Беседа 3

Eph.1:15–20. Therefore, having heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints, I constantly thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to the knowledge of Him, and he has enlightened the eyes of your heart, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of His glorious inheritance for the saints, and how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe according to the operation of His sovereign power, which He worked in Christ, raising Him from the dead. To what height did the Lord raise man? – Deprivation of the kingdom of heaven is worse than Gehenna. – How and at what time you need to start communion of the body of Christ. 1. There is nothing with which the apostolic favor can be compared - that would be similar to that sympathy and that tender love with which Blessed Paul was filled, who in all his prayers remembered entire cities and nations. “I thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers,” he usually wrote to everyone. Imagine how many people he had in his thoughts! It was even difficult to remember - there were so many people for whom he prayed, thanking God for everyone, as if he himself had received the greatest blessings (which they received). “For this,” he says, that is, for the sake of future benefits that await the right of believers and the living. However, we must thank God for everything that He has done for the human race, both before and after that, and we must thank Him for the faith of believers. “Hearing,” he says, “about your faith in Christ Jesus and about your love for all the saints.” Everywhere he unites and brings together faith and love, like some kind of wondrous duo; he speaks about their love not only to the natives, but to all (Christians). “I continually thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers.” What is he asking for, what is he begging for? About “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” He wants to teach them two truths as they should: what they are called to, and how they are delivered from the original (evils). Meanwhile, he himself says that there are three of these (truths). How come there are three of them? Let's start with the future. From the blessings prepared, we recognize His ineffable and overabundant riches. And from the knowledge of what we are and how we believed, we will know His strength and power - to turn to God those who have been alienated for such a long time. “The weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). By the same power with which He resurrected Christ, He also drew us to Himself. And His power was revealed not only in the resurrection, but also in much more: “and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all Principality, and Authority, and Power, and Dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the future, and put all things in subjection under His feet, and set Him above all things, the head of the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all” ( Eph.1:20–23). He made us participants in truly great and ineffable sacraments, sacraments that can only be understood by those who have partaken of the Holy Spirit and who have been worthy of great grace. That is why Paul begins his prayer with the words: “Father of glory,” that is, (the Father) who has given us great blessings. He always calls Him according to the subject (about which it is spoken), as, for example, when he says: “The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3), and as the prophet (said): “The Lord is my rock and my refuge” (Ps. 17:3). "Father of Glory". (The Apostle) does not find such a word (which could fully depict the blessings prepared by God), and everywhere he calls them glory, as a word denoting for us all kinds of greatness. Look: (the apostle calls God the Father) the Father of glory and the God of Christ. So what? Does the Son have less glory? No, no one, not even a crazy person, will say that. “He gave you” (the spirit of wisdom), that is, to elevate and enlarge your mind, because otherwise it is impossible to know this. “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, because he considers them foolishness” (1 Cor. 2:14). This means that in order to understand the spiritual, to see the hidden, spiritual wisdom is also needed. The Spirit reveals all things and makes clear the very mysteries of God. The knowledge of the mysteries of God belongs to the Spirit alone, who “searches even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:10), and neither an angel, nor an archangel, nor any other created power will give, i.e. will not give you this gift. If this is the fruit of revelation, then all speculation is unnecessary, because he who has gone deep into (contemplation) of God and who has come to know Him will not doubt anything, will not say: this is possible, but this is impossible; will not speculate on how this or that could have happened. If we knew God as we should, if we knew from him from whom we should know, from the Spirit himself, then we would no longer doubt anything. That is why (the apostle) says: “to the knowledge of Him, and the eyes of your heart were enlightened.” He who has been taught that there is a God will neither doubt the promises nor show disbelief in what has already happened. That is why he prays for the granting of the spirit of wisdom and revelation to them. However, the apostle himself proves what is possible through inferences (borrowing the basis for them) from what has already been done. Since he intends to speak on the one hand about what has already been accomplished, and on the other about what has not yet been accomplished, then by what has been accomplished, he affirms faith in what has not yet been accomplished, as can be seen from the following: “so that you may know,” he says, “what is the hope of His calling,” (a hope) as yet unknown, he says, but not for the faithful, “and what the riches of His glorious inheritance are for the saints,” which is also still unknown. What is known? That we believe that He raised Christ “by His power.” Arousing faith in souls is much more amazing than raising the dead. How so? I'll try to make this clear. Listen, in fact: Christ said to the dead: “Lazarus! get out” (John 11:43), and (the dead man) immediately obeyed. Peter said to Tabitha: “Tabitha! stand up” (Acts 9:40), and she did not contradict. The Lord will speak on the last day - and everyone will rise, and with such speed that those still alive will not warn the dead, and all this will happen and end in the shortest possible time - in the blink of an eye. 2. But this is not the case when it comes to converting to faith. But what about it? Listen again to what (the Lord) says: “Many will seek to enter, but will not be able” (Luke 13:24). Now do you understand what is more difficult? That is why (the apostle proves everything by faith). Indeed, it is much more difficult, even for human reasons, to convince human freedom than to create nature. The reason is that God wants us to voluntarily become good. Thus (the apostle) quite rightly sees “how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe.” When the prophets did not help, when the angels and archangels did not help, all the visible and invisible creation - the visible, being brought onto the stage, could not lead, but the invisible managed to do much - then God himself deigned to appear, showing by this that in the matter of (turning to faith) Divine power is needed. “Glorious riches”, that is, unspeakable glory. Indeed, whose word is able to imagine the glory that the once saints will be awarded? Of course, it's a draw. To understand this, grace is truly needed—you need to perceive at least a small ray (of spiritual light). Something was known (from Divine truths) before; but now He wanted to teach greater and more perfect knowledge. Do you see what He did? He resurrected Christ; and this is no small matter; but look what else (He did): He seated Him at His right hand. What word can describe this? He who was from the earth, who was more silent than fish, who was the plaything (subject to temptations) of demons, was suddenly elevated to heights. Verily, exceeding abundant is the greatness of His power! And look where He has taken Him. He seated Him “in heaven” above all created nature, above all principality and power. “Above,” he says, “all Principality” (Eph. 1:21). Therefore, truly, the Spirit (of grace) is needed, an enlightened mind is needed to know Him - in a word, revelation is needed for this. Imagine how great the distance is between human and divine nature; meanwhile, He raised Him from this (human) insignificance to that (Divine) honor. Not one, not two, not three degrees must be passed over for this. That is why (the apostle) not only said: above, but - above. Above the highest powers - only God. And there He raised those who exist from us - from extreme humiliation He elevated to the extreme degree of power, beyond which there is no other (higher) dignity, - he says, i.e. (above) not this or that, but all "Authority, and Power, and". Power, and Dominion, and every name that is named” (Eph. 1:21); whatever is in heaven, He became above all. All this (the apostle said) about Him who rose from the dead, and all this is worthy of wonder, and not about God the Word. After all, what mosquitoes are in comparison with man, so is all creation in comparison with God. And what am I saying: mosquitoes? If all people before God are nothing more than a drop and a speck of dust on a scale (Isa. 40:15), then you can compare invisible forces with mosquitoes (in this case). So, the apostle did not speak like this about God the Word, but about Him who is from us. It is truly great and wonderful that He raised Him up from the depths of the earth. If all nations (before God) are like a drop, then one person is only the smallest particle of a drop. And yet God made Him above all “not only in this age, but also in the future” - which means that the names of some powers (heavenly) have not yet been announced and are unknown to us - “and He put all things in subjection under His feet” (Eph. 1:22). Not just said; made “Him above” (everything) in order to prefer it to them - I did not use this word in the sense of comparison; but he made him like a master over the slaves. Oh, truly wonderful things! Through the fact that God the Word entered (into our nature), all created power became a slave to man. But perhaps there is someone higher than (Him), who, although he has no subordinates, but who has great dignity? Here, too, this is not applicable: “and he put all things in subjection under His feet,” not just subdued, but subdued to the point of perfect subordination, so that there can be no greater subordination. That is why (the apostle) said: “under His feet, and placed Him above all, the head of the Church.” Oh, and the Church where He raised it! Having raised her, as if by some machine, He raised her to a great height, and seated her on the same throne, because where the head is, there is the body, there is no break between the head and the body, and if (the connection between them) were interrupted, then there would be neither body nor head. “Above everything,” he says. What does “above all” mean? Or - that Christ is above everything visible and contemplated by the mind, or - that the highest of all the benefits He has shown is that He made His Son the head, leaving no one higher - neither an angel, nor an archangel, nor anyone else. God honored us not only by the fact that He raised up the mountain from us, but also by the fact that He prepared for the entire human race to follow Him and to have the same inheritance from Him (glory). “Which is His body” (Eph. 1:23). So that you, having heard the word “head”, do not take it in the sense of only power, but in its own sense, do not consider Him only a leader, but see in Him as if a bodily (real) head, (the apostle) adds: “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” He considers it as if (the title of the chapter) is insufficient to show the kinship and closeness (of the Church to Christ), and what does he say? The Church is the fulfillment of Christ, just as the head is complemented by the body and the body is complemented by the head. You see what weapons the apostle uses, how he does not stop at any turn of phrase to present God's glory. “Completeness,” he says, that is, how the head is replenished by the body, because the body is made up of all (its) members, and each member is necessary for the other. You see how (the apostle) imagines that (for Christ, as the head) all members are needed, because if many of us were not - one with a hand, another with a foot, the third with some other member, then His body would not be complete. So, His body is made up of all (members). And that means: only then will the head be fulfilled, then the perfect body will be built, when we will all be united and fastened together in the most durable way. 3. Do you see the “wealth of the glorious inheritance”? Do you see “the immeasurable greatness of His power in us who believe”? Do you see the “hope of calling”? Let us honor our Head; Let us think about what Head we are, the body, to whom everything is subjugated. In accordance with this model, we should be better than the angels themselves and higher than the archangels, as being awarded greater honor than all of them. God did not take on the nature of “angels,” as the apostle says in the Epistle to the Hebrews, but “the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16). Not power, not beginning, not domination, not any other power, but He accepted our nature and planted grief. And what do I say: planted? He made Him His clothing, and not only that, but also “put all things in subjection under His feet” (Heb. 2:8). No matter how many times you yourself die, no matter how many times—even a thousand or more—you lay down your soul, you cannot say that you did anything equal (to what Christ did). He accomplished two great deeds: he himself descended to the last degree of humiliation, and he elevated man to great heights. (The Apostle) first spoke of His humiliation; here he speaks of an even higher matter, truly great and important. Even if we were not exalted (through His humiliation), it would be enough (what He did for us); or even if they were awarded (such a high honor), but without His sacrifice (then that would also be enough). But when He did both, then, to depict all this, the richest word remains insufficient and powerless. The resurrection itself no longer seems so great when I think about it. Not about God the Word, but about Him (the humiliated Christ) he says: “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Let us honor the closeness of kinship; Let us fear lest any one be cut off from this body, lest any one should fall, or appear unworthy. If someone were to put a diadem or a golden crown on our head, tell me, what would we not do to show ourselves worthy of these soulless stones? Here it is not a diadem that covers our head, but Christ himself has become our Head, which is much higher - and yet we do not attach any value to this. Angels, archangels and all (heavenly) powers revere our Head, but will we not honor Her body, but neither for Her humiliation, nor for our exaltation? What hope of salvation will we have after this? Imprint this royal throne in your mind, always remember the abundance of honor. This, one might say, should frighten us more than Gehenna. If there were no Gehenna, then for us, who were awarded such a great honor, and then turned out to be unworthy of it and evil, (deprivation of this honor) what would be the punishment, what torment? Imagine, near whom your Head will sit - this alone is completely enough for everything - at whose right hand is she located? She will sit above all principality and power and strength: but will her body and demons trample under foot? But let it not be! If it were so, then there would no longer be a body. The most honorable of slaves retreat from your Head in reverence: will you really hand over your body to desecration? What punishment will you not deserve in this case? If someone had chained the king's feet and put shackles on them, would he not have been guilty of the most cruel punishment? And you give His whole body to fierce beasts and do not shudder? But since we are talking about the body of the Lord, let us also remember that body that was crucified, nailed, and sacrificed. If you are the body of Christ, then bear the cross, because He did; endure spitting, strangling, piercing with nails; such was His body, although it was sinless: “He committed no sin,” it is said, “and there was no lie in His mouth” (Is. 53:9). His hands acted only to benefit those in need. His lips uttered nothing indecent; “Do you have a demon?” , - they told Him, but He did not say anything contrary here either (John 7:20). And since we are talking about His body, then those who partake of the body and drink His blood - remember that we partake of a body in no way different from the body that sits on the mountain, which the angels worship, which is near the incorruptible Power - it is this (body) that we partake. Oh, how many paths to salvation are open to us! He made us His body, gave us His body, and all this does not distract us from evil. O delusion! Oh, great humiliation! Oh, shamelessness! “Seek the things that are above,” it is said, “where Christ sits at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1); meanwhile, some are concerned about wealth, others are captivated by passions. 4. Don’t you see that if we have extra and unnecessary growths on our body, we cut them off and take them away? Especially useless for the body are growths that are ugly, dead, or rotten, from which, meanwhile, the whole body can become infected. But we do not dare to assert that our being consists of one body. If the body, despite the fact that it is material, is nevertheless subject to cutting off, then what horrors will we have to experience if our spiritual side does not remain healthy? When our body does not take food, when the passages are closed, it dies; when the channels are clogged, it is damaged. This is exactly what happens with the soul: when we close our ears (to listening to the word of God), it is damaged. When we do not perceive spiritual food, when certain bad inclinations, like spoiled liquids, fill us and begin to harm us, then all this produces illness, a cruel illness, ending in complete exhaustion. In this case, for salvation one must resort to either cauterization or cutting off, because Christ will not allow anyone with such a (damaged) body to enter His palace. If He brought out and cast out those who dressed in unclean clothes, then what will He not do, what measures will He not take against the one who allows uncleanness in the body? I notice that many simply, as it happens, more by custom and routine than with reasoning and consciously, partake of the body of Christ. The time has come, they say, for St. Pentecost, or the day of Epiphany, everyone, no matter who they are (according to their internal disposition), must partake of the mysteries. But time does not give the right to begin (the sacrament), because it is not the feast of the Epiphany or the Feast of Pentecost that makes those approaching worthy, but the lightness and purity of the soul. Always start with these qualities; never without them. “For whenever,” says (the apostle), “when you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:26), that is, you make a remembrance of your salvation and My good deed. Remember with what fear they began to participate in ancient sacrifices. What haven’t you done, what haven’t you done before? They were always cleared in advance; But you, approaching the sacrifice at which the angels tremble, determine the completion of this deed at a certain time? How will you appear after that before the judgment seat of Christ, you who dare to accept His body with unclean lips and hands? You don’t even dare to kiss the king when you have a bad smell from your mouth: how can you, with a fetid soul, dare to kiss the King of Heaven? Such an act is an insult to Him. Tell me, would you dare to begin the sacrifice with unwashed hands? Don't think. On the contrary, you would rather decide not to start at all. Than (proceed) with unclean hands. And yet, showing such caution in small things, you proceed and dare to touch (the great sacrifice), having an unclean soul? After all, it is in your hands only temporarily, but it completely penetrates your soul. Moreover, don’t you see how clean the vessels are washed and how brightly they shine? Our souls must be even purer, holier and brighter. Why is this so? Because the vessels are thus (washed and cleansed) for us; they do not absorb into themselves, they do not feel what is in them; we are the opposite. After this, how can you, who probably would not want to use an uncleaned vessel (during divine services), approach (the sacrament) with an uncleaned soul? I see a great inconsistency here. At other times, although you are purer (in your soul), you do not partake; On Easter, even if you have committed a crime, you receive communion. Oh, custom! Oh, prejudice! In vain is the daily sacrifice made, in vain do we stand before the altar of the Lord - no one partakes! However, I’m not saying this so that you just join in; but so that you prepare yourself for worthy communion. If you are not worthy of communion, then you are not worthy of participation (in the liturgy of the faithful), and that means in prayers. You hear the deacon (χύρυξ) exclaiming: “You are in repentance (όσοι εν μετάνοία), come out, all of you.” Those who do not partake are in repentance; if you are in repentance, then you should not partake, because he who does not partake is one of the repentant. Why after this does (the deacon) say: come out, you who are unable to pray, while you continue to stand shamelessly? But you are not one of them (those who repent), but those who can partake? And yet you don’t pay any attention to it and seem to consider this matter insignificant? 5. Look, I beg you: here is the royal meal; angels serve the meal; The King himself is present here. And you stand carelessly, you don’t have any thoughts, and besides, you’re wearing unclean clothes. But are your clothes clean? In that case, come and join in. The King himself comes every time to see those present here; talks to everyone; and now your conscience says to you: friends, how are you standing here without a wedding robe? (The Lord did not say to the one who did not have a wedding garment) (Matthew 22:12): Why did you lie down? - but said that he was not worthy of an invitation and (meaning) entry; he did not say: why were you invited, but why did you enter? He says the same thing now, addressing all of us, who stand shamelessly and boldly. Anyone who does not partake of St. secrets, stands shamelessly and boldly; That is why, first of all, those who are in sin (repentant) are expelled. Just as during a meal in the presence of the master, the lower servants are not allowed to participate in it, and they are sent out, so it should be here. When the sacrifice is worn out and Christ is offered as a sacrifice, this is the Sovereign sheep; when you hear: let us all pray together; when you see the curtain rising, imagine that the heavens are opening and angels are descending from above. Just as none of the unenlightened can be present, so it is equally impossible for the unclean to be present, even if they are enlightened. If someone, having been invited to a feast, expressed consent to this, appeared, and had already started the meal, but then did not take part in it, then - tell me - would he not offend the one who called him? And wouldn’t it be better for such a person not to come at all? In exactly the same way you came, sang a song, as if recognizing yourself along with all those worthy (of the Holy Mysteries), because you did not go out with the unworthy. Why did you stay and yet not take part in the meal? I'm not worthy, you say. This means: you are not worthy of communication in prayers, because the Spirit descends not only when (gifts) are offered, but also when (sacred) songs are sung. Haven't you seen how our servants first sponge the table, clean the house, and then set the dishes? (In churches) this very thing is accomplished by prayers offered by the deacon (χύρυξ), with which, like a sponge, we wash the church in order to make an offering in a clean church, so that there is not a single stain, not a single speck of dust. And, indeed, there are those in the church whose eyes are not worthy to see (what is presented to the eyes here), whose ears are not worthy to hear (what is proclaimed here). If the cattle touch the mountain, the Lord once said, they will be stoned (Ex. 19:13). And (the Israelites) were not even worthy of ascending (to the mountain), although afterwards they ascended and saw where the Lord stood; they could come and see afterwards. You too, when (God) is present here, it is even more impermissible for you to be here than for the one being announced. After all, it’s not all the same - never partake of the secrets, and after being worthy of them, neglect them, insult them and make yourself unworthy of them. One could say something even greater and more terrible; but in order not to burden your mind, this is enough. If this does not bring you to your senses, then nothing else will succeed. So, lest greater condemnation befall you, I implore you not that you should not come here, no, but that you should conduct yourself in such a way as to be worthy to enter here and be present here. If some king ordered the following: whoever does this or that will not be honored with my meal, then, tell me, would you not have done everything for this? (God) called us to heaven, to the table of the great and wondrous King, but we refuse, hesitate, do not rush to take advantage of this call? What hope of salvation do we have after this? You can’t blame weakness for this, you can’t blame nature. Carelessness is what makes us unworthy, as we were told. May He who touches hearts and gives the spirit of tenderness touch your hearts and plant deep seeds (of piety) in them, so that you may receive them into your soul with fear, revive the spirit of salvation in yourself and have the boldness to approach (the sacrament of communion). “Your sons,” it is said, “are like olive branches around your table” (Ps. 127:3). Let there be nothing old in us, nothing wild and rough, nothing immature! Only such new plantings are capable of producing fruit, wondrous fruit, I mean, olive fruit, and they can be present around the meal, and, moreover, not simply and not haphazardly gathered here, but with fear and trembling. Then and there we will look at Christ himself with boldness, and we will be worthy of the heavenly kingdom, which we all will receive through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: