DISCOURSE 86. (on John 20:10-11) 1. The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2. Mary announces him to the apostles. – Why Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples in the evening. – 3. The grace of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is inexhaustible. – 4. One must try in every possible way to have the Holy Spirit in oneself. And to preserve His grace. – The greatness of the dignity and office of priests: one should honor and respect them, and help them. – To insult them is to harm oneself.

DISCOURSE 87. (on John 20:24-25) 1. Why did Jesus Christ appear to Ap. Thomas only eight days after the appearance to the other disciples. – Why did Jesus Christ keep wound scars on His body? – 2. The difference in the characters of App. Peter and John: the first was alive and hot, the second more exalted and insightful. – 3 and 4. What a joy it is to see Jesus Christ in glory! "One must spare nothing in order to attain eternal bliss. – Contemplation of future blessings makes the present life simple, pleasant and easy. The power of love. – Comparison of love Ap. Paul to Jesus Christ with our love. – The vice of covetousness and ways to combat it. – Improper use of earthly goods.

DISCOURSE 88. (on John 21:15) 1. The change in the mood of the apostle. Peter after the fall. – Peter as a teacher of peace. – 2. The humility and meekness of Ap. John. – 3. The good fruits of studying and meditating on the Word of God. "The cares of this world and the goods of this world are thorns that prickle us on all sides. – Spiritual blessings delight the eye. "Even before the heavenly reward, people receive the fruits of good deeds here. – It is the same with bad deeds: even before hell, they produce torments of conscience here. – The Consequences of Sin. – Ahab's repentance, which must be imitated in order to receive forgiveness of sins. Covetousness destroys the good done to almsgiving. – The fruits of good deeds.

DISCOURSE 70.

"Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, [showed by deed that] having loved His own who are in the world, He loved them to the end" (John 13:1).

1. "Be ye imitators of me," says Paul, "as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). For this reason Christ also took flesh from the same composition with us, in order to teach us virtue through it. "In the likeness," it is said, "of sinful flesh [as a sacrifice] for sin, and condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3). And Christ Himself (says): "Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). And this He taught not only in words, but also in deeds. Thus, they called Him a Samaritan, and a demon-possessed, and a deceiver, and threw stones at Him; and the Pharisees sometimes sent servants to seize Him, sometimes they sent other malefactors, moreover, they themselves often blasphemed Him, and all this at a time when they not only did not have the slightest reason for accusing Him, but, on the contrary, still constantly enjoyed His beneficence. However, even after all this, He did not cease to do good to them both in word and deed. And when a servant struck Him, He said, "If I have spoken evil, show me what is evil; but if it is good, why do you strike me" (John 18:23)? But this is what He did with His enemies and evildoers. Let us see how He also deals with His disciples, and especially what He now says in relation to the deceitful (disciple). For he was to be hated more than anyone else, because he, being a disciple and a participant in meals and suppers, and seeing miracles, and being counted worthy to receive so much, dealt with Him the worst of all, did not throw stones at Him or blaspheme Him, but betrayed and betrayed Him. Meanwhile, see how graciously He receives him: He washes his feet. And by this He also wanted to keep him from evil intention. He could, of course, if He had willed, dry it up like a fig tree, and tear it to pieces as He tore the stones, and tear it as a veil; but He wanted him to abandon his evil intention, not by compulsion, but of his own free will. For this purpose He washes his feet. But this unfortunate and pitiful man was not ashamed of this either. "Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come." Not only did he know then, but he knew, says (the Evangelist), long before he did what he did. "Go". The Evangelist profoundly calls death His transition. "Having loved His own which are in the world, He loved them to the end." Do you see how He, intending to leave them, shows a strong love for them? The words, "Having loved, loved them to the end," mean that He did not omit anything that should have been done by one who loves deeply. But why didn't He do it first? More importantly, He does in the end to increase their affection for Himself and to provide them with great comfort in the coming calamities. He calls them "His own" because of His close fellowship with them. He also calls others "His own," but as His own creature, for example, when He says: "And His own received Him not" (John 1:11). But what does it mean, "those who are in the world"? This means that He had "His own" among the dead, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the like; but they were no longer in the world. Do you see that He is the God of both the Old and the New Testaments? And what does it mean, "He loved them to the end"? By this (the Evangelist) says that He never ceased to love them; and this he calls evidence of especially strong love. True, in another place (such testimony) is not called this, but the position of the soul for one's friends; But that wasn't the case then. But why did He do this (wash His feet) now? Because it was much more amazing when He seemed so glorious to everyone; and through this He left no small consolation before parting with them. Since they had to endure a cruel sorrow, He offered them an equal consolation through this. "And at the time of supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot of Simon to betray him" (v. 2). The Evangelist said this in amazement, showing that he had washed Judas' feet when he had already decided to betray Him. In this way He also reveals the great malice of Judas, because he was not deterred either by participating in the supper, although this is usually the better to tame malice, or by the fact that the Master continued to care for him until the very last day. "Jesus, knowing that the Father has given all things into his hands, and that he has come from God, and is going away to God" (v. 3). Here He expresses His surprise that He Who is so great and so lofty, that He has come from God and departs to God, Who holds all things in His power, that He has done this, and, in spite of all His greatness, did not disdain to take upon Himself such a deed. By tradition, as it seems to me, he means here the salvation of the faithful; and Christ, when He says: "All things have been delivered unto Me by My Father" (Matt. 11:27), means the same tradition. In the same way He says in another place: "They were Thine, and Thou hast given them unto Me" (John 17:6); and again: "No man can come to me, except the Father draws him" (John 6:44); and: "Except it be given unto him from heaven" (John 3:27). So, either this expresses , or that the washing of the feet could not humiliate in the least, since He came from God and goes to God, and contains everything. And when you hear: tradition, then do not assume anything human. This shows only respect for the Father and oneness of mind with Him, because as the Father commits to Him, so He commits to the Father, as Paul shows when He says: "When He commends the Kingdom to God and the Father" (1 Corinthians 15:24). Here He speaks of this in a human way, showing His great solicitude for His disciples and revealing His ineffable love for them, since He now cared for them as if they were His own, teaching them the mother of all good things – humility, which He called the beginning and end of virtue. And it is not without reason that the words are added: "He came from God and departs to God," but so that we may know that He acted worthy of Him who came from there and goes thither, trampling down all pride. And "he arose from supper, and took off his outer garment" (John 13:4).

2. See how Christ shows His humility not only by washing, but also by other actions. He did not rise before He reclined, but when everyone had already reclined. Then He does not just wash Himself, but first He lays down His clothes. But he did not stop there, but girded himself with a towel; and he was not satisfied with this, but he himself poured in the water, and did not command another to fill it. Thus He Himself does all this, in order to show that when we do good, we must do it not carelessly, but with all diligence. And it seems to me that He washed the feet of His betrayer first, for (the Evangelist) having said, "And he began to wash the feet of the disciples" (v. 5), then continues: "He came to Simon Peter, and he said to him, Shall you wash my feet" (v. 6)? – That is, with the same hands with which You opened Your eyes, cleansed lepers and raised the dead? Truly, this already expresses very much, why did Peter not need to say anything more than: "Are you?" In this one thing, everything has already been expressed. But someone may justly ask: why did no one else prevent Him (from washing His feet), but only Peter, which is a testimony of no small love and respect? What is the reason for this? It seems to me that Christ first washed the betrayer's feet, and then approached Peter, and that others were already enlightened by Peter's example. And that He really washed someone else before Peter is evident from the words: "When (ουν) came to Peter." However, the Evangelist does not speak directly, but by the word "began" he hints at this. And although Peter was the first, it is probable that the traitor, in his impudence, reclined even higher than the supreme (apostle). His impudence is also manifested in other cases, for example, when he immerses his hand in salt together with the Teacher, and when, in spite of the rebukes, he does not feel remorse. Peter, having once been reproached before, and reproached for the words he had spoken out of love, humbled himself so much, that even then, when he was in anguish and trembling, he turned to another to inquire; but this one (Judas), in spite of frequent rebukes, did not come to his senses. And so, when he came to Peter, "he said to Him, Lord! Shall thou wash my feet?" - (Christ) said to him: "What I do, now you do not know, but you will understand later." (v. 6, 7), i.e. (later you will learn) what benefit from this, how useful this lesson is, how it can dispose us to all humility. What about Peter? He continues to resist and say, "You will never wash my feet" (v. 8). What are you doing, Peter? Do you not remember the former words? Did you not say, "Be merciful to yourself, O Lord," and heard, "Depart from me, Satan" (Matthew 16:22,23)? Has this not brought you to your senses, and you are still hot? Yes, he says; but now an extraordinary and astounding deed is being done. Since Peter acted in this way out of great love, Christ again catches him with this love. As then He rebuked him greatly, saying, "You are a stumbling block to Me," so now He says, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me" (v. 8). What is this ardent and fiery one? "Lord," he says, "not only my feet, but also my hands and head" (v. 9). He is ardent in resistance, but even more ardent in the expression of consent; and both are from love. But why did (Christ) not say why He did this, but used a threat? Because Peter wouldn't listen. If He had said, "Leave it, I want to teach you humility," then Peter would have promised a thousand times to be humble, if only the Lord would not do it. And now what does he say? That which Peter feared and dreaded most of all was precisely that he should not be excommunicated from Him. For it was he who often asked, "Where art thou going," and on this occasion he said, "I will lay down my life for thee" (John 13:36-37). If he did not yield even then, when he heard, "You do not know now what I am doing, but you will know later," how much more so if he had known. Wherefore he said, "Knowing that if he had understood these things now, he would have continued to resist. And Peter did not say, "Explain it to me, and I will not resist; but – which was a sign of even greater fervor – he did not even want to know this, but again insisted on his own, saying: "You will not wash my feet." When (Christ) used the threat, he immediately calmed down. But what does it mean, "Thou shalt understand afterwards"? When exactly "after"? Then, he says, when in My name you cast out demons, when you see My ascension into heaven, when you learn from the Spirit that I sit at the right hand of the Father, then you will understand what is now being done. What about Christ? When Peter said: "Not only my feet, but also my hands and head," (Christ) says: "He who has been washed needs only to wash his feet, for he is completely clean; and you are pure, but not all. For He knew His betrayer" (John 13:9-11). But if they are clean, why do you wash their feet? In order for us to learn modesty. For this reason He did not address any other part of the body, but that which is least valued. What does "washed" mean? The same as clean. Were they clean? After all, they had not yet been freed from their sins and had not been counted worthy to receive the Holy Mysteries. Since sin still reigned, the oath of handwriting still existed, and the sacrifice had not yet been offered? Why does He call them pure? Lest you think that they are pure in that respect they are already freed from sins, He added: "You are already cleansed through the word which I have preached to you" (John 15:3), i.e., you are still clean only on this side; you have already received the light; you have already been freed from Jewish errors. So the prophet says: "Wash yourselves, be cleansed; put away your evil deeds from my eyes" (Isaiah 1:16). It means that such a person has already been washed and clean. And since the Apostles rejected all deceit from their souls and treated Christ with a clear conscience, He says, in accordance with the words of the prophet, that "he who is washed is already clean." By ablution He does not mean the Jewish washing with water, but the cleansing of the conscience.

3. Therefore, let us also be pure; let us learn to do good. But what is good? "Defend the fatherless, stand up for the widow. Then come, and let us reason, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 1:17,18). Scripture often speaks in this way of widows and orphans; And we don't even think about it. Meanwhile, imagine what a reward! "Though your sins be as scarlet, as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as white as wool" (Isaiah 1:18). Widows are defenseless, and therefore (the Lord) cares much for them. Of course, they could enter into a second marriage, but out of fear of God they endure the sorrows of widowhood. Let us all give them a helping hand, both men and women, so that we ourselves may not one day be subjected to the grievous fate of widowhood, or, if we are subjected to it, we will have every right to expect love for mankind for ourselves. The widow's tears have no small power; they can open the very heavens. Let us not offend them, let us not increase their misfortunes, but let us give them all possible help. If we act in this way, then we will provide ourselves with complete security both in the present life and in the age to come. Not only here, but also there, they will serve as a protection for us; for the good deeds shown to them, they will deliver us from the greater part of our sins and give us the opportunity to boldly stand before the judgment seat of Christ, which may we all be vouchsafed by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

DISCOURSE 71

"He put on His garment, and sat down again, and said to them, Do you know what I have done to you?" and so on (John 13:12)

1. It is dangerous, beloved, it is dangerous to fall into the depths of evil. Then it is difficult for the soul to correct itself. Therefore, one must try in every possible way not to be caught in the beginning, because it is easier not to fall (into evil) than to correct oneself by going into it. Look at Judas: when he has cast himself (into evil), no matter how much help he receives, he does not rise up. He said (Christ), addressing him: "One of you is the devil"; He said, "Not all believe" (John 6:70,64); said, "I do not speak of all of you," and "I know whom I have chosen" (John 13:18), but he feels none of this. "And when he had washed their feet, and put on his garments, he sat down again, and said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you?" Lord and Teacher; "And speak rightly, for I am exactly that" (John 13:12,13). "You call Me," refers to their judgment. Then, lest it should seem that these are words of their affection, he adds: "I am exactly that." Thus, by quoting their own words, He thereby makes them not burdensome; and having confirmed the words quoted by His own (word), he removes all suspicion from them. Do you see how, in conversing with His disciples, He speaks much more openly about Himself? As He said: "Do not call a teacher on earth, for you have one Teacher," He also said: "And do not call anyone on earth your father" (Matthew 23:8,9). And the expressions "one" and "one" are not only about the Father, but also about Him. If He had spoken without understanding Himself here, then how could He have said: "That ye may be sons of light" (John 12:36)? And again: if he called one Father a teacher, then how does he say: "I am exactly that," and again: "You have one Teacher, Christ" (Matthew 23:10)?

"Therefore if I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done unto you" (John 13:14,15). But this is not the same thing, because He is the Teacher and the Lord, and you are fellow servants among yourselves. What does it mean, "the same"? With the same diligence. For this reason He takes examples from the greater, so that we may do at least the less. In the same way, teachers write very beautiful letters for children, so that they, though imperfectly, imitate them. What now – those who demand honors? Christ washed the feet of the traitor, the sacrileger and the robber, and at the very time of betrayal, in spite of his impenitence, made him a partaker of the meal; And you are proud and haughty? So, you say, we must wash one another's feet, and therefore also the slaves? And what is special if it is slaves? Here slave and free are distinguished only in name, and there in the essence of the matter. Christ is Lord by nature, and we are slaves; yet He did not refuse to do so. But now we have to be content if we do not treat the free as we do with slaves and bought slaves. And what shall we say then, we who have examples of such long-suffering, who do not imitate them in the least, but do the exact opposite, exalting ourselves without measure and not giving what is due? For God, having first done this (by washing our feet), has made us indebted to one another, although we are obliged to repay one another less (than He has done), since He is Lord, and we, if we do this, will do for servants like us. He also pointed to this very thing in the words: "If I am the Lord and Teacher," and again: "then also you." It should be said: how much more are you slaves; but He left it to the conscience of His hearers. But why did He do it now? For (the disciples) were soon to be vouchsafed honor, some greater, others less.

2. Therefore, so that they do not exalt themselves over one another, and do not say, as before, "Who is greater?" and do not be indignant with one another, He takes away the arrogance of all of them, saying, "Though you be very great, you must not exalt yourself in the least above your brother." And he did not say that which is more important, namely, "If I have washed the feet of the betrayer, what great is it if you (wash one another's feet)"; but, having shown it in reality, he left it to the audience to judge. That is why He said: "Whosoever shall do and teach shall be called great" (Matt. 5:19), because to teach truly means to do by deed. Such a doctrine will not destroy arrogance? Which will not destroy pride and arrogance? He who sits on the cherubim washed the betrayer's feet; And you, man, are earth and ashes, dust and dust, exalted and are arrogant? And what will you be worthy of hell? If you really want to have high feelings, come, I will show you the way, because you don't even know what it means. Whoever clings to the present as to something great has a low soul. Therefore, humility can only come from greatness of soul, and arrogance only from baseness of soul. As little children are partial to insignificant things, to balls, hoops, and bones, and cannot have the slightest idea of great things, so also here he who is inquisitive will consider the present goods as nothing (and therefore will not want to have them himself, nor will he take them from another), and he who is not inquisitive will think otherwise. he will be addicted to cobwebs, to shadows, to dreams, and to that which is even more insignificant than this. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, A servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than he that sent him. If you know this, blessed are you when you do it. I do not speak of all of you, but that the Scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me" (John 13:16-18). What he said before, he also says now, for their admonition. If the servant is not greater than his master, and the messenger is not greater than he who sent him, and I have done it, how much more must you do it. Then, lest anyone should say, "Why do you say this?" Don't we know that? He added the following: I speak to you, not because you do not know, but that you may actually carry out My words. Everyone can know, but not everyone can do. Wherefore He said, Blessed are ye when ye do. For this reason I also constantly repeat this to you, although you know, in order to dispose you to business. For the Jews also know, but they are not blessed, because they do not do what they know. "Not of all," he said, "I am speaking of you." Oh, long-suffering! He does not yet reveal the traitor, but on the contrary covers up his case, thereby giving him an opportunity for repentance. And he opens, and does not open, thus saying, "He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." It seems to me that the words: "A servant is not greater than his master" were also spoken so that those who happen to suffer evil from slaves or from some insignificant people will not be offended, looking at the example of Judas, who, having received innumerable blessings, repaid evil to the Benefactor. Wherefore he added, "He that eateth bread with me," and leaving all other things aside, he said that which was chiefly able to restrain and shame him, "he," he says, "whom I have nourished, whom I have made a partaker of my table." He said this, teaching us to do good to people who do us harm, even when they are incorrigible. And since He said, "I do not speak of all of you," in order not to bring fear to many, He finally separates Judas, saying, "He who eats bread with Me." The expression: "not about all" does not necessarily indicate one; wherefore he added, "he that eateth bread with me," showing this unfortunate man that he was not attacked by ignorance, but with full knowledge, and this again could most of all restrain him. And he did not say, "He will betray Me," but, "He lifted up his heel against Me," in order to express the deceit, cunning, and secrecy of his plan.

3. All this is written so that we may not be vindictive to the offenders, but admonish and mourn for them. Indeed, it is not those who suffer offense that are worthy of tears, but those who cause it. The covetous, the slanderer, and everyone who does any other evil harms themselves much more; but they bring us the greatest benefit if we do not avenge ourselves. Suppose, for example, so-and-so robbed, and you thanked and glorified God for the offense. Through this thanksgiving thou hast gained for thyself innumerable rewards, just as he has prepared for himself an ineffable fire. But if anyone says, "What then, if I could not take revenge on him who offended me, because I am weaker than he?" – then I will answer this: you could be angry and angry, because it is in our power, wish evil to him who has grieved, curse him a thousand times, and dishonor him everywhere. Therefore he who did not do this will receive a reward for not taking revenge, since it is evident that he would not have avenged even if he had been able to do so. After all, the offended, if he is faint-hearted, uses any weapon – he takes revenge on the offender with curses, curses, and slander. Therefore, not only do you not do this, but also pray for him; and if you not only do not do this, but also begin to pray for him, then you will be like God. "Pray," it is said, "for them that despitefully use you, that ye may be like "your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:44,45). Do you see what great benefit we receive from the offenses inflicted on us by others? Is there nothing that God delights in so much as when we do not return evil for evil? But what do I say, when do we not return evil for evil? After all, we are commanded to repay the opposite, with good deeds and prayers. For this reason Christ also rewarded those who wished to betray Him with good deeds, namely: He washed His feet, rebuked Him secretly, rebuked Him with meekness, served, vouchsafed him a meal and a kiss, and although (Judas) did not become better because of this, yet He did not cease to do His own. But, if you wish, I will teach you by the example of slaves, and especially by the slaves of the Old Testament, so that you may see that we cannot have any excuse when we are vindictive. So, do you want me to tell you about Moses? Or should we not raise the word still further? After all, the older the examples are presented, the more convincing they will be. Why is that? Because virtue was more difficult then. Those who lived at that time had neither written instructions nor examples of life; Nature alone struggled without any outside help and was forced to swim everywhere without any support. For this reason (the Scriptures), praising Noah, not only called him perfect, but added: "in his generation" (Gen. 6:9), that is, at a time when there were many obstacles. Of course, others were glorified after him, but he will be in no way less than them, because he was perfect in his time.