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It also speaks of those who are careless about hearing the teaching, citing unfavorable circumstances and bodily needs 489 1. After the Only Begotten Son of God became incarnate for our sake from the Virgin and by His living in the flesh fulfilled and completed the Law given through Moses, and introduced the Law of Grace for fulfillment and changed this ancient Law in relation to the Church, since then the Jewish race is expelled from the sacred Church and in their place we are introduced, chosen from the pagans, whom the Lord united with Himself and with the Father, introducing us into the kinship of sons and brothers and even His Parents (oh, what indescribable love for mankind!). “Whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven,” He says, “he is My brother and sister and My mother” (Matthew 12:50). However, today we celebrate in the Church the memory of the Forefathers, most of whom were Jews. Why is this? - In order for everyone to know that it was not unjust and not unreasonable, and not unworthy of God, who did this and carried out such a change, that the Jews were expelled, and the pagans were adopted; but, just as among the called pagans, only those who obey (the teachings of Christ) are considered to be related to God, so with regard to the Israelite race and those who exist from Adam to this generation, and there are a great many of them: only those are true Israelites who lived among them according to the will of God; prophecies belonged to them, through them prototypes were presented and there were promises to them: and only they are the true Fathers and Forefathers, firstly, in virginity she gave birth to Christ in the flesh, who is the God of all, and then, through Him, ours (they are the Forefathers and Fathers). These Fathers and Forefathers were not cast out from the Church of Christ, and today we boldly celebrate their triumph, as those who constitute the destiny of the fulfillment of the Saints. Because in Christ there is neither ancient nor new, “there is neither Greek nor Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Gal. 3:28); and a “Jew” is not one who is such in appearance; and “circumcision” is not that which is performed openly, but that “Jew” is who is a Jew in secret (in the spirit), and true Circumcision is the Circumcision of the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter; Everyone has such Circumcision and in it everyone is one - be it ancient, be it new - those who pleased God, living pleasing to God, whether it was before the Law, in the Law, or after the Law - in the Gospel of Grace. 2. So if anyone carefully studies everything from beginning to end of God’s economy 490 in relation to the human race, he will see that it is consonant and consistent with itself; because as now the election from every people is only renamed 491: the worthless is cast out, but also - “for many are the names, but few are the chosen,” as the Lord said (Matthew 20:16); so during the time of these ancient people and the Judah people who came after them, as well as from among those renamed 492, only the elect are accepted, and the unworthy multitude are cast out from among them: thus those who were among the descendants of Seth, called “the sons of God,” those who were possessed by passion for the daughters of men, as the Scripture says (Gen. 6:2), became rejected. There was also an indecent multitude among the Jews, not only among the proselytes who lived among them, but also among the indigenous Jews; Thus, even the brother of Jacob himself, the first to be called “Israel” (Gen. 32:28), the disobedient brother of his parents, Esau (Gen. 26:34–5, 27:46), and even the son of the Prophet and King David, who reigned in Israel immediately after Saul, Absalom, who attempted his father’s life, turned out to be alien to the sacred family 493. 3. So, behold, among us, again, not all those who are named after Christ, just as not all those who were named after Israel, are counted in the race of Christ, but only those who live according to His will and do His commandments, and make up for what is not enough by repentance. Judas Iscariot was not only among those called, but also among the Apostles, and not just among the Apostles, but also from the face of the Twelve, the very Corypheans; having become alienated from kinship with Christ, he became the most alien of all names that speak of kinship. Why did this happen? - Because he had neither zeal for the proclaimed kingdom of heaven, nor did he take to heart the amazing deeds and teachings of the Savior; because the contemplated signs and works of God lead those who wish to see them to faith; listening to sacred teaching, together with the truth in God, reveals a godly way of life; thanks to which - both - despising everything carnal and earthly, we stretch our thoughts to the hope prepared in heaven. But he did not lust for this, but looked at the earth and saw the meaning of life in theft, in earthly and base benefits and in the supposed material benefit that would come from this for him, and was a lover of things that were repeatedly and very strongly forbidden by the Father and the Lord and Teacher of all. Thus, then he was not a co-apostle of Christ, but was related to those to whom the Lord said: “You seek Me, not as you saw a sign, but as you ate the loaves, and were satisfied” (John 6:26); because, just as those, despite the fact that they saw the signs and ate the bread and heard the words of the Self-hypostatic Word incarnate for us, later cried out to Pilate: “Take, take, crucify Him” (John 19:15), so he, seeing with his own eyes, and then to a greater extent than others, having experienced the greatness and divinity of the Lord, later handed Him over to the murderers. He endured (oh, unspeakable generosity!) “until death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8), in the name of a sign of victory over the beginning of evil and in order to teach us patience and show that temptations and sorrows bring us benefit. Because: – “In sorrow we will remember You,” says the Prophet (Is.26:18); and: – “I will endure the punishment of the Lord 494” (Mic.7:9); and: – “I will receive Your punishment” (Ps. 17:36), i.e. cares associated with the body and bent towards things associated with the body, it raised and convinced to look only to You. 4. But you, if you do not resort to God even during sorrow, if you are not corrected by His punishment, then what time is it and what is it that exists or is happening that will help for your correction? But doesn’t the body need food and other necessities? - someone will say. - Of course, and even then very much! And how could it be otherwise? So, if you possess everything, having received it, of course, from God (because, as the Apostle says: “What you have received, you have also received” - 1 Cor. 4:7), then thank the Giver, giving Him thanks with deeds: just as He obeyed your will and fulfilled your desire, so do you, and listen and find out what His will is, and obey it and do so, so that, following the example prudent person, to be praised by you, “Whoever hears My words,” says the Lord, “and I do (them), will be like a wise man” (Matthew 6:24) 495, and consistently not only in relation to fleeting and earthly things, but also in relation to future and abiding and heavenly ones, you will have Him as a generous Benefactor. Because He says: “Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful for a few things, I will make you ruler over many: enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21). If you are currently experiencing material need or are afraid of the ruin that threatens you, again approach Him, again beg Him, again show obedience to Him. “Obey the Lord,” it says, “and pray to Him” (Ps. 36:7). Again, His good servant is known by works; because He, according to the saying of the Psalm: “Who gives food in its season, Who opens His hand and satisfies all living things according to His good pleasure” (Ps. 145:15-16). He is the one who said: “I will not depart from you, nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). He is the One who says: “Those who work will eat Me (My servants)”; and to those who are not His servants, He says: “But you will hunger” (Is. 65:13). 5. Why do you imitate from dumb animals that which is to your detriment, namely: bending towards the belly and inability to rise from earthly things, although you were created upright, so that you would have thoughts about the highest, seek the highest? Why, like that bent woman whom Satan bound for 18 years, do you yourself want to remain bound, although this Word of life, which loosed it, wants and can easily untie you, if only you run to Him and listen to Him and obey, and do not close your ears and run away and resist? Why do you imitate what is harmful to you from the dumb, and not imitate what is beneficial to you from them? Listen to the Prophet, who says that lion cubs, in need of food, roar and seek it from God, and receive it in order to delight it. Because it is said: “Cast down 496 those who roar, snatch away and seek food for themselves from God” (Ps. 103:21); Speaking about lion cubs, he abundantly provided for those with intelligence the opportunity, on the basis of those, to draw a conclusion about all other animals: because if the lion, of all animals, is the most voracious, predatory and powerful in the matter of hunting, however, if God does not give, he cannot seize food for himself, then what can be said about other (more weak) animals? – Christ, using the example of birds, represents this in the Gospel: “Look,” he says, “at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matt. 6:26). What am I saying: land animals, flying, sea, amphibians? - when: “Even if the hay of the village,” says Christ, “even today and in the morning is swept into the cave, not toiling, not vigilant, God feeds and clothes beautifully and splendidly, isn’t it much more than you, you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30). 6. Brothers, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” and not only will you forever be heirs of this unalienable kingdom of God, being justified 497 by His grace, but also “this present will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). If, however, you primarily seek not the kingdom of God and its righteousness, but what feeds and nurtures this corruptible 498 body, then you will not receive this either, unless you fall into even greater evil for the same body and cause condemnation and damage to the eternal soul. And this is seen in the example of the Rich Man (from the Lord’s parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus), who hears from Abraham: “Thou hast received good things in thy belly” (Luke 16:25). The Jewish people were once looking for meat in the desert, and God gave them an innumerable quantity of quails 499: “and they ate and were filled with great abundance, and brought their desire to them” - “and yet I gave food in their mouths,” it is said, “and the wrath of God came upon her, and killed the multitude of them, and the elect of Israel were communed” ( Ps.77:27–30 ) 500 .. Why is “the greatest of them”, i.e. – How many of the masses were struck by God’s wrath? - Because they fearlessly grumbled and blasphemed against God and Moses, who according to God was their leader. Why did He also depose the “elect of Israel”? - Because they did not keep the mass from deteriorating. - These are the ones who are cast out from the sacred Church and the kingdom of God, whether they are among the ancient or among the New Israeli people; This is what the Lord showed in the Gospels, saying: “They will come from 501 east and west and north and lie down with Abraham and Isaac in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be driven out into utter darkness” (Matthew 8:11). 7. Who are these “sons of the kingdom” who will be cast out into darkness? These are those who, although they profess their faith, deny God by their deeds, vile and rebellious and incapable of any good deed. Who are they who recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven? – These are those who, with the right faith, follow the Law or the Doctrine of Grace, and demonstrate their faith through deeds. If anyone wants to join their number and avoid pitch darkness, and be worthy of the unevening (unsetting) light of the kingdom of God and unceasingly co-eternity with the Saints in heaven, let him “put off the old man, which is corrupted by the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22), which are: drunkenness, fornication, adultery, uncleanness, covetousness, love of money, hatred, anger, slander and every bad passion; let him “put on the new... man, who is being renewed... according to the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:10), into love, brotherly love, purity, self-control and every kind of virtue, - thanks to which Christ dwells in us, reconciling us with Himself and with each other, to the glory of Himself and His Beginning Father and the Co-eternal and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. In the 1861 edition it is listed as No. 55, pp. 192–200. “God’s Economy” is the name given to God’s plan for man’s salvation, the Redemption. There is a note in the text: “renamed, of course, in the name of Christ.” Those. renamed “New Israel”, i.e. - Christians. The end of the phrase is somewhat loosely translated. Orig. Quote: “I will endure the wrath of the Lord.” Orig. the quote reads: “I will liken him to a mudra husband.” Skimni, church: lion cubs. Or: “recognized as legitimate” heirs. Orig.: “current”, “impermanent”. “And they ate and were satisfied; and gave them what they desired; While food was still in their mouth, the wrath of God came upon them and killed many of them, and cast down the elect of Israel": In orig. the quotation does not contain the word “north” and mentions Jacob. You might be interested in: