The elder's legend about the demonic faith in the parishioners of the ROC churches: "they will betray the Lord Jesus Christ everything!" - pravdoiskanie. Betrayal and Traitors The Gospel of Betrayal
Judas Iscariot is the same traitor because of whom Jesus Christ was crucified. Few doubt the very fact of betrayal, but its cause is still a matter of controversy.
Was Judas' betrayal due to his love of money? Or was it destined by Heaven itself? Theologians are still looking for answers to these questions.
There was a sin, because Judas did not just commit a betrayal, but denied the Lord, selling him for 30 pieces of silver because of his own greed. This sin is considered one of the worst. We have collected all seven deadly sins in one article so that everyone can take care of their soul during Holy Week.
Speaking about the sin of love of money, the church does not wish its parishioners any trouble. It is from God that you should ask for financial well-being if you are in a difficult situation. And it is important not to fall into obscurantism and not commit unseemly deeds for the sake of money. People who have gone through poverty, who, by their own example, have become convinced of the power of prayer, tell about this and many other things.
Self-interest or the machinations of the devil
So, Judas denied Christ, but why he did this is not completely clear to anyone except himself and God. None of the disciples of Jesus Christ and Jesus himself during his lifetime did not know why Judas did this. According to the scriptures, he betrayed his teacher and God because he was possessed by greed and evil, or the demon and the devil. In yielding to him, Judas succumbed to temptation and sinned against his faith.
According to Matthew, Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, which in those days was a fortune to buy a house. This testimony, however, is disputed, as it is found only in the Gospel of Matthew.
Kiss of Judas
According to the Bible, Judas agreed with the high priests and elders that he would kiss the one who calls himself Jesus. Thus, this gesture became a conventional sign for the guards who seized Christ. Today, the "kiss of Judas" is the most famous symbol of betrayal.
What happened after with Judas is also not fully known. According to the disciples, he hanged himself, having committed the third sin - suicide. There are also unbiblical versions that Judas lived a long life and died from a terrible disease. But in any legend his life is very sad, and its end is bleak.
Lent is dedicated to the death of Jesus and his suffering. Holy Week reflects all the events that preceded the death of Christ and his Resurrection. That is why, throughout the fast, righteous people try to lead a modest and humble life. It is through prayers that we become closer to God during Holy Week. You can find out the texts of the best prayers for Great Lent in our other article.
Heaven's Plan
None of the living people can even guess whether the death of Jesus was the plan of our Heavenly Father, or it was a coincidence. Of course, only God himself can know about this, and in this world we are not destined to find out what moved Judas.
It is known that the purpose of heaven was to save people from sin. Moreover, Jesus himself said that he will reveal himself to the world a second time, when people are mired in sin and unbelief. This suggests that Judas could have sold his soul to the devil, but Heaven still needed his betrayal.
The question is raised by his subsequent repentance. After all, if he sold his Teacher and got what he wanted, where does this belated noble impulse come from? And if the devil moved him, then why is Judas still hanged? It is not yet possible to answer these questions, and we can only take care of the purity of our souls now.
In view of the events of the Passion of Christ, for Easter, the clergy recommend everyone to undergo the sacrament of the sacrament in order to meet the light time in spiritual purity. Only strong faith and true love will help to get closer to God, the purest manifestation of which will be the atonement of sins.
It is best to confess on Maundy Thursday. Preparation for confession should take place in reading prayers and fasting. Church advice will tell you how to confess correctly and what not to do before this ordinance. Be happy, believe in God and do not forget to press the buttons and
27.04.2016 08:16
Every believer has heard about mortal sins. However, it does not always come to the realization that ...
St. John Chrysostom
Art. 23-24 For I received from the Lord Himself what I also conveyed to you, that the Lord Jesus on that night on which he was betrayed, took bread and, having given thanks, broke it and said: take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you ;
Further, wanting to shame them differently and even more, he turns the speech to a more important subject: "For I, - he says, - from the Lord Himself he received what he also conveyed to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night on which he was betrayed, took bread and, having given thanks, broke it and said: take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you ; do this in remembrance of me " (1 Cor. 11: 23-24)... Why does he mention these secrets here? Because he really needed it for the real subject. Your Lord, he says, has honored everyone with the same meal, and, moreover, the most terrible and much surpassing the dignity of all; and you consider others unworthy of your meal, unimportant and insignificant, and, while they do not receive anything from you of spiritual blessings, you take away from them bodily ones, although they are not yours either. However, he does not say this, so that his words are not too heavy, but uses a more meek speech and says: "That the Lord Jesus took bread on the night he was betrayed"... Why does he remind us of this time, this supper and betrayal? Not just and not without reason, but to touch more strongly and by the time itself. Anyone, even who was even a stone, imagining how on this night (the Lord) grieved with the disciples, how he was betrayed, bound, led, condemned, how he endured everything else, will become softer than wax, will be renounced from the earth and all the vanity here. That is why (the apostle) reminds us of all this; he shames us both by time, and by suppers, and by betrayal, and says: Your Lord gave Himself for you, and you do not want to give your brother bread for yourself?
But why (Paul) says that he received this from the Lord, while he himself was not then, but was among the persecutors? So that you will understand that that supper did not contain anything more in comparison with the following. And now the same (Lord) does and teaches everything, as then, and not only for this he reminds us of this night, but in order to touch us in another way. How do we remember more the last words that we hear from the dying, and to their heirs, when they dare to violate their wills, we reproachfully say: remember that these are the last words of your father, which he bequeathed before the very evening that he gave up the ghost, so and Paul, wishing in this way to strengthen his speech, says: remember that this was the last sacrament that He taught you, that He commanded this on the night in which He was preparing to be killed for us, and, having offered you this supper, after her has not suggested any other. Then he sets out the very circumstances of the event and says: "He took the bread and, having given thanks, broke it and said: take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you"... If you are approaching the Eucharist (thanksgiving), then do not do anything unworthy of thanksgiving, do not shame your brother, do not despise the hungry, do not get drunk, do not offend the church. You come to give thanks for the blessings that you have received: return the same from your side and do not separate yourself from your neighbor. Christ taught equal to all, saying: take, eat... He gave His body to everyone equally, and you don't want to give everyone the same bread? And (the bread) was broken by Him equally for all and became the Body equally for all.
Homilius 27 on 1 Corinthians.
Then he turns to the mysterious meal, wanting to arouse even greater fear in them. ... What's the sequence here? You are talking about a common supper, but meanwhile you remind of terrible secrets? Yes, he says, if these spiritual secrets, if this terrible meal is offered to everyone in general, both the rich and the poor, the rich and no less the poor use it, but everyone has one honor, one access, and until everyone is honored and partakes of this spiritual and the sacred meal offered is not carried away, but all the priests are standing, waiting for the poorest and the lowest of all, then all the more so should be done during a sensual meal. That is why he reminded about that Lord's supper.
Conversation on the words of the Apostle: For there must be disagreements between you.
St. Theophan the Recluse
I have received from the Lord, the hedgehog and delivered to you, like the Lord Jesus at night, in the nyuzhe was betrayed
Receive from the Lord, “That is, he was taught by the Lord” (Ecumenius). Saint Paul was taught everything directly by the Lord Himself. The Lord personally taught him not only the secrets of faith, but also the way of performing all the sacraments of grace. Hedgehog and give you... As he received from the Lord, so he delivered it to you. Saint Chrysostom says at this: “The Apostle says this, so that you may understand that that supper did not contain anything more in comparison with the following. For now the same Lord does and teaches everything, as then. "
In the night, in the nude, I was betrayed by you... “Why does he remind us of this time, this supper and betrayal? - Not just and not without reason, but in order to touch more strongly and by the time itself. For everyone, even who was even a stone, imagining how on this night the Lord grieved with the disciples, how he was betrayed, bound, led and condemned, how he endured everything else, will become softer than wax, and will be removed from the earth and all the vanity here. That is why the Apostle reminds us of all this; He shames us both by the time, by the supper, and by betrayal, and he says: Your Lord gave Himself for you, but do you not want to give your brother even bread for yourself? - And not only for this he reminds us of this night, but in order to touch us in another way. How do we remember more the last words we hear from the dying, and to their heirs, when they dare to violate their wills, we reproachfully say: remember that these are the last words of your father, which he bequeathed before his very death; so Paul, wishing in this way to strengthen his speech, says: remember that this was the last sacrament that He taught you, that He bequeathed this on the night in which he was preparing to die for us, and, having offered us this supper, after her I haven’t offered any other one ”.
The first Epistle to the Corinthians of Saint Paul, interpreted by Saint Theophan.
Venerable Ephraim Sirin
I betrayed you What is it like i received from the Lord my, then betrayed you.
Interpretation on the epistles of the divine Paul.
Blessed. Theophylact Bulgarian
For I have received from the Lord Himself what I have transmitted to you
Why does he mention secrets and this evening? Quite by the way, in order to convince that your Master has deigned everyone to the same meal, and you reject and despise those who are homogeneous with you. How does he say that he received from the Lord when he was not with the Lord at that time, but was a persecutor? In order for you to know that even now the Lord Himself teaches secrets at the mysterious meal, as then.
That the Lord Jesus on the night on which he was betrayed took bread and, having given thanks, broke it and said: take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you
Remember, he says that He was the last one to teach you this sacrament, moreover, on the night on which He was betrayed to the slaughter, and He did not excommunicate his traitor from the meal, and you despise your brother. You were taught to thank, for He also gave thanks in order to give us a model, but you do something unworthy of gratitude, because you humiliate the Church, and, while another is hungry, you get drunk. He told everyone in general: take, eatand besides, your body, which you broke equally for all, giving it over to death, and you hasten to eat, you do not offer common bread to give to many, but you leave it to yourself.
Do this in remembrance of me
What are you saying? If you were creating the remembrance of the Son or the Father, then your conscience would torment you, if you didn’t fulfill what was legalized and didn’t call the poor, and while creating the remembrance of the Lord, you simply don’t share the meal.
Interpretation of the First Epistle to the Corinthians of the Holy Apostle Paul.
Ecumenius
For I received from the Lord Himself what I also conveyed to you, that the Lord Jesus took bread on the night on which he was betrayed
He was taught this from the Lord Himself, so that accepted it is said instead of "was taught."
Fragments.
Fulgentium Ruspian
For I received from the Lord Himself what I also conveyed to you, that the Lord Jesus took bread on the night on which he was betrayed
Blessed Paul, recalling the sacred sacrament of that supper, does not mean another cup, like the new covenant of the Lord: For I have received from the Lord Himself what I have transmitted to you.
Messages.
Lopukhin A.P.
Art. 23-25 \u200b\u200bFor I received from the Lord Himself what I also conveyed to you, that the Lord Jesus on that night on which he was betrayed, took bread and, having given thanks, broke it and said: take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you ; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise, the cup after supper, and said: This cup is the new covenant in My Blood; do this, whenever you drink, in my memory
In order to awaken in the Corinthians a sense of shame for such behavior at the love feasts An. reminds them of the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Let the Corinthians understand the difference between this Eucharistic sacred celebration and between ordinary celebrations and dinners. The Eucharist is a holy sacrament, a well-known liturgical action, since it is based on a specific prescription of Christ Himself. To give more authority to his words, Ap. says that he received information about the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist himself, directly from Christ. That this is how the expression should be understood: i received from the Lord himself ..., it is clear from thatthat Ap. says with an emphasis that he just accepted (εγώ). If he were talking here about what the Apostles who were at the Last Supper told him, why would he have to expose his self? Indeed, from the Apostles they learned about the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist and thousands of other believers, who, next, could also say about themselves, like Ap. Paul: "I received from the Lord ..." if we understood the words of the Apostle simply as an indication of the tradition that came down to him. It is clear from this that Ap. could only speak like that about a revelation that had directly happened to him. They object: "revelation has as its subject some teachings, and not historical events." But in the book of the Acts of the Apostles there is one revelation of historical content (IX: 12). In addition, it must be remembered that Ap. Paul was the founder of churches in the pagan world, and direct knowledge of such important facts as the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist fully corresponded to his high apostolic dignity. Through this he became dependent only on Christ Himself. - At night. Ap. wants to remind the readers by this that the Eucharist was instituted at the same hours at which the apostolic Church usually celebrated it. Let Christians experience everything that happened on that terrible and holy night! - Took bread (άρτον). According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, this bread was not unleavened, but leavened, different from those that were used at the Jewish Passover. - And thanking... The father of the family of the Jews thanked God with the blessing of the Passover bread for the creation of the world and for the liberation of the Jews from Egypt. Christ, of course, gave thanks to His Heavenly Father for the redemption of mankind and for the foundation of the New Testament. - Take, eat... These words are not found in the most ancient manuscripts of the message. - This is my body... This (toυτο) is the bread that was in the hand of the Savior. - On how to understand the expression: My body is - see X: 16, 17. Godet claims that the verb is here makes sense: means, it represents, and therefore sees in bread not the body of Christ, but only symbol body. But if the words of Christ are interpreted only in a symbolic sense, then the Eucharist ceases to be sacramentthat Christians should revere. Moreover, there is no reason to attach a meaning to the verb: “means, represents”. - Breakable for you... This expression indicates the perpetual sacrifice of Christ: the body of Christ is broken, and not will be broken (Theophanes)... [However, in the best codes, the words: broken is not available] - Do this in remembrance of me... These words, found only in Paul and Luke, are very important in that they show the Lord's desire for the sacrament of the Eucharist to be performed constantly, at all times. The Lord refers with these words to the Apostles as to the founders of churches, in which they must introduce the sacred custom of the celebration of the Eucharist. But as in the expression: not only the Apostles are meant for you, but all the believers, so here, along with the appeal to the Apostles, one must also see the command for all believers. During the celebration of the Eucharist, believers should remember with reverence not about the Old Testament Passover lamb, by whose blood the Jews were saved from death in Egypt, but about Christ and His sacrifice. - Also the cup after supper... Both actions - the blessing of the bread and the blessing of the wine - were separated by some distance from each other. The bread was divided during the eating, as they say. Matthew and Mark and the cup offered after supper or at the end of the eating of the Passover lamb (cf. X: 16). - This bowl - that is, - the wine contained in it. - New Testament... - Here is an allusion to the covenant made between Jehovah and the Jews at Sinai: and there the blood of the sacrifices was shed, with which Moses sprinkled the Jewish people (Ex. XXIV: 8) - In my blood... These words represent the definition of the word covenant... Christ the Savior here says that the new covenant is established through the shedding of His blood. (The blood of Christ is the same as the death of Christ cf. Rom. III: 25). Just like the old covenant, the New Testament gives, on the one hand, the forgiveness of sins, and on the other, requires a person to obey the will of God. But the old covenant actually only still promised the help of God or the forgiveness of sins, and the New Testament actually gives this forgiveness. - Do this - that is, perform the blessing of the cup by offering it to others. - As soon as you drink... As can be seen from the next, 26th verse, this is not about drinking wine in general, but about drinking from the designated blessed cup. In the 22nd Art. the sacrament of the Eucharist is clearly distinguished from the ordinary supper. The meaning of this expression, in connection with the following words: into my memoryundoubtedly this: "whenever you, as members of the New Testament, have a religious feast corresponding to the Old Testament Passover supper, you should offer everyone the blessed cup and drink from it in remembrance of Me." Expression: when only (οσάκις) indicates that the sacrament of the Eucharist, this Easter New Testament supper, the believers could perform not once a year, but several [Christ's words spoken at the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist, in Ap. Paul transmitted in a slightly modified form against the Gospel text. Closest to the text of Ap. Paul's text of the gospel of Luke, who was the companion of Ap. Paul and therefore had to recount the history of the establishment of the Eucharist in accordance with the letter to the Corinthians. Matthew and Mark do not have expressions: “you break for you” and “do this in remembrance of Me”, but instead of the expression: “The New Testament is in My Blood” there is the expression “My Blood of the New Testament”. But these differences are not important: the essence of the matter remains the same as in Ap. Paul and all evangelists. The Holy Eucharist is indeed a sacrament in which bread and wine are baked into the Body and Blood of Christ the Savior, and which by its very existence should always remind Christians of the great sacrifice made by Christ the Savior for the sins of people and encourage Christians to the same self-sacrifice for the benefit of their brethren. The Corinthians, obviously, did not clearly understand this great significance of the sacrament of the Eucharist, looking at it as an ordinary general evening meeting, and the Apostle had to inspire them that they were entering here, receiving St. gifts, in valid communion with Christ, as before, through participation in pagan meals, they entered into valid communication with demons].
Title
“To the head of the choir. On stringed instruments ”. This is another song performed on stringed instruments. Sometimes it should be played humorously and thoughtfully, and sometimes softly and sweetly. In order for the music to accurately reflect the complex mood of the psalmist, special attention was required from an experienced musician. "The Teachings of David". We have before us not the personal reflections of the psalmist, but a teaching useful to all believers. Wherever David typifies the Lord Jesus Christ, there is a great mystery. The man, who has experienced trials and blessings, persecution and deliverance, clothed him with unfading glory, wrote about the sorrows of ordinary wanderers and about the sorrows of our Lord in the way that experience suggested to him.
Theme
It is hardly possible to clearly state the time and circumstances of the writing of this psalm. By all indications, it refers to the songs composed during the uprising of Absalom and his adviser Ahithophel. The events described in the psalm take place after a period of relative rest (v. 15), when David was within the city walls (v. 10-12) and recalling his previous wanderings. Most likely, he describes the events associated with the betrayal of his most faithful adviser. On the flaming canvas of this psalm, the spiritual eye now and then sees the great Son of David, mourning the betrayal of Judas, as well as the obscure silhouettes of the high priests.
Composition
In verses 2-9 David outlines the essence of the matter, in verses 10-12 he describes the enemies, in verses 13-15 he mentions a traitor, in verse 16 he prays or prophesies for vengeance, in verses 17-20 he comforts himself with prayer and faith, in verses 21-22 he mentions treacherous betrayal for the second time, in verse 23 he joyfully exhorts the saints, in verse 24 he proclaims the judgment of the wicked and the wicked.
Interpretation
2 Hear, O God, my prayer and do not hide from my prayer; 3 heed me and hear me; I groan in my sorrow, and I am embarrassed 4 at the voice of the enemy, at the oppression of the wicked, for they raise lawlessness against me and in anger they enmity against me.
5 My heart trembles within me, and horrors of death have fallen upon me; 6 fear and trembling came over me, and terror seized me. 7 And I said, “Who would give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and calm down; 8 I would have gone far away, and remained in the wilderness; 9 would hasten to hide from the whirlwind, from the storm. "
2. " Hear, God, my prayer " We are already accustomed to this thought, but we should have been struck by the fact that the saints always resort to the help of prayer in difficult times. Every member of God's family, from the Firstborn Son to the least of the saints, finds the greatest pleasure in prayer. When sorrow comes, the saints run to the throne of grace as naturally as the chicks, seeing danger, run to their mother. But notice: they are not satisfied with prayer itself - they need an answer, they certainly want God to hear them. "And do not hide from my prayer." Don't turn your back on me and don't hold back Your generous hand. In Israel, it was believed that when a person hears the prayer of his neighbor, but passes by, he thereby "hides from his prayer." The psalmist asks God not to hide from his prayers. When our Lord Jesus Christ hung on the cross, God the Father turned away from Him, and this was the most terrible torment of our long-suffering Savior. Therefore, the prayer that God does not hide from our prayers is fully justified and understandable.
3. "Hear me and hear me." This is the third time David has asked God to hear him. He prays sincerely, from the heart. If God does not hear him, then he has no hope. Therefore, he turns to Him over and over again and begs Him for an answer. " I groan in my sorrow, and I am embarrassed. " The psalmist gives vent to his sorrow, remembers all his sorrows and pours them out in words, albeit not entirely intelligible, but quite appropriate to the occasion. What a blessing that we can approach the throne of grace so boldly! Coming into the presence of God, we do not complain about Him, but about our troubles. In difficult times, we come to Him with our wandering thoughts and pour them out in confused, incoherent language rather than understandable words. But the Lord listens attentively and will certainly understand us; Moreover, He will fulfill even our desires that we could not express. "Sighing. unspeakable "often become those very prayers, some God will never say" no ". The Lord Himself “in the days of His flesh, with a strong cry and with tears, brought prayers and supplications to the One who is able to save Him from death; and was heard for His reverence. "
4. "From the voice of the enemy." The enemy was loud and verbose and spoke in a full voice when the pious sufferer could barely utter a few incoherent phrases. Slanderers are eloquent. Their lips are full of slander and empty speech. Neither the Lord, nor David, nor other saints escaped the slander of evil tongues in their days, but they drank this bitter cup to the bottom. "From the oppression of the wicked." The wicked oppressed the saints in every possible way; they placed an unbearable burden on their shoulders and forced them to kneel before the Lord. This scenario is repeated over and over, and we will see it again at the end of time. A carnal person will always persecute someone who is born of the Spirit. Even the Lord, the great seed of the woman, and He was stung in the heel. "For they are raising lawlessness on me." They threw mud at the psalmist, vilified him with their lying tongues and poisoned him with poisonous sarcasm. They tried to trap me in their nets and said that I fell when I stood upright on my feet. "And in anger they enmity against me." They hated the saint with all their hearts. Their hearts harbored not just hostility, but fierce anger. Needless to say, this applies to our Lord Jesus Christ.
5. "My heart trembles in me." The psalmist's soul writhed with pain like a pitiful worm. Emotional suffering was as unbearable as the suffering of a woman in labor. The slander struck David to the very heart, but who can strengthen the struck spirit? If these words were written by David during the rebellion of his beloved son, then the exiled and dishonored king had every reason for fear and awe. "And mortal horrors attacked me." David's soul was seized by the fear of death: suddenly he felt impenetrable darkness close around him and eternal night came. Suffering came on him from all sides, but the main torment, it seemed, fell from somewhere above, since in the original the verse reads like this: "Mortal horrors befell me." David felt that this was the end and there was no way out. His heart shook at the thought of future troubles. Remember the grief of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane - “My soul is sorrowful to death” - and you will at least partially understand what the psalmist felt. Dear reader, if you have not yet walked the valley of the shadow of death, then soon you will have to gain this sad experience. When darkness thickens around you, do not forget that the Lord left his footprints on this difficult part of the path.
6. "Fear and awe found me." Fear and awe burst into his soul like robbers burst into a house. Horror came to the weakened David suddenly, like a faint. The fear was so great that his heart fluttered. He did not know what awaited him in the near future and when even worse trouble would come. Insidious slander hurts a noble heart much more than open opposition. We fight bravely in open battle, but we are embarrassed by secret gossip and cunning designs. "And terror seized me." The darkness around him was almost palpable. David sank into despair, just as Jonah sank into the ocean. Courage left him, he was confused, bewildered and overwhelmed with anxious anticipation.
7. “And I said, who would give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and calm down. " He could not fight like an eagle, so he decided to fly away like a dove. He dreamed of flying away on fast and strong wings away from the abode of evil and wickedness. He loved the world so much that he longed to forget about all the rebellions as soon as possible.
How often do we allow ourselves these vain thoughts! Truly, they are meaningless and vain: neither dove's nor eagle's wings can carry us away from sorrow and fear. Heart anxieties are not treated with distance. Furthermore, we cannot cowardly shy away from the battle that God is sending us. It is much better to face the enemy face to face, since the armor does not protect us from the back. In fact, pigeon wings would not have helped David escape from the evil of the enemy. Real peace is experienced only by those who surrender themselves and their fate into the hands of God and do not try to escape from danger. Even the dove of Noah could not find rest until he returned to the ark. Likewise, in the midst of storms and storms, we can only find refuge in Jesus Christ.
8. "I would go far away." Curiously, when David was indeed away from Jerusalem, he longed for a return. Whatever our sorrows, it always seems to us that the past is the best of the present. Someday you may have to move away from where you are, and you may not necessarily be happy to do so. That is why you should not dream of immediate deliverance from earthly suffering. "And I would have remained in the wilderness." Once he liked this place much less, but now he dreams of living there permanently! If he really had the punishment to spend his entire life in the desert, he would eventually understand what Selkirk (a sailor who found himself on a desert island - Note. per.) in a famous poem:
ABOUT loneliness, where is all your charm?
Sung by the poet-sage?
It's better for me to vegetate in the midst of suffering
Than to be a king among the sands.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, although he did not harbor vain illusions, nevertheless found solace in silence and solitude: He loved to go up the mountain under the canopy of night and wander among the olives of the Garden of Gethsemane. However, it is better to enjoy loneliness than to sigh for it. If enemies attack a person from all sides, then for him the desire to hide is quite natural. Yet nature must yield to grace: we are called to endure the reprimands of sinners and not lose heart.
Selakh. After such a rapid flight, let our thoughts settle down. In a hurry, we too often give vent to lament and murmur, and now we need time to think more sober thoughts.
9. "I would hasten to take cover." David tried to stop, but it was all in vain: he was like a horse galloping at full speed, which cannot immediately move to a step and continues to run by inertia, even when the rider pulls on the reins. David could no longer bear the insults of the enemy, so he decided to leave Jerusalem immediately, without further ado, fearing that it would soon be too late. "From the whirlwind, from the storm." David would like to be like a swift-winged dove and fly away from the approaching storm. He would fly faster than a thundercloud and avoid pouring rain and rumbling thunder. But, alas, none of the mortals have wings, and we are forced to stay here on earth, in the midst of storms and winds. And yet we must not lose courage, very soon we will grow other wings and soar to the wondrous heavens, where all our sorrows will be replaced by joy and exultation among the booths of paradise.
10 Frustrate, O Lord, and separate their tongues, for I see violence and strife in the city; 11 Day and night they walk about on its walls; evil deeds and calamity in the midst of it; 12 destruction is in the midst of him; deceit and deceit do not leave his streets.
10. "Upset, Lord." Put your enemies to flight, Lord. They came with a sword, let them die by the sword. It was hardly worth expecting other prayers from the exiled king - he prayed for the defeat of the rebellious army of Absalom and the treacherous Ahithophel. "And stripped their tongues." Frustrate their plans when they confer, just as You thwarted the plans of the builders of the tower of Babel. Mix their languages. Divide the pack of wolves so the driven deer can escape. Truth triumphs when delusions begin to quarrel with each other. "For I see violence and strife in the city." The mob and its leaders hatched insidious schemes against the king, they invented one trap after another and seethed with hatred. Riots broke out in the city, and the king hoped that the very evil that drove him out of the capital would split the enemy ranks. The revolution is devouring its children. Those who rely on their strength will eventually find that their strength has turned to their destruction. Absalom and Ahithophel managed to rouse the people to revolt, but it is not so easy to control the raging crowd. And it was quite difficult to maintain agreement with each other. David's prayer was heard: very soon the opinions of the enemies were divided, and Ahithophel went the straight road to the gallows, and Absalom rushed to the fatal oak.
11. "Day and night they walk around on its walls." The holy city of God became a den of robbers. The villains gathered in groups and discussed their sinister plans in broad daylight. Meanwhile, a rebellion was raging in the country, and the apostates outside the city walls threatened to encircle the city and unite with the villains inside. David knew that Absalom had incited the people to revolt even before he left the city, but now that he was not in the capital, the excitement grew into a fire. "Atrocities and calamity are in the midst of it." O unfortunate city, besieged by enemies, abandoned by the monarch, seething with the iniquity and atrocities of an angry crowd! Unhappy is the king who had to see how his beloved city was being ravaged and plundered by eip! Let's not forget that there was another King in history who also mourned the rebellious city, saying: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How many times have I wanted to gather your children, like a bird its chicks under its wings, and you did not want it! "
12. In the midst of him is ruin. " Evil nestled in the very center of the city. Lawlessness and despair reigned in the royal chambers. The most dangerous and criminal elements were at the head of the rabble. Everything that was in the city of dissolute and wickedness has surfaced. Justice was forgotten, the population was completely demoralized. The city's well-being disappeared along with public order. "Deception and deceit do not leave his streets." In all public places, crafty tongues incited people to revolt with lies and deceit. Cunning demagogues led the common people by the nose. The pious king was stripped of his honor and dishonored, and when the evildoers realized that he had left Jerusalem, they began to revile the rulers they had appointed. Lies and deceit were a public forum, intrigue and craftiness were a legislative assembly. O long-suffering Jerusalem, a sacrifice of sin and shame! You revile virtue, and you elevate evil to the throne. Your holy gatherings have come to an end, your priests have gone into hiding, your king was forced to leave the city, and your streets have sheltered hordes of inveterate villains who chill on your walls and blaspheme your shrines. The Israelites had every reason for the sadness that the psalmist threw out in these sorrowful lines.
1 3 For it is not the enemy that reviles me; I would bear it; it is not my hater who is magnified over me, - from him I would hide; 14 but you, who was to me the same as I, my friend and my dear one, 15 with whom we shared sincere conversations and went together to the house of God.
13. Notice how exactly the psalmist described his psalm: "I groan in my sorrow," or rather, "I give vent to my thoughts." David, as it were, moves from one stage of groaning to another, wanders, like a man who has fallen into a labyrinth, cannot free himself from the tormenting theme. Having mourned the rebellious city, he recalls the betrayal of a close friend and advisor. "For it is not the enemy who reviles me - that I would bear." I am not fighting the enemy - a close friend betrayed me. He went over to the side of the enemies and proved his loyalty to them by slandering me. The worst enemies are former friends. Backbiting from someone who was once a close friend hurts to the very heart. As a rule, such a person knows our weaknesses well and strikes at the most vulnerable point. Slander from the mouth of a sworn enemy cannot be compared with the meanness and heartlessness of a traitor who spews his curses. The enemy cannot hurt us too deeply, for we cannot accuse him of ingratitude and treachery. That which can be forgiven Shimei cannot be asked to Ahithophela. "It is not my hater who is dignified over me; I would have hidden from him." You can find refuge from obvious enemies, but what will save us from betraying our friends? When the enemy rebelles against us, we gather strength and go to war, but what to do when treacherous friends start throwing mud at us? The Lord Jesus Christ had to fully taste the bitterness of the betrayal of the chosen disciple. Is it any wonder that we, too, sometimes have to wander the dull path along which the ulcerated feet of the Savior walked.
14. "But you." David, as it were, sees his former friend face to face and turns to him in a fit of poetic indignation. He sets him apart from the crowd, points to him and directs his reproach at him. "Notes". "And you Brute". And you, Ahithophel, among them? Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? "Who was to me what I am." I have never considered him inferior to myself, but always treated him as an equal, as a faithful friend. He was always a wise advisor to me, I trusted him with difficult questions and always found his answers to be prudent.
"My friend and my dear one." He knew me as well as I knew him, because we shared our most intimate with each other. He was a close and dear friend to me - not just a casual acquaintance. Therefore, his treacherous betrayal is the height of villainy. There is no excuse for such a betrayal. That is how Judas betrayed the Lord: he was treated as an equal, they trusted the common money, and in this connection they often consulted him. He knew where the Lord loved to be alone. Moreover, he knew all the movements of Christ and delivered Him into the hands of ruthless enemies. The Lord could in all justice turn to him with the question: "But you?" And yet, He gently warned the son of perdition, because he himself was meek and lowly in heart, and if Judas were not possessed by the devil, he would certainly have abandoned his evil thoughts.
15. "With whom we shared sincere conversations." They did not just talk to each other the way people discuss public issues gathered in a city square, but communicated closely and confidentially. The traitor was a confidant of the king, he knew his secrets. Joint conversations brought them a lot of comfort and joy. They told each other the most intimate thoughts. It was a heart-to-heart communication, at least from David's side. Even if the traitor was not sincere with him, David never treated him with distrust and was not afraid to speak in his presence. Shame on anyone who could vulgarize such communication and abuse such trust!
"And they went together to the house of God." Their fellowship was about faith and therefore was sacred. They went to the house of God together and talked about heavenly topics. If any bond is to remain sacred, it is a bond of spiritual kinship. When a person defiles an alliance with someone with whom he shared a common faith, he is committing a great evil. Is it conceivable to defile the temple of God with hypocrisy and pretense? Is it possible to defame holy meetings with betrayal and treason? In all these atrocities, Ahithophel and partly Judas were guilty. His union with the Lord was based on trust, together they performed a holy work and carried out a noble mission. But he communicated with Christ solely for the sake of achieving his own selfish goals, and this branded him the son of perdition. It would be better for him not to be born at all. Let all the pretenders and hypocrites be wise, seeing his inglorious death, for Judas, like Ahithophel, himself plunged himself into the abyss of hell, becoming the first of sinners. His betrayal filled the Redeemer's heart with unbearable bitterness. All followers of Christ will have to endure something similar. Among the offspring of vipers, there are still many who are ready to bite the hand that nurtured them and sell for thirty pieces of silver the one who raised them to the position that allowed them to commit such a low deed.
16 Let him find death on them; let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst.
16. The soldier David did not pray the way Christ prayed; he poured out the sorrow of his heart, wounded by unheard of betrayal and undeserved anger. It is natural for a warrior to desire the defeat of his enemies, for it is for this purpose that he fights. In addition, from the point of view of law and justice, David's desire was fully justified, since he waged a just, defensive war against those who despised truth and justice.
"May he find death on them." Such traitors are worthy of death, they cannot live. The land is defiled by their heinous deeds. If we punish enemy spies with death, then all the more we should betray the sly villains to the sword. "May they descend alive to hell." May they descend into the underworld in the prime of life, may the joys of the living suddenly be replaced by grave silence for them. However, it is not at all necessary to consider this verse a curse; it can be taken as a prophecy or a confident expectation: David was convinced that God would smite his enemies and cast them into the underworld of the earth.
"For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst." They are not worthy of pity; their houses are abodes of depravity, and their hearts are repositories of filth and vice. They are the curse of the human race, a moral plague, a spiritual plague that must be destroyed with the help of just laws and the providence of God. Ahithophel and Judas soon lost their lives. Absalom became entangled with his hair in the branches of an oak tree and was killed, while the rest of the rebels met death in the forest. There is justice in the world - love requires it. For pity for those who rebel against God is not a virtue. We can pray for them as people, but as enemies of God, we must hate them. At the present time, we should be much more afraid of excessive softness towards evil, this hidden lawlessness, which considers all punishment to be cruel, than the severity of previous centuries. We sailed so far from Scylla that we ended up near Charybdis itself.
17 But I will call on God, and the Lord will save me. 18 In the evening and in the morning and at noon I will plead and cry, and He will hear my voice. 19 He will deliver my soul in the world from those that rise up against me, for I have many of them; 20 God will hearken, and He who lives will humble them from the beginning, because there is no change in them; they are not afraid of God.
17. "But I will cry to God." The psalmist did not try to take revenge on his enemies with their own methods and did not imitate their unrestrained violence, but, in contrast to their lawlessness, he constantly cried out to God. Jesus did the same and encouraged all of His followers to imitate His faith. The striking contrast between the spirit of the wicked and the spirit of the righteous corresponds to the contrast between their destinies: the righteous will ascend to the Lord, and the wicked will be cast into destruction. "And the Lord will save me." Yahweh will fulfill the desire of my heart and be glorified in my salvation. David had no doubt about it. He knew that he would pray and be heard. The one who entered into a covenant with God is confident in the immutability of the promise.
18. "In the evening and in the morning and at noon I will beg." Even such frequent prayers may not be enough. When urgent need comes,] we must pray unceasingly. David chose the best hours for prayer: he began, continued, and ended the day with God, and this is the greatest wisdom. The natural division of the day is the best time for prayer. David meant that he would pray incessantly. Petitions will flow from his mouth throughout the day and follow the movement of the sun. David's enemies worked day and night (Ps. 54:11), which means that he must resist their wiles constantly, abiding in tireless prayers. "And cry out." David poured out his lamentation out loud, praying fervently and earnestly. You can yell long and loud without uttering a word. But if a person prays from the heart, then his voice sounds in heaven like a resounding bell. Deep heart experiences should be burst out in strong, albeit incoherent screams. Thanks be to God, He always understands what is behind our groans. The Father's heart understands the child's heart. "And He will hear my voice." David is convinced that his voice will be heard. He has no doubts about this and argues as if he had already received an answer. When we open the windows of our hearts, the Lord opens the windows of heaven for us. If you pray with all your heart, the Lord will extend His generous hand to you.
19. "He will deliver my soul in the world from those who rise up against me." David was confident of God's salvation, and it came. Joab defeated the rebels against the king. God delivered His anointed one. Faith is both vision and foresight. Faith sees the future as the present. David was not just delivered - he was delivered in the world, his soul was in complete peace. "For I have many of them." David gratefully acknowledges that the Lord sent him unexpected help, showed him mercy when he needed it most, and once again put the rejected king at the head of a huge army. The Lord has the power to change the circumstances of our lives and often does so in response to our fervent prayers. In any test, there is an invisible struggle. The one who deprived us of all our friends, so that in their absence we learn to trust in the mercy of heaven, is able to give us friends in abundance, so that we feel the joy of their presence.
20. God will hear and humble them. The wicked speak their curses out loud, and God hears them. The voice of slander, malice and pride reaches not only those against whom it is directed, but also reaches the heavens, reaches God, cries out for revenge and receives it in full. God hears His people and gives them deliverance, but He humbles the wicked. The Heavenly Judge rewards the villains for cruel ridicule, vile lies, cowardly insults and insolent speeches, for he hears them incessantly. "Living from forever". The Lord is eternal, the heavenly Judge abides forever. He hears from His throne all the prayers of the saints and the blasphemy of sinners and administers His just judgment.
Selakh. The psalmist pauses, frozen in awe of the eternal and unchanging God.
“Because there is no change in them; they are not afraid of God. " David is in awe of God and against the background of his piety he only sees more clearly the insolence of the atheists. He feels that trials have brought him closer to God, and understands that the wicked, corrupted by worldly prosperity, neglect the heavenly Judge. It's not a secret for anyone that carnal pleasures and earthly well-being produce in the soul of an atheist a complete disregard for God. Suffering does not change his character, and their absence induces the sinful nature to reveal itself in full. Devils start in the still waters. Summer heat is a breeding ground for harmful insects. Whoever has no anxieties in life, most often does not have God in his heart. Nothing proves the wickedness of human nature more than our ability to turn the grace of God into an excuse for debauchery. Save us, God, from such evil!
21 They stretched out their hands against those who are in peace with them; they broke their covenant;
22 their mouth is softer than oil, but enmity is in their heart. their words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.
21. The psalmist cannot forget about the betrayal of his friend and again returns to this topic. "They stretched out their hands on those who are in the world with them." They rebel against those to whom the hand of friendship has been extended, violate ancient treaties and betray those who live in peace with them. "They broke their union." They break the sacred union in defiance of their vows and vows.
22. "Their lips are softer than butter." The wicked flattered and sang praises to the one he wanted to devour. Approaching him with the help of flattery, he treacherously stabbed him. Beware of someone whose tongue oozes too much honey. The more delicious the bait, the closer the danger. Where truth and sincerity are lacking, soft, insinuating, unctuous speeches abound. "And in their hearts there is enmity." He entertained his friend's ears with soft speeches, and held a knife in his bosom. He who says one thing and thinks another is a real villain, and woe to those whom he attacks. "Their words are softer than oil." David did not have to listen to anything more tender and more pleasant, there was nothing coarse and dissonant in these words, they flowed like olive oil. "But they are drawn swords," sharp arrows, heavy spears. O low and vile villain, you courting your victim, wanting to swallow it, luring it into your net like a wild animal. In reality, you are catching yourself.
23 Throw on the Lord your care, and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous stagger.
23. "Throw on the Lord your care." Lay on the Lord what He has laid on you. He, according to His wisdom, gave you to bear the burden, but your wisdom is to return this burden to Him. The lot has fallen to you from the Lord; return to Him what has fallen to your lot. He has put the yoke of suffering on you, accept it with humility and joy, and then put it back on the shoulders of your heavenly Father. "And He will support you." The Lord will give you your daily bread and quench your thirst. He will give you everything you need to carry out the burden placed on you. As you work, strength will come to you. "He will never let the righteous stagger." The righteous one sways like the branches of a tree sway in a strong wind, but the tree itself never falls. He who stands in the Lord stands strong. Many would gladly swallow up the righteous, but the Lord never allowed this evil and will never allow it. The people of God stand unshakably, like pillars in the house of God, to the glory of the great Architect.
24 You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; the bloodthirsty and insidious will not live to half their days. And I put my trust in You, Lord.
24. “You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; the bloodthirsty and insidious will not live to half their days. " God has prepared for the wicked a terrible, crushing and inevitable defeat. No matter how they climb up, an abyss gapes beneath them, and God himself will plunge them into the great abyss towards eternal destruction. The bloodthirsty and insidious, thinking only of cruelty and deceit, will not live to half their days. They will either perish in civil strife, or they will be disillusioned with their insidious plans and perish in despair. Their hearts longed for the death of others; in fact, they became suicides. Rest assured: virtue lengthens life, while vice tends to shorten. "And I put my trust in You, Lord." A wise and practical solution. Trusting in God makes a person unshakable. The Lord is a sufficient and more than sufficient basis for our faith. Lord, multiply our faith!
Verse 2 (the second part of).
1. The misfortune to be feared: "Don't hide":
a) God cannot hear the believer right away;
b) God may not hear the unbeliever at all.
2. The reasons for this trouble:
a) in a person;
b) in the prayer itself;
c) in the way of prayer.
2. Other troubles following from this.
3. How to deal with this trouble. This disaster cannot be dealt with until it passes by itself. Examining the heart, repentance, and calling on the name of Jesus can hasten the removal of punishment.
Verse 3. Great Listener.
1.What kind of speech shall we turn to Him?
2. What kind of attention from Him do we expect?
3. How can we get His attention?
4. What is our duty in return? Listen to Him.
Verse 3 (the second part of). Acceptable Complaint.
1. When we lament not on God, and in prayer to To God.
2. When we complain mainly about ourselves.
3. When we lament a world that is opposed to God and righteousness.
4. When we lament in holy sorrow rather than expressing personal grievance.
Verse 7. Loneliness.
1. His imaginary blessings.
2. Associated temptations.
3. His rare blessings. His sweet consolation.
Verse 9. Hasty flight from the test:
1. there is a rebellion against God;
2. betrays a lack of faith and cowardice;
3. 3. makes it impossible to gain useful experience;
4. will lead to even more troubles;
5. interferes with praising God;
6. hinders the transformation into the image of Christ and communion with the saints;
7. Prevents heaven from being appreciated.
Verse 10 (First part). Babylon of heresies. The division of heretics is natural, for there is one truth. It is inevitable, for the goals of the heretics are contradictory. It is from God to weaken the heretics. It is God's punishment because heretics torture one another.
Verse 11 (the second part of). Atrocities and calamities are inseparable companions. Cause and investigation.
Verse 15. Friendships arising from faith:
1. is built on a solid foundation;
2.Useful: "Conversations")
3. pleasant: "Sincere";
4. Brings joy: "Walked together";
5. requires a careful attitude towards itself;
6. Demands vigilant attention to itself.
Verse 17 Contrast.
1. The Son of God does not do evil like the wicked.
2. The Son of God cries out to God in contrast to them.
3. God hears Him, but turns away from the wicked.
4. The saints will receive eternal life, but the wicked will receive eternal death.
Verse 18.
1. David's earnest prayers: "I will beg and cry."
2. Frequent prayers of David: every day, thrice a day, in the evening, in the morning and at noon.
Verse 19 Battle, proximity of defeat, help, deliverance, praise.
Verse 20 The eternal kingdom of God is a threat to the wicked.
Verse 20 (the second part of). Well-being often leads to disbelief. Unbelievers:
1.Ungrateful (they should be more godly);
2. complacent (think they are gods);
3. forgetful (forget that nothing lasts forever under the sun);
4. ignorant (do not know that temporary prosperity is often given to the damned);
5. are insane (their actions are meaningless);
6. full of filth (they will be thrown out to be trampled).
Verse 22 The mouth of a hypocrite:
1. are verbose;
2. heartless;
3. softer than oil;
4. are insincere;
5. sharp as drawn swords;
6. are disastrous to themselves.
Verse 23 (First part). The believer has:
1. concerns;
2.responsibility: "Lay down";
3. promise: "will support".
Verse 23 (the second part of). Who are the righteous? What does it mean to them "Shake"? Whose permission is needed to shake them? Will this permission be given? "Never". Why?
Verse 24 (the second part of)... "I trust" (whole psalm)
1.when I pray (vv. 2-4);
2. when I am exhausted (vv. 5-8);
3. when I am surrounded by troubles (vv. 10-12);
4. when I was betrayed (vv. 13-15, 21-22);
5. when the wicked perish (v. 16);
6. when I am delivered (v. 19);
7. in any condition (v. 23).
Asks RickAlexander Dulger answers, 23.12.2009
Peace to you, Rika!
Here's an answer from my favorite book:
“The story of Judas is the story of the sad end of a man whom God could have crowned with glory. If Judas had died on the eve of his last trip to Jerusalem, he might have been numbered among the twelve, and those who remained would have regretted him. people towards him for many centuries, is explained by his actions at the end of his life. His character was revealed to the whole world for a reason. The story of Judas is a warning to those who, like him, deceive sacred trust.
Shortly before Passover, Judas confirmed to the priests his promise to deliver Jesus to them. It was decided to seize the Savior in one of his favorite places of solitude, where He meditated and prayed. After lunch at Simon's house, Judas had the opportunity to ponder what he was about to do. But he did not change his intentions. He gave up the Lord of glory to humiliation and death for thirty pieces of silver - the price that was given for a slave.
By nature, Judas was a very money-loving person, but still not so low as to do such a thing. However, he encouraged an evil spirit of greed until it became the main motive of his life. The love of money overcame the love of Christ in him. Having become a slave to one vice, he surrendered to Satan and became capable of any sin.
Judas joined the disciples when many people were already following Christ. The Savior's teaching touched their hearts; they listened with fascination to Him in the synagogue, on the seashore, on the side of a mountain. Judas saw how the sick, the lame, the blind rushed to Jesus from cities and villages. He witnessed the Savior's omnipotence: the dying were laid at His feet, and they rose. Jesus healed the sick and demon possessed, raised the dead. Judas himself was a proof of the power of Christ: he recognized that the teaching of Christ surpasses anything that he had ever heard. He loved the great Teacher and wanted to be with Him. He sought to change his character and his life and hoped to achieve this through fellowship with Jesus.
The Savior did not reject Judas. He accepted him among the twelve disciples. He entrusted him with the work of an evangelist and empowered him to heal the sick and cast out demons. But Judas was never able to fully submit to Christ. He did not get rid of his worldly aspirations or conquer the love of money. Although he assumed the position of a minister of Christ, he did not submit himself to divine influence. Judas believed that he could have his own opinion about everything and developed a tendency to condemn and accuse.
The disciples highly valued Judas, who had a tremendous influence on them. And he himself had a high opinion of his merits and believed that those around him were significantly inferior to him in prudence and abilities. They don't see the opportunities that open up, he thought, they don't take advantage of the circumstances. The church will never prosper if such short-sighted people lead it. Peter, in his opinion, is too hot-tempered, he acts rashly. John, who carefully preserved the treasures of truth that proceeded from the mouth of Christ, did not have business qualities in the eyes of Judas. Matthew, whose previous work taught him to be accurate in everything, is too scrupulous, constantly ponders the words of Christ and is so absorbed in this that he is not able to tear himself away from the details and see the perspective. This is how Judas evaluated all the disciples and flattered himself, believing that the church would often find itself at a loss and would experience difficulties if it were not for his business skills. Judas considered himself a very capable person, who cannot be surpassed. In his own eyes, he was the adornment of the whole work of Christ and always presented himself in this light.
Judas was unaware of his weaknesses, and Christ put him in a position that could help Judas see them and get rid of them. As treasurer, he was called to take care of the needs of the disciples and also to help the poor. When in the Passover room Jesus said to him: "What you are doing, do quickly" (), the disciples thought that Jesus had ordered the purchase of everything necessary for the holiday or alms to the poor. Serving others. Judas had the opportunity to develop selflessness. But, listening to Christ every day, being a witness of His righteous life. Judas continued to indulge his greed. The small sums of money that fell into his hands were a constant temptation for him. Often, doing Christ a service or devoting time to charitable affairs, he himself paid for this work from those meager funds that were entrusted to him, and he found enough excuses for self-justification. But in the eyes of God, he was a thief.
The often repeated words of Christ that His kingdom is not of this world offended Judas. He expected Christ to follow a certain path in His ministry. He thought that their Mentor would rescue John the Baptist from prison. But John was beheaded. And Jesus, instead of declaring His royal rights and avenging John, withdrew with His disciples into the wilderness. Judas longed for more decisive action. He believed that if Jesus had not obstructed the disciples. His case would have gone much better. He noticed the growing hostility of the Jewish rulers and saw that Christ neglected their demands for a sign from heaven. His heart was open to disbelief, and the enemy instilled doubt and resentment in him. Why did Jesus so often grieve people with His words? Why did He predict trials and persecutions for Himself and the disciples? Judas hoped to take a high position in the new kingdom, and this is what prompted him to join the work of Christ. Are all hopes dashed? It cannot be said that Judas did not consider Jesus the Son of God, but doubts overcame him, and he tried to somehow explain the great deeds of Christ.
Contrary to the teachings of the Savior, Judas constantly sought to spread the idea that Christ would reign in Jerusalem. During the saturation of five thousand, he tried to implement this idea. At that time, Judas helped distribute food to the hungry crowds. He was given the opportunity to see what benefit he can bring to others. He experienced the satisfaction that always accompanies serving God. He helped the sick and the afflicted get to Christ. He saw what relief, what joy the healing power of the great Physician brought people. Then he had the opportunity to comprehend the working methods of Christ. But selfish desires blinded him. Judas was the first to take advantage of the enthusiasm that gripped the people in connection with the miraculous nourishment; he proposed to force Christ to take the royal throne. But the hopes he cherished did not come true, and he was bitterly disappointed.
Christ's conversation in the synagogue about bread marked a turning point in the history of Judas. He heard the words: "If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you" (), - and understood that Christ offered spiritual blessings, not earthly ones. Considering himself to be forward-thinking. Judas thought that Jesus would never gain glory in this world or help His followers to take a high position. And he decided not to draw close to Christ in order to have an opportunity for apostasy. In the meantime, we must wait. And he waited.
From then on, he began to express doubts that confused other students. He drew attention to the seeming contradictions of the teachings of Christ, to its perverse interpretations, repeated the arguments of the scribes and Pharisees who disputed the words of Christ. All small and large troubles, all difficulties and obstacles in the spread of the Gospel, Judas interpreted as an argument against the good news. He looked for passages in Scripture that had no connection with the truths that Christ preached. These words, snatched from the text, puzzled the students and increased their oppressive disappointment. All this Judas did so cunningly that he seemed to be coming from a pure heart. And when the disciples were looking for arguments to prove the validity of the words of the great Teacher, Judas imperceptibly directed their thoughts in a different direction. Thus, putting on the mask of a God-fearing sage, he misinterpreted the ideas of Jesus, giving His words a completely different meaning. The instigations of Judas aroused unhealthy passions in the disciples, ambitious strives for excellence. Thus, he turned the students away from the most important things they should think about. Usually. Judas was the instigator of controversy about which of the disciples is the greatest.
When Jesus explained to a rich young man on what conditions he could become His disciple. Judas was displeased. He thought there was a mistake. If people like this ruler joined the believers, they would provide material support for the cause of Christ. No one asked my advice, Judas thought, and I would have proposed many plans that would benefit this little church. Of course, his principles and methods will differ to some extent from the methods of Christ, but in business, Judas considered himself wiser than the Master.
And no matter what Christ says to His disciples. Judas always disagreed with something in his soul. Under his influence, the leaven of discontent quickly did its job. The disciples did not understand everything that was happening, but Jesus saw: Satan endows Judas with his qualities, influencing other disciples through him. It is about this, a year before the betrayal, Christ said: "Did I not choose you twelve? But one of you is a devil" ().
However, Judas openly did not object to Jesus, not showing that he doubted the teachings of the Savior. Until a certain moment, he did not allow himself to murmur. But when Mary anointed the Savior's feet, Judas showed his greed. When Jesus convicted him, he became very angry. A wounded pride and a thirst for vengeance shattered all barriers, and the greed that Judas had cherished for so long now completely took over him. This happens to anyone who persists in sin. If we do not fight our vices and do not overcome them, Satan will overcome us with his temptations, and our soul will be in his complete power.
Yet the bitterness that possessed Judas could still be overcome. Even after he twice agreed to betray the Savior, he had the opportunity to repent. During the Passover Supper, Jesus manifested His divinity by showing that he knew Judas' treacherous design. He served Judas with the same affection that he served the rest of the disciples. But this last appeal for love remained unanswered. And then the fate of Judas was decided. The feet, which Christ washed, led the apostate along the path of betrayal.
Judas thought: if Jesus is destined to be crucified, then this will inevitably come to pass, and his betrayal, in essence, will not change anything. If Jesus must not die, then He will set Himself free. Either way, Judas will win. He thought he had made a good deal by betraying his Lord.
And for all that, Judas did not believe that Christ would allow himself to be arrested. In betraying Jesus, Judas wanted to teach Him a lesson. He intended to act out a scene in front of the Savior, so that from now on, He would show him due respect. But Judas did not know that in betraying Christ, he was giving Him up to death. How often, when the Savior spoke in parables, the scribes and Pharisees were carried away by His expressive speeches. And how often did they pass judgment on themselves! Sometimes, when the truth pierced their hearts, they filled with anger and grabbed stones to beat Christ. But He moved away from them without hindrance. He had escaped so many pitfalls, Judas thought, that of course he would not allow himself to be caught this time either.
Judas decided to check it out. If Jesus is indeed the Messiah, then the people for whom He has done so much will gather and declare Him king. This will once and for all dispel the doubts of the hesitant. Then everyone will owe him. Judas, who elevated the king to the throne of David. And this will give an opportunity to take the first place next to Christ in the new kingdom.
The false disciple played a part in the capture of Jesus. In the garden, addressing the leaders of the crowd, he said: "Whom I kiss. That is, take Him" \u200b\u200b(). At that moment, Judas firmly believed that Christ would free Himself. Then, if the Jews begin to accuse him, he will say to them: "Did I not tell you, hold Him tight?"
Judas watched as - on his advice - Christ was tied up, but when he saw that the Savior had allowed Himself to be taken away, he was shocked. Anxiously, he followed Him from the garden to the place where the Jewish leaders intended to judge Him. Judas all the time waited for Jesus to defeat His enemies - to appear before them as the Son of God and turn into nothing all their conspiracies and all their power. But hour after hour passed, and Jesus patiently endured all the insults. Fear gripped the traitor. He was horrified that he had betrayed his Mentor to death.
When the trial was already over. Judas could no longer endure the remorse. Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out in the hall, making all hearts flutter: "He is innocent, spare Him, Caiaphas!"
Tall Judas pushed his way through the frightened crowd. His face was pale and haggard, and large beads of sweat beaded on his forehead. Rushing to the throne of judgment, he threw at the priest's feet the coins that had been paid to him for betraying the Lord, and grabbed Caiaphas by the hem of his clothes, begging him to release Jesus, assuring that He had not done anything worthy of death. Caiaphas angrily dismissed him, but nevertheless he was embarrassed, not knowing what to say. After all, all his secret plans were revealed. It became clear:
the rulers of Israel bribed one of the disciples to betray his Master.
"I have sinned," Judas cried again, "by betraying innocent blood." But the high priest, to whom his composure returned, replied with a sneer: "What do we care about? See for yourself" (). Using Judas as their tool, the priests at the same time despised his meanness. When he came to them with repentance, they pushed him away.
And now Judas threw himself at the feet of Jesus, declaring Him to be the Son of God, begging to be freed from the bonds. The Savior did not reproach the traitor. He knew that Judas did not repent. His confession was forced; he feared condemnation and the coming judgment, but he did not feel deep heart grief at the fact that he had betrayed the sinless Son of God and denied the Holy One of Israel. But Jesus did not utter a single word of condemnation. He looked at Judas with compassion and said, "This hour I have come into the world."
The crowd began to whisper in surprise. People watched in amazement how condescendingly Christ reacted to the one who betrayed Him. Again they thought that before them was not a mere mortal. But if He is the Son of God, they reasoned, why then will He not be freed from the bonds and triumph over His accusers?
Judas, seeing that all his pleas were in vain, ran out of the hall, exclaiming: "Too late! Too late!" It was beyond his power to witness the crucifixion of Jesus. Despair took possession of him, and he hanged himself.
On the same day, a little later, on the way from Pilate's palace to Mount Calvary, an outrageous crowd led Jesus to the place of the crucifixion. Suddenly the screams and screams ceased. At the edge of a secluded grove, people saw the body of Judas under a withered tree. The sight was the most disgusting. Under the weight of Judas's body, the rope on which he hanged himself broke, the corpse was disfigured by the fall, and the dogs devoured it. The remains were immediately removed, but the crowd was no longer laughing. Faces turned pale, people fell silent, thoughtful. It seemed that retribution was already overtaking those who are guilty of the blood of Jesus. "
(c) Ellen White "Christ is the hope of the world" ch.76
Yours faithfully,
Alexander
To put on in the name of Christ and not follow the path of Christ - isn't this a betrayal of the name of Christ, abandonment of the saving path?
GOSPEL
Betrayal prediction
And behold, the hand of the one betraying Me with Me at the table, however, the Son of Man is going according to his destiny, but woe to the man to whom He is betrayed. And they began to ask each other which one of them would be who would do it ... (Luke 22:21, 22).
Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
Rising from prayer, He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping with sorrow and said to them: why are you sleeping? stand up and pray lest you fall into temptation. While He was still saying this, a crowd appeared, and one of the twelve, called Judas, walked in front of them, and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. For he gave them such a sign: Whom I kiss, He is. Jesus said to him: Judas! Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? And those who were with Him, seeing where the matter was going, said to Him: Lord! shall we not strike with the sword? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. Then Jesus said: leave it, that's enough. And touching his ear, he healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and the rulers of the temple and the elders who had assembled against Him: As if you went out against a robber with swords and stakes to take Me? Every day I was with you in the temple, and you did not raise your hands against Me, but now is your time and the power of darkness (Luke 22: 39-53).
Judas Iscariot betrays the Lord
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: What will you give me, and I will deliver Him to you? They offered him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time he looked for an opportunity to betray Him (Matthew 26: 14-16).
Last supper
When evening came, He lay down with the twelve disciples; And as they ate, he said, Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me. They were greatly grieved, and began to say to Him, each one of them: Am I not, Lord? He answered and said: He who dipped his hand with Me into the dish, this one will betray Me; however, the Son of Man is coming, as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for this man not to be born. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also said: Is it not I, Rabbi? Jesus says to him: you said (Matt. 26: 20-25).
And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a multitude of people with swords and stakes, from the chief priests and elders of the people. But the one who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: Whom I kiss, He is, take Him. And immediately going up to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi! And he kissed Him. Jesus said to him: Friend, why have you come? Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took Him. And so, one of those who were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, drew his sword and, striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus says to him: Return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword; Or do you think that I cannot now beg My Father, and He will present to Me more than twelve legions of Angels? how will the Scriptures come true, that it should be so? At that hour Jesus said to the people: as if you came out against a robber with swords and stakes to take Me; every day I sat with you teaching in the temple, and you did not take me. All this was done, that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples, leaving Him, fled (Matt. 26: 47-56).
Judas' fruitless remorse
Then Judas, who betrayed Him, seeing that He was condemned, and repented, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying: I have sinned, having betrayed innocent blood. But they said to him: what do we care about? take a look yourself. And throwing the pieces of silver in the temple, he went out, went and hanged himself. The chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said: It is impermissible to put them in the church treasury, because this is the price of blood. Having made a conference, they bought the potter's land for the burial of strangers; therefore, that land is called "the land of blood" to this day. Then came true what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, who says: and they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of the Appraised, whom the children of Israel estimated, and gave them for the potter's land, as the Lord told me (Matt 27: 3-10).
And he was looking for how to betray Him at a convenient time
And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to deliver him to them. But when they heard, they were glad, and promised to give him pieces of silver. And he was looking for a way to betray Him at a convenient time. And as they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, Truly I say to you, one of you who eats with me will betray me. They were saddened and began to say to Him, one by one: Am I not? and the other: isn't it me? He answered and said to them: One of the twelve, dipping with Me in a dish. However, the Son of Man is walking as it is written about Him; but woe to that person by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for that person not to be born (Mark 14: 10,11,18-21).
And Jesus said to them: All of you will be offended about Me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after My resurrection, I go before you in Galilee. Peter said to him: if all will be offended, but not me. And Jesus said to him: Truly, I say to you, today, this night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times. But he said with even greater effort: even if I ought to die with You, I will not deny You. All said the same (Mark 14: 27-31).
And he comes a third time and says to them: are you still sleeping and resting? It is finished, the hour has come: behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let's go; behold, the one who betrays Me has drawn near. And immediately, as He was speaking, Judas comes, one of the twelve, and with him a multitude of people with swords and stakes, from the chief priests and scribes and elders. The one who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: Whom I kiss, He is, take Him and lead carefully. And having come, he immediately approached Him and said: Rabbi! Rabbi! and kissed Him. And they laid their hands on Him and took Him. One of those who stood there drew a sword, struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to them: As if you came out against a robber with swords and stakes to take Me. Every day I was with you in the temple and taught, and you did not take Me. But may the Scriptures be fulfilled. Then, leaving Him, they all fled. One young man, wrapped in a veil over his naked body, followed Him; and the soldiers seized him. But he, leaving the veil, fled naked from them. (Mark 14: 41-52).
When Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest's maids came and, seeing Peter warming himself and looking at him, said: You were also with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying: I do not know and do not understand what you are saying. And he went out into the front yard; and the cock crowed. The maid, seeing him again, began to say to those who were standing there: This is one of them. He denied again. A little later, those who were standing here again began to say to Peter: as if you were one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your tongue is the same. He began to swear and swear: I do not know this Man about whom you are talking. Then the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: Before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times; and began to cry (Mark 14: 66-72).
Peter's confession. Judas is a traitor
Then Jesus said to the twelve: Would you like to go away too? Simon Peter answered Him: Lord! who should we go to? You have the words of eternal life: and we believed and knew that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them: Did I not choose you twelve? but one of you is a devil. He spoke of this about Judas Simon Iscariot, for this one wanted to betray Him, being one of the twelve (John 6: 67-71).
Traitor excommunicated from among the disciples
Jesus was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said: Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me. Then the disciples looked around at each other, wondering who He was talking about. One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining on the breast of Jesus. Simon Peter made a sign to him to ask who he was talking about. He, leaning on the breast of Jesus, said to Him: Lord! who is it? Jesus answered: the one to whom I will give, having dipped a piece of bread. And, dipping a piece, he gave it to Judas Iscariot Simonov. And after this piece Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him: what you are doing, do quickly. But none of the reclining ones understood why He said this to him. And as Judas had a box, some thought that Jesus was telling him: buy what we need for the holiday, or to give something to the poor. He, having taken the piece, immediately went out; but it was night.When he went out, Jesus said: Today the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, then God will glorify Him in Himself, and will soon glorify Him. Children! I will not be with you for long. You will seek Me, and, as I told the Jews, that where I am going, you cannot come, so I am telling you now. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another; as I have loved you, so may you love one another (John 13: 21-34).
Jesus went out with His disciples beyond the Kidron brook, where there was a garden, into which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew this place, because Jesus often gathered there with His disciples. So, Judas, taking a detachment of soldiers and ministers from the chief priests and Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches and weapons. But Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, went out and said to them: Whom are you looking for? They answered him: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them: I am. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. And when he said to them: It is I, they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them: Whom are you looking for? They said: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered: I told you that it was I, so if you are looking for Me, leave them, let them go, that the word that He said might be fulfilled: of those whom You gave Me, I did not destroy anyone. And Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. But Jesus said to Peter: Sheath the sword, shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me? (John 18: 2-11).
About the betrayal of Judas and about Easter, about the teaching of the mysteries, as well as about non-memory of malice
Said on holy and great quarter
1. Little needs to be said to your love today; little needs to be said, not because you are burdened by the multitude of what is preached - it is impossible to find another city that would be so lovingly disposed to listening to spiritual conversations. So, not because we will say a little because we bore you with a lot of what we preach, but because today there is an important reason for reducing speech: I see that many of the believers are rushing to partake of the terrible secrets. Therefore, so that they do not lose this meal, and not be left without that, it is necessary to distribute the food in proportion, so that you will benefit from both sides, and so that you move away, equipped with this meal and our conversations on the way, and proceed to the terrible and terrible communion with fear, awe, and proper reverence.Today, beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ has been betrayed; on this coming evening the Jews took Him and went. But do not be discouraged when you hear that Jesus was betrayed, or better, indulge in despondency and cry bitterly, but not for the faithful Jesus, but for the betrayer Judas, because the devotee saved the universe, and the betrayer destroyed his soul; the devotee now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and the betrayer is now in hell, awaiting inevitable punishment. Weep and sigh for him, sorrow for him, just as our Lord wept for him. Seeing him, it says in the Scriptures, "Confused and speech: one of you will betray Me"
(John XIII: 21).Oh, how great is the Master's mercy: the devotee grieves for the betrayer! Seeing him, says the evangelist,
"Be confused and speak: one of you will betray Me".
Why was He grieved? In order to show His love and together teach us that not the one who suffers evil, but the one who causes evil, we must constantly mourn. The latter is worse than the first, or better to say, the first, that is, endure evilis not evil, and doing evil is evil. To endure evil - this brings the kingdom of heaven; and to do evil - this exposes us to hell and punishment.
"Bliss- says the Lord, - cast out righteousness for the sake of those there is the kingdom of heaven ”(Matthew V: 10).Do you see how he who suffers evil receives reward and reward - the kingdom of heaven? Hear how the wrongdoer is punished and avenged. Paul, having said about the Jews that they "The Lord was killed and the prophets were persecuted"
(1 Sol. II: 15),added: "Their death will be according to their business"
(2 Cor. XI: 15).Do you see how the persecuted receive the kingdom, and the persecutors inherit the wrath of God? I said this now not without purpose, but so that we would not be angry with our enemies, but pity them, weep for them and sympathize with them: it is they who endure evil, enmity against us. If we tune our souls in this way, we will be able to pray for them. That is why I have been talking with you for the fourth day about prayer for the enemies, so that this word of instruction may be firmly learned, rooted in you from incessant suggestion. For this, I incessantly and pour out in words, so that the swelling of anger will fall and the inflammation will subside, so that the one who starts to pray is pure from anger. Christ commanded this not only for enemies, but also for us, who forgive them their sins, because you yourself gain more than you give, stopping anger at the enemy. How do you say I get more? If you forgive the sins of the enemy, then your sins against the Lord will be forgiven. These are incurable and unforgivable, and for those there is great relief and forgiveness. Hear how Eli spoke to his sons: "If the husband of the man sins, if the husband of the man sins, they will pray to the Lord for him: if the Lord sins, whoever will pray for him"
(1 Sam. II: 25)? Thus, this wound is not easily healed by prayer, but, without being healed by prayer, it is healed by forgiving one's neighbor's sins. Therefore, the sins in relation to the Lord Christ called thousands of talents, and sins in relation to neighbor - a hundred denarii (Matt. XVIII: 23-35). Forgive one hundred denarii, so that thousands of talents may be forgiven you.
2. However, enough has been said about prayer for enemies; let us return, if you will, to the speech about betrayal and see how our Lord was betrayed. "Then there is one shed from the hope, verb of Judas Iscariot, to the bishop, saying: what you want to give, and I will give him to you"
(Matt. XXVI: 14, 15)?These words, apparently, are clear and nothing else is implied in them, but if someone carefully examines each of these words, he will find in them many subjects for reflection and a great depth of thought. And, firstly - time, it is not in vain that the Evangelist means it, he did not just say: "Shed",
but added: “Then shed. Then",
tell me when? And what does it mean time for? What does he want to teach me? This is not without purpose: "then",
- he who speaks by the Spirit does not speak in vain and without purpose. What does this mean "then"?
Before that time, before that hour, a harlot came, "You have a glass of the world", and poured this oil on the head of the Lord (Matt. XXVI: 7). She showed great helpfulness, showed great faith, great obedience and reverence, changed her previous life, became better and more chaste. But when the harlot repented, when she won the Master's favor, then the disciple betrayed the Teacher. For this it is said: "then",
lest you accuse the Teacher of weakness when you see that the disciple is betraying the Teacher. The Master's strength was such that she also attracted harlots to obey Him.Why, you say, the one who converted harlots was unable to attract a disciple to him? He was able to attract a disciple to himself, but he did not want to make him kind by necessity and to draw him to himself by force. "Then shed".
An important subject for thought lies in this word: "Shed"not being called by the high priests, not being forced by necessity or force, but by himself and from himself, he produced deceit and undertook such an intention, having no one as an accomplice in this wickedness. "Then the shed is one and the same.".
What means: "One from the other"?
And in these words: "One from the other" the greatest condemnation against him is expressed. Jesus had other disciples, seventy in number, but they ranked second, did not enjoy such honor, did not have such boldness, did not participate in as many mysteries as the twelve disciples. These were especially distinguished and made up the choir near the King, this was the close company of the Teacher, and from here Judas fell. So, so that you know that not an ordinary disciple betrayed Him, but one of the highest order, for this the Evangelist says: "One from the other".
And he was not ashamed to write this to St. Matthew. Why was he not ashamed? In order for you to know that the evangelists always speak the truth in everything, and do not hide anything, even that which seems humiliating, because this, apparently humiliating, shows the Vladyka's philanthropy: a traitor, a robber, a thief He deigned such blessings and until the last hour he endured him, admonished him, exhorted him, and in every possible way took care of him. If he did not listen, then the Lord was not to blame, the witness to this is the harlot, she was attentive to herself - and was saved. Therefore, do not despair, looking at the harlot, and do not be arrogant, looking at Judas. Both are disastrous, arrogance and despair; the self-confidence of the one standing makes one fall, and despair of the one who is lying does not allow one to get up. Therefore, Paul also exhorted: "Imagine standing and watching, but not falling"
(1 Cor. X: 12). You have examples of both - as a disciple who seemed to stand, fell, and as a fallen harlot rose up. Our mind is inclined to fall, our will is inclined, therefore we need to protect and protect ourselves from all sides. "Then the shed is one of the two, the verb of Judas Iscariot.".
Do you see from which choir he fell? Do you see what teaching he neglected? Do you see what evil is carelessness and carelessness? .
Why do you call me his city? Oh, if I didn't know him! "Verb Judas Iscariot".
Why do you call it a city? There was another disciple - Judas, called Zealot (zealot). So that no mistake should occur from the same name, the evangelist distinguished the one from this; he named it for its good quality: Judas Zealot,
but he did not name him because of his evil quality - he did not say: "Judas the traitor".
Although it should be, as he called it for good quality, and that it should be called by evil quality and say: "Judas the traitor",
but, in order to teach you to keep your tongue clean from condemnation, he spares the traitor himself. "Shed,
- He speaks, - one of the two, the verb of Judas Iscariot to the bishop, speech: what do you want to give, and I will give him to you? " Oh, these wicked words! How did they come out of the mouth, how did the tongue move? How is the whole body not numb? How is the mind not clouded?
3. Is this, tell me, what Christ taught you? Isn't that why He said: "Do not acquire gold, nor silver, nor copper with your belts" (Matt. X: 9), restraining in advance your inclination to avarice? Wasn't this why He constantly urged, and at the same time said: "If someone hits your gum, turn him another" (Matt V: 39)? "What do you want to give, and I will betray Him to you?" Oh madness! For what? tell me. What small or great, having to accuse Him, are you betraying the Teacher? Because He gave you power over demons? For giving the power to heal diseases, to cleanse the lepers? Because he gave the power to raise the dead, that he made the master over the power of death? For these benefits do you give such payment? "What do you want to give, and I will betray Him to you?" Oh madness, or better, avarice! It gave rise to all this evil, carried away by it, he betrayed the Teacher. This is this evil root; it drives the souls that he possesses into a frenzy worse than a demon, makes them forget about everything - about himself, and about others, and about the laws of nature, deprives of the very meaning and makes them mad. Look how many things he blotted out of the soul of Judas: community [with Jesus Christ], affection, fellowship at a meal, miracles, teaching, admonition, instruction; all this then the love of money plunged into oblivion. Therefore, Paul rightly said: "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. VI: 10). "What do you want to give, and I will betray Him to you?"Great is the madness of these words. Can you tell me, can you betray the One who holds everything, has dominion over the demons, commands the sea, is the Lord of all nature? And in order to tame his madness and show that if He Himself had not wanted, He would not have been betrayed, listen to what the Lord is doing. At the very time of betrayal, when they came to him "With drecoli, with luminaries and lights", He tells them: "Who are you looking for" (John XVIII: 3, 4)?They did not know the One whom they intended to take. So far was Judas from the possibility of betraying Him that he did not even see the presence of the One whom he intended to betray, while there were lamps and so much light. The Evangelist also gave an indication of this, saying: they had "luminaries and candles," and did not see Him.Every day the Lord reminded him both in deeds and words, instilling that the traitor would not hide from Him; did not explicitly denounce him in front of everyone, so that he would not become more shameless, and did not remain silent, so that he, thinking that he was hidden, would not start betrayal without fear, but often said: "One of you will betray Me" (John XIII: 21),- however, did not make him famous. He spoke a lot about Gehenna, a lot about the kingdom, and in both of these he showed His strength, both in punishing sinners and in rewarding the virtuous. But Judas rejected all this, and God did not draw him by force. Since God created us as masters in the choice of both bad and good deeds, and wanted us to be good of our own free will, He does not force and does not force, if we do not want, because being kind under compulsion does not mean being kind. Therefore, since Judas was also the master of his thoughts and it was in his power to disobey them and not incline towards avarice, he obviously blinded his mind himself and refused his own salvation: "What mi, - He speaks, - you want to give, and I will betray Him to you? " Denouncing the blindness of his mind and his madness, the Evangelist says that at the time of their arrival Judas stood near them, saying: "What do you want to give, and I will betray Him to you?". And not only from this can one see the power of Christ, but also from the fact that after He uttered a simple word, they retreated and fell to the ground. But since they did not abandon their shamelessness even after that, He finally betrays Himself, as if to say so: I did everything on my side, showed my strength, showed that you are undertaking an impossible deed; I wanted to curb your anger, but since you didn’t want it, but remained in your madness, then, behold, I commit Myself. I said this so that someone would not begin to condemn Christ, saying: why did He not betray Judas? Why didn't he make him prudent and kind? How should you make him kind? By duress, or by will? If - under compulsion, then in this way he could not become the best, because no one can be kind under compulsion; if - by will and free decision, then He [Christ] used all the measures that could test the will and intention. And if he did not want to accept medicine, then this is not the fault of the doctor, but the one who rejected the medicine. Look how much Christ did to win him over to his side and save him: he taught him all wisdom and deeds and words, put him above demons, made him able to perform many miracles, frightened him with the threat of Gehenna, admonished him with the promise of the kingdom, constantly denounced his secret thoughts, but when he denounced, he did not expose to everyone, washed his feet along with the other disciples, made him a participant in His supper and meal, did not omit anything - neither small nor great, but he voluntarily remained incorrigible. And to make sure that he, having the opportunity to change, did not want to, and everything came from his carelessness, listen. Having betrayed Christ, he threw thirty pieces of silver and said: "Sinned by betraying innocent blood" (Matt. XXVII: 4). What is it? When you saw Him performing miracles, you did not say: "Sinning by betraying innocent blood", but: "What do you want to give, and I will betray Him to you?" And when evil succeeded and betrayal achieved fulfillment, and sin was committed, then did you recognize this sin? What do we learn from here? The fact that when we indulge in carelessness, even admonition does not benefit us, and when we are attentive, we can rebel by ourselves. So he did: when the Teacher exhorted him, he did not listen, and when no one exhorted him, his own conscience was awakened, and without any teacher he changed, condemned what he dared to do, and threw thirty pieces of silver. “What do you want to give, and I will betray Him to you? They are, - says the evangelist, - putting him thirty pieces of silver " (Matt. XXVI: 15); offered a price for blood that has no price. Why do you, Judas, accept thirty pieces of silver? Christ came free to shed this blood for the universe; and you are making shameless agreements and conditions about her. Indeed, what could be more shameless than such a treaty?
4... “Then come close to the disciple” (Matt. XXVI: 17). Then; when? When it happened, when the betrayal was committed, when Judas destroyed himself, then "When the disciples approached Jesus, saying to Him: where would we like to prepare the Passover for you?" Do you see the student? Do you see other students? He betrays the Lord, and these are concerned about Easter; he concludes the conditions, and these offer the service. He and these used the same miracles, the same instructions, the same power, where does such a change come from? From will; she is always the cause of all good and evil. "Where are we going to prepare Easter eggs?" It was this evening; The Lord did not have a home, and therefore they say to Him: "Where are we going to prepare Easter eggs?" We do not have a definite abode, we do not have a tent or a house. Let those who live in magnificent houses, in wide porticos, in spacious enclosures know that Christ did not have where to lay his head. Here are the students and ask: "Where are we going to prepare Easter for you?" What Easter? Not this one - ours, but for now the Jewish one, that was prepared by the disciples, but this one of ours - He Himself prepared, and not only He Himself prepared it, but He Himself became the Passover. "Where are we going to prepare Easter for you?" It was the Jewish Passover, the one that began in Egypt. Why did Christ eat it? In order to fulfill everything required by law. When he was baptized, he said: "Tako bo befits us to fulfill all truth" (Matt. III: 15); I came to redeem a man from the oath of the law, for "God sent his son, who is born of a wife, who is under the law, that he may redeem the under-law", and will terminate the law itself (Gal. IV: 4,5). So that someone does not say that He destroyed the law because He could not fulfill it, as grievous, difficult and inconceivable - He first fulfilled it all, and then canceled it. Therefore, He also celebrated the Passover, because the Passover was prescribed by the law. And why did the law prescribe to eat Passover? The Jews were ungrateful to their Benefactor and immediately after the beneficence they forgot about the command of God. So, when they left Egypt, even seeing the sea, divided and reunited, and other countless miracles, they said: "Let us make gods for ourselves, who will go before us" (Ex. XXXII: 1). What are you saying? Miracles are still before you, but have you already forgotten about the Benefactor? And so, since they were so insensitive and ungrateful, God linked the remembrance of His gifts with the establishment of holidays, therefore He commanded to kill the Passover, so that when He asks you, He says, your son: what does this Passover mean? - you said that our ancestors in Egypt once anointed the doors with the blood of a sheep, so that the destroyer, coming and seeing, would not dare to enter and did not strike (Ex. XII: 27-28). Thus, later this holiday became a constant reminder of salvation. And they received not only the benefit that he reminded them of the ancient blessings, but also another, greater one, from the fact that he represented the future. That lamb was the image of the other Lamb — the spiritual, the sheep — the Sheep; that was the shadow, and this is the truth. When the Sun of Truth appeared, then the shadow finally disappeared, for when the sun rises, the shadow disappears. Therefore, at this very meal, one and the other Easter is celebrated, both representative and true. Just as painters draw lines on the same board and depict a shadow and then apply true colors to it, so did Christ: at the same meal He wrote the representative Easter and added the true one. "Where are we going to prepare Easter for you?" Then there was the Jewish Passover, but when the sun rose, let the lamp be gone; when the truth came, let the shadow disappear.
5. I say this to the Jews, because they think that they are celebrating the Passover, and, uncircumcised in their hearts, offer unleavened bread with shameless intention. How, tell me, Jew, do you celebrate the Passover? The temple has been destroyed, the altar has been destroyed, the Holy of Holies has been trampled underfoot, all kinds of sacrifices have ceased, why do you dare to commit these lawless deeds? You once departed to Babylon, and there those who captivated you said : "Sing to us from the songs of Zion" (Psalm CXXXVI: 3), but you disagreed. David expressed this by saying "On the rivers of Babylon, tamo gray-haired and weeping: on the verbye in the middle of it, we have our organs" (Psalm CXXXVI: 1,2), that is, the psalter, zither, lyre, and so on, since they were used by them in antiquity and through them they sang psalms. Going into captivity, they took them with them in order to have a reminder of life in the fatherland, and not in order to use them. "Tamo, - He speaks, - ask us captive us about words of songs ", and we said: "How will we sing the song of the Lord on an alien land" (Psalm CXXXVI: 3,4)? What are you saying? You do not sing the Song of the Lord on a foreign land, but do you celebrate the Lord's Passover on a foreign land? Do you see the ingratitude? Do you see the lawlessness? When the enemies forced them, they did not even dare to say the psalm on a foreign land, and now on their own, while no one is forcing or forcing them, they are raising a war against God. Do you see how unclean the unleavened bread is, how lawless is their feast, how the Jewish Passover no longer exists? There was once the Jewish Passover, but now it has been canceled, and the Spiritual Passover has come, which Christ then taught. When they disciples ate and drank, then He, it says in the Gospel, "Receive bread, break it and speak: this is my body, for you is broken for the remission of sins" (Matt. XXVI: 26,27). Those who are initiated into mysteries understand what has been said. Likewise, taking the cup, he said: "This is my blood, even for many we are poured out, for the remission of sins" (Matt. XXVI: 28).And Judas was present when Christ spoke this. "This is the body", which you, Judas, sold for thirty pieces of silver; "This is blood", about which you recently made shameless terms with the ungrateful Pharisees. Oh, the love of Christ! Oh madness, oh madness of Judas! This one sold Him for thirty denarii, and even after that Christ would not refuse to give His most sold blood to the seller "For the remission of sins", if this one wanted to. After all, Judas was present and participated in the sacred meal. When Christ washed his feet along with the other disciples, he also participated in the sacred meal, so that he would not have any pretext for justification if he remained with his wickedness. Christ said and used everything from His side, but he stubbornly remained with his wicked intention.
6. However, it is time to start this terrible meal. Let us all proceed with due modesty and attention; and let no one be Judas, let no one be evil, let no one hide poison in himself, carrying one on his lips and the other in his mind. Christ is coming, and now, Who established that meal, He is now arranging this one. It is not man who transforms what was offered into the body and blood of Christ, but Christ Himself crucified for us. Representing His image, the priest stands, pronouncing those words, and the power and grace of God is at work. "This is my body", he said. These words translate the proposed, and like that saying: "Grow and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. I: 28), although uttered once, but in reality at all times gives our nature the strength to bear children; so this dictum, uttered once, from that time until now until His coming, makes the sacrifice perfect at every meal in the churches. So, let no one approach the insidious, no one - filled with anger, no one - with poison in their thoughts, so as not to receive communion "In condemnation". And so, after accepting the proposed, the devil entered Judas, despising not the body of the Lord, but despising Judas for his shamelessness, so that you would know that those who unworthily partake of the divine mysteries are especially attacked and constantly entered by the devil, just as then into Judas ... Thus, honors benefit the worthy, and those who use them unworthy are subject to greater punishment. I say this not to intimidate, but to warn. Let no one be Judas, let no one, approaching, have the poison of malice in him. This sacrifice is spiritual food; and just as bodily food, getting into the stomach, which has bad juices, further increases the weakness, not by its property, but due to an illness of the stomach, so it usually happens with spiritual sacraments. And when they communicate to a soul filled with malice, they damage and destroy it more, not by their nature, but by the illness of the soul that has received it. So, let no one have evil thoughts inside him, but let us purify the mind, we proceed to a pure sacrifice - let us make our soul holy, and this can be done in one day. How and how? If you have anything against the enemy, then leave your anger, heal the wound, stop the enmity, so that you will benefit from this meal, because you are embarking on a terrible and holy sacrifice. Be ashamed of that which is the basis of this very offering. The slain Christ is presented. Why was He slain and why? In order to pacify heavenly and earthly, to make you a friend of angels, to reconcile you with the God of all, to make you a friend out of an enemy and an enemy. He gave His life for those who hate Him, and do you remain hostile against a servant like you? How can you begin to eat the world? He didn’t even refuse to die for you, and you don’t have enough strength for yourself to leave anger on a slave like you? How can this be forgiven? He offended me, you say, and took a lot from me. What? The damage is only in money - he has not yet wounded you like Judas Christ, but Christ gave His very blood, which was shed, for the salvation of those who shed it. What can you say equal to this? If you did not forgive the enemy, then you did not harm him, but yourself; You have often harmed him in your present life, and you have made yourself unworthy of forgiveness and unrequited in the next day. Nothing is so revolted by God as a vindictive person, as an arrogant heart and an irritable soul. Hear what He says: "If you bring your gift to Oltar, and remember that one" before, standing before the altar, "As if your brother has something for you, leave that gift of yours before the altar, and when you go, first humble yourself with your brother, and then come and bring your gift" (Matt. V: 23,24). What do you say: will I leave a gift? Yes, for the world, he says, with your brother, this sacrifice has been made. Therefore, if this sacrifice is made for your peace with your brother, and you do not make peace, then you are in vain to participate in this sacrifice, this benefit becomes useless for you. Do in advance what this sacrifice was made for, and then you will make excellent use of it. For this the Son of God came down to reconcile our nature with the Master; Not only did He come Himself for this, but He was also concerned that we, who do this, be made partakers of His name. "Bliss, - He says, - peacemakers, as the sons of God will be called " (Matt V: 9). What the Only Begotten Son of God did, you also do as humanly as you can, becoming the culprit of the world both for yourself and for others. Therefore, He calls you, the peacemaker, the son of God, therefore, in relation to the time of the sacrifice, He did not mention any other commandment, except for reconciliation with his brother, expressing that this is most important. I wanted to continue the speech even more, but what has been said is enough for the attentive, if they will remember. Let us, beloved, constantly remember these words, and the holy kissing, and the terrible greetings that we make to each other. This unites our souls and makes us all become one body, just as we partake of all of one body. Let us unite into one body, not combining bodies with each other, but connecting souls with each other in the union of love, thus we can boldly partake of the proposed meal. And even if we had countless righteous deeds, but if we are vindictive, then everything will be in vain and in vain, and we will not be able to receive any fruit for salvation from them. So, realizing this, let us stop all anger and, having cleared our conscience, with all humility and meekness, let us approach the meal of Christ, with Whom the Father, with the Holy Spirit, all glory, honor, power, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
About the betrayal of Judas and about the passion of our Lord Jesus ChristThe great heels
I see the church gloomy, gloomily expressing betrayal on the part of my own son. A terrible thing: murder is prepared, and the sufferer is the heavenly Judge of the living and the dead. But most terrible of all: suddenly the enemy and the malefactor - a recent disciple and follower, at once (became) a beast of a sheep, the apostle - an apostate from the light, a dissenting slave - a seller of the Lord; it is (considered) the twelfth after eleven disciples. And why not give me a name, so as not to bring dishonor to all the apostles by harboring the culprit ? "Then one of the twelve ... went.". Who! "Called Judas" (Matt. 26 :14 ). And also, so that the innocent does not hide the guilty one (since we find between the apostles another named by the same name): Judas Iscariot, - they say - one of the twelve ... let's go ". And he was not alone: \u200b\u200bhe had the devil with him. Going to the bishops, he said: (Matt. 26 :15 ). Tell me now, Judas, offering to sell the Lord of the world and his teacher - what do you value the dignity of a student? What compels you to go to betray your king? In what way did you see the preference of the rest of your fellow practitioners to you, that you were planning this lawless deed? After all, you know the voice of the Vladyka, who was to you and the eleven apostles: "who wants to yoube the first, be the last of all and all the servant "(Mk. 9 :35 ). Didn't He say beforehand to stop your plan? And He encouraged you to serve among the first, so that you, as the last, subject to an unworthy disease, would not make your own deceit. If you were not greedy for money when you gave treachery to the Jews, then you might think that you, having endured something wrong, left to avenge injustice. But your words: "What will you give me and I will betray Him to you?", clearly reveal you in your cunning.“They offered him thirty pieces of silver; and from that time on, he looked for an opportunity to betray Him " (Matt. 26 :15-16 ). What are you doing, Judas: agreed in thirty pieces of silver for a precious pearl? First number the stars, which He created with only a word, and then think to betray the Word with the word."I was looking for an opportunity to betray Him." He created times and ages, and against Him he sought a time convenient for his betrayal!
“When evening came, He lay down with the twelve disciples; and as they ate, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." (Matt. 26 :20,21 ). "He went against me and you, and what he learned he could not keep." "They were greatly grieved, and began to say to Him, each one of them: Am I not, Lord?" (Matt. 26 :22 ). With the said, He prompted everyone to a precise examination of his conscience, for whom what was hidden in the heart (was) pure. Jesus answered, “Why would you all slander yourself with the undertaking of a traitor? "He who dipped his hand with Me into the dish, this one will betray Me." (Matt. 26 :23 ). Unwittingly, he points to himself, speaks before the deed, although he does not want to; his name will be preserved by me as long as he reveals to you his plan against me. "“And Judas, who betrayed Him, also said,“ Is it not I, Rabbi? Jesus says to him: you said " (Matt. 26 :25 ). “You justified eleven by showing them to be innocent in what you did. Accept another condemnation for what you think to do out of avarice. "
“And while they were eating, Jesus took the bread and, having blessed it, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: take, eat: this is my body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: accept,drink from it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins " (Matthew 26: 26-28). "Accept,drink everything from it ". “And you,” he says, “are a traitor, be a participant in eternal life, and if you remain in it, then your agreement with the Jews is forgiven you; and if you do not destroy your desire in yourself, then always be aware of how humane Vladyka you are selling. " But he, not taking advantage of the Lord's mercy, went to the Jews, in a hurry to carry out his intention. “And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a multitude of people with swords and stakes, from the chief priests and elders of the people. But the one who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: Whom I kiss, He is, take Him ” (Matt. 26: 47.48). “Pay attention to my lips; otherwise the Word cannot be betrayed. " “And immediately going up to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi! And he kissed Him " (Matt. 26:49).Oh kiss! The destruction of the world in the universe, or, in truth, the end of the world war, although you, Judas, dared to betray, not striving for this goal! "Jesus said to him, friend, why have you come?" (Matt. 26:50). - You gave Me a kiss; fulfill your contract with the upcoming ones. " "Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus, and took Him." (Matt. 26:50). The traitor departed from the apostles, and the ruler of life was brought before the Jews to death; the cross is prepared, and the coffin is being built for life; the dead rise, and Judas goes to hell; the Savior crucifies with the robbers, and calls everyone to heaven. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Those who left Christ perish through their own fault
To put on in the name of Christ and not follow the path of Christ - isn't this a betrayal of the name of Christ, abandonment of the saving path?
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