Today we continue our conversations on Radio Radonezh on the Gospel of Matthew; and today we will read the 3rd chapter from the 1st to the 17th verse. The topic of today's conversation is called: “John the Baptist and the Baptism of the Lord.”
And we read the 1st verse of the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew:
. “In those days John the Baptist comes and preaches in the wilderness of Judea.”.
The great prophet John the Baptist was Christ's second cousin in the flesh, since his (John's) mother, righteous Elizabeth, and the Blessed Virgin Mary were cousins.
The childhood of John the Baptist took place in more than difficult conditions.
The Life of Saint John the Baptist says that after the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the worship of the shepherds and wise men who predicted the birth of a new King of the Israeli people, the wicked ruler Herod ordered the death of all babies in order to continue his own reign and not have rivals. Hearing about this, righteous Elizabeth went with her son into the desert, where she hid in a cave. The holy righteous Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, as a priest was in Jerusalem and performed his priestly ministry in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to him with orders to find out the whereabouts of the holy baby John and his mother. Zechariah replied that he did not know this. For refusing to assist, he was killed right in the Temple, between the throne and the altar. Righteous Elizabeth and her son continued to live in the desert and died there. The youth John, guarded by Angels, was in the desert until he went out to preach about repentance.
Also in in my youth John chose an unusual way of life: he retired to the uninhabited Judean desert and, settling in one of the wild caves, remained here in prayer and fasting until the thirtieth year of his life. Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “He lived in the desert, as if ascending in heaven above all the needs of nature, he walked an extraordinary path, spending all his time in chants and prayers, and, withdrawing from the company of people, he constantly talked with the One God.”.
According to church hymns, John the Baptist was "bright morning star" , which foreshadowed the coming into the world of the Sun of Truth - Christ the Savior.
. “For he is the one about whom the prophet Isaiah said: the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”.
The Apostle Matthew cites this prophecy from the prophet Isaiah in order to confirm the mission of St. John the Baptist with a text from the Old Testament, because the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jews, therefore, whenever possible, he confirmed what was said from the Law, the Prophets and Scripture.
This is what Christ himself did in communicating with the Jews (see), and his apostles (see). Blessed Theophylact understands the preaching of the Gospel as “the path of the Lord,” and the Law of God as “paths” that need to be straightened. That is, the Good News (Gospel) does not abolish the Law, but, on the contrary, strengthens its influence on people and makes its implementation more effective, which is what the call means: “Make His paths straight”. path it is called the path of the Law because it is ancient and many have already walked along it.
. “John himself had clothes made of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”.
On the other side, appearance Saint John the Baptist strikingly resembles the appearance of another Jewish prophet who lived in antiquity, namely the prophet Elijah. It is written in the Book of Kings: “They said to him, “The man is covered with hair and has a leather belt around his waist. And he said: this is Elijah the Tishbite" ().
The fact is that Saint John the Baptist came to this world “in the spirit” of the prophet Elijah. And Christ Himself spoke about him: “And if you want to accept, he is Elijah, who must come” (). That is, the prophet Elijah, who was taken alive to Heaven, will still appear in this world at his death; but John the Baptist was a prophet, like him in spirit and power, just as the prophet Elisha was like Elijah. It is said: “...the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him” (). In the case of Saint John the Baptist, “the spirit of Elijah rested upon him.”
. “Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around Jordan came out to him.”.
What is striking in this verse is that John the Baptist begins his public ministry not in cities and towns, but in the Judean desert, where people, in order to hear him, had to come out to him from their homes.
Thus, they seem to return to the times of the Exodus and Moses, and the voice of the Lord again begins to sound to them in desert places, where no one and nothing can distract them from divine wisdom and spiritual contemplation. And they begin to guess that the whole people is facing a new Exodus, and a new Legislator is needed.
On the other hand, he preaches in the desert to show the Jews the spiritual vacuum in which they found themselves as a result of purely submission to the mechanical (external) but not the heartfelt desire to fulfill God's Law.
. “and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins”.
The ritual that John the Baptist performed on the banks of the Jordan was called by the Jews mikveh, literally this word can be translated as “accumulation (of water)” (cf. “collection of waters” ()).
This word also refers to a water reservoir for ablution, in Hebrew - twila, for the purpose of cleansing from ritual impurity.
The Bible requires “to wash the body with water” (; etc.) in cases of violation of ritual purity, either as a result of touching a dead body () or any other unclean object (), or as a result of unclean bodily secretions (chapter), in in particular, menstrual. Washing in the mikvah is prescribed after childbirth, as well as when converting to Judaism or returning from pagan countries.
The paradox was that John the Baptist performed the ritual of mikveh (baptism) over everyone who came to him from Jerusalem and Judea. Thus, he declared them all unclean and defiled, and, as it were, called for a complete renewal of faith (proselytism). By the way, the mikveh was considered perfect only when completely immersed in water.
And many " were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins”, that is, recognizing one’s defilement and religious inadequacy.
. “When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!” who inspired you to flee from future wrath? » .
Blessed Theophylact gives the following explanation: “Pharisee in translation means “separate”, since both in their life and in their knowledge they differed from others... The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, nor in Angels, nor in the spirit. “Sadducees” translated means “righteous”, for “sedek” means righteousness. They called themselves righteous…»
Next we will have to talk in more detail about both the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Let us now limit ourselves to this interpretation. The only thing I would like to add here: according to the prominent Israeli historian Louis Finkelstein, the Pharisees were, to use the ancient language, plebeians, and the Sadducees were patricians.
So, John the Baptist denounces them, who hastened to be baptized by him. He further suggests to them:
. “Create fruit worthy of repentance and do not think of saying within yourself: ″ our father is Abraham ″ For I tell you that from these stones he is able to raise up children for Abraham.”.
In words: “God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.” The Baptist pointed, according to the interpretation of Blessed Jerome and Theophylact, to the pagans, who rather, due to their duty of service, should have been there. Most likely, these were Roman centurions, who were always on duty in front of large crowds of people.
The Jews' pride in their descent from Abraham prevented them from seeing how different they were from their forefather. Blessed Theophylact writes: “The fact that they relied on their noble origin served to their destruction.” . In fact, the fact that these people were descended from the patriarch Abraham only increased their guilt. It is said: “Behold, you are called a Jew, and you reassure yourself with the law, and you boast in God, and you know His will, and you understand the best, learning from the law, and you are confident in yourself that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in darkness, a teacher of the ignorant, teacher of infants, who has in the law an example of knowledge and truth: how is it that when you teach another, you do not teach yourself? While preaching not to steal, are you stealing? saying: ″ do not commit adultery ″ , are you committing adultery? By abhorring idols, are you blasphemous? Do you boast about the law, but by breaking the law you dishonor God? For for your sake, as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the pagans” ().
. “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”.
Blessed Theophylact unexpectedly interprets these words in their application to the life of Christian communities. Theophylact writes: “The Forerunner calls the judgment of Christ an axe, and trees – each of us. So, for this unbelief, the non-believer is cut off by the roots and thrown into Gehenna. Every tree, even if it came from Abraham, does not bear good fruit. He did not say: “not bringing”, but “not bringing”; for it must always bear the fruits of virtue. If you showed mercy yesterday and today you kidnap, then you are displeasing to God. Such a tree is cut down and thrown into the fire, that is, the fire of Gehenna.".
One should not be surprised that the Holy Fathers perceive many accusatory words from the Bible relating to Jews as referring to Christians. It is said: “All this happened to them (that is, the ancient Jews - O.S.) as images; but it is described for our instruction (that is, Christians - O.S.) reaching the last centuries" ().
Currently, a liberal wing of clergy representatives has appeared in our Church, who preach progressive ideas about the future of Christianity. These liberals in robes believed in some kind of “overcoming” and, talking a lot about him, completely forgot about the conquering Christ. The Son of God teaches us: “I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (). That is, we are nothing without Christ, and we can only be something in Him.
Progressive priests preach a “theology of prosperity and enrichment”; having read Protestant and neo-Protestant books, they believed in their special role and the special role of Christian youth in the “work…”, as they say, “… the salvation of the Church.” Madmen! They do not know that they are not saving, but are being saved in it, just as they do not know that young people are the most immature part of our Orthodox communities in the spiritual and moral sense.
Preaching a “progressive”, questioning “theology”, they are very similar to the Sadducees.
The highest hierarchy of the Jerusalem Temple were all Sadducees; these bishops despised the common people and the lower clergy. In their dreams and self-conceit they have become so detached from real life that their meeting with Christ took place only after His imprisonment. But even then they did not understand and did not see the truth.
The other extreme is the conservative priests, these fathers of ours can talk about the Antichrist for hours and never remember Christ. The coming of their son occupies and excites them more than the coming of the Son of God. Having fallen into a “suitcase” mood, they recommend everyone to live as if tomorrow, or even today, the whole world will fall into fiery hell. They forbid marriage and having children, as they think, on the eve of the end of the world.
This behavior is reminiscent of the other extreme in first-century Judaism, namely Pharisaism.
. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I; I am not worthy to carry His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.".
Words of the Forerunner: “And he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire” Blessed Theophylact interpreted as follows: “We will not extinguish this fire. Therefore, Origen was mistaken when he said that there would be an end to punishment ". In our sad times, the teachings of the heretic Origen are openly preached in some parishes and even in religious educational institutions.
The Apostle Matthew writes:
. “Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John restrained Him and said: I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
Blessed Theophylact explains the behavior of John the Baptist, who tried to keep the Lord Jesus Christ from the ritual of mikveh (baptism): “John hindered Him so that those who saw would not think that He, as one of many, was baptized into repentance.”.
. “But Jesus answered and said to him, Leave it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”. Blessed Jerome of Stridon interpreted these same words as follows: “There were three reasons for the Savior (Jesus) to receive baptism from John. First, so that, since He was born a man, He might fulfill all righteousness and humility before the Law. Secondly, in order to confirm by His baptism the meaning of John's baptism. Thirdly, so that, by sanctifying the waters of the Jordan, to show through the descent of the dove the coming of the Holy Spirit during the baptism of believers".
The Gospel of Luke says: “When Jesus began His ministry, he was about thirty years old...” (). Blessed Theophylact explains: “The Lord is baptized when he is thirty years old, since this age absorbs all sins. In the first, childhood, age there is a lot of foolishness, in the second, youthful age there is a strong flame of lust and anger, and at the time of courage - covetousness. So, the Lord waited for this age in order to fulfill the law through all ages and sanctify us.”. That is, Christ, with His Childhood, sanctified the childhood of each of us; With His Youth - He sanctified youth; With his masculine age - mature years in the life of every person.
. “Then John admits Him. And having been baptized, Jesus immediately came out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and descending on Him. And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”.
This event, the Baptism of the Lord, is also called the Day of Epiphany, because the man John the Baptist was the first of all people to contemplate so clearly the mystery of the Triune God. A mystery that man could not deduce by any logical means, a mystery to which the famous words of the Church teacher Tertullian apply: “I believe it because it’s absurd” . That is, more than incomprehensible...
The Forerunner sees the Son of God standing in the streams of the Jordan - especially; sees "The Spirit of God, who descended like a dove", – especially; hears the voice of God the Father, "who speaks from heaven", - especially. John is honored to be the first of people to be so clearly illuminated by the triradiant Light of the Triune Divinity.
We see the same thing in the following text: “...Let us go down and confuse their language there, so that one does not understand the speech of the other. And the Lord scattered them" (). Here the verb "let's go down" plural, and the word “Lord” ( Yahweh) V singular. Again we hear about a certain unity in diversity.
So, at the creation of the world, both the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are present - THEY are the One Creator. The following verse speaks of such unity in plurality, of the multitude of Persons of the Holy Trinity: “Come to Me, listen to this: I did not speak in secret at first; from the time this happens, I have been there; and now the Lord and His Spirit have sent Me” ().
But at the same time we know that the first world fell. At the beginning of the restoration of the Kingdom of God by Jesus Christ “and on earth as it is in heaven” (), we see, as at the beginning of the first world, the Spirit of God above the waters, we hear the word of the Creator and we see the Son, which we read about above. The Teacher of the Church Tertullian, in his speech “On Baptism,” drew attention to this: that the first world is created by waters and the soaring of the Holy Spirit, and the second world of the New Testament is created by waters and the action of the Holy Spirit, the God-manhood of Jesus Christ and the will of God the Father.
And the creation of man is preceded by the Council of all Persons of the Holy Trinity: “And God said: Let us make man in Our image [and] in Our likeness” (). St. Augustine in his book “Discourses on Genesis” emphasizes that the words “according to the image” (singular) show that there is one essence (nature) of God, however, when God says “Ours”, He shows that One and the same God is not just one, but there is more than One (His) Hypostasis [Personality].
Even the main commandment about the Unity of the Creator: “Hear, O Israel: Our Lord, there is one Lord” (), ends with the words not “There is one Lord”, but “The Lord is one” - Adonai Echad. “Ehad” means “one”. Although sometimes this word is understood as one, but rather “one” (one) as the beginning of a series of certain sets. Sets - connected by something to each other or in the name of something. Maimonides understood the danger of this word for Judaism and removed it from the 13 articles of faith of the Jews.
If you are said to be one, I think you will ask: “With whom am I one”? Unity actually implies unity between someone and someone or something and something.
Divine Love itself, about which it is said: “God is love” (), is not only self-love. Then God would be the source of egoism. Against! God is Love - God the Father loves God the Son, God the Son loves God the Father, and the Father and the Son are in the Love of the Holy Spirit. All Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are in Love. Isn’t it to this Love that we are called with the words: “that they may be one, as We are one” (). St. Augustine wrote: “If the love with which the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father, inexpressibly reveals the commonality of both, then is it not most appropriate to call the Holy Spirit, common to both, itself”. Through the Holy Spirit, we too are partakers of this Divine Love, according to the words of the Apostle Paul: “because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” ().
The Essence of God is One, and there are precisely several Persons... although there is no counting of them, as the Holy Fathers teach. Pay attention to the following biblical verse: “... so that their hearts may be comforted, united in love for all the riches of perfect understanding, to know the secrets of God and the Father and Christ” (). This clearly speaks of two natures in Christ - Divine and Human. The fact that the Divine and Human nature of Christ (subject to non-fusion) really exists is confirmed and shown by the two following texts: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, show us the Father?” (); and another text: “...for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Divinity bodily” ().
About the lack of counting in the Persons of the Holy Trinity (111), Saint Hilary writes: “If we allow fellowship—that is, plurality—we eliminate the idea of singularity and loneliness.” . Saint Ambrose adds: “When we say that there is one, then unity excludes the plurality of gods and does not presuppose quantity in God.”. That is, the scheme: 111 is unacceptable; the scheme: 1st, 2nd, 3rd is even more unacceptable. Only acceptable: 1=3 or 3=1.
Therefore, when the Son of God suffered, grew, hungered and thirsted, His true Human nature was manifested here.
And when we read: “Therefore I said unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if you do not believe that it is I, you will die in your sins” ( – compare with ; ), - in Greek “It is I” sounds like “I am.” We are talking about the One in whose hands both life and death. He Himself spoke about Himself: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord” ().
There is a similar testimony about Christ in the Old Testament. “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise up a righteous Branch for David, and a King will reign, and will act wisely, and will execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety; and this is His name by which they will call Him: “The Lord is our justification!” (). Here the name of Christ is suggested by a four-letter name Yahweh. You can check this against any edition of the Hebrew Bible.
But still a mystery Holy Trinity, for all the persuasiveness of Orthodox arguments, remains the mystery of the Faith and is revealed in the radiant Light to pure and searching hearts. And although modern liberal "theologians" preach Christocentrism, Orthodox theology remains Trinitarian.
Each prayer rule and each Sacrament of the Church begins with a prayer appeal to all the Persons of the Holy Trinity: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." This is the Fatherly Faith and the Orthodox Faith!
(Mark 2:14-17)
(John 5:24-30)
(Heb. 10:32-38)
(1 Thess. 4, 13-17)
Almost three weeks of Lent have passed. We have labored, received the forgiveness of sins in the sacrament of repentance, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. And just as soon as we felt a certain surge of spiritual health, the Lord suddenly says: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Then these words were addressed to the Pharisees, who condemned the Lord for having fellowship "with tax collectors and sinners." After these words, those who considered themselves righteous should have felt that this teacher, respected by all, had nothing to do with them.
But sinners must take heart. Since the Lord came to them, He will certainly help them. It is difficult to leave sin, especially if you earn a living by sin and know nothing else. Sometimes there is nothing left to do but cry. And not a single tear can be hidden from the Lord. Here the publican came in between his affairs to pray in the temple, wept, and the Lord already cites him as an example, opposes the outward righteous. And although this publican cannot yet leave his trade, the Lord will no longer forget his tears. Perhaps the future Apostle Matthew was the publican whose tears the Lord saw and spoke about them in a parable (Luke 18). But still Matthew continued to sit “at the collection of duties.” Then the Lord Himself approached him and said: “Follow Me. And he stood up and followed Him.”
And who do we consider ourselves to be: righteous or sinners? Of course, let's say: “sinners,” and even “the most sinful of all people.” But why did we suddenly stop, start looking back and around, with secret satisfaction that, well, I can do it too! Not like others, “other people.” Just when you feel healthy and self-confident, suddenly it’s as if the Lord has turned away, as if he has become a stranger: “You are healthy, which means you don’t need me. You are not a sinner, which means I did not come to you.” And it’s as if His hand is taken away, and everything begins to fall apart.
The words of the Lord that He came “to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance” should always sound like joyful news for every Christian, as if the Lord were telling you, as the only one: “I came and suffered only for your sake. And only for your sake will I come to earth once again, in glory.” Well, who could, on behalf of all sinners, express such a bold hope that when “the Lord Himself” “descends from heaven,” we “will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord”? Of course, only the one who all his life remembered and said “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:15).
"We are in desperate circumstances, but we do not despair."
(2 Cor. 4:8)
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian:
Let no one say: “I have sinned a lot, there is no forgiveness for me.” Whoever says this forgets about the One who came to earth for the sake of the suffering and said: “...there is joy among the angels of God even over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10), and also: “I came to call not the righteous, and sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32).
Saint John Chrysostom:
The devil plunges us into thoughts of despair in order to destroy hope in God, this safe anchor, this support of our life, this guide on the path to Heaven, this salvation of perishing souls.
The evil one does everything to instill in us thoughts of despair. He will no longer need efforts and labors for our defeat, when the fallen and lying themselves will not want to resist him. He who could escape these bonds preserves his strength, and until his last sigh does not cease to fight with him, and even though he has experienced many falls, he rises again and crushes the enemy. Whoever is bound by thoughts of despair and thereby weakens himself is unable to defeat the enemy.
If the wrath of God were a passion, then another would rightly begin to despair, as not being able to extinguish the flame that he kindled with many atrocities.
If God created us only out of love, so that we could enjoy eternal blessings, and arranges and directs everything towards this from the first day to the present, then what prompts us to indulge in doubt and despair?
Despair is disastrous not only because it closes the gates of the Heavenly City for us and leads to great carelessness and negligence... but also because it plunges us into satanic madness...
The soul, once despairing of its salvation, then no longer feels how it rushes into the abyss.
Let us not despair of our salvation. Even if we have fallen into the very abyss of vice, we can rise again, become better and leave vice altogether.
Sin destroys not so much as despair.
Despair does not come from a multitude of sins, but from an unholy disposition of the soul.
If you fall into despair, then the devil, as having reached his goal, remains near you, and God, as if offended by blasphemy, leaves you and thereby increases your misfortune.
None of the people, even those who have reached the extreme degree of evil, should despair, even if they have acquired the skill and entered into the nature of evil itself.
A soul that despairs of salvation will never give up on madness, but, having given the reins of salvation to reckless passions, it rushes everywhere, instilling horror in those it meets, so that everyone avoids it and no one dares to stop it; she runs through all the places of wickedness until, finally, drawn into the very abyss of destruction, she overthrows her salvation.
Venerable Neil of Sinai:
To sin is a human matter, but to despair is satanic and destructive; and the devil himself was cast into destruction by despair, because he did not want to repent.
Venerable John Climacus:
There is nothing equal to the mercy of God, there is nothing greater than it. Therefore, the desperate person destroys himself.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov:
During the free suffering of the Lord, two fell away from the Lord - Judas and Peter: one sold, and the other denied three times. Both had equal sin, both sinned grievously, but Peter was saved and Judas perished. Why weren’t both saved and why weren’t both killed? Someone will say that Peter was saved by repenting. But the Holy Gospel says that Judas also repented: “... having repented, he returned the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests and elders, saying: I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27: 3-4); however, his repentance was not accepted, but Petrovo was accepted; Peter escaped, but Judas died. Why is this so? But because Peter repented with hope and hope for the mercy of God, but Judas repented with despair. This abyss is terrible! Without a doubt, it needs to be filled with hope for God’s mercy.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:
Vague thoughts that lead to despair come from the devil, who wants to plunge us into complete despair and destroy us, since despair is a subtle sin. He who despairs of his salvation thinks that God is unmerciful and untrue, and this is a terrible blasphemy against God. Satan wants to lead us to this grave sin through thoughts of confusion and despair. And we must resist this fierce temptation of his, and strengthen ourselves in the hope of God’s mercy, and expect our salvation from Him.
Judas the traitor, falling into despair, “hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). He knew the power of sin, but did not know the greatness of God's mercy. This is what many do today and follow Judas. They recognize the multitude of their sins, but do not recognize the multitude of God’s mercies, and so they despair of their salvation. Christian! the heavy and final blow of the devil is despair. He represents God as merciful before sin, and as just after sin. Such is his cunning.
Despair is a grave sin, and a sin against God's mercy. God, who loves mankind, “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Why despair? God calls everyone to repentance and promises and wants to show mercy to those who repent (Matthew 4:17). And when a sinner turns from his sins, and repents of his sins, and regrets them, and is protected from other sins, God wants this, and this pleases Him, and God mercifully looks upon such a sinner, and forgives him all his sins, and does not already remembers.
When such a thought comes to us: how can we compare with the apostles, prophets, martyrs and other great saints who shone with so many virtues? Let us answer this thought this way: we wish to be with the thief, who, at the very end of his life, uttered one exclamation of repentance: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!”, and heard from Christ crucified on the Cross: “Truly I say to you, now “You will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). And when we are with the thief in paradise, we will be with Christ Himself, since this thief is in paradise with Christ, and therefore with all the saints. For where Christ is, there are all the saints.
So, look also by faith on the crucified Christ and you will be healed from sinful sores and you will come to life. Healing and eternal salvation are given to all who look to Him by faith; Will the impartial and merciful God deny this to you alone? "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), and in this world you and I are. What sin of yours can be so great, heavy and terrible, which would not be removed from you, who came to Him with faith, this Lamb of God? What is your wound that is so great that He will not heal it? What is your grief so strong that He, who asks with humility and faith, does not leave you, Who prayed for those who crucify and reproach Him: “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34)? Read the Gospel. Whom did He drive away from Himself, whom did He who came to call everyone to Himself reject? "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Harlots, robbers, tax collectors and other sinners came to Him and received mercy, for He "came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13).
Saint Theophan the Recluse:
Despair is a denouncer of unbelief and selfishness in the heart: he who believes in himself and trusts in himself will not rise from sin by repentance...
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov):
The worst sin is despair. This sin denigrates the All-Holy Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, denies His omnipotence, denies the salvation He has bestowed - shows that arrogance and pride previously dominated in this soul, that faith and humility were alien to it.
Otechnik:
Abba Stratigius said: it is demonic and deceitful to inspire us with despair after they draw us into sin, in order to destroy us completely with despair. If the demons say about the soul: "When will he die and his name perish?" (Ps. 40, 6), then the soul, if it is in attention and sobriety, answers them with the following words: "I will not die, but I will live and proclaim the works of the Lord" (Ps. 117, 17). Demons, being insolent and shameless, will again say: “Fly away to your mountain like a bird” (Ps. 10, 1), but we must say to them: “My refuge and my protection, my God, in whom I trust” (Ps. 90, 2).
Luke 5:27-39
Key Verse 5:32
Jesus came to earth and began a new story. With Jesus Christ many began new life. Jesus closed the time of the law and opened the gospel of the Kingdom of God. What Jesus did is all new. At the beginning of chapter 5, Jesus said to Simon: "don't be afraid; from now on you will catch people" (Luke 5:10), and called His first disciples from among the fishermen. This is absolutely new story. Jesus then shocked everyone by touching the leper and saying: “I want, cleanse yourself” (Luke 5:13). After this, an inspectorate from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem gathered to Him and carefully watched Him. But instead of being cautious, Jesus shocked them again by saying to the paralytic: “Your sins are forgiven you” (Luke 5:20). In today's message, Jesus again shocked everyone by calling a publican as His disciple. Jesus' ministry was shocking to those around him because He did things differently from what everyone was used to. Jesus is new wine. I pray that we will all become new wineskins capable of storing new wine.
I. Jesus Called Levi (27-32)
Look at verse 27. “After this [Jesus] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” After ministering for a long time to those who had gathered at His house, Jesus went out for a walk. When we want to relax, we don't pay attention to anyone. But Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi. What kind of person was this?
Levi is the name of one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel, who became the ancestor of the priestly tribe of Levites. It was a very popular name given to many children and even today it is famous because it is the name of the most famous brand of jeans. When parents gave a child the name Levi, they hoped that he would grow up to be a great ancestor of faith, cling to God and serve God faithfully.
However, we see that this Levi was sitting in a completely different place. He did not stick to God, but stuck to money. He became a publican, a tax collector. Those who dealt with duties could make a very good profit. At that time there were no newspapers, no radio, no television, so ordinary people did not know how much to pay. And so the tax collectors collected much more taxes than was required of them. The publicans were not at all interested in the misfortune of their fellow tribesmen, who were already suffering from the Roman occupation, they were only interested in personal prosperity. For this, publicans were put on a par with robbers and murderers. They were even forbidden to enter the synagogue. But that didn't bother them. The Roman world and way of life, in cooperation with the Roman authorities, gave them the opportunity to live well, even surrounded by contempt and hatred from others.
When Jesus left the house, he saw Levi sitting at the toll booth and said to him, “Follow me.” This act of Jesus was another shock to those around him. Not only did he himself approach the tax collector and speak to him, but then he also called on him to follow Him, that is, to be a disciple of Jesus. Ugh! However, what shocked everyone even more was what this publican did: “And he, leaving all, rose up and followed Him.” .
How could all this happen? It's so incredible!
Look at verse 28. “And he, leaving all, rose up and followed Him.” Why did Levi get up and follow Jesus? He had everything, he had successful life, he was rich, he had power, connections. He had a lot of things that others only dreamed of. SAMSUNG SMART TV 3D latest model, 65 inches for $4000, brand new Porsche Cayenne, White House on the seashore behind a high fence with a personal fountain. Therefore, for us, his reaction to the call looks too strange. But, on the other hand, it is she who shows it to us inner world. We are used to looking at appearances, paying attention to people’s words and deeds. But what's inside is invisible. We cannot see a person’s spiritual wanderings, his suffering due to the emptiness of life. Those around him saw how cruelly he took the money, but they did not see how tired he was of being cruel and leading such a lifestyle. Those around him did not see him as a man, but Jesus saw him as a man suffering because of his sins. Jesus came to give him forgiveness of sins and new life.
Jesus said to Levi: "follow me" . What does it mean to follow Jesus? To follow Jesus means to walk with Him, to imitate His life, to live according to His example. "As I live, so you live." Jesus was a good shepherd for His time. Therefore, this call means to be a good shepherd like Jesus in the future.
Word "follow me" – a new direction in life for Levi. Why do people suffer so much? Because they have no direction in life. Levi had no direction in life, so he decided to live for money, but in the end he ended up like an old woman with nothing. But now Jesus called him: "follow me." This is a heavenly gift for Levi. This is the infinite love of God. The fact that we received God's call at a young age is such a great mercy of God to us. Many students, like Levi, have no direction in life. They enter universities in Odessa, hoping that their life will be great and happy. But we already know that this is a hoax. Even those who graduated from the university with honors, found an excellent job and earn a lot, live an unhappy life and suffer from their sins. Therefore, they drink a lot, use drugs, constantly go to clubs and bars, constantly looking for at least some joy in life. They have no direction in life. But Jesus says: "follow me" is the true direction of life for every person. And only when we go in this direction, a person’s life is full, joyful, happy.
Levi made up his mind, he got up and followed Jesus. He left a high-paying job, the guarantee of his whole life. His decision of faith was the beginning of a new life. He burned bridges and went with Jesus.
Look at verse 29. “And Levi made a great feast for him in his house; and there were many publicans and others who sat with them.” Here we see that Levi's heart has completely changed. His selfishness disappeared. He made a feast for Jesus and his friends. He had joy and meaning in life. Levi's old friends, like him, could not come to the synagogue, so they came to Levi's house to meet Jesus. It was a real feast of salvation. When we eat together, it’s much better than just chatting together. “Eating fellowship” opens the heart and is inviting. Through this, many hopeless sinners were able to meet Jesus.
Look at verse 30. When the Scribes and Pharisees saw this merry company, they were again shocked: “This is some kind of nightmare!” It was a sensation! Jesus sat in such company. They told the disciples: “Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?” Why did the scribes and Pharisees consider this unacceptable? The disciples of Jesus ate and drank with those with whom one should never drink or eat with, ever. Because they believed: once a sinner, always a sinner. For sinners they had no concept of mercy, but only one thing - condemnation.
Look at verses 31, 32. “Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Through this parable, Jesus wants to change their way of thinking. The Pharisees believed: since he is a sinner, it means that he only needs to be condemned, criticized and given as a bad example. But Jesus showed this relationship differently: the sick need a doctor. Those who consider themselves sick and who want to be cured go to the doctor. Therefore, a doctor’s office full of patients is a very natural picture. The sinner needs not an executioner, but a doctor.
Do you know what penicillin is? During World War II, many soldiers died from bacterial infections and gangrene. All soldiers who were wounded and infected were considered suicide bombers. However, when penicillin was invented and began to be used, hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers, previously doomed to death, recovered. The Pharisees did not believe that a sinner could be healed, so they considered them already doomed. And Jesus knows that a sinner can be healed.
This attitude of the Pharisees no longer speaks about sinners, but about themselves. They treated sinners this way because they never saw the sinner repent. This suggests that the religious leaders of that time no longer had a living relationship with God and did not serve people, but were engaged in observing some old religious rites and traditions. But around Jesus always sinners repented and started a new life. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. A living church is a church in which sinners repent.
Look at verse 32. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” This word does not mean that there are righteous and sinners in the world. Romans 3:10 says: "there is none righteous, not even one" . But there are two types of sinners: 1) sinners who consider themselves righteous; 2) sinners who admit themselves to be a sinner. The religious leaders did not even know that they were sinners. They don't need Jesus. Jesus is needed by those who know they are sinners.
II. New wine (33-39)
After Jesus explained why He and the disciples were eating with sinners, the Pharisees had another question: “Why do they eat and drink at all?” The disciples of the Pharisees and even the disciples of John fast, but the disciples of Jesus eat and drink. Disorder! The Pharisees fasted twice a week - on Monday and Thursday. But it wasn't really a post. They did not eat only from sunrise to sunset, but used special powder to appear even more fasting. They demanded that Jesus' disciples also follow accepted religious traditions.
But Jesus said to them: “Can you force the sons of the bridal chamber to fast when the bridegroom is with them?” The sons of the bridal chamber are the guests of the newlyweds. In Israel, newlyweds did not go on a honeymoon, but received guests and feasted with them for a whole week. The sons of the bridal chamber live in a completely different system, they are above the law. The Pharisees created a system of fasting so that a person would humble himself. Fasting is a fight against sin, it is a personal desire for God, a search for God. But when Jesus is with us, we are like at a wedding feast. When Jesus is with us, we are in the Kingdom of God. And in the Kingdom of God there is no need to fight sin, you only need to rejoice. With Jesus there was heavenly joy everywhere: when Jesus healed the leper, everyone rejoiced; when Jesus healed the paralytic, everyone rejoiced; when Levi decided to follow Jesus and held a feast, everyone was so happy. Christians always have reason to rejoice because Jesus is with us.
Look at verse 35. This verse says that although we have times of grace with Jesus when we feel as joyful as in the kingdom of heaven, we are not yet in the kingdom of heaven. We are still on earth, and after Jesus ascended, the disciples had to fast frequently to fight sin and maintain their faith. When Jesus is not with us and there is no joy, we really need to repent and pray and even fast and restore our relationship with Jesus.
Look at verses 36 through 39. Jesus told two parables about why Jesus' ministry and behavior was so painful and shocking to the scribes and Pharisees. You cannot cut a piece of fabric from new clothes to sew up old ones, because the new fabric will quickly tear the old fabric and the hole will be even larger. In the same way, you cannot pour new wine into old wineskins, because it will burst the old wineskins and the wine will leak out, and the skins will be destroyed.
The gospel is the power that gives sinners forgiveness of sins and new life. This is too incomprehensible for the Pharisees and breaks their entire system and order. For them, a sinner is a sinner, and a righteous person is a righteous person. All clear. But the new wine has changed everything: the sinner receives forgiveness of sins and begins a new life. What a disgrace? How can you bear this? New wine shocks old wineskins.
Jesus wanted to teach that the forgiveness of sins is a real power that changes a person's life. And even the worst sinner can become an apostle of God's Kingdom. Why didn't the Pharisees understand this, because they became old wineskins. Gospel Jesus is new wine. However, we must remember that any young wine becomes old over time. It is not the gospel itself that becomes old, but the gospel that is in us, which we once accepted. With age, spiritual leaders increasingly prefer the old wine they are accustomed to. And there is a serious problem with this. We should teach ourselves every day instead of teaching others. We must repent of our sins so that Christ will always live in us. Christ is the Kingdom of God. Therefore, when Christ is in us, we are always new, joyful, pure, holy. Paul said: "I die every day" (1 Cor. 15:31a) so that Christ might live in him.
Jesus, who called Levi the publican, came to me through the missionaries and called me, saying: "follow me" . Jesus gave me the name Matthew because I was just as empty and fallen as Levi. I was a terrible egoist who never thought about others, I was a slave to lust, who looked at girls only as an object of pleasure, I was only interested in computers, and people were not interested at all. Am I worthy of His call? But the Son of the Most High God invited a man like me, saying: "follow me" . What incredible grace! Jesus chose me from among many people to be His friend and disciple. "follow me" - this is heavenly mercy to each of us.
Through this word I looked at my life again. Am I living like Matthew or also like Levi? It's been 18 years since He called me. So far, I have received a lot of grace and blessings. I served, sacrificed myself for the sake of the Gospel, but the fact that I worked was also not done by me, but by the grace of God. But now I see that I live more like Levi. I did not make disciples of Jesus. I still struggle with my sins. My missionary wife Rebekah does her best to serve both at home and in church. She is truly a great but humble servant of God. She even serves my father from the heart. And I constantly read sogams that I fell into temptation. What an arrogant sinner I am. I had no abstinence, so I always spoke directly what I thought, without thinking that my words would hurt others. I hurt others with my selfishness. Now I repent of this.
I have often mourned and condemned the sins of our generation: selfishness, materialism, lust, the dirty Internet. When our pastors repent of watching pornographic films, my heart ached. When Shepherd John edified and trained us, many shepherds resisted and openly disobeyed. Shepherd John constantly received many wounds and walked around sick. However, I was also one of them. I didn't know how I was hurting the hearts of Shepherd John and Shepherd Grace with my harsh words. I do not have sincere love to others. By this I, along with others, grieve our Lord. I think I should repent first. I hear the voice of my Lord that says: "follow me" . This is the word of love and life. We are all unworthy of this call, so this word is a great grace for us.
I realized that if we forget this grace and live like old Levi, at that very moment we become old wineskins that cannot hold new wine. I ask the Lord that every day, every hour, every minute, remember the mercy of the Lord and always listen to the call: "follow me" and live all your life as a good shepherd for the lambs of Jesus. I give myself to the Lord so that He may have many fruits through me. First I want to be a good shepherd for one lamb. And I want to give myself to create a vessel of love among the employees. I don't know how to do this, but I want and ask that Christ live in me and do it. Let's read verse 27 again: “After this [Jesus] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.”. And also the 31st and 32nd: “Jesus answered and said to them: It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”. Amen.
Oh, how great is the power of repentance: it appeases God, who has already pronounced the sentence. With meekness he approaches Him, reminds him to look at his grace, and the sentence is changed to forgiveness. Oh, how great is the power of repentance: it inclines God to correct the negligence [of people] when sin has already taken possession of the human race! Repentance meets the Angels of wrath and overcomes them, so as not to be carried away to destruction; holds back swords, holds back sickles, so that the human race will not be reaped. The avenging angels, seeing him, are amazed, and repentance tells them: “I take the criminals of the Law under my protection, I vouch for the human race, I give the Lord provision for people. Why did you come to change my conditions? I have a certain deadline. I have a contract with God when to present the unconverted to Him. Why have you come to oppose my rights? I can bring a court against you. I have many witnesses who will convince my Master. I have evidence by which I can obtain a reprieve for presenting humanity to God.” So, it takes the Angels to God, begins to intercede for humanity and says in defense: “You know, Master, the man you created, you know that he was created from dust, that his nature is weak, that his strength is easily broken. If (take away his sleep), he does not stay alive, if he does not eat, his life is in danger. In winter it freezes, in summer it is scorched by the heat, it cannot see in the evening, it does not dare to walk at night; if he does, he faints; if remains inactive, dozes; if he sits, he is bored; if he starts talking, he gets tired; if he is forced, it is difficult for him; If you stand for a long time, you will get tired. And You, Master, want such weakness to soon triumph over sin!? A person has many thoughts, fickle thoughts in his soul, dubious actions, wrong deeds; the external hinders him; the innermost surprises; he is not ready to stand against the intrigues; to reflect what worries him, poor in mind; against those who plot evil I am weak in soul; he is immersed in worries about his body, feeding his wife and children. And You, Master, want such a creature to soon triumph over sin!? What, O Master, can he do against the devil? Great is the power of the serpent, deep is his deception; sin, because of its attractiveness, spread widely; passions, after tasting, became close to the body; sin troubles the flesh with lust; the inclination to vain glory dominates his soul: wickedness captivates the mind. What can this pathetic one do against so many opponents? Have mercy, Master, have mercy on Your creation, have mercy on the dust that You wanted to glorify; stop the threat, stop the imminent punishment, stop the death sentence for my sake, repentance. I, the intercessor for humanity, take it upon my responsibility and will try to bring it to You, as far as (human) nature allows.” And God yielded to repentance, bowed down to petition, agreed to always have mercy on the human race, determined that repentance should lead the weak nature, and gave it power over human weakness; determined the period of the Judgment and commanded repentance not to exceed its limits on the day of Judgment, not to express a desire to continue its power, but rather to become an accuser if a person neglected such long patience; not to ask for mercy that the term be postponed, but with indignation to begin to take revenge. And repentance agrees to these commands and pacifies the Angels. God stopped the threats and the Ninevites were saved. Repentance interceded, and prosperity was restored to the city. By the city is meant the entire universe and by the Ninevites the whole of humanity. Nineveh's mercy extended to everyone. Christ has risen, and the Resurrection is preached to humanity. Venerable Ephraim the Syrian (27, 178).
