Слово на Обрезание Христово

Our Lord Jesus Christ, after eight days from birth, deigned to receive circumcision. On the one hand, He accepted it in order to fulfill the law: “I did not come to destroy the law,” He said, “but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17); for He obeyed the law in order to free from it those who were in servile subjection to it, as the apostle says: “God sent his Son, subjected to the law, to redeem those under the law” (Gal. 4:5). On the other hand, He accepted circumcision in order to show that He really took on human flesh, and so that heretical lips would be stopped, saying that Christ did not take on true human flesh, but was only born ghostly 5 . So He was circumcised so that His humanity would be evident. For if He had not taken on our flesh, how could a ghost and not the flesh be circumcised? Saint Ephraim the Syrian says: “If Christ was not flesh, then whom did Joseph circumcise? But since He was truly flesh, He was circumcised as a man, and the baby was truly stained with His blood, like the son of man; He was sick and cried in pain, as befits someone with human nature.” But, in addition, He accepted fleshly circumcision in order to establish spiritual circumcision for us 6; for, having finished the old law that concerned the flesh 7, He laid the foundation for a new, spiritual one. And just as the Old Testament carnal man circumcised his sensual flesh, so the new spiritual man must circumcise his spiritual passions: rage, anger, envy, pride, unclean desires and other sins and sinful lusts. He was circumcised on the eighth day because He foreshadowed to us with His blood the future life, which is usually called by the teachers of the Church the eighth day or age. Thus, the writer of the canon on the circumcision of the Lord, Saint Stephen 8, says: “he depicts life in the future unceasing osmago century, in the future the Lord was circumcised in the flesh” 9. And Saint Gregory of Nyssa says this: “According to the law, circumcision was to be performed on the eighth day, and the eighth number predicted the eighth future century 10 . It is also appropriate to know that circumcision in the Old Testament was established in the image of baptism and cleansing of ancestral sin, although that sin was not completely cleansed by circumcision, which could not have happened until Christ voluntarily shed His most pure blood for us in His suffering. Circumcision was only a prototype of true cleansing, and not the true cleansing that our Lord accomplished, taking sin from the environment and nailing it to the cross 11, and instead of the Old Testament circumcision, establishing a new grace-filled baptism with water and the Spirit. Circumcision in those days was, as it were, an execution for the ancestral sin and a sign that the circumcised baby was conceived in iniquity, as David says, and his mother gave birth to him in sin (Ps. 50:7), which is why the ulcer remained on the adolescent body. Our Lord was sinless; for although He was like us in everything, He had no sin on Himself. Just as the copper serpent, built in the desert by Moses, was similar in appearance to a serpent, but did not have snake venom in it (Num. 21:9), so Christ was a true man, but not involved in human sin, and was born, supernaturally, from a pure and unmarried Mother. He, as a sinless one and Himself the former Lawgiver, would not need to undergo that painful legal circumcision; but since He came to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world, and God, as the Apostle says, made Him who knew no sin to be a sacrifice for sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21), then He, being without sin, undergoes circumcision as if a sinner. And in circumcision the Master showed us greater humility than in His birth. For at birth He took upon Himself the form of a man, according to the words of the Apostle: “being made in the likeness of men, and in appearance becoming like a man” (Phil. 2:7); in circumcision He took upon Himself the image of a sinner, as a sinner enduring the pain due for sin. And whatever He was not guilty of, for that He suffered as if innocent, as if repeating with David: “What I did not take away, I must give back” (Ps. 68:5), i.e. For the sin of which I am not involved, I accept the disease of circumcision. By the circumcision He received, He began His suffering for us and the partaking of that cup, which He had to drink to the end, when, hanging on the cross, He said: “It is finished” (John 19:30)! He now pours out drops of blood from the foreskin, and then it will flow out in streams from His entire body. He begins to endure in infancy and becomes accustomed to suffering, so that, having become a perfect man, he will be able to endure more severe suffering, for one should be accustomed to feats of courage from youth. Human life, full of work, is like a day, for which morning is birth, and evening is death. So, from the morning, from the swaddling clothes, Christ, the adored man, goes out to his work, to his labors - He is in labor from His very youth and to his work until the evening (Ps. 103:23), that evening when the sun darkens and there is darkness throughout the whole earth, until the ninth hour. And He will say to the Jews: “My Father works until now, and I work” (John 5:17). What is the Lord doing for us? – Our salvation: “he who arranges salvation in the midst of the earth” (Ps. 73:12). And in order to do this work completely perfectly, He sets about it in the morning, from youth, beginning to endure bodily illness, and at the same time being heartily sick for us, as for His children, until He Himself, Christ, is depicted in us 12. In the morning He begins to sow with His blood in order to gather the beautiful fruit of our redemption by evening. The adored Child was given the name Jesus at circumcision, which was brought from heaven by the Archangel Gabriel at the time when he announced the conception of His to the Most Pure Virgin Mary, before He was conceived in the womb, that is, before the Most Holy Virgin accepted the words of the evangelist, before she said: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word!” (Luke 1:38). For, at these words of Her, the Word of God immediately became flesh, dwelling in Her most pure and most holy womb. So, the most holy name Jesus, named by the Angel before conception, was given at the circumcision of Christ the Lord, which served as a notification of our salvation; for the name Jesus means salvation, as the same Angel explained, appearing in a dream to Joseph and saying: “You will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). And the holy Apostle Peter testifies to the name of Jesus with these words: “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This saving name Jesus, before all ages, in the Trinity Council, was prepared, written and until now was kept for our deliverance, but now, like priceless pearls, it was brought from the heavenly treasury for the redemption of the human race and was revealed to all by Joseph. In this name the truth and wisdom of God are revealed (Ps. 50:8). This name, like the sun, illuminated the world with its radiance, according to the word of the prophet: “But for you, who revere My name, the Sun of righteousness will rise” (Malach.4:2). Like fragrant myrrh, it filled the universe with its aroma: spilled myrrh - it is said in Scripture - from the fragrance of your ointments (Song. 1: 2), not the remaining myrrh into a vessel - His name, but poured out. For as long as the myrrh is kept in the vessel, so long will its incense be kept inside; when it spills, it immediately fills the air with a fragrance. The power of the name of Jesus was unknown while it was hidden in the Eternal Council, as if in a vessel. But as soon as that name was poured out from heaven to earth, then immediately, like fragrant ointment, when the blood of an infant was poured out during the circumcision, it filled the universe with the fragrance of grace, and all nations now confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father 13 . The power of the name of Jesus has now been revealed, for that wondrous name Jesus surprised the angels, rejoiced the people, frightened the demons, for the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19); from that very name hell shakes, the underworld shakes, the prince of darkness disappears, idols fall, the darkness of idolatry is dispersed and, in its place, the light of piety shines and enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:9). In this name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:10). This name of Jesus is a powerful weapon against enemies, as St. John Climacus says: “in the name of Jesus always defeat warriors, for you will not find a stronger weapon than this, neither in heaven nor on earth.” How sweet to the heart that loves Christ Jesus is this most precious name Jesus! How pleasant it is to him who has it! For Jesus is all love, all sweetness. How kind is this holy name of Jesus to the servant and prisoner of Jesus, taken captive by His love! Jesus is in the mind, Jesus is on the lips, Jesus is where people believe with the heart for righteousness, Jesus is where they confess with the mouth for salvation (Rom. 10:10). Whether you are walking, sitting still, or working, Jesus is always before your eyes. For I determined,” said the apostle, “to know nothing among you except Jesus (1 Cor. 2:2). For Jesus, for those who cling to Him, is enlightenment of the mind, spiritual beauty, health for the body, joy for the heart, a helper in sorrows, joy in sorrows, healing in illness, consolation in all troubles and hope for salvation, and for the one who loves Him, He Himself is a reward and reward. Once upon a time, according to the legend of Jerome, the inscrutable name of God was inscribed on a golden tablet, which the great high priest wore on his forehead 14; now the Divine name Jesus is inscribed with His true blood, shed at His circumcision. It is no longer inscribed on material gold, but on spiritual gold, that is, on the heart and on the lips of Jesus’ servants, as it was inscribed in the one about whom Christ said: “For he is my chosen vessel, that he should proclaim my name” (Acts 9:15). The sweetest Jesus wants His name, like the sweetest drink, to be carried in a vessel, for He is truly sweet to all who taste Him with love, to whom the psalmist addresses himself with these words: “Taste and see how good the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9)! Having tasted Him, the prophet cries out: “I will love You, O Lord, my strength” (Ps. 17:2)! Having tasted Him, the holy Apostle Peter said: “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; Who should we go to? You have the words of eternal life” (Matthew 19:27; John 6:68). This sweetness for the holy sufferers so delighted their grave torments that they were not afraid of even the most terrible death. Whoever, they cried, will separate us from the love of God: sorrow, or danger, or a sword, neither death nor life, for love is strong as death (Rom. 8:35, 38; Song 8:6). In what vessel does the indescribable sweetness – the name of Jesus – love to be carried? Of course, in gold, which is tested in the crucible of troubles and misfortunes, which is decorated, as if with precious stones, with wounds taken for Jesus and says: “For I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body” (Gal.6:17). That sweetness requires such a vessel; in such a vessel the name of Jesus desires to be borne. It is not in vain that Jesus, taking the name at the time of circumcision, sheds blood; by this He seems to be saying that a vessel that bears His name must be stained with blood. For when the Lord took for Himself a chosen vessel for the glorification of His name - the Apostle Paul, He immediately added: “And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name” (Acts 9:16). Look at My bloody, wounded vessel - this is how the name of Jesus is outlined in the redness of blood, illness, and suffering of those who stand until the blood flows, struggling against sin (Heb. 12:4). So, let us kiss you with love, O sweetest name of Jesus! We worship with zeal your most holy name, O sweet and all-generous Jesus! We praise Your highest name, Jesus the Savior, we fall down to Your blood shed at circumcision, gentle Child and perfect Lord! We beg with this Your abundant goodness, for the sake of Your most holy name and for the sake of Your most precious blood shed for us, and also for the sake of Your Immaculate Mother, who incorruptibly gave birth to You, pour out Your rich mercy on us! Delight our hearts, O Jesus, with You! Protect and protect us, Jesus, everywhere in Your name! Signify and seal us, Your servants, Jesus, with that name, so that we may be accepted into Your future Kingdom, and there, together with the Angels, glorify and sing, Jesus, Your most honorable and magnificent name forever. Amen. On the fiery throne in the highest, sitting with the Father Without Beginning, and Thy Divine Spirit, Thou didst deign to be born on earth, from the Maiden, Thy Unmarried Mother, Jesus: for this reason Thou wast circumcised, as a man of old age. Glory to Your all-good advice, glory to Your discernment, glory to Your condescension, O One Lover of Mankind. The Lord endures circumcision of all and circumcises human sins, as if it is good: He gives salvation to the world today. Both the Creator Hierarch and the luminous Divine Hidden of Christ Basil rejoice in the highest. Heretics, called Docetes, taught that God could not take upon Himself weak human flesh, and that it only seemed to people that Christ suffered and died. Those. baptism, which, as stated below, removes sinful passions from a person. The Old Testament primarily contained decrees concerning the external behavior of man Service to the Circumcision of the Lord, canon, on the 4th ode. The number seven in Scripture signifies completeness. Therefore, in order to designate the entire duration of the life of this world, the holy fathers used the expression seven centuries or days, and the eighth century or day, naturally, should have designated the future life. Col. 2:14. Sin from the environment, i.e. sin stood as an obstacle, a partition, separating man from God. But then sin was nailed to the cross, i.e. lost all power and could no longer prevent a person from entering into communication with God. Gal. 4:19. Be depicted - the image of Christ is clearly imprinted on us, so that we will be fully worthy of the name Christians Phil. 2:11. Those. The Lord Jesus glorified God the Father with His deed, which He took upon Himself The gold tablet attached to the headband of the high priest had the name of God (Jehovah) inscribed on it. You might be interested in: