Беседа 9

1 Thessalonians 5:1–2. There is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren, for you yourself know with certainty that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The end of the world is unknown for the benefit of the living. - Every sin is spiritual intoxication. - Effeminacy leads to destruction. 1. In no one’s nature, it seems, is there so much inquisitiveness and greed for knowledge of the invisible and hidden as in human nature. This is usually revealed in her when the mind is still imperfect and uneducated. Thus, inexperienced children constantly bother educators, mentors, and parents with many questions in which there is nothing more than: when does this happen and when does that happen. The same thing happens (with older people) from bliss, or from the fact that they have nothing to do. So, our mind strongly desires to know and comprehend many things, and especially the time of death (of the World). And is it surprising if this occupies us, when the holy apostles themselves were most occupied with this? So before the suffering (of Christ), they approached Christ with the words: “Tell us, when will this be? and what is the sign of Your coming and the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3)? And after His suffering and resurrection from the dead they also said to Him: “Will You not at this time, O Lord, restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6)? - and they didn’t ask Him about anything else before. But it wasn’t like that after. When they have been granted the Holy Spirit, not only do they themselves not question or grieve over such ignorance, but they also keep others from doing so who suffer from such inappropriate curiosity. Listen to what Blessed Paul says now: “There is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren.” Why didn't he say that no one knew? Why didn’t he say that this was not open, but “there is no need to write to you, brethren”? Because with those words he would have saddened them more; On the contrary, these calmed me down. With the words: “there is no need,” he forbade them to ask about this, as about something unnecessary and useless. Indeed, what would be the benefit (of knowing this), tell me? Suppose that death follows in twenty years, in thirty, in a hundred years: what does this have to do with us? For every person, does not the end of an age constitute the end of his life? Why are you so curious about the universal demise and why do you cause yourself sadness? But what happens to us in other (cases) is the same in the present. Just as in other (cases) we, not paying attention to our own affairs, worry about others, saying: such and such a fornicator, such and such an adulterer, this one stole, this one offended, but we don’t say a word about our own, on the contrary, we are more concerned about the actions of all other people than about our own - so here, each of us, leaving concern about his own end, wants to know about the common death. What do you have in common with her? If you prepare well for your death, then you will not tolerate any evil from everyone. Whether she will be far away or close, this has nothing to do with us (does not apply). That is why Christ did not speak about it, that is, because it was useless. Why, they will say, is it useless? The One who hid this himself knows why it is useless. Listen to what He says to the apostles: “It is not your business to know the times or seasons which the Father has appointed in His authority” (Acts 1:7). Why should you be curious? This is what those who were with Peter the Supreme (apostle) heard, wanting to know more than they needed to know. Yes, they will say, but then it would be possible to stop the mouths of the Hellenes. How, tell me? Since they, you say, teach that this world is God, then, knowing the time of its destruction, we would stop their mouths. Certainly; but in order to silence the Hellenes, is it necessary to prove that the world will collapse someday, or exactly when it will collapse? If you want to stop their mouths, then say that the world will end. If they are not convinced by this, they will not be convinced by this. Listen to what Paul says: “For you yourselves know with certainty that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night,” not only the general day, but also each one’s own. This latter is likened to the first because it has similarity and affinity with it. What is the meaning of the first for everyone in the aggregate, the same is the last for each in particular. The time of universal demise began with Adam, and the end of the life of each of us is an image of this demise - even those who would call it a general demise would not be mistaken. In fact, if every day people die in the thousands, if all the dead are waiting for that day and no one is resurrected before it, then shouldn’t this be attributed to the death of the general? If you want to know why this day is hidden and why it will come like a thief at night, then I, it seems to me, will fairly tell you: no one would ever take care of virtue in his entire life if this day were known and not hidden, but everyone, knowing his last day, would commit countless crimes and would already approach the font on that day when he began to depart. If even now, when the fear of the unknown shakes the souls of everyone, everyone who led their previous lives viciously allows themselves to be baptized only with their last breath, then if people definitely knew their last day, who would then ever take care of virtue? If, with this constant fear, many departed without baptism - if even such fear did not teach them to take care during their lives of pleasing God, then when this fear was taken away, who would then be chaste, who would be meek? Nobody. On the other hand, now someone is kept from evil not only by the great fear of death, but also by the love of life. And if everyone knew that he would certainly die tomorrow, then before that day he would not refrain from anything, on the contrary, he would kill whomever he wanted, and would commit thousands of atrocities, taking revenge on his enemies. 2. A depraved person, having lost hope of continuing his life here, regards even the one dressed in purple as nothing. Anyone who was sure that he must certainly die would try to take revenge on the enemy, and then, having sated his soul in advance, he would accept death. I will say, thirdly, and something else: people attached to life and too partial to the blessings here would melt away from despondency and sadness. For example, if one of the young men knew that he would die before (rather than reaching) old age, he would suffer as much as the most timid animals suffer from the anticipation of death when they are caught. Moreover, even the most intrepid men would then not deserve a reward. In fact, if they knew that after three years they had to die, but before that they could not, then what right would they have to a reward for deciding on dangerous feats? Then anyone could tell them: you hope to live for three years, and therefore you are exposed to danger, knowing that it is impossible for you to die first. He only clearly displays courage and contempt for this life who sees death for himself in every danger and knows that he will remain alive if he does not dare to risk it, but will lose his life if he dares to take it. Let me explain this to you with an example. Tell me, would the patriarch Abraham have any right to a reward if he had laid his son on (the altar), knowing in advance that he would not kill him? What else? Would Paul excite our wonder if he despised danger, knowing in advance that he would not die? After all, even the most timid would go into the fire if he found in someone a reliable guarantor that he would avoid danger. But the three youths were not like that. What exactly? Listen to what they say: King, “Our God, whom we serve, is able to save us from the fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. If this does not happen, then let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden image that you have set up” (Dan. 3:17-18). Do you see what great benefit does not knowing the time of death bring to us? There is another one, bigger than this one, but for now it’s enough to know this. So that a thief will come in the night, so that we do not indulge in vices, so that we do not be careless, and thus do not lose our reward. “You know it yourself,” he says. Why do you need to investigate this when you yourself know for sure? And that the future is unknown, learn from what Christ said. And that He really said this for this reason, listen to what He says: “Watch therefore, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42). That’s why Paul said: “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ then destruction will suddenly come upon them, just as the pain of childbirth comes upon a woman with child, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Here (the apostle) pointed out what he said in the second epistle. Since (the Thessalonians) were in sorrow, and their enemies were in peace and pleasure, he consoled them in their real suffering with the word about the resurrection, and their enemies insulted them, spread the opinions of their ancestors and said: when will this happen? Therefore, just as the prophets said: woe to those who say: “Let Him hasten and hasten His work, so that we may see, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come near and come to fruition, so that we may know!” ( Isa. 5:19 ) or again: “Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord!” - meaning not just those who want, but those who want out of unbelief, - and also: “the day of the Lord,” says (the prophet), “it is darkness and not light” (Am. 5:18), - so (the apostle) said it here. And watch how he comforts them. He seems to be saying this: from the fact that they are in happiness, let them not conclude that there will be no judgment: it will overtake them that way. However, it is worth paying attention to the following circumstance: if the Antichrist comes, if Elijah comes, then how, when they say: “peace and security,” will all destruction suddenly attack them? These events, as signs of the coming (of Christ), will not allow us not to know about this day. But (the apostle) does not indicate or say even this time, that is, the Antichrist, that the day of his coming will be a sign of the coming of Christ; but (claims) that (Christ) will not give a sign about Himself, but will come suddenly and unexpectedly. So for a pregnant woman, he says, it is not by chance that the time comes (to give birth) - she knows that in nine months there will be childbirth. Meanwhile (this time) is very unknown to her, because some gave birth after seven months, others after nine, and the day and hour of birth are in any case unknown. So this is what Paul is saying about this. And a true comparison! Indeed, there are few signs of the time of birth; As a result, many, not foreseeing it, gave birth on the roads and outside the home. But (the apostle) wanted to point out in this comparison not only the uncertainty (of time), but also the cruelty of suffering. Just as a woman giving birth, playing, laughing, not foreseeing anything at all, suddenly becomes overwhelmed with inexpressible suffering and is tormented by the pangs of birth, so exactly (will be struck) the souls upon the arrival of that day. "And they will not escape." Showing further that he is not saying this about them (Thessalonian Christians), “But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day should catch you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). 3. Here he speaks of a dark and unclean life, since depraved and evil people do everything at night, hiding from everyone and surrounding themselves with darkness. Tell me, in fact, is it not the evening that the adulterer awaits, and the night the thief? And he who robs graves does not carry out his undertaking at night? So what? Will the last day not befall them like a thief? Will it really not come unexpectedly for them? Will they really know about him in advance? How then does (the apostle) say: “there is no need to write to you”? Here he hints not at the unknown of time, but at the misfortune associated with it, that is, the last day will not come to their misfortune: for them it will come suddenly, but will not bring them any sorrow. “The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night,” he says. Just as a thief cannot do any harm to those who are awake and abiding in the light, even if he manages to enter them, so will that day be to those who live as they should; on the contrary, he leaves, completely depriving those who again trust in the blessings here. Then (the apostle) applies another expression to them, namely, he continues: “all of you are sons of light and sons of the day” (1 Thess. 5:5). But how can you, you say, become sons of the day? Just like the sons of destruction, like the sons of Gehenna. Therefore, Christ said to the Pharisees: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go around sea and land to convert even one; and when this happens, you make him a son of Gehenna, twice as bad as you" (Matthew 23:15), - as well as Paul: "for whom the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience" (Col. 3:6), that is, on those who do things worthy of Gehenna, on those who do deeds of disobedience. Just as the sons of God are those who do what is pleasing to God, so the sons of the day and the sons of light are those who do the works of light. “Let us therefore not sleep, like others, but let us stay awake and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But let us, being sons of the day, be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:6-8). Here (the apostle) shows that it depends on us to remain in the light of day. And here - I’m talking about an ordinary day and night - it does not depend on us, but the night comes against our will, and sleep appears against our desire; On the contrary, with that night and that dream it is not so, but you can constantly remain awake, you can constantly be in the middle of the day. To close your spiritual eyes and indulge in sinful sleep is not a matter of nature, but of will. “But let us stay awake,” he says, “and be sober.” And he who is awake, if he does not do good, may sleep; That’s why he added: “and let us be sober.” Indeed, even during the day, if anyone is awake but not sober, he may be exposed to countless dangers. So, sobriety is an increase in wakefulness. “For those who sleep,” he says, “sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.” (The Apostle) speaks of drunkenness not only from wine, but also from all sin; Intoxication of the soul consists of covetousness, addiction to money, and carnal love - and everything that you mention in this way is intoxication of the soul. But why did he call sin a dream? Because, firstly, because (the sinner) does not have the strength for virtue, further because he is constantly carried away by the imagination and does not see anything in the true light, on the contrary, he is filled with dreams and often reckless dreams, and even if, finally, he saw something good, he does not derive anything solid and unchangeable from it. This is real life! She is filled only with dreams and dreams. Wealth, fame and everything like that are a sleepy dream. The sleeper does not see what is and really exists, but dreams of what does not exist at all as if it exists. Such is sin, and such is a sinful life! She does not see the essential, that is, the spiritual, heavenly, unchanging, but only that which flows, flies away and soon leaves us. However, it is not enough to stay awake and sober; you also need to be armed. If someone does not have a weapon, then even if he is alert and sober, he can be immediately killed by robbers. So, if it is necessary to stay awake, and to be sober, and to be armed, and we will remain without weapons, we will be naked and also sleep, then who will stop you from plunging a sword into us? Therefore, showing that we need weapons, (the apostle) added: “Let us, being sons of the day, be sober, having put on the armor of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8). Faith and love, he says, pointing here to life and right dogmas. See how he explained what it means to be awake and sober, namely (this means) to have the armor of faith and love. Not just any faith, but fiery, sincere, making those protected by it invincible. Just as nothing can quickly cut through the armor, and it forms a stronghold for the chest, so protect your soul with faith and love, and not one of the devil’s flaming arrows will be able to pierce it. Truly, where the strength of the soul is protected by the weapon of love, there all the attempts of those who are malicious will be vain and vain. Neither anger, nor enmity, nor envy, nor flattery, nor hypocrisy and nothing else will be able to touch such a soul. He didn’t just say: in love; but he said that one must put on it like strong armor. Having said this, he further adds: “and into the helmet of the hope of salvation.” Just as a helmet protects the most important thing in us, that is, the head, surrounding and covering it on all sides, so hope does not allow our mind to fall, but keeps it straight, like a head, not allowing anything extraneous to fall on it. And as long as nothing falls on it and we don’t lean down. In fact, it is impossible for one who is protected by this weapon to never fall: “these remain,” it is said, “these three: faith, hope, love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Then, having said: put on and arm yourself, (the apostle) prepares weapons and shows where faith, hope and love are born, and how they become the strongest weapons, when he adds: “for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we watch or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1 Thess. 5:9-10). 4. So, God called us not to destroy us, but to save us. How can we see that this is exactly what He wants? “He gave his Son,” it is said, “his only begotten” (John 3:16). He desires our salvation so much that He gave His Son, and not just gave it, but to death. From such reflections hope is born. Do not despair, man, when you come to God, who did not even spare His Son for your sake. Don't be afraid of real disasters. Will the One who betrayed the Only Begotten to save you and snatch you from Gehenna spare anything else for your salvation? Therefore, we must expect all the best. After all, we would not be afraid if we had to appear before a judge who had to judge us, who would show such love for us that he would sacrifice his son for us. So, let us wait for everything good and great, because we have received the main thing if we believe. But we see an example; therefore we too will love (Him). After all, it would be extreme madness not to love the One who loved us so much. Moreover, he says: “Whether we are awake or asleep, we lived together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also do” (1 Thess. 5:10-11). He says the same thing in another place: “Whether we are awake or asleep” 8 (1 Thess. 5:6). But by sleep he means something else there, and something else here. Here he means bodily death, and there negligence about life. What is said here has the following meaning: do not be afraid of dangers; even if we die, we will live. Do not despair because you are in poverty: you have a sure deposit. He would not have betrayed his Son if he did not have extreme love for us. Therefore, although you die, you will live, because He Himself died. So, whether we die or live, we will live together with Him. I don't find the slightest difference in this; I don't care whether I live or die, because with Him we will live. Let us therefore do everything for that life; Let us do everything, directing our gaze to her. Beloved! Vice is darkness, there is death, there is night; (as a result of it) we do not see what is needed, we do not do what we should. Just as the dead are ugly and smelly, so the souls of those mired in evil are filled with great uncleanness. Their eyes were closed, their lips were compressed; they lie motionless on the bed of vice and are worthy of much more regret than those to whom (death) happened. These latter are dead to everything; and they are insensitive to virtue, but alive to evil. Even if someone hits a dead person, he does not feel, does not take revenge, but (lies) like a withered tree; the soul that has lost its life is just as truly insensitive. Every day she receives countless wounds, and does not feel a single one, she remains insensitive to everything. It would not be a mistake to compare such people with madmen, drunken people, or crazy people. Meanwhile, vice has all this in itself and is worse than all this. The madman meets with great condescension from the viewer, because his illness is not a consequence of arbitrariness, but only of nature; but in whom will he who remains in evil find condescension? So where does evil come from? Why are there so many evil people? Where are you asking from? Tell me yourself, where do evil diseases come from? Where does the madness come from? Where does heavy sleep come from? Is it because of carelessness? If natural diseases originate from volition, then even more so are intentional ones. Where does the drunkenness come from? Is it not from mental intemperance? Isn't madness caused by too much heat? Is this heat not due to the multiplication of life principles in us (στοιχείων)? Isn’t the multiplication of these principles due to inattention? In fact, when we either through impoverishment or through increase of something in us bring (parts of our composition) out of proportion, then we kindle this fire. Again, if we remain inattentive after this flame has already ignited, then we create a fire in ourselves that we can no longer extinguish. This happens with evil too. When at the beginning we do not put obstacles in front of it and do not cut it off, then later we can no longer stop it - on the contrary, it becomes beyond our strength. Therefore, I beg you, let us always act in such a way as to never fall asleep. Haven't you seen that often long standing guard remained useless because those on guard gave themselves up to sleep for a short time? Through this short (sleep) they destroyed everything, giving the attempted theft greater courage. Just as we do not so much pay attention to thieves as they spy on us, so the devil most of all watches us, lies in wait and gnashes his teeth. So, let's not fall asleep; Let’s not say: nothing threatens us either from this side or from this side. We often get robbed in ways we never thought possible. It’s the same with regard to evil: we can die in ways we didn’t expect. We will carefully examine everything, we will not get drunk - and we will not fall asleep; Let us not become satiated and let us not fall asleep; Let us not rush madly into external blessings, and let us remain sober. Let's protect ourselves from all sides. Just as those walking on a tightrope cannot be even a little careless, because from this small thing great evil occurs - having stumbled, they immediately fall down and die - so we should not remain careless. We walk a narrow path, surrounded on one side by rapids, on which both feet cannot stand together. Do you see how much discretion we need? Don’t you see that those who walk along a path surrounded by rapids not only tread carefully with their feet, but also look carefully with their eyes? Even if a person walking in a certain place steps apparently and carefully, and even if his foot stands firmly, his eye, clouded because he has looked into the abyss, can overthrow him: he needs to think about himself and about how to step, which is why it is said: “neither to the right nor to the left” (Proverbs 4:27). The abyss of evil is deep, the rapids are great, the darkness below is thick, the path is narrow. Let us listen to ourselves with fear, let us walk with trembling. Walking this path, no one indulges in laughter and does not burden himself with drunkenness - he walks along this path soberly and with attention. Walking this way, no one carries anything unnecessary. And happy is he who, being well girded, can pass safely, and no one in this case binds his feet, but leaves them free. 5. But we, tying ourselves up with countless worries and placing upon ourselves countless burdens of life, being inattentive and absent-minded, how can we hope that we will walk along such a narrow path? He didn’t just say: narrow (the way), but expressing amazement: what a narrow way! that is, very narrow, as we do when talking about very amazing objects. And again: “strait is the gate and narrow,” he says, “the way that leads to life” (Matthew 7:14). And he rightly said: “narrow”. When we must give an account in words, and in thoughts, and in deeds, and in everything, then truly (such a path) is narrow. And we make it even narrower, fattening and expanding ourselves and stepping with a careless foot. The narrow path is difficult for everyone, but especially for the fat; meanwhile, on the contrary, one who exhausts himself will not even feel cramped; he who has learned to constrain himself will not complain of cramping. So, let no one expect to see the sky in bliss - this is impossible! With luxury, let no one hope to walk the narrow path - it is impossible! Let no one who walks on the broad path hope to (achieve) life. So, if you see someone enjoying himself with baths, an expensive table or (numerous) servants, then do not consider yourself unhappy because you do not have this, but pity him, because he is walking the path of destruction. Indeed, what is the use of this path when it ends in sorrow? On the contrary, what is the harm from that tightness when it leads to peace? Tell me, if someone, being called to the royal palace, walked through narrow, slippery passages, and someone else, doomed to death, was drawn into the middle of the square, then who would we consider happy and who would we regret? Is it not about the one who would walk along the broad path? So in the present case, we will consider lucky not those who live in luxury, but those who do not live in luxury. These latter hurry to heaven, and those to Gehenna. Perhaps many of them will laugh at our words; but that’s why I especially cry, that’s why I sob, because they don’t know what to laugh at and what they most need to cry about, but they confuse, distort and distort everything. That's why I cry for them. What are you saying, man? Having to resurrect, give an account of your deeds and suffer the strictest punishment, do you not pay the slightest attention to this, but worry about satiety and drunkenness, and on top of that you still laugh? But I cry for you, knowing what misfortunes await you, and what punishment must befall you - that’s why I especially cry because you laugh. Weep with me, weep with me over your misfortunes. Tell me, if one of your family died, would you not turn away from those laughing at his death and consider them enemies; on the contrary, wouldn’t you love those who would cry and mourn with you? So, when your wife lay dead, you would turn away from the one who began to laugh; and when the soul in you has died, you turn away from the one crying for it, and you yourself laugh? Do you see how the devil has positioned us to be our own enemies and enemies? Let us someday rise up, open our eyes, awaken, take up eternal life, interrupt our long-term sleep! There is judgment, there is punishment, there is resurrection and testing of works. The Lord is coming on the clouds, “before Him is a consuming fire, and around Him is a great storm,” says (the Psalmist) (Ps. 49:3). A river of fire flows before Him - a worm that does not die, a fire that does not go out, pitch darkness, gnashing of teeth. Even if you are annoyed a thousand times over this, I will not stop talking about it. If the prophets, being stoned, did not remain silent, then all the more must we endure displeasure and not speak to please you, so as not to be cut to pieces for seducing you. There is eternal, joyless torment - there will be no defender. “Who will regret a charmer bitten by a snake?” 9 (Sir.12:13)? When we do not have mercy on ourselves, who will have mercy on us, tell me? If you saw someone piercing himself with a sword, could you ever spare him? No! Moreover, when we have the opportunity to improve, and do not improve, who will pity us? Nobody! Let us have mercy on ourselves. When we pray to God, saying: Lord have mercy on me, we will say this to ourselves, and we will have mercy on ourselves. It is in our power for God to have mercy on us. He himself gave this to us. If we do something worthy of mercy, worthy of His love for mankind, then God will have mercy on us. If we do not have mercy on ourselves, then who will have pity on us? Have mercy on your neighbor, and you will receive mercy from God himself. How many people come up to you every day, saying: have mercy on me, but you don’t even turn around! How many are naked, how many are crippled - and we do not bow to their prayers, but turn away! How do you want to be pardoned without doing anything worthy of pardon yourself? Let us be compassionate, let us be merciful, so that in this way we please God and be worthy of the blessings promised to those who love Him by 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. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Constantinople in 399. Probably, Chrysostom had in mind precisely the words of Art. 6: “let us not sleep, but let us stay awake.” So from Chrysostom, in the synodal translation: “Who will regret the bite of a snake charmer?” You might be interested in: