And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, verily I say unto you, shall not lose his reward. And whoever offends one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and thrown into the sea.

"Not only do I not forbid him who works miracles in My name, but if anyone gives you anything, even the least for My sake, and not for the sake of the people of the world, he shall not be deprived of his reward." And he spoke about the cup of water, referring to people who excuse themselves with poverty. If," he says, "you give me a cup of water, and nothing can be less than this, and it will not be lost with you. Thus, if you honor one of the little ones, then you will please God; If you offend one of the little ones, then you have sinned: it would be better to hang a millstone around your neck. By this he expresses that in such a case we will be subjected to the heaviest punishment. The Lord indicated sensual torment in order to frighten us with this visible example.

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than to go with two hands into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life lame, than to be cast into hell with two feet, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy eye offends thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to be cast into hell with two eyes, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is a good thing; but if the salt is not salty, how will you correct it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace among yourselves.

Having made such a threat against the seducers that it would be better for them to be cast into the sea, the Lord now teaches those who are offended to beware of people who are ready to seduce and lead them astray from the path of truth. If your foot, or hand, or eye offend you, that is, if he who offends and stumbles in the work of salvation from among your household, or from among your neighbors in the flesh, cut him off, that is, reject love for him and friendship. And the worm and the fire that torment sinners are the conscience of everyone and the remembrance of the abominable deeds committed in this life. It bites like a worm and burns like fire. "Everyone," he says, "will be salted with fire," that is, he will be tempted, just as Paul says that all things will be tempted by fire (1 Corinthians 3:13). "And every salt sacrifice shall be salted," Jesus quoted these words from the book of Leviticus (2:13). Therefore, we must salt our sacrifices with the salt of God, that is, offer sacrifices that are not stunted and weak, but strong and healthy. The Lord calls the Apostles by salt, and in general those who have a protective and astringent power. For just as salt protects meat and prevents worms from germinating in it, so the word of the teacher, if it is strong and viscous, restraining people from carnal passions, does not give place in them to the ever-sleeping worm. But if the teacher himself is without salt and does not have in himself the stimulating and astringent power, then with what will he be salted, that is, will he be corrected? Therefore, have salt in yourselves, that is, the strengthening and binding grace of the Spirit, so that you may be at peace with each other, being bound to the neighborly union of love. This is what it means to have salt, and this is why the words are spoken: Have peace with your neighbors. Of such Solomon said: "There are many horses in Pharaoh's chariot," and so on.

Chapter Ten

Departing from thence, he came to the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan side. Again the people gathered to Him according to His custom, He again taught them. The Pharisees came and asked, tempting Him, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" And he answered and said unto them, What hath Moses commanded you? They said, "Moses has allowed the bill of divorce to be written, and to be divorced. Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart, he has written this commandment for you." In the beginning of creation, God created them male and female (Gen. 1:27). Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

The Lord often left Judea because of the hatred of the Pharisees for Him. But now He comes to Judea again, because the time of His sufferings was approaching. However, He does not go directly to Jerusalem, but at first only "to the borders of the Jews," in order to benefit the people who are not malicious; while Jerusalem, through the wickedness of the Jews, was the center of all wickedness. And see how they tempt the Lord in their wickedness, not tolerating that the people should believe in Him, but each time approaching Him with the intention of putting Him in difficulty and restraining Him with their questions. They put to Him a question that put Him between two abysses: Is it lawful, they say, for a man to let his wife go from him? For whether He said that it was lawful, or whether He said that it was not permissible, at any rate they thought to accuse Him of contradicting the Law of Moses. But Christ, the Self-existent Wisdom, answers them in such a way that He avoids their snares. He asked them, "What did Moses command them?" And when they answered that Moses commanded to let his wife go, Christ explained to them the Law itself. Moses, He says, was not so unmerciful as to be able to give such a Law, but he wrote it because of your hardness of heart. Knowing the inhumanity of the Jews, such that a husband who did not love his wife could easily kill her, Moses allowed the husband to let his wife go unloved. But from the beginning it was not so: God unites two persons in the union of matrimony, so that they are one, leaving even their parents. Note that the Lord says: God does not permit polygamy, so that one wife may be let go and another may be taken, and then leave this one again, and marry another. If it were pleasing to God, then He would create one man, and many wives; but it did not happen in this way, but "God created man and woman" so that they would be united — one husband with one wife. In a figurative sense, it can be understood as follows: the word of the Teaching, throwing good seeds into the soul of a believer, has the meaning of a husband for the soul that accepts it. But he leaves (the word of teaching) his father, that is, his lofty mind, and his mother, that is, adorned speech, and clings to his wife, that is, to the benefit of the soul, adapts himself to her, and often prefers low thoughts and simple speech. And then they both become one flesh, that is, the soul believes that "the Word (of God) has become flesh," and no human thought can separate the soul from such faith.