Беседа 16

Hebrews 9:15–18. And therefore He is the mediator of the new covenant, so that through His death, which was for redemption from the crimes committed in the first covenant, those called to an eternal inheritance would receive the promise. For where there is a will, it is necessary that the death of the testator follow, because a will is valid after the dead: it has no force when the testator is alive. Why was the first covenant not established without blood? 1. Since there were probably many faint-hearted people who, especially because Christ died, did not believe His promises, Paul, wishing to decisively refute such an opinion, presents an example borrowed from general custom. What kind of (custom) is this? That’s why, he says, you need to be confident. Why? Because wills are valid and gain force not during the lifetime of the testators, but after their death. That’s why he begins his speech like this: “He is,” he says, “the mediator of the new covenant.” The will is drawn up on the last day before death. This will makes some heirs and disinherits others. So here, about the heirs, Christ says: “Father! whom You have given Me, I want them to be with Me where I am” (John 17:24); and again, about those disinherited, listen to what He says: “I do not pray for everyone, but for those who believe in Me through their word 11 . In a will there is one relating to the testator and one relating to the recipients of the will, and it states what they should receive and what they should do. So it is here: after countless promises (Christ) offers them a commandment: “A new commandment,” he says, “I give to you” (John 13:34). Also: a testament must have witnesses; and listen again to what He says: “I myself testify about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me” (John 8:18); also about the Comforter he says: “He will testify about myself.” Me” (John 15:26); and sending the twelve apostles, He said: “bear witness before God” (John 15:17; 1 Tim. 5:21). “And therefore He,” says (Paul), “is the mediator of the new covenant.” What does “there is an intercessor” mean? The intercessor is not the master of the cause, of which he is the mediator; the matter is in itself, and the mediator is in itself. For example: in a marriage there is a mediator, but he is not the groom, but only one who assists the person entering into marriage. So it is here. The Son became a mediator between the Father and us. Father did not want to leave us this inheritance; He was angry with us and was dissatisfied with us, as those who had departed from Him; (The Son) became a mediator between us and Him and begged Him. And look how He became a mediator: He took upon Himself the accusation and justification, conveyed to us (the will of) the Father, and at the same time suffered death. We offended (God) and should have died, but He died for us and made us worthy of the covenant. Thus the covenant became firm, since it was no longer made with the unworthy. In the beginning God made a covenant with us, like a Father with his children; but when we became unworthy, then there should have been not a covenant, but punishment. Why, says (the apostle), are you exalted by the law? He brought us to such a state of sin that we could never be saved; If our Lord had not died for us, the law would not have helped us at all, because it was weak. However, he proves this not only by general custom, but also by the events of the Old Testament, which could especially affect them. But, they will say, no one died there: how was that (covenant) established? Exactly the same. How? And there is blood, just as there is blood here. Don’t be surprised that it’s not Christ’s blood; there was a prototype there; That’s why (the apostle) says: “Why the first covenant was not established without blood.” What does “was approved” mean? Became strong and established. “In the same way,” that is, therefore, he says, a prototype of both the covenant and death was needed. 2. But why, tell me, was the book of the covenant sprinkled? “For Moses, having spoken all the commandments according to the law before all the people, took the blood of bulls and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you” (Heb. 9:19–20). Why, tell me, is the book of the covenant and the people sprinkled? Because that blood and everything else was a prototype of the most honest blood, which was represented from ancient times. Why with hyssop? Because it, as a dense and soft substance, held back blood. What is water for? It was used as a sign of purification with water. What is the wave for? And it was used to hold back the blood. (The Apostle) shows that there were both blood and water here together, because baptism is an image of the suffering of Christ. “He also sprinkled the blood on the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship. And almost everything according to the law is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:21–22). Why did he say: “Yes, almost everything”? Why did you make such a restriction? Because there was no perfect cleansing and perfect remission of sins, but there was half-perfect and even much less; and here - “for this is My Blood,” says (the Lord), “of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Where is the book that cleansed their souls? They themselves were the books of the new testament. Where are the service vessels? They themselves. Where is the tabernacle? Again: themselves. “I will dwell in them,” says (God), “and I will walk in them” (2 Cor. 6:16), But there is no sprinkling here with either scarlet wool or hyssop. Why? Because this cleansing was not physical, but spiritual, and this blood is spiritual. Why? Because it did not flow from the body of dumb (animals), but from the body formed by the Spirit. He sprinkled us with this blood not Moses, but Christ, through the word spoken by him: “This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” This word, soaked in blood instead of hyssop, sprinkles everyone. There the body was cleansed from the outside, since the cleansing was physical, but here – spiritual cleansing, which enters the soul and cleanses, not only sprinkling, but becoming a source in our souls. Those initiated into the mysteries know what I'm talking about. There the surface (of the body) was sprinkled, and the sprinkled one was washed again, and did not always walk around bloody; here it is not so, but the blood mixes with the very essence of the soul, making it strong and pure and bringing it to indescribable beauty. Thus (the apostle) proves that death served not only for confirmation, but also for purification. Death, and especially death on the cross, seemed something disastrous; but (the apostle) says that it served as a purification, and an important purification, and moreover in high matters. For this purpose, i.e. For the sake of this blood, there were sacrifices before; That's what the lambs were for, that's what everything was for. “Therefore the images of the heavenly things had to be purified with these, and the heavenly things themselves with the best of these sacrifices” (Heb. 9:23). How are they images of heaven? And what does he now call heavenly? Isn't it the sky? Aren't they angels? No, but ours (sacred rites). Our (sacred rites) are in heaven and heavenly, although they are performed on earth. Likewise, there are angels on earth, but they are called heavenly; and cherubim appeared on earth, but they are heavenly. What am I saying: did you show up? They are on earth, as if in paradise, and yet, for all that, they are heavenly. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20), although we live here. “The images of heavenly things had to be purified by these,” i.e. according to our wisdom we were called there. “The most heavenly things are the best of these sacrifices.” The best is called the best in relation to something good. Consequently, the images of the heavenly were also good. They were not bad, like the images; otherwise it would be bad for what they serve as images. 3. So, if we are heavenly, if we have received such dignity, then we will be afraid lest we remain on earth; and even now, whoever wants to, may not be on earth. To be or not to be on earth depends on the will and way of life. For example: they say about God that he resides in heaven. Why? Not because He was imprisoned in some place - let him not be - and not because the earth was deprived of His presence; but in relation to His closeness to the angels. Thus, if we are close to God, then we are in heaven. What do I care about heaven when I contemplate the Lord of heaven, when I myself become heaven? “We will come to him,” says (the Lord), “and we will make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Let us make our soul heaven. The sky is clear by nature; it does not become dark even during a storm; then it is not itself that changes its appearance, but the collected clouds that cover it. The sky has a sun; and we have the Sun of righteousness. It is possible, I said, to become like heaven; I’ll also say that you can become even better than the sky. How? When will we have the Lord of the sun. The sky is clear and bright everywhere and does not change either during a storm or during the night; so we should not be subjected to this either during sorrows or during the wiles of the devil, but remain pure and bright. The sky is high and far from the earth; We too will be like this, we will renounce the earth and ascend to this height. How can we renounce the earth? If we think about heavenly things. The sky is much higher and rains and storms, and no one can reach it; the same thing, if we want, can happen to us. It seems to change, and yet it does not change; so we, although we seem to suffer, should not be subjected to suffering. Just as during a storm many do not see the beauty of the sky and think that it has changed, but the wise know that it has not changed at all, so about us, during sorrows, many think that we have changed and that sorrow has touched our very heart, but the wise know that it has not touched us. Let us be the sky, let us ascend to this height, and then people will seem to us no different from ants; I mean not only the poor and the rich, but whether it is a military leader or a king, we will not notice from there either a king or a commoner, we will not distinguish what is gold and what is silver, what is silk clothing and what is purple; everyone will seem like flies to us when we are at this height; there is no noise, no excitement, no shouting. But how, you say, can a person on earth rise to this height? I will not prove this to you with words alone, but, if you want, I will introduce you to people who have actually reached this height. Who is this? I mean Paul and those like him, who, while living on earth, were in heaven. What do I say: in heaven? They were higher than heaven and other heavens, and ascended to God himself. “Who will separate us,” he says, “from the love of God: tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword” (Rom. 8:35)? And again: “we look not at what is seen, but at what is unseen” (2 Cor. 4:18). Do you see how he did not look at what was here? And so that you may be convinced that he was higher than heaven, listen to how he says: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). 4. Do you see how thought, having gone through everything, placed him above not only this creation and these heavens, but also any others, if there were any? Do you see the high mind? Do you see what the screen maker became when he wanted, spending his whole life in the square? No, there is truly no obstacle - to surpass everyone whenever we want. If we make such progress in arts that are very difficult for many, then even more so in those that do not require such labor. What is more difficult, tell me, how to walk on a tightrope, as if on level ground, and while walking at a height, dress and undress, as if sitting on a bed? Doesn’t this matter seem so terrible to us that we don’t even want to look at it, but we are horrified and tremble at the very sight of it? What is more difficult, tell me how to place a pole on your face and, having placed a child on it, perform thousands (of exercises) and amuse the audience? What is more difficult than playing with balls on swords? What is more difficult, tell me how to explore the depths of the sea? And countless other arts could be cited; but all of them are easier than virtue and art - to ascend to heaven if we want: here you only need to want, and you will achieve everything. Here it is impossible to say: I can’t - that would mean blaming the Creator; after all, if He created us unable, and yet commanded us (to do this), then the blame falls on Him. Why, you say, many people can’t? Because they don't want to. Why don't they want to? From laziness; and if they want, then of course they can. That is why Paul says: “I desire that all people may be as I am” (1 Cor. 7:7); he knew that everyone could be like him; and if they couldn’t, he wouldn’t have said it. Do you want to be virtuous? Just make a start. Tell me: in all arts, when we want to engage in them, are we content with desire alone, or do we get down to business? For example: someone who wants to become a helmsman does not just say: I want, and be content with that, but gets down to work. Anyone who wants to become a merchant does not just say: I want to, but gets down to business. Anyone who wants to travel does not just say: I want, but gets down to business. So it is in everything: desire alone is not enough, but action must also be added. And you, wanting to ascend to heaven, only say: I want? But how, you object, did you yourself say that desire alone is enough? Wants together with deeds, getting down to business, active. God promotes and helps us; We just have to make up our minds, we just have to get down to it in practice, we just have to put in the effort, we just have to have a spiritual disposition, and everything will happen. And if we sleep and snore hoping to ascend to heaven, then how can we receive the heavenly inheritance? Let us be willing, I exhort you, let us be willing. Why do we collect everything for the present life that we will leave tomorrow? Let us strive for virtue, which will suffice us for the rest of our lives; Let us constantly observe it, and we will receive eternal blessings, which may we all be worthy of, by grace and love for mankind (Our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen). The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe on Me through their word” (John 17:20). “I do not pray for the whole world, but for those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours” (John 17:9). You might be interested in: