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.

     And the day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover lamb was to be buried, and Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover." And they said unto him, Where dost thou command us to cook? He said to them, "Behold, when you are entering the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house into which he enters, and say to the master of the house, 'The Master says to you, 'Where is the room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room, which is furnished; Cook there.

     That the Passover, in Hebrew called facek, means the exodus from Egypt, was said by many, and in general everything that was done then on this feast was explained by the saints. And we need to say what day is called the day of unleavened bread. "The day of unleavened bread" is the name given to the Thursday, on the evening of which the Passover was to be buried. Thus, on Thursdays, perhaps in the morning, the Lord sends the disciples Peter and John, one as loving, the other as beloved, He sends them to a "stranger's" house; for neither Himself nor the disciples had anything of their own, otherwise He would have celebrated the Passover with one of the disciples. Look, what poverty! He sends them to an unknown person to show that He accepts suffering voluntarily. For if He did not wish to suffer, then, inclining the mind of this unknown man to receive them (Himself and His disciples), He could have done in the Jews what pleased Him. Some say that the Lord did not say the name of this man and did not declare him, but leads the disciples to his house according to some sign, so that the betrayer, having learned the name, would not show the Pharisees this house, and they would not come to take Him before He established the supper, before He taught His spiritual mysteries. That is why Christ, after a while, says: "I very much desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffered." That is, I have made every effort for us to hide ourselves from the betrayer, so that we may not be subjected to suffering before the time before I administer the sacraments. Anyone who wants can accept such an explanation. - Why does the Lord celebrate Pascha? In order to prove by all His actions to the last breath that He is not an opponent of the Law. Let us also eat this Passover wisely, let us understand by the day of unleavened bread the whole life spent in the spiritual light, which does not have in the least the decrepitude of the former disobedience in Adam. Leading a truly such life, we must feast upon the mysteries of Jesus. These mysteries will be prepared by Peter and John, activity and contemplation, ardent zeal and peaceful meekness. For the believer must be ardent to do good, zealous against evil, and meek to those who do evil. For evil should be hated, and not he who does evil. This one needs to be treated, for he suffers. To do evil means to be troubled by the evil one and to suffer malice. If we have Peter and John preparing the supper, that is, the good life that Peter portrays, and the true teaching that John the Theologian portrays, then we will meet with such preparers, that is, we will then find a truly human being, created in the image of the Creator, or rather, the Creator, carrying a pitcher of water. Water signifies the grace of the Spirit, as the Evangelist John teaches (7:38-39), and the pitcher signifies the destructibility and softness of the heart. For he who receives spiritual grace is humble and contrite in heart, but the Lord giveth grace to the humble (James 4:6). Conscious of himself as earth and ashes, and saying to Job, "Thou hast made me like clay." (Job 10:9), he will bear the grace of the Spirit in the breakable and indestructible vessel of his heart. Following such a mood, we will enter the house of the mind, whose master, the mind, will show us a large room that has been cleaned. The "upper room" is the high room of the mind, that is, the divine and spiritual objects among which it lives and treats with love. They are removed, for they have nothing harsh, but even that which is crooked for such a mind is made the right way, as Solomon said: "They are all clear to him who understands, and just to them that have acquired knowledge" (Proverbs 8:9). You will not sin if you say that the mind, although it performs a lofty deed, acts according to the power of the mind, nevertheless, its knowledge is still extended and very close to the earth. But knowledge is truly high, and ignorance, which surpasses the intellect, is higher than all height, when the intellect no longer acts, but perceives action. First we must act with our minds, then the grace of the Lord will work in us, rapturing us, as well as the prophets, and rejecting all natural power. Truly it is said that in such and such a prophet there was a rapture from the Lord. Just as here, when this upper room is cleaned, Jesus comes with His disciples and performs the sacraments, coming to us Himself and manifesting His own power in us, and not waiting for us to come to Him. The "disciples" of God the Word are all reflections on created things. When the Word works in us in this way, then we will understand the communion of Pascha and will be even more satiated with contemplation of created things, according to what is said: "I look to heaven, the work of Thy fingers" (Psalm 8:4).

     They went, and found it, as He had told them, and prepared the Passover. And when the hour came, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him, and said to them, "I longed very much to eat this passover with you before my suffering, for I say to you that I will eat it no more until it is finished in the kingdom of God." And taking the cup, and giving thanks, he said, Take it, and divide it among yourselves, for I say unto you, that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And having taken bread, and having given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given up for you. do this in remembrance of me. Likewise, the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.