Беседа 20

Hebrews 10:26–27. For if we, having received the knowledge of the truth, sin voluntarily, then there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrible expectation of judgment and the fury of fire, ready to devour our opponents. 1. Trees, which, being planted and preserved with all care by the hands of the farmer, do not provide any reward for labor, are uprooted and thrown into the fire. The same thing happens with the enlightened (baptism). If we, having been planted by Christ and having been granted spiritual irrigation, then lead a barren life, then the fire of Gehenna and the unquenchable flame await us. Therefore, Paul, having offered an exhortation about love and the fruitfulness of good deeds, presenting joyful motives for this - namely, that we have an entrance into the holy and a new path there that was opened for us (Christ) - now again inspires the same thing, presenting more regrettable motives. Having said: “Let us not forsake meeting ourselves together, as is the custom of some; But let us exhort one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching - although this was enough for exhortation - he adds: if we, having received the knowledge of the truth, sin willfully" (Heb. 10:25-26). Good deeds are necessary, he says, and very necessary: ​​“if we, having received the knowledge of the truth, sin willfully, then there remains no more sacrifice for sins.” The meaning of his words is as follows: you were cleansed, got rid of sins, became a son (of God); if after this you return to the same vomit; then rejection, fire, and the like await you, because there is no second victim. Here again we encounter people who both reject repentance and who are slow to proceed to baptism: the latter say that it is unsafe for them to proceed to baptism if there is no secondary remission of sins; and the former assert that it is unsafe to teach the mysteries to those who have sinned, unless there is a secondary remission of sins. What should we say to both? What (the Apostle) says is not for such a purpose; he does not reject repentance or pardon through repentance, does not excommunicate the fallen and does not plunge him into despair; he is not the enemy of our salvation; but what? He rejects secondary baptism. He did not say: “there is no longer repentance,” or: “there is no longer remission (of sins),” but: there is no longer sacrifice, i.e. there is no longer a second cross; he calls him a victim. “There is no need to offer sacrifices daily,” he says, “for He did it once” (Heb. 7:27), not in the same way as the Jewish (sacrifices) were offered, not often. That is why he spoke repeatedly about the sacrifice that it is one and only, in order to show not only that it differs from the Jewish (sacrifices), but also to protect the listeners so that they would not expect another sacrifice according to the Jewish law. “For if we,” he says, “...sin arbitrarily.” Do you notice how condescending he is? “For if we,” he says, “...sin arbitrarily.” Therefore, for (those who sin) there is involuntarily forgiveness. "Having received the knowledge of the truth". Here he means either Christ or all dogmas. “There remains no more sacrifice for sins.” But what? “But there is a certain terrible expectation of judgment and the fury of fire ready to devour opponents.” He calls opponents not only unbelievers, but also those who do the opposite of virtue, and suggests that our (sinners) will be subjected to the same fire to which our opponents. Then, wanting to express the ferocity of this fire, he fanns it, as it were, and says: “the fury of a fire ready to devour opponents.” Just as a wild beast, irritated, enraged and enraged, does not calm down until it grabs and devours someone, so that fire, as if inflamed by jealousy, whomever it grabs, does not let go, but devours and torments. Further (the Apostle) gives a justification for such a threat - that it is reasonable and fair. By this, i.e. when we are shown its justice, we are disposed to believe. “If he who rejects the law of Moses,” he says, “before two or three witnesses, without mercy, he is punished with death” (Heb. 10:28). “Without mercy,” he says; there was no leniency, no mercy, although it was the law of Moses, which prescribed many things. What does it mean: “before two or three witnesses”? When, he says, two or three people testified, then the guilty were immediately punished. If in the Old Testament such punishment was imposed when someone rejected the law of Moses, isn’t it even more so here? That’s why he says: “How much more severe punishment do you think the one who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider as holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?” ( Heb. 10:29 ). 2. How does someone trample on the Son of God? If, while communing with Him in the mysteries, he commits sins, then tell me, is he not trampling on Him? Doesn't he despise Him? Just as we regard people who are trampled upon as nothing, so those who sin regard Christ as nothing, and that is why they sin. Have you become the body of Christ, and are you giving yourself over to the devil so that he can trample on you? “And he does not consider the blood of the covenant as holy,” he says, “with which he was sanctified.” (glory - “the blood of the covenant has caused defilement”). What does it mean: “defilement”? Unclean, or not at all better than anything else. “And he offends the Spirit of grace,” because he who does not accept a good deed offends the benefactor. (Christ) made you a son; do you want to be a slave? He came to live with you; and you introduce evil thoughts into yourself? Christ wants to dwell with you; and you trample Him with gluttony and drunkenness? Listen, you who unworthily partake of the mysteries; Listen, you who approach this meal unworthily: “Do not give,” He says, “what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet” (Matthew 7:6), i.e. so as not to be neglected, so as not to be spat upon. But (the Apostle) said not so, but even more terrible; he strikes souls with fear, since this could have an effect on them no less than exhortation. He shows the difference (the rejection of the law of Moses and the trampling of the blood of Christ), and leaves them to judge the punishment for the latter, as an obvious matter. “How severe a punishment do you think,” he says, “will he be subject to” (Heb. 10:29)? Here, it seems to me, he understands the sacraments. Then he gives evidence: “It’s scary,” he says, “to fall into the hands of the living God!” . It is written: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again: the Lord will judge his people” (Heb. 10:30-31). We will fall, he says, into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of people. If you do not repent, then you will fall into the hands of God. This is scary; otherwise, falling into the hands of people means nothing. When we see, he says, that someone is being punished here, then we will not be afraid of the present, but Let us fear the future: “For His wrath is of His mercy, and His wrath remains on sinners” (Sir. 5:7) With the words: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” - this also points to something else. This is said about enemies who do evil, and not about those who suffer evil. Thus, he consoles here, as if he were saying: God always abides and lives; therefore, if (the enemies) do not receive retribution now, they will receive it later; they should groan, not us; we fall into their hands, and they into the hands of God; It is not the one who suffers evil who suffers, but the one who does evil; Likewise, it is not the benefactor who receives the benefit, but the benefactor. Knowing this, let us be firm in enduring evil and ready to do good. And this will happen when we begin to despise money and fame. He who is freed from these passions is freer than all people and richer than the one clothed in scarlet. Don't you see how much evil there is because of money? I don’t say how much is from covetousness, and how much is from addiction to money? So, for example, someone lost money, and now he lives a life that is more unbearable than death itself. What, man, are you grieving about? What are you crying about? Is it about the fact that God freed you from an unnecessary burden? Is it about the fact that you no longer sit in fear and trembling? If someone ties you to a treasure and orders you to sit there constantly and watch over someone else’s (property), then you complain and are indignant; but when you yourself have tied yourself to him with the most unbearable bonds, then why do you grieve, being freed from such slavery? Truly, these sorrows and these joys are the result of prejudice. We must store property as if it belonged to us. Now I address my speech to the wives. When any wife has a garment made of gold, she often shakes it out, wraps it in linen, carefully preserves it, trembles over it and does not use it. As if she had died, or been widowed, or, if nothing of the kind had happened, she was afraid that, having worn it out from frequent use, she might lose it; if the other does not deprive, then she herself deprives herself out of stinginess. But she lost it to someone else? This is still unknown; and if she gave in, then she uses it in the same way. If anyone were to examine the contents of the houses, he would find that the most expensive clothes and the best things are preserved as if they were living rulers. (The wife) does not use them often, but is afraid and trembles, protects them from moths and other insects that wear out her dress, covers most of them with ointments and aromas and does not deign to look at them all - only she and her husband often and diligently lay them out. 3. Tell me, is it not fair that Paul called covetousness idolatry? What honor they (pagans) give to idols, the same they do to clothes and gold things. How long are we going to deal with dirt? How long will we cling to clay and bricks? Just as those (Jews) worked for the king of Egypt, so we work for the devil, and we receive much more severe blows from whips. Do not take these words as an exaggeration: the higher the soul is than the body, the more severe the wounds that we inflict on ourselves every day with our worries, combined with fear and trembling. But if we want to repent, if we want to lift our eyes to God, then He will send us not Moses and Aaron, but His word and heartfelt contrition. When it comes, it will free our souls from bitter slavery, take us out of Egypt, from these useless and vain troubles, from this slavery that does not bring any benefit. They at least came out with gold things as a reward for their labors; but we (receive) nothing - and if only nothing! But now we receive not golden things, but Egyptian disasters - sins, executions and torment. Let us learn to find our advantage, let us learn to endure losses; this is worthy of a Christian. Let us despise golden garments; let us neglect money, lest we neglect our salvation; Let us neglect money so as not to neglect our souls. She will suffer punishment, she will suffer torment; everything else remains here, and she goes there. Why, tell me, why are you torturing yourself and not feeling it? I say this to the covetous. It is also necessary to say to those who suffer from covetousness: bear courageously the insults from the covetous; they destroy themselves, not you; They take away your property, and deprive themselves of God’s favor and help. And whoever has lost (God’s favor), even if he owned all the wealth of the universe, is the poorest of all; just as the poorest of all, but having (this favor), is richer than all. “The Lord,” says (the Psalmist), “is my shepherd; I will not lack for anything” (Ps. 22:1). Tell me: if you had a great and wonderful husband who loved you and took care of you, and if you knew that he would always live and you would not die before him, and he would provide you with all his property, so that you would use it as if it were your own, would you want to acquire anything? And even if you lost everything, wouldn’t you consider yourself rich? What are you grieving about? Is it about not having wealth? But know that the reason to sin has been taken away from you. Is it about the fact that you lost your property? But you have gained God's favor. How do you say you acquired it? (The Apostle) said: “Why would it be better for you not to remain offended” (1 Cor. 6:7)? and again: “Give thanks in everything” (1 Thess. 5:18); (Christ) said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). Think about what kind of favor you will be honored with if you show this in action. Only one thing is required of us - to thank God for everything, and we will have everything in abundance. For example, did you lose ten thousand liters of gold? Thank God immediately, and through this appeal to Him and your gratitude you already gain a hundred thousand. Why, tell me, do you please Job: is it because he had so many camels, herds and draft animals, or because he said the words: “The Lord gave, the Lord has also taken away” (Job 1:21)? And the devil harms us not just to take away our property - he knows that it is nothing - but through this to force us to say something blasphemous. So he wanted to make blessed Job not only a poor man, but also a blasphemer. When he deprived him of everything, look what he said to him through his wife: “And his wife said to him: You are still firm in your integrity! Blaspheme God and die” (Job 2:9). But you, the evil one, have already deprived him of everything! But that’s not what I wanted, he says; I have not yet achieved what I did everything for; I tried to deprive him of God’s help; That's why he deprived him of his property; This is what I want, otherwise it means nothing; if I fail, then not only will he not suffer any harm, but he will also receive benefit. 4. Do you see that even the evil demon knows what harm comes from this? That's why, as you see, he plotted through his wife. Listen, husbands who have wives attached to wealth and forcing you to blaspheme: remember Job. However, let us, if you wish, look at his great meekness and how he blocked his wife’s lips. “You,” he says, “speak like one of the fools” (Job.2:10). Truly, “bad associations corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). They always spoil, but especially during misfortunes; then those who offer bad advice are strong, because if the soul itself is prone to impatience, then isn’t it much more so when there is also an adviser? Is she then ready to throw herself even into the abyss? A wife is a great good, but also a great evil. And look how (the devil) tried to undermine this strong wall. Since the deprivation of property did not overcome him and all the losses did not produce anything important, but he (the enemy) himself was convicted that in vain he said: “But stretch out Your hand and touch everything that he has, will he bless You?” (Job.1:11), - then he arms his wife against him. Do you see what he wanted? But this trick did not help him any more. Likewise, if we endure everything with gratitude, we will receive the same (as Job); and if we do not receive it, then a great reward awaits us. So it was with this adamantine husband. When he valiantly endured everything, then (God) gave him wealth; when he proved to the devil that it was not because of this that he served (God), then he gave him this too. This is what God does: when he sees that we are not attached to the blessings of life, then he gives them to us; when he sees that we prefer spiritual goods to them, then he gives us material benefits; He doesn’t give them first, so that we don’t forget about the spiritual ones. Thus, He, sparing us, does not give us material benefits in order to deviate us from them even against our will. No, you will say, on the contrary, when I receive them, then I will be satisfied and even more so I will begin to thank (God). You lie, man; then you will be especially lazy. Why, you say, does He give to many? But how can we see what He gives? Who, you say, gives to the other? Their own covetousness, robbery. Why does He allow this? That’s why he (allows) murder, theft, and violence. What, you say, should we think about those who receive an inheritance from their parents, despite the fact that they themselves are filled with countless vices? How does God allow them to use this? Just as He allows thieves, murderers and other evildoers. Now is the time not for judgment, but for the improvement of life. As I said before, so I will say now: they will be subject to greater punishment if, enjoying all the benefits, they do not thereby become better. Not everyone will be punished equally, but those who remain evil, despite good deeds, will suffer more, and those who lived in poverty will suffer less. That this is fair, listen to what David says: Have I not given you, he says, all (the property) of “your master” (2 Sam. 12:8). So, when you see that a young man received his father’s inheritance without difficulty and remained evil, then be sure that the strongest punishment and the most severe torment are being prepared for him. Therefore, let us imitate not such a person, but one who inherited virtue, who acquired spiritual wealth: woe, says (the Psalmist), “to those who trust in their wealth” (Ps. 48:7); and again: “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord” (Ps. 127:1). Among which, tell me, do you want to be? Of course, among those pleased. Imitate them, and not those, so that you too may receive the blessings prepared for them, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love for mankind 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. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: