And they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often, and pray often, and also the Pharisees, while Thine eat and drink? He said to them, "Can you make the sons of the bridal chamber fast when the bridegroom is with them?" But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. And he told them a parable: "No one puts patches on old clothes, having torn them from new clothes; Otherwise, the new one will be torn apart, and the patch from the new one will not fit the old one. And no one pours new wine into old skins; otherwise the new wine will tear the skins, and flow out of their own accord, and the skins will be lost; but new wine must be poured into new skins; then both will be preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, will immediately want new wine, for he says: "The old is better."

We have spoken about this in the explanation of the Gospel of Matthew (see Chapter 9 and Mark 2), and now we will say briefly that He calls the Apostles sons of marriage. The coming of the Lord is likened to marriage, because He accepted the Church as His Bride. Therefore, the apostles no longer need to fast. John's disciples must fast, since their teacher performed virtue with difficulty and illness. For it is said: "John came, neither eating nor drinking" (Matt. 11:18). And My disciples, as those who abide with Me – God the Word, now do not need the benefit of fasting, because they are benefited from this very thing (being with Me) and are preserved by Me. But when I am taken, and they are sent out to preach, then they will fast and pray, as those who are prepared for great feats. And it is otherwise: now, being weak and not yet renewed by the Spirit, they are like old skins and old clothes. Therefore, they should not be burdened with any very difficult way of life, just as a new patch is not sewn to a dilapidated garment. Thus, you can accept that the apostles are likened to old wineskins as still weak, or you can understand that the Pharisees are likened to them.

Chapter Six

On Saturday, the first day after the second day of the Passover, it happened that He was passing through the sown fields, and His disciples plucked the ears of grain and ate, rubbing them with their hands. And some of the Pharisees said to them; Why do you do things that you ought not to do on the Sabbath? Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he hungered and those who were with him? How did he enter into the house of God, and take the showbread, which was not to be eaten by any man but the priests, and did he eat it, and gave it to those who were with him? And he said to them, The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

The Jews called every festival the Sabbath, for the Sabbath means rest. Often the holiday was celebrated on Friday, and this Friday, for the sake of the holiday, was called Saturday. Later, Saturday proper was called the second one, as the second after the previous other holiday and Saturday. A similar thing happened then, and this Sabbath is called the second one. To the Pharisees, who accuse the disciples for eating on the Sabbath, "plucking" the ears of grain and crumbling, that is, rubbing with their hands, the Lord points to David, who hungered and ate the showbread. For he, fleeing from Saul, came to the high priest Abiathar and deceived him, saying that the king had sent him for a certain necessary work, and in hunger he took from the priest the showbread, of which twelve were offered every day at the sacred table, six from the right hand, and six from the left hand (Lev. 24:5, 6). He also received the sword of Goliath (1 Samuel 21:1-9). The Lord, reminding them of this story, shames them by David's act. If you, he says, revere David, how then do you condemn My disciples? And in other words: the Son of Man, that is, I, the Lord of the Sabbath, and as Creator and Creator and Master and Lawgiver, have the power to destroy the Sabbath. "Son of Man" could be called none other than Christ, Who, being the Son of God, for the sake of men miraculously deigned to be and be called the Son of Man. For there is nothing new in the fact that you and I are called the Son of Man, and it is remarkable that He, miraculously incarnate, is called the Son of Man.

And it happened that on the next Sabbath He went into the synagogue and taught Him. There was a man who had a dry right hand. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him to see if He would heal Him on the Sabbath, in order to find an accusation against Him. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to the man who had a withered hand, "Get up and come out into the middle." And he stood up and spoke. Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you, What shall you do on the Sabbath?" Good or evil? To save the soul, or to destroy it? They were silent. And having looked at them all, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so; and his hand was as healthy as another. And they were furious, and said among themselves what they should do with Jesus.

What we said in the explanation of the Gospel of Matthew is known (see Chapter 11; Mark 3). And now let us say that he has a dry hand who does not perform any works of piety. For the hand is an instrument of activity, and whoever has it withered is undoubtedly idle. Therefore, whoever wants to heal his hand will heal it on the Sabbath. Explain. He cannot perform works of piety who does not first calm down from malice. Turn away first from evil, and then do good (Psalm 36:27). Therefore, when you keep the Sabbath, that is, rest from evil deeds, then you will stretch out your hand to the works of godliness, and it will be restored to you. It is proper to say: "His hand has become well." For there was a time when human nature had good activity and a hand, that is, an active force, healthy; then it lost it, and by the grace of Christ gained it again, and returned to its former goodness.

In those days He went up to the mountain to pray and remained all night in prayer to God. And when the day came, He called His disciples, and chose twelve of them, whom He called Apostles: Simon, whom He called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James of Alpheus, and Simon called the Zealot, Judas of James, and Judas Iscariot, who afterwards became a traitor. And having come down with them, he stood on a level place, and a multitude of his disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea, and Jerusalem, and from the seaside places of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases, and also those who were afflicted by unclean spirits; and were healed. And all the people sought to touch Him, because power came from Him and healed everyone.

The Lord creates all things for our teaching, so that we also do as He does. For example, He intends to pray. He ascends the mountain. For one should pray after resting oneself from one's work and not in the face of many, and pray all night long, and not in such a way as to stand up for prayer and immediately cease. He chooses disciples after prayer, wishing to teach that when we have the opportunity to appoint someone to spiritual service, we too should take up this task with prayer, seek guidance from God, and ask Him to show us the worthy one. Having chosen the twelve, he comes down from the mountain to heal those who have come from the cities and to do double good, namely, in soul and body. For listen: "Come to hear Him" is the healing of souls; "and to be healed of their diseases" – this is the healing of the body. "From Him proceeded power and healed all." The prophets and other saints did not have power coming from them, for they were not themselves the sources of strength. And the Lord had power coming from Him, for He Himself was the source of strength, while the prophets and saints received special power from above.

And He lifted up His eyes upon His disciples, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are they that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are they that mourn now, for ye shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they excommunicate you, and revile you, and carry out your name as dishonorable for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Thus did their fathers deal with the prophets. On the contrary, woe to you, you who are rich! for you have already received your consolation. Woe to you, you who are satiated now! for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now! for you will weep and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you! for thus did their fathers deal with false prophets.

The Lord, having ordained the disciples, through the beatitudes and teaching, brings them to a more spiritual state. For He speaks to them. And, first, it blesses the poor; if you want, understand by them the humble-minded, if you want, those who lead a life that does not love money. In general, all the beatitudes teach us moderation, humility, humiliation, and the endurance of reproach. Just as "sorrow" is assigned to those who are rich in the present age (of whom it says that they receive consolation, that is, here, in the present age, they taste joy, rejoice, enjoy pleasures, and receive praise). Let us be afraid, brethren, for woe to those who have praise from men. For one must earn praise from men, but first from God.

But to you who hear, I say, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. To him who smote you on the cheek, offer the other also, and to him who takes away your outer garment, do not hinder him from taking your shirt also. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not demand back from him who has taken what is yours. And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. And if you love those who love you, what gratitude do you have for that? for even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what gratitude do you have for that? for sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what gratitude do you have for that? for sinners also lend to sinners in order to get back as much. But you love your enemies, and do good, and lend without expecting anything; and you will have a great reward, and you will be the sons of the Most High; for He is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, therefore, even as your Father is merciful.

The Apostles were to be sent to preach, and therefore they expected many persecutors and libelers. Thus, if the apostles, burdened by persecution, and then wishing to take revenge on the offenders, had fallen silent and ceased to teach, then the sun of the Gospel would have been extinguished. That is why the Lord first urges the Apostles not to take revenge on their enemies, but to endure everything that happens courageously, whether anyone offends them, or unjustly plots against them. This is what He Himself did on the Cross, saying: "Father! forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Then, lest the Apostles should say that such a commandment – to love one's enemies – is impossible, He says: "What thou wilt for thyself, do also to others, and be in relation to others as thou wouldst have others in relation to thyself." If you want your enemies to be harsh, uncompassionate, and wrathful to you, then be so you. If, on the contrary, you wish them to be kind and compassionate, and unforgiving, then do not consider it impossible to be so yourself. Do you see the innate law written in our hearts? Thus the Lord said: "I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33). Then he offers them another motive, namely: if you love those who love you, then you are like sinners and pagans; but if you love those who are angry with you, then you are like God, who is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. What do you desire, then, to be like sinners, or to be like God? Do you see the Divine teaching? At first He urged you by the natural law: "What you want for yourself, do to others; then he convinces you with both death and reward, for as a reward he promises you that you will be like God.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you: with a good measure, shaken, pressed, and overflowing, they shall pour it into your bosom; for with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you also. He also told them a parable: Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will not both fall into the pit? A disciple is never higher than his teacher; but even when he is perfected, everyone will be like his teacher.