he mean by this? He says this because some of the sins are committed here secretly, while others are committed openly. It won’t be like that there, because there is no one who is not aware of their sin. Therefore he says: “Everything that is discovered is made manifest by the light.” Well, wouldn’t you say that we are talking about idolatry here too? No; We are talking here about life and sins. Everything that appears, he says, is light. Therefore, I beg you, do not refuse to reprove others, nor be annoyed yourself when you are reproached. As long as what is done in darkness is done with greater courage; but as soon as there are many witnesses to what is happening, then it is illuminated. Therefore, let us do everything we can to remove deadness from our brothers, to dispel darkness, to bring the Sun of righteousness closer. If there are many lights, then the path of virtue will be convenient for us, and those who are in darkness will be better convicted, since the light, spreading, drives away the darkness. And if we do not do this, then we can fear that they will fade away from the predominance of gloomy and sinful darkness over the light, which drives away the brilliance of the light. So, let us try to treat others as well as ourselves, so that with all (our deeds) we bring glory to the loving God, by grace and love for mankind (Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen). You might be interested in: