And he went out of the synagogue, and went into the house of Simon; Simonov's mother-in-law was possessed by a strong fever; and they asked Him for it. Approaching her, He rebuked the fever; and left her. At sunset all those who had been sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He, laying His hands on each of them, healed them. And the demons also came out of many with a cry and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of God." And He forbade them to say that they knew that He was the Christ. And when the day came, he went out into the wilderness, and the people sought him, and came to him, and restrained him, that he might not depart from them. But he said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for this I have been sent." And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

The Lord of all was nourished by the hospitality of the disciples, just as now He is received by Peter and heals his mother-in-law, so that He may teach you not to refuse the favor of the poor. Not only does it heal her of her illness, but gives her good health and strength for service. If we also accept Him, He will quench our fever, the fever of anger and unwillingness, and raise us up so that we will be able to serve Him, that is, to do what pleases Him. "Look, I beseech you, and the faith of the people, how even at sunset they brought the sick and were not restrained by time. He does not allow the demons to speak in this way because he does not need praise from the unclean, for "praise is unpleasant in the mouth of a sinner" (Sir. 15:9), and because he does not want to kindle envy in the Jews when everyone praises Him. The people are looking for Him, though He has gone into an empty place and is holding Him. But He does not limit Himself to one place, but says that I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities as well. Therefore, we should not be lazy, not be satisfied with one place of imprisonment, but go everywhere in order to benefit someone.

Chapter Five

Once, when the people were crowding to Him to hear the word of God, and He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, He saw two boats standing on the lake; and the fishermen came out of them and washed their nets. Entering one boat, which was Simon's, He asked him to sail a little from the shore and, sitting down, taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased teaching, he said to Simon, Sail out into the depths, and cast your nets for fishing. Simon answered and said to him; Mentor! we labored all night and caught nothing, but according to Thy word I will cast a net. When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and even their nets were broken. And they signaled to the comrades who were in the other boat to come to help them; And they came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down on the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, O Lord! Because I am a sinful man. For terror seized him and all who were with him, from this fishing of the fish they caught; and also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's associates. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; From now on you will catch men. And having pulled both boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.

The Lord flees from glory, and it pursues Him all the more. When the people crowded around Him, He went on board the ship to teach those standing on the seashore from the ship, so that all were before Him, and no one went behind His back. And because He taught from the ship, He did not leave its owner unrewarded. He even favored him doubly: He endowed him with a multitude of fish and made him His disciple. Marvel at the Lord's gaze, how He attracts everyone through a means peculiar and akin to him, for example: the Magi by means of a star, and the fishermen by means of fishes. Notice also the meekness of Christ, how He beseeches Peter to sail away from the earth, for he "asked," meaning instead of "begged," and how humble Peter was: the man whom he had not seen, he received on his ship, and in all things obeyed him. When He told him to sail into the depths, he was not burdened, nor did he say, "All night I have labored, and have gained nothing, and shall I now listen to Thee, and give myself up to new labors?" He said nothing of the sort, but on the contrary: "At Thy word I will cast a net." So Peter was lukewarm in faith even before faith! For this reason he caught so many fish that he could not pull them out alone, and by signs he invited his accomplices, that is, the companions who were on the other ship. He invited them by signs because, amazed by the extraordinary fishing, he could not speak. Further, Peter in deep reverence asks Jesus to disembark from the ship, saying of himself that he is a sinner and unworthy to be with Him. If you want, understand it figuratively. The ship is the synagogue of the Jews. Peter represents the image of the teachers of the Law. The teachers who were before Christ labored all night (for the time before the coming of Christ is night) and achieved nothing. And when Christ came, and the day came (Romans 13:12), the apostles, placed in the place of teachers of the law, according to the word, that is, according to His commandment, cast the net of the Gospel and catch a multitude of people. But the apostles alone cannot pull out the net with fishes, but invite both their accomplices and accomplices, and drag them along with them. These are the pastors and teachers of the churches of all times; they, teaching and explaining the apostolic teaching, help the apostles to catch people. Pay attention to the expression: "cast a net". For the Gospel is a snare, which has a humble exposition of speech, simple and close to the simplicity of the hearers; That is why it is said that it is abandoned. If someone says that by casting a net the depth of thoughts is signified, then one can agree with this. Thus, the word of the prophet was fulfilled, who said: "Behold, I will send a multitude of fishers, saith the Lord, and they will catch them; and then I will send a multitude of hunters, and they will drive them out of every mountain, and every hill, and out of the ravines of the rocks" (Jeremiah 16:16). He called the holy apostles fishermen, and the fishers of the rulers and teachers of the church of subsequent times.

Когда Иисус был в одном городе, пришел человек весь в проказе и, увидев Иисуса, пал ниц, умоляя Его и говоря: Господи! если хочешь, можешь меня очистить. Он простер руку, прикоснулся к нему и сказал: хочу, очистись. И тотчас проказа сошла с него. И Он повелел ему никому не сказывать, а пойти показаться священнику и принести [жертву] за очищение свое, как повелел Моисей, во свидетельство им. Но тем более распространялась молва о Нём, и великое множество народа стекалось к Нему слушать и врачеваться у Него от болезней своих. Но Он уходил в пустынные места и молился.

Прокаженный сей достоин удивления, потому что имеет о Господе мысль, достойную Бога, и говорит: «если хочешь, можешь меня очистить». Это показывает, что он помышляет о Христе как о Боге. Ибо он пришел не как ко врачу (так как проказа неизлечима руками врачей), но как к Богу; ибо Ему Одному возможно исцелять от такого рода болезней. Господь «прикасается» к нему не без причины. Но поскольку, по Закону, прикасающийся к прокаженному считался нечистым, то, желая показать, что Он не имеет нужды соблюдать подобные мелкие предписания Закона, но Сам есть Господь Закона, и что чистый нисколько не оскверняется от кажущегося нечистым, но что проказа душевная, именно она, оскверняет, — для сей цели прикасается, а вместе и для того, чтобы показать, что святая Плоть Его имеет Божественную силу — очищать и животворить, как истинная Плоть Бога Слова. Заповедует прокаженному не сказывать никому о Нем для того, чтобы нас научить не искать похвалы от тех, кому благотворим; но говорит: пойди, покажись священнику и принеси дар во свидетельство им. Ибо Закон был такой, чтобы священник осматривал прокаженных и определял, очистились ли они, и если прокаженный очистился в семь дней, он оставался внутри города, если же нет, был изгоняем (Лев, 13). Поэтому-то Господь сказал: ступай, покажись священнику и принеси дар. Какой же был дар? Две птицы (Лев. 14). Что значит: «во свидетельство им»? Значит — в обличение их и осуждение; чтобы, если будут обвинять Меня, как преступника Закона, убедились, что Я не преступаю его, убедились из повеления тебе принести дар, заповеданный Моисеем. Кстати, можно сказать и о том, как эти две птицы приносились Богу. Одну птицу закалали, и кровь ее брали в новый глиняный сосуд; потом оба крыла другой птицы обмакивали в крови и таким образом отпускали птицу живой. Сим изображалось то, что имело сбыться на Христе. Два крыла суть две природы Христа, Божеская и человеческая, из коих одна была заклана, то есть человеческая, а другая осталась живой. Ибо природа Божественная пребыла бесстрастной, помазавшись кровью природы пострадавшей и страдание восприняв на себя. Кровь Господа принял новый глиняный сосуд, то есть новый народ из язычников, способный к принятию Нового Завета. Смотри: когда кто уже очистится от проказы, тогда достоин приносить этот дар, то есть закапать Христа и священнодействовать. Ибо прокаженный и нечистый по душе не может быть удостоен приносить такие дары, то есть приносить Тело и Кровь Господа, соединенные с Божеской природой. Внимай и тому, какое несказанное преимущество имеет Господь над Моисеем. Моисей, когда сестра его поражена была проказой, не мог уврачевать ее, хотя много молился (Чис. 12, 10-15), а Господь очистил прокаженного одним словом. Заметь и смирение Господа, как Он, когда народ желал прикасаться Ему, с особенной охотой проводил время в пустынях и молился. Так Он во всем подавал нам образец — молиться наедине и уклоняться от славы.