Беседа 32

Hebrews 12:18–24. You did not come to a mountain tangible and blazing with fire, not to darkness and gloom and storm, not to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of verbs, which those who heard asked that the word should no longer be continued to them, for they could not endure what was commanded: if a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned (or struck with an arrow); and this vision was so terrible that Moses said: “I am in fear and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and ten thousand angels, to the triumphant council and church of the firstborn written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus, and to the sprinkled Blood, which speaks better than Abel. 1. In the church (of the Jews) there was a wondrous holy of holies, they also had a terrible thing - what happened on Mount Sinai: fire, cloud, darkness, storm, because at Sinai, it is said, God was revealed in fire, storm and darkness (Deut. 5:22). There was nothing like this when the new covenant was established; but it was given by Christ in His simple conversation. See how (the apostle) also makes a comparison between them, rightly putting all this after. Having presented them with a lot of evidence and already explained the difference between the two covenants, he finally, after what has been said above, easily proceeds to this. What is he saying? “You did not come to a mountain tangible and blazing with fire, not to darkness and gloom and storm, not to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of verbs, which those who heard asked that the word should no longer be continued to them, for they could not endure what was commanded: if a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned (or struck with an arrow).” It was scary, he says, so scary that it was impossible to listen, and even the beast did not dare to approach. But this is not yet the same as what follows. What is Sinai compared to heaven? What is tangible fire compared to the intangible God? “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). And that what really happened then on the mountain was terrible can be seen from the words that the Jews said: “And they said to Moses: Speak to us, and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die” (Ex. 20:19). “For they could not endure what was commanded: if a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned (or struck with an arrow); and this vision was so terrible that Moses said: “I am in fear and trembling.” Is it surprising that the people, as they say (in Scripture), felt such fear, if Moses himself, entering into the darkness where God was, said: “I am in fear and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and ten thousand angels, to the triumphant council and the church of the firstborn written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have reached perfection, and to the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks better than Abel." Do you see with how many (arguments) he proved the superiority of the new covenant over the old? Instead of the earthly Jerusalem, the heavenly one: “you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem"; all the angels: “and to the ten thousand angels, to the triumphant council and the church of the firstborn.” Who does he mean by the name of the firstborn: “and the church of the firstborn”? He also calls all the hosts of them the spirits of “the righteous who have reached perfection.” Итак не скорбите, говорит; вы будете с ними. What does it mean: “The sprinkling of blood, which speaketh better than Abel”? Did Abel's blood speak? Yes; and in what way, listen to Paul, who says: “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain; by it he received evidence that he was righteous, as God testified about his gifts; by it he still speaks even after death” (Heb. 11:4). God himself expresses the same thing when he says: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries to Me from the earth” (Gen. 4:10). Thus, either this can be understood here, or the fact that (the blood of Abel) is still glorified even now, although not in the same way as (the blood) of Christ, because this one has cleansed everyone and emits a voice that is more glorious and important, the more the deeds themselves testify to it. “See that you do not turn away from the speaker. If those who did not listen to him who spoke on earth did not escape punishment, then much less will we escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth, and who has now given such a promise: once again I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens. The words “once again” signify the change of what is shaken as if it were created, so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us keep grace, whereby we will serve God acceptably with reverence and fear, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:25–29). This is scary, but this is much more wonderful and glorious, because here there is no darkness, no clouds, no storm, like there. Why then did God appear in fire? This, it seems to me, signifies the obscurity of the Old Testament, the vagueness and secrecy of the law; and on the other hand it is expressed that the Legislator must be terrible and formidable for criminals. 2. Why do trumpets sound? Это правильно, – потому что здесь как бы царь присутствовал. So it will be at the second coming: “for the trumpet will sound,” says (the apostle), and we will all rise (1 Cor. 15:52). The resurrection of all will be accomplished by the power of God. And the sound of the trumpet means nothing more than that everyone must be resurrected. Then (at Sinai) everything was sensual - both visions and sounds; and everything that follows is spiritual and invisible. Fire means that God is “a fire,” says (the apostle), “a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Cloud, darkness and smoke again express something terrible. So Isaiah says: “and the house was filled with incense” (Is. 6:4). What is the storm for? The human race was careless; therefore it was necessary to awaken him; and, of course, there was not such a careless person who would not raise his thoughts to grief when this happened and when the law was enacted. “Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice” (Ex. 19:19), because it was necessary for the voice of God to be heard. Since (God) wanted to teach the law through Moses, this makes him worthy of faith. (The Jews) did not see Moses because of the cloud, and did not hear him because of his tongue-tiedness. So what? God Himself answered him “with a voice,” as if speaking to the people and making the laws clear to them. But let us turn to the above. “You have not come to a mountain that is tangible and blazing with fire, not to darkness and gloom and storm, not to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of verbs, which those who heard asked that the word should no longer be continued to them.” Therefore, they themselves were the reason that God appeared to them in a sensual way. What did they say? “Speak to us, and we will listen, but let not God speak to us” (Ex. 20:19). Some, making comparisons, humiliate everything that was then in order to more elevate the present; but I consider even that marvelous, because there were works of God and manifestations of His power there, but at the same time I prove that ours is much more excellent and amazing. It is doubly great: as glorious and most important, and at the same time as more accessible and meek. So in the letter to the Corinthians (the apostle) says: “But we all with open face, as in a mirror, ... look at the glory of the Lord,” - “and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face” (2 Cor. 3:18, 13). Those, he says, were not worthy of what we are. What did they deserve? They saw darkness and clouds and heard a voice. But you also heard the voice of God, only not through the cloud, but through the flesh (of Christ), and, moreover, you were not embarrassed or afraid, but stood and talked with the Intercessor. Darkness (Scripture) also means invisibility: “and darkness,” says (the Psalmist), “is under His feet” (Ps. 17:10). Then Moses was afraid, but now no one is; then the people stood below, and we were not below, but above heaven, close to God himself, like His sons, and not like Moses; there was a desert, and here a city, and ten thousand angels. “To the triumphant council” - here the apostle expresses joy and gladness in contrast to the cloud, darkness and storm. "And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all." They did not approach, but stood at a distance, just like Moses; and you started. Here (the apostle) also instills fear in them: “and to the Judge,” he says, “God of all”; therefore, he will judge not only the Jews or the faithful, but the whole universe. “And to the spirits of the righteous who have reached perfection” - this is what he calls the souls of the pious. “And to the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus, and to the sprinkled Blood,” i.e. purification, “who speaks better than Abel.” If the blood speaks, then even more so the Slain One himself is alive. And listen to what she says: “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed” (Rom. 8:26). How does he speak? Entering a pure soul, elevating it and encouraging it to speak. “See that you do not turn away from him who speaks,” that is, do not disobey. “If those who did not listen to him who spoke on earth did not escape punishment.” Who does he mean here? It seems to me, Moses. The meaning of his words is as follows: if they did not escape (punishment) by not obeying the commandment on earth, then how can we not obey the commandment from heaven? Here he does not express that there was another (legislator) - not at all, - he does not indicate one there, and another here, but says: what is terrible speaking from heaven. Although he is the same here and there, the one speaking here is especially terrible. from his further words: “If those who did not listen to him who spoke on earth did not escape punishment, then much less will we escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.” What then? Is there one here and another there? How does he say: “Whose voice then shook the earth?” Thus, everything will be changed and arranged for the better from above; this is expressed here in the words given. Why do you grieve, suffering in a temporary world, suffering in a fleeting world? If there were uncertainty in the future fate of the world, then the one who awaits the end should grieve. What is unshakable? 3. Let us do everything to obtain these benefits, in order to enjoy these benefits. So, I ask and implore you, we will try to do this. Nobody builds in a city that is ready to collapse. Tell me, I ask you: if someone said that such and such a city would be destroyed in a year, and such and such never, would you really begin to build in the one that was about to collapse? That is why I say now: let us not create in this world; it will soon collapse and everything will perish. But what am I saying: will it collapse soon? Before its destruction, we ourselves will perish, suffer and lose control of ourselves. Why do we build on sand? Let us build on the rock (Matthew 7:25), and then, no matter what happens, our building will remain indestructible, nothing will be able to destroy it. And this is undeniable, because that place is inaccessible to any attacks, while this one is accessible; here earthquakes, fires, and enemy invasions deprive us (of our buildings) during our lifetime, and often destroy us along with them. If (the building) survives, then either the disease strikes us rather than it, and if it does not completely strike it, then it does not allow us to use it calmly: in fact, what pleasure is there where there are diseases, slander, envy, intrigues? Or, if nothing like this happens, then often we do not have children, and therefore we complain and grieve, not knowing who to transfer our houses and everything else to, and being annoyed that we work for others; and often our property is inherited by our enemies, not only after our death, but during our lifetime. What could be more regrettable than to work for your enemies and, in order for them to enjoy, to multiply your sins? We see many examples of this in cities; I keep silent about them so as not to sadden those who have lost; I could name some of them by name, tell many examples and point out to you many houses whose owners were the enemies of those who worked on them; and not only houses, but also slaves, and the entire inheritance often passed to the enemies. Such are human blessings! In heaven there is no need to fear anything like this; there, another enemy will not take the place of the deceased, and will not take possession of the inheritance; there is neither death nor enmity, but only the abode of the saints, and these saints have rejoicing, joy, gladness: “the voice of joy and salvation,” says (the Psalmist), in the dwellings of the righteous” (Ps. 117:15). (These abodes) are eternal, have no end; they do not fall over time, do not change their owners, but stand and bloom constantly; and this is undeniable, because there is nothing corruptible or fleeting there, but everything is immortal and incorruptible. Let us use our property to build this building; we will not need either architects or workers; these houses are built by the hands of the poor, the lame, the blind, the wretched; they create these abodes. And do not be surprised at this when they even gain us a kingdom and give us boldness before God. 4. Almsgiving is an excellent artist and patroness of those who practice it; she is dear to God and is close to Him, easily asking for mercy to those whom she wants, as long as we do not offend her; and she is insulted when we make her out of stolen property; if it is pure, then it gives great boldness to those who send it (to God). Her power is such that she pleads even for those who have fallen and sinned. She loosens the (hellish) bonds, disperses darkness, extinguishes the flame, kills the worm, relieves the gnashing of teeth. The gates of heaven open for her without hindrance. Just as when the queen enters, none of the guards assigned to the doors dare to ask who she is or where she is from, but everyone immediately accepts her, so it is exactly the same with alms: she truly is the queen who makes people like God. “Therefore, be merciful,” said (the Lord), “just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). She is light and fast, has golden wings and flight that delights angels. She, says (the Psalmist), has “the wings of a dove, silvery and with her shoulders shining like gold” (Ps. 67:14). She flies like a dove, golden and lively, gifted with a gentle look and a gentle eye. There is nothing more beautiful than this eye. The peacock is beautiful, but in comparison with this dove he is a crow: this bird is so beautiful and amazing! She constantly looks up and is surrounded by the great glory of God; she is a maiden with golden wings, adorned and having a white and meek face; it is light and fast and stands before the Royal throne. When we are being judged, she suddenly flies in, appears and delivers us from punishment, overshadowing us with her wings. God pleases her more than a sacrifice, he often talks about her: she is so dear to Him! “The orphan and the widow and the needy,” says (the Psalmist), “the Lord... upholds” (Ps. 146:9). God himself loves to be called by her name: “The Lord is generous and merciful,” says David, “long-suffering and abounding in mercy” and true (Ps. 144:8, Num. 14:18); and also: “Great is Your mercy to the heavens” (Ps. 56:11, 102:11). She saved the human race, because if God had not had mercy on us, then everything would have perished; she reconciled us, who were enemies; she has brought us countless benefits; she prompted the Son of God to become a slave and exhaust himself. Let us, beloved, be zealous for her by whom we have been saved; Let us love her, prefer her to wealth, and without wealth we will keep our souls with mercy. Nothing distinguishes a Christian so much as almsgiving; Infidels and everyone are astonished at nothing as much as at works of mercy. And we often need this mercy, and every day we cry out to God: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy” (Ps. 50:3). We ourselves begin in advance (works of mercy), or, better said, it is not we who begin first, but God himself has already shown his mercy to us. Let us, beloved, follow Him even though we are behind. If people show mercy to the merciful, even if he has committed many sins, then how much more so does God. Listen to the prophet who says: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God” (Ps. 51:10). Let us be like the olive tree; let us be protected on all sides by the commandments, because it is not enough to be only an olive tree, but (we must be) also fruitful. There are people who give alms a little, or once throughout the year, or once every week, or only on occasion; they are olives, but not fruitful, and even dry; as those who give alms, they are olive trees, but as those who do not give generously, they are unfruitful olive trees. Let us be fruitful. I have often said and now I repeat: the importance of alms is measured not by the amount given, but by the disposition of the giver. You know (the Gospel story) about the widow; It’s good to always bring this example to mind, so that the poor person does not despair, imagining her putting in two mites. When building the tabernacle, some brought wave ( Ex. 35:26 ); but they were not rejected either. If those who had gold brought a wave, they would be cursed; but since those who brought it had only this, they were not rejected. So Cain was condemned not for sacrificing something of little value, but for sacrificing the least valuable of all that he had: “Cursed is the liar,” says (the prophet), “who has an unspoiled male in his flock... but sacrifices to the Lord what is damaged” (Mal. 1:14). He didn’t just say that, but: if he has it and takes care of it. Therefore, whoever does not have is not subject to condemnation, or better yet, he is even worthy of reward. What is more unimportant than two mites and more insignificant than a wave? What is less valuable than a measure of flour? But (God) was pleased to accept this too, along with calves and gold. “For if there is zeal, it is accepted according to who has what, and not according to what he does not have” (2 Cor. 8:12); and also: “Do not refuse a benefit to someone in need,” says (the Wise One), “when your hand has the power to do it” (Proverbs 3:27). Therefore, I exhort you, let us willingly distribute our property to the poor; even if it were small, we will receive a reward equal to those who give a lot, and even greater than those who give away thousands of talents. If we do this, we will receive unspeakable treasures from God, that is, if we not only listen, but also do, not only approve, but also show in practice. May we all be worthy of them, 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 unto ages of ages. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: