As the first coming of the Lord was for the recreation and regeneration of our souls, so the second will be for the regeneration of our bodies. That is why the Lord also says: when this begins to come to pass, you, weighed down with corruption, will rise up and enjoy freedom. For your redemption will come, that is, the complete liberation of both, that is, soul and body. The pretext, it seems, precisely indicates the complete deliverance from corruption, which the body will then receive, by the grace of the Lord, Who abolishes the last enemy – death (1 Cor. 15:53). 57. 26). For He abolished principalities and powers, and redeemed the soul. There was still death, which fed on our bodies; its abolition will be the cause of our freedom and redemption. With the fulfillment of this, the Kingdom of God will immediately come. Just as a fig tree, when its leaves bloom on it, indicates the approach of summer, so the appearance of these signs and the transformation of the universe serve as a sign that "summer" is coming, that is, the Kingdom of God, which for the righteous comes precisely as summer after winter and storm. Meanwhile, winter and a storm will come for sinners. For they consider the present age to be summer, and the future to be a storm for them. "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away until all these things come to pass." He does not call those who lived then, but all generations of believers. For the Scriptures sometimes call by generation those who are similar in morals, for example: "Such is the generation of those who seek Him" (Psalm 23:6). Since He said that there will be confusion and wars, and changes both in the elements and in the objects themselves, so that anyone should not come to the thought that Christianity will not ever collapse, He says: No! This generation, that is, the generation of Christians, will never pass away. Heaven and earth will be changed, but My words and My Gospel will not be destroyed, but will remain forever, even though everything be shaken, and faith in Me will not fail. From this it is also evident that He prefers the Church to all creation: for the creation will change, but from the Church of the faithful, as well as from His words and the Gospel, nothing will perish.

     Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness and the cares of life, and lest that day come upon you suddenly, for it shall come upon all who dwell like a snare upon all who dwell on all the face of the earth; Therefore watch at all times and pray, that you may be vouchsafed to escape all these future calamities and to stand before the Son of Man.

 You," he says, "have heard of horrors and confusions. All of them sensually and foreshadow the calamities that will befall sinners. But against these troubles there is a powerful and counteracting remedy - prayer and attentiveness to oneself. For the constant readiness and expectation of death can overcome all this. And it will be with you on this condition, - he says, - if you are awake and your hearts are not burdened with gluttony and drunkenness, and the cares of life. For that day will not come with observation, but unexpectedly, secretly, like a snare that catches up those who are inattentive to itself. Others, perhaps, will begin to examine the expression "living (sitting) on all the face of the earth." That day will envelop those who lead a carefree and idle life. For they are the very ones who are sitting, and they are caught in the net. But whoever is active and industrious, cheerful to do good and always strives for good, does not sit and is not comforted by earthly things, but excites himself and says to himself: "Get up and go, for this country is not a place of rest" (Micah 2:10), and desires a better fatherland, for him this day is not a snare and trouble, but a kind of feast. Therefore, we must watch and pray to God, so that we may be able to avoid all future calamities. Perhaps, first, famine and pestilence, and others, which will not burden the elect as much as the rest, but on the contrary, for the sake of the elect will be reduced for the rest; perhaps, secondly, those that will come forever for sinners, for we cannot avoid them except by vigil and prayer. Since it is not enough for the magnanimous to avoid anger, but they still need to receive some benefit, then, having said that you may be able to avoid all future calamities, the Lord added: "and stand before the Son of Man," which is the enjoyment of good things. For a Christian must not only avoid evil, but also strive to gain glory. And to stand before the Son of Man and our God is an angelic dignity. For it is said: "Their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father" (Matt. 18:10).

     He taught in the temple during the day, and when He went out at night, He spent on the Mount of Olives. And all the people came to Him in the temple in the morning to hear Him.

The Evangelists, especially the first three, did not convey very much of what the Lord taught. True, John himself kept silent about very many things, but in addition to what was handed down by the three, he set forth some of the highest lessons of the Lord. The Lord, as one might guess, taught many and lofty truths to those gathered in the temple. That the Evangelists said little, because they did not wish to declare everything, is evident from many other things, so much can be inferred from this, and from the fact that they, while the Lord had been teaching for almost three years, wrote down so few of His lessons, that, in my opinion, it is not to be blamed who said that they could have been transmitted in less than a whole day. Thus, the holy Evangelists wrote a little out of many things in order to convey the taste of sweetness. The Lord did not speak to everyone in the same way, but He offered everyone what was useful. Therefore, the people come to Him in the morning. For grace flowed out of His mouth. And at night the Lord withdrew to the mountain, showing us that during the silence of the night it is necessary to converse with God, and during the day, during clashes with people, to benefit them, and to gather at night, and to distribute what we have gathered during the day. He Himself did not need prayer or fellowship with God. For being God Himself, He had nothing for Him to humble Himself in, but He set it as a model for us, so that during the night, like wells, we would take into ourselves the drain from the spiritual veins - prayers, and during the day those who need useful things would be drawn out of us. Looking at how the people then came to Jesus in the morning to hear Him, some would say that the words of David come to Him: "God! Thou art my God, I have sought Thee from the early dawn; My soul thirsts for Thee" (Psalm 62:2).

Chapter Twenty-Two

The feast of unleavened bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and scribes sought how to destroy Him, because they feared the people. And Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, one of the twelve, and he went and spoke with the chief priests and the rulers how to deliver him up to them. and he promised, and sought a convenient time, to deliver him up to them not in the presence of the people. 

The scribes sought to kill Him (Jesus). And since the time of the Passover was approaching, and they therefore saw danger to themselves from the gathering people, especially on the feast, they finally sought a way to kill Him without being exposed to any danger - Satan entered into Judas, "one of the twelve," that is, one of the close and sincere disciples. No one should rely on himself, but be attentive to his life, because you have a terrible enemy. Some words, "one of the number of the twelve," were understood in this way: supplementing only the number of the apostles, but not a true apostle and disciple. For what kind of true disciple is he who stole what was put into the box? (John 12:6). In this way, Judas accepted Satan who had entered into him and agreed to betray Jesus to those who sought Him. For this is the meaning of the word "promised," that is, he finally concluded the condition and the contract. And he sought a convenient time when he would find Him (Jesus) without the people, that is, alone, and hand Him over to them. For the Romans had appointed certain overseers for the people, that they might not be indignant, for they were rebellious. These are the chiefs he calls (in Church Slavonic - voivodes). Or perhaps those who, belonging to the priesthood, had military positions, were called voivodes. For, suffering from a love of primacy, they interfered in such offices as well. That is why he called them the governors of the temple, perhaps in order to hurt them more sensitively.