In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes." Yes, Father! For such was Thy good pleasure. As a good father, seeing his children succeeding in something worthy of praise, rejoices, so the Savior rejoiced that the Apostles were vouchsafed such blessings. Therefore, He thanks the Father that such sacraments are hidden "from the wise," that is, the Pharisees and scribes who interpreted the Law, and from the "prudent," that is, the disciples of these same scribes. For he who teaches is wise, but he who learns and understands lessons is wise; for example, Gamaliel is wise, and Paul is wise, for the former is a teacher, and the latter understands what the former instructs. - The Lord calls His disciples "babes" because they were not skilled in the Law, but were chosen for the most part from the common class of the people and from the fishermen. However, they could also be called infants because of their kindness. And those (the Pharisees and scribes) were not real wise and intelligent, but only seemed. Thus these mysteries are hidden from the wise and prudent, who seemed to be so, but in reality were not. For if they had been so, the sacraments would have been revealed to them. "Yes, Father," I thank Thee, "for such was Thy good pleasure," that is, that such was Thy favor and will, and so it pleased Thee.

And turning to the disciples, he said, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and who the Son is, no one knows but the Father, and who the Father is, no one knows except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal. And turning to the disciples, he said to them especially, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!" For I say to you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear. The Father gives everything to the Son, because everything has to submit to the Son. God reigns over everyone in two ways: first, over those who do not desire His Kingdom, and, second, over those who will. For example, I will say: God is my Lord, even if I do not want to, because He is my Creator; and again, God is my Lord, when I, as a discreet servant, do His will by keeping the commandments. Human nature had been in slavery and in the hands of God before, although it did not want it, although it also served Satan. But when Christ endured the struggle for us, and, having freed us from the power of the devil, made us His servants and doers of the commandments, from that time we became discreet slaves, both by nature and by will; for the first slavery was only by nature, and the second, moreover, by our will. Thus, the Lord now says: "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father," that is, all things have to submit to Me and fall under My dominion. This is similar to another saying: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matt. 28:18). And thus He says because He has reconciled all things (Col. 1:20) that are in heaven and on earth, and in other words: the Father commends all things to the Son, all the works of the economy of our salvation. Therefore, for our sake neither the Father nor the Spirit was incarnate, or suffered, or rose again, but the Son did all this, and He became the leader of our salvation; therefore He says that all things are given to Him. He said, as it were: My Father has entrusted everything to Me: to be incarnate, to suffer, to be resurrected, to save the rejected nature. - "And who the Son is, no one knows except the Father, and who the Father is, no one knows except the Son." Since He said that everything is committed to Me, now He seems to resolve some perplexity. So that someone does not think: why did He give everything to You, and not to another, even to an Angel or an Archangel? - He says: He betrayed Me because I am of the same Nature and Essence with Him. And just as no one knows Him, so no one knows Me except the Father alone. Therefore He justly committed all things to Me, as One in Essence with Him and surpassing all knowledge, just as He also is above all knowledge. For the Father, he says, is known only by the Son, and by him to whom the Son wishes to reveal. See: the Son does not know the Father by revelation, but creatures by revelation, for they receive knowledge by grace; therefore the Son is not created. - Turning to the disciples, the Lord blesses them and in general all who look with faith to Him, Who walks in the flesh and works miracles. For the ancient prophets and kings, although they greatly desired to see the Lord in the flesh and to hear Him, were not worthy of this. And in other words: since He said above that He knows the Father, to whom the Son will reveal, He now blesses the disciples, as having already received this revelation. For He revealed the Father to them by Himself, inasmuch as he who sees Him has seen the Father (John 14:9). And this good was not attained by any of those saints who lived before the appearance and action of the Son of God in the flesh. Since they did not see the Lord in the flesh, through whom the Father was known, it follows that they did not see the Father as the apostles did.

And behold, a certain lawyer arose, and tempted him, and said, Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life? And he said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read? And he answered and said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. Jesus said to him, "Thou hast answered rightly; Do so, and you will live. This lawyer was a boastful man, very arrogant, as it turns out from the following, and moreover treacherous. So he approaches the Lord, tempting Him, probably thinking that he would catch the Lord in His answers. But the Lord points him to the very Law with which he was very arrogant. - See with what precision the Law commands us to love the Lord. Man is the most perfect of all creatures. Though it has something in common with all of them, it also has something advantageous. For example, a person has something in common with a stone, because he has hair, nails, which are as insensible as a stone. It has something in common with a plant, because it grows and feeds, and gives birth to something similar to itself, just like a plant. He has something in common with dumb animals, because he has feelings, he is angry and lustful. But what exalts man above all other animals, he also has in common with God, namely, the rational soul. That is why the Law, wishing to show that man must completely surrender himself to God in everything and captivate all the powers of the soul into the love of God, with the words "with all his heart" he pointed to a coarser power peculiar to plants, with the words "with all his soul" - to a power more subtle and befitting creatures endowed with feelings, with the words "with all understanding" he designated the distinguishing power of man - the rational soul. The words "with all the might" we must apply to all this. For we must submit to the love of Christ the vegetative power of the soul. But how? - strongly, not weakly: both sensual and strong; finally, both rational and its "whole strength," so that we must completely surrender ourselves to God and subordinate to God's love our nourishing, feeling, and rational power. - "And thy neighbor as thyself." The law, which because of the infancy of the hearers, was not yet able to teach the most perfect teaching, commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. But Christ taught us to love our neighbor more than ourselves. For He says: "No man can show greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). - So he says to the lawyer, 'You answered rightly.' Inasmuch as you, he says, are still subject to the Law, you answer rightly; for according to the Law you reason rightly.

But he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" And Jesus said, "A certain man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, and was caught by robbers, who stripped him of his clothes, wounded him, and departed, leaving him scarcely alive. By chance, a certain priest was walking along that road, and seeing him, he passed by. And the Levite, striking in that place, came up, looked, and passed by. And a certain Samaritan, passing by, came upon him, and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, and came and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine; and having put him on his donkey, he brought him to the inn and took care of him; and the next day, as he was leaving, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, "Take care of him; and if you spend any more, when I return, I will give it to you. Which of these three, do you think, was the neighbor of the robbers who fell into his hands? He said, "He who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, and you do likewise." The lawyer, having received praise from the Savior, showed arrogance. He said, "And who is my neighbor?" He thought that he was righteous and had no one like himself and close in virtue; for he believed that the neighbor of the righteous is only the righteous. And so, wishing to justify himself and exalt himself before all men, he proudly says: "And who is my neighbor? But the Saviour, since He is the Creator and sees one creature in all, defines His neighbor not by deeds, not by virtues, but by nature. Do not think, he says, that because you are righteous, there is no one like you. For all who have one and the same nature are thy neighbors. Therefore, you yourself be their neighbor, not according to their place, but according to your disposition towards them and your care for them. For this reason I give you the example of the Samaritan, in order to show you that although he differed in life, nevertheless he became a neighbor to him who was in need of mercy. In the same way, show yourself to your neighbor through compassion and hasten to help according to your own confession. Thus, in this parable we learn to be ready for mercy and to strive to be neighbors to those who need our help. We also come to know the goodness of God in relation to man. Human nature came from Jerusalem, that is, from a serene and peaceful life, for Jerusalem means "the vision of the world." Where was she going? To Jericho, empty, low, and suffocating from the heat, that is, to a life full of passions. See: He did not say, "He descended," but "went." For human nature has always inclined towards earthly things, not once, but constantly being carried away by a passionate life. "And he fell into the hands of robbers," that is, he fell into the hands of demons. Whoever does not descend from the height of the mind will not fall into the hands of demons. They, having exposed man and stripped him of the garments of virtue, inflicted sinful wounds on him. For they first expose us from every good thought and protection of God, and then they inflict wounds with sins. They left human nature "scarcely alive," either because the soul is immortal and the body is mortal, and thus half of man is subject to death, or because human nature was not entirely rejected, but hoped to receive salvation in Christ, and thus was not completely dead. But just as through the transgression of Adam death entered into the world, so through justification in Christ death was to be abolished (Romans 5:16-17). By priest and Levite, perhaps, you mean the Law and the prophets. For they wanted to justify man, but they could not. "It is impossible," says the Apostle Paul, "that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins" (Heb. 10:4). They took pity on the man and pondered how to heal him, but, overcome by the force of the wounds, they again withdrew back. For this means (to pass by). The law came and stood still over the one who was lying, but then, not having the power to heal, it retreated. This means "passed by". - Look: the word "on occasion" has some meaning. For the Law, indeed, was given not for any special reason, but because of human weakness (Gal. 3:19), which at first could not receive the sacraments of Christ. That is why it is said that the priest, that is, the Law, did not come to heal a person on purpose, but "on occasion," which we usually call chance. But our Lord and God, Who became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13) and was called the Samaritan (John 8:48), came to us, making a journey, that is, setting the same thing as a pretext for the path and as a goal, in order to heal us, and not only by passing, and visited us not by chance (by the way), but lived with us and did not converse with us in a ghostly way. - Immediately he bandaged the wounds, not allowing the disease to worsen, but binding it. - He poured out oil and wine: oil is the word of teaching, which prepares for virtue by the promise of blessings, and wine is the word of teaching, which leads to virtue by fear. Thus, when you hear the word of the Lord: "Come unto me, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28), it is oil, for it shows mercy and comfort. Such are the words: "Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you" (Matt. 25:34). But when the Lord says: "Go ye into darkness" (Matt. 25:41), this is wine, a strict teaching. You can understand it differently. Oil means life according to humanity, and wine means life according to the Divine. For the Lord did some things as a man, and others as God. For example, to eat, to drink, to lead a life not without pleasures, and not to show severity in everything, as John did, is oil; and the wondrous fasting, walking on the sea, and other manifestations of God's power are wine. Guilt can be likened to the Divinity in the sense that no one could endure the Divinity in Himself (without union) if there were not this oil, that is, life according to humanity. Since the Lord saved us through both, that is, the Divinity and humanity, it is therefore said that He poured out oil and wine. And every day those who are baptized are healed of their spiritual wounds, being anointed with myrrh, immediately communing with the Church and partaking of the Divine Blood. The Lord has planted our wounded nature on His foal, that is, on His Body. For He made us His members and partakers of His Body: He raised us, who are in the valley, to such a dignity that we are one Body with Him! - The hotel is the Church, which receives everyone. The law did not accept everyone. For it is said: "An Ammonite and a Moabite cannot enter into the congregation of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 23:3). But in every nation he who fears Him is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:35), if he wishes to believe and become a member of the Church. For it accepts everyone: both sinners and tax collectors. Notice the exact manner in which it is said that I brought him to the inn and took care of him. Before he brought him to it, he only bandaged the wounds. What does that mean? That when the Church was formed and the inn was opened, that is, when faith grew among almost all nations, then the gifts of the Holy Spirit were revealed, and the grace of God spread. You will learn this from the Acts of the Apostles. The image of the innkeeper is carried by every apostle, teacher, and pastor, to whom the Lord gave two denarii, that is, two Testaments: the Old and the New. For both Testaments, as utterances of one and the same God, bear the image of one King. It was these denarii that the Lord, ascending to heaven, left to the Apostles and to the bishops and teachers of later times. - He said: if you spend anything of your own, I will give it to you. The Apostles, indeed, spent their own, laboring much and scattering the teaching everywhere. And the teachers of later times, in explaining the Old and New Testaments, spent much of their own. For this, they will receive a reward when the Lord returns, that is, at His second coming. Then each of them will say to Him, "Lord! You have given me two denarii, and I have gained the other two. And He will say to such a person: Well done, good servant!

In the course of their journey, He came to a certain village; here a woman, whose name was Martha, received Him into her house; and she had a sister named Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word. Martha was taking care of a large feast and, approaching, said: Lord! or do you not need that my sister left me alone to serve? Tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha! Martha! you are anxious and fussy about many things, but only one thing is necessary; Mary chose the good part, which would not be taken away from her. Great is the benefit of hospitality, as Martha has shown, and should not be neglected; but it is even more good to listen to spiritual conversations. For by this the body is nourished, and by this the soul is enlivened. "We do not exist," he says, "Martha, in order to fill the body with various viands, but in order to do what is useful to the souls. Take note also of the Lord's prudence. He said nothing to Martha before he received cause for reproach from her. When she tried to distract her sister from hearing, then the Lord, taking advantage of the occasion, rebuked her. For hospitality is still praiseworthy, so long as it does not distract and divert us from that which is more necessary; but when it begins to hinder us in the most important things, then it is enough to prefer to it hearing about divine things. Moreover, to be more precise, the Lord forbids not hospitality, but variety and vanity, that is, entertainment and confusion. Why, says Martha, do you care and care about many things, that is, amuse yourself, worry? We only need something to eat, and not a variety of food. - Other words "only one thing is necessary" meant not about food, but about attention to learning. Thus, with these words the Lord teaches the Apostles that when they enter someone's house, they should not demand anything luxurious, but be content with the simple, caring no more about anything but attention to the teaching. "Perhaps you should understand by Martha active virtue, and by Mary contemplation. Active virtue has amusements and disturbances, and contemplation, having become master of the passions (for Mary means mistress), exercises itself in the mere consideration of divine utterances and destinies. - Pay attention to the words: "She sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word." Feet can be understood as an active virtue, for they signify movement and walking. And sitting is a sign of immobility. Therefore, whoever sits at the feet of Jesus, that is, who is established in active virtue and through imitation of the walk and life of Jesus is strengthened in it, he then comes to hear divine utterances or to contemplate. For Mary also sat down first, and then listened to the words. "And so, if thou canst, ascend to the degree of Mary through mastery of the passions and the striving for contemplation. If this is impossible for you, be Martha, be diligent to the active side, and through this receive Christ. - To say this: "Which shall not be taken away from her." He who strives in works has something that is taken away from him, that is, cares and amusements. For, having reached contemplation, he is freed from amusement and vanity, and in this way something is taken away from him. And he who strives in contemplation is never deprived of this good part, that is, contemplation. For in what more will he succeed when he has attained the highest, I mean, contemplation of God, what is equal to deification? For whoever is vouchsafed to behold God becomes a god, since like is embraced by like.

Chapter Eleven

It happened that when He was praying in a certain place, and stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord! teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. He said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us our daily bread every day; and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one of our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. The disciple of Christ is jealous of the disciples of John, and therefore wishes to learn how to pray. The Savior did not reject the desires of the disciples, but He teaches. "Our Father," he says, "who art in heaven." Notice the power of prayer. It immediately elevates you to the things above, and since you call God Father, she urges you in every way not to lose your likeness to the Father, but to try to become like Him. He did not say "My Father," but "Our Father," stirring you up to brotherly love and urging you to love everyone as brothers in general. By saying, "in heaven," he does not limit God with them, but raises the listener to heaven and leads him away from earthly things. - "Hallowed be Thy name," instead of "Let it be glorified," that is, arrange our life so that it may be for Thy glory. For just as the name of God is blasphemed by the wicked, so are those who lead a good life glorified. - "Thy Kingdom come." The sinner does not pray for the Kingdom of God, for he does not desire its coming because of the punishments that await him there. On the contrary, the righteous man prays that it will come soon, so that he may be freed from the temptations of this world and calm down. - "Thy will be done", as in heaven - with the Angels, so with us people on earth. For the angels act all and in everything according to the will of God. - It teaches us to ask for "daily bread" only, that is, useful for our existence and for the maintenance of life, by no means superfluous, but necessary. - Not to enter into temptation means not to rush into temptations. For we should pray to God, not that He would send temptation upon us, but that He would turn it away; and if he does, he must endure it with courage. It must be said that there are two types of temptations. Some are arbitrary, for example, drunkenness, murder, adultery, and other passions; for we ourselves fall into these temptations arbitrarily. Other temptations are involuntary, to which we are subjected by the lords and the strong. It is from voluntary temptations, that is, from the passions, that we must flee from them, pray for deliverance from them and say, "Lead us not in," that is, do not allow us to fall "into temptation," that is, into voluntary passion, "But deliver us from evil." For it brings involuntary and voluntary temptations. Therefore, when you involuntarily endure temptation from a person, do not consider this person to be the author of your temptation, but the evil one. For it causes a man to be angry with you and to rage.

And he said to them, Let us suppose that one of you, having a friend, comes to him at midnight, and says to him, 'Friend! lend me three loaves of bread, for my friend has come to me from the way, and I have nothing to offer him; And he will answer from within, 'Do not disturb me, for the doors are already shut, and my children are with me on the bed.' I can't get up and give you. If, I say to you, he does not arise and give to him because of his friendship with him, then because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he asks. The Lord, teaching us to pray without sloth, tells a parable and an example. What does the parable mean? "Midnight" is the name given to the last days of life, which, when people reach them, they begin to sympathize with the good and aspire to God. For He is a friend, loving all, and desiring salvation for all (1 Tim. 2:4). Thus, many at midnight, that is, at the end of life, come to God as a friend and say: "Give me three loaves," that is, faith in the Trinity; for a friend has come, that is, an angel who takes the soul. However, every angel is a friend, just as the Lord says that there is joy in heaven for the salvation of man (Luke 15:10). - The children resting on the bed are people who have been converted and therefore have become children of the Lord and have been vouchsafed to rest with Him. - "Persistence" is called intensified and prolonged prayer with patience, - Understand in another way, namely: by "midnight" understand the power and the middle of temptations. For every temptation is night, and the midst of temptations is undoubtedly midnight. Thus, when someone is in the midst of temptations, he comes to God who loves us and says: "Lend me three loaves of bread," that is, the salvation of body, soul and spirit. For temptations threaten these three. Who is the friend who came in from the road? Without any doubt, the Lord, who tests us in temptations and wants to taste our salvation. A person who has fallen into temptations, unable to resist them by himself and receive the Lord, has nothing to offer Him. - Locked doors mean that we must be ready before temptations, and when we fall, then the door to preparation is already shut, and we, being unprepared, will suffer danger if God does not help. Children are (inasmuch as they were first converted) those who, through virtue, have become the sons of God, recline and rest in God.

And I will say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you: for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Which of you father, when his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? or when he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for eggs, will he give him a scorpion? Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. See how precise the words are. The Lord did not say, "Ask," and it will be given to you, but "ask," that is, seek continually. - "Everyone who asks receives." Does he who asks for useless things receive? No. For, in the first place, a petition for useless things cannot be called a petition before God. For whoever prays to God must ask for what He gives. And if anyone asks for what is useless, he does not make a petition to God, for He does not give what is useless. Then listen to how the Lord Himself teaches us to ask for what we should ask. He says: the son asks for bread and fish and eggs. Therefore, just as these objects constitute human food, so our petitions should be useful to us and serve to help us. By "bread" I mean, perhaps, anyone who asks that faith in the Trinity and the correctness of dogmas be revealed to him. For they, as those who affirm the heart, are bread. And the "fish" is asked by the one who, being in the sea of this life, asks God for help, so that he, like a fish, may remain alive and unimmersed in the midst of temptations. And he asks for an "egg" who desires to be given the offspring of virtuous souls, such souls, as those who have taken wings, ascended in spirit, and flown over the earth, can justly be likened to birds.

Однажды изгнал Он беса, который был нем; и когда бес вышел, немой стал говорить; и народ удивился. Некоторые же из них говорили: Он изгоняет бесов силою веельзевула, князя бесовского. А другие, искушая, требовали от Него знамения с неба. Но Он, зная помышления их, сказал им: всякое царство, разделившееся само в себе, опустеет, и дом, разделившийся сам в себе, падет; если же и сатана разделится сам в себе, то как устоит царство его? а вы говорите, что Я силою веельзевула изгоняю бесов; и если Я силою веельзевула изгоняю бесов, то сыновья ваши чьею силою изгоняют их? Посему они будут вам судьями. Если же Я перстом Божиим изгоняю бесов, то, конечно, достигло до вас Царствие Божие. Немым часто называется тот, кто не говорит; но называется также и тот, кто не слышит, а вернее тот, кто не слышит и не говорит. Кои отроду не слышат, те и не говорят. Это с ними бывает по необходимости. Ибо мы говорим то, чему научаемся чрез слышание. Когда кто не слышит, тот по всей вероятности и не говорит. Разве у кого слух повредился впоследствии, от болезни, тому ничто не препятствует говорить. Приведенный ко Христу был в обоих отношениях нем: и на язык, и на ухо. Он есть образ человеческой природы, которая, будучи одержима от бесов, не способна была ни к слышанию слов Божиих, ни тем более к пересказыванию. Но Господь, придя и изгнав бесов, то есть страстные и бесовские дела, сделал то, чтобы мы не только говорили, но и проповедовали истину. Ибо слова Божии должно не только слушать, но и другим пересказывать. Итак, будем слушать мы, имеющие в себе дела бесовские, думающие других учить и позволяющие называться от людей учителями. Ибо когда выйдет бес, тогда бывает истинная говорливость и учение, а доколе внутри нас находятся произведения демонов (страсти), дотоле не говорим, хотя и кажемся говорящими. - Фарисеи клевещут на чудо и Господа поносят как обманщика. Они говорят: Он дружен с князем бесовским и при его содействии изгоняет бесов. Господь говорит им: как возможно, чтобы бес изгонял другого беса? Это было бы уже разрушением его царства. Ибо если они царство и упокоение поставляют в том, чтобы жить в людях, а их же князь изгоняет их, то явно, что он сам себя разрушает. Ибо и всякое царство, разделившееся и возмутившееся, расстроивается, и дом, разделившийся, падет. Под "домом" будешь ли разуметь здание? Хорошо. Ибо и здание стоит дотоле, доколе оно сохраняет соединенность, а когда стены отстанут одна от другой, оно падает. Будешь ли разуметь под "домом" живущих в дому? И они, доколе соблюдают мир, стоят, а если восстанут друг на друга, то падают. - Пусть будет и так, что Я изгоняю бесов силой веельзевула; но сыны ваши, то есть апостолы, чьей силой изгоняют? Не очевидно ли, что Моим именем? Как же вы обо Мне говорите, что Я изгоняю чрез веельзевула, нуждаясь в силе его, когда сыны ваши, именно апостолы, изгоняют именем Моим? Подлинно, они будут вас судить. Ибо если они изгоняют именем Моим, то Я Сам, очевидно, не имею нужды в силе другого. Я изгоняю "перстом Божиим", то есть Духом Святым, а не духом лукавым. Духа называет "перстом" для того, чтобы ты знал, что как перст одного существа с целым телом, так и Дух Святой единосущен со Отцом и Сыном. А быть может, и не потому ли так называет, что Сын именуется десницей Божией, а на Нем почили семь сил Духа, и не как на орудии Духа, но как на единосущном с Ним; одно же из дарований и действий Духа есть сила врачевать. Говорит, что Я изгоняю бесов "перстом" Божиим, то есть дарованием Духа. Ибо как перст есть часть руки, так и дух исцелений был частью тех духов, то есть сил Духа, которые имел Иисус. - Если, - говорит, - Я "изгоняю бесов" силой Божией, то подлинно дошло до вас Царствие Божие. А это имеет такой смысл: разрушается наконец царство диавола, и воцаряется Бог, изгоняющий бесов. Ибо слушай, что говорит далее.

Когда сильный с оружием охраняет свой дом, тогда в безопасности его имение; когда же сильнейший его нападет на него и победит его, тогда возьмет всё оружие его, на которое он надеялся, и разделит похищенное у него. Кто не со Мною, тот против Меня; и кто не собирает со Мною, тот расточает. Когда нечистый дух выйдет из человека, то ходит по безводным местам, ища покоя, и, не находя, говорит: возвращусь в дом мой, откуда вышел; и, придя, находит его выметенным и убранным; тогда идет и берет с собою семь других духов, злейших себя, и, войдя, живут там, - и бывает для человека того последнее хуже первого. Прежде Моего пришествия, - говорит, - сатана был силен и "охранял" свой "дом", то есть господствовал над естеством человеческим твердо и безопасно. Но когда пришел Я, сильнейший его, тогда Я победил мир и все его "оружие", на которое он надеялся, то есть все виды греха. Ибо грех есть оружие диавола, и им-то он смело преодолевал людей. Это все оружие его Я сокрушил, потому что во Мне не нашлось никакого греха (1 Пет. 2, 22); с тех пор он ослабел. И "похищенное у него", то есть людей, которые были как бы добычей его, Я исторг у него и поручаю каждого особому Ангелу, верному хранителю, чтобы вместо беса, у которого он был во власти, управлял им Ангел. - И иначе. Какое общение между Мной и веельзевулом? Мое дело - собирать рассеянных чад Божиих; а его дело состоит в том, что он расточает собранных. Как же вы заключаете обо Мне, что Я имею общение с сатаной? Поистине, такое помышление явилось у вас от того, что вы ныне в большем общении с бесами. Нечистый дух жил в вас и прежде, когда вы служили идолам и убивали пророков. Потом, по-видимому, он вышел из вас. А ныне опять возвратился "в дом свой", то есть в ваши души, с "семью" духами, то есть многими (ибо число "семь" в Писании часто употребляется в значении "много"), и сделал для вас последнее хуже первого. Ибо тогда, когда вы служили идолам, вы убивали пророков, но еще не наносили явного оскорбления Сыну Божию, ради вас явившемуся во плоти. А ныне какая надежда на спасение, когда вы остаетесь при той же неблагодарности и дерзости и после того, как Сын воплотился и ради вас совершает чудеса? - "Места безводные" суть души тех, кои не имеют никакой мягкости, (души) черствые и озабоченные собой. Поскольку же лукавый не имеет никакого места к обитанию в таких душах, то он возвращается к иудеям, и последнее для них становится хуже первого. Так, ныне у них нет уже ни пророков, ибо они убили Слово, ни помазания, ибо они распяли Христа (помазанника). Прежде, хотя они и служили идолам, у них видимы были пророки и помазание; а ныне они всего лишились, потому что согрешили против Сына Божия.

Когда же Он говорил это, одна женщина, возвысив голос из народа, сказала Ему: блаженно чрево, носившее Тебя, и сосцы, Тебя питавшие! А Он сказал: блаженны слышащие слово Божие и соблюдающие его. Когда же народ стал сходиться во множестве, Он начал говорить: род сей лукав, он ищет знамения, и знамение не дастся ему, кроме знамения Ионы пророка; ибо как Иона был знамением для Ниневитян, так будет и Сын Человеческий для рода сего. Царица южная восстанет на суд с людьми рода сего и осудит их, ибо она приходила от пределов земли послушать мудрости Соломоновой; и вот, здесь больше Соломона. Ниневитяне восстанут на суд с родом сим и осудят его, ибо они покаялись от проповеди Иониной, и вот, здесь больше Ионы.

Тогда как фарисеи и книжники порочат чудеса Господа, жена, лицо бесхитростное и простое, прославляет Его. Где те, кои говорят, что Господь явился призрачно? Ибо вот свидетельство, что Он и сосцами питался! А Он ублажает тех, кои соблюдают слово Божие, впрочем, отнюдь не с тем, чтобы Мать Свою лишить ублажения, но с тем, чтобы показать, что и Она не получила бы никакой пользы от того, что родила Его и питала сосцами, если бы не имела всех прочих добродетелей. Говорит это вместе и потому, что идет ко времени. Поскольку завидующие Ему и неслушающие слов Его поносили слушающих, то Он вопреки им особенно ублажает слушающих. Может быть, Он говорит это и ради исцеленного глухого, чтобы и он, выслушав слово, соблюдал оное, чтобы (дарованная ему) способность слышать не послужила ему в осуждение. - Когда народ стал сходиться во множестве, Господь начал обличать неразумных. Между ними было несколько таких, кои желали, чтобы Иисус совершил знамение с неба; ибо говорили: знамения, какие Он творит, суть от земли, и Он творит их силой веельзевула, князя мира, имеющего власть над землей; а знамения с неба Он не может сотворить, потому что Он не есть Сын Отца Небесного. Поскольку некоторые так говорили, то Господь обличает их и говорит: дастся вам знамение, которое докажет, что Я - истинный Сын Небесного Отца. Какое же? Знамение Ионы, то есть знамение Воскресения. Ибо как он провел три дня во чреве китовом, так и Я пробуду три дня во чреве кита, великого животного, то есть ада, и воскресну. Когда Иона, выброшенный китом и как бы снова оживший, начал проповедовать, то ниневитяне послушались; а Мне и после Воскресения Моего род сей не поверит. Поэтому они будут осуждены за то, что не подражали ниневитянам, хотя здесь больше Ионы. Ибо Мое достоинство и способ проповеди представляют большое различие. Я - Владыка, он - раб. Я проповедую Царство Небесное, он - спасение от угрожающей погибели, Я совершаю чудеса, он не сотворил никакого чуда. - Равным образом и царица южная осудит род сей, ибо она приходила с конца земли слушать премудрости Соломона. - Под "царицей южной" разумей, пожалуй, и всякую душу, сильную и постоянную в добре. Объяснюсь. Север, когда служит символом местопребывания противника, Писанием не одобряется, потому что он холодит и наводит омертвение и оцепенение; а юг (как противоположный северу) одобряется, потому что южный ветер приносит теплоту, оживление, отогревает и оцепеневшие части. Поэтому и в Песни песней невеста, прогоняя север, говорит: "Поднимись с севера и принесись с юга" (4, 16), и пророк опять говорит: "И пришедшего от севера удалю от вас", то есть сатану (Иоил. 2, 20). Итак, душа, царствующая на юге, то есть в благодатной стране духовной жизни, и окрепшая чрез упражнение в деятельности, приходит слушать премудрость, то есть восходит к созерцанию. Ибо премудрость Соломона, мирного царя, есть созерцание Господа и Бога нашего, которого никто не достигнет иначе, если чрез упражнение в деятельности не сделается царем и владыкой в добродетельной жизни.

Никто, зажегши свечу, не ставит ее в сокровенном месте, ни под сосудом, но на подсвечнике, чтобы входящие видели свет. Светильник тела есть око; итак, если око твое будет чисто, то и всё тело твое будет светло; а если оно будет худо, то и тело твое будет темно. Итак, смотри: свет, который в тебе, не есть ли тьма? Если же тело твое всё светло и не имеет ни одной темной части, то будет светло всё так, как бы светильник освещал тебя сиянием.