Blessed are those who are reviled. Blessed are those who are exiled for the sake of truth. St. Simeon the New Theologian

Blessed are you when they revile you, and mistreat you, and say all sorts of evil things against you, who lie to Me for my sake.
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Blessed is the expulsion of truth for the sake of them, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile you, and mistreat you, and say all sorts of evil things against you, who lie to Me for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven. ( Matt. 5:11)

We connect these two Beatitudes together because they are similar to each other. In Russian, the 8th and 9th commandments read like this: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they revile you and cast you out and utter every kind of slander and slander against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad then, for your reward will be great in heaven.

The last two Beatitudes say that all who live in truth will be persecuted. By truth we need to understand life according to the commandments of God. (From this the word “righteous”). In other words, blessed are those who are persecuted for faith and piety, for their good deeds done in the name of Christ, for constancy and steadfastness in the faith. Such people in eternal life will be rewarded with the bliss of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Exile for the truth takes many forms. This can be spiritual alienation, rejection or reproach, or opposition to the God-pleasing activities of those who live in truth, slander, embarrassment caused by the authorities, exile, torture, and, finally, death.

Remember the word, said Jesus Christ, which I said to you: a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too; If they have kept my word, they will keep yours. But they will do all this to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me ( In. 15:20-21). In these words, Christ calls His followers to imitate Him in everything, including His self-abasement. Imitating Christ is not an external duty or a compulsory requirement. In other words, this is not an external assimilation and repetition of His actions and actions. Imitation of Christ is a living, free arrangement of religious and moral life in Christ, through the power of love for Him as His Ideal, Redeemer and Savior. To love Christ we are called to go through inevitable path selflessness. Through self-sacrifice as such, we come to reconciliation with all adversities, sorrows with all sorts of troubles. “There is no greater glory than to share dishonor with Jesus,” he liked to say great saint Moscow Metropolitan Filaret.

True Christians will always be persecuted because of Christ. They will be persecuted with Him and like Him, for the truth they profess and the good they do. As we have already said, this persecution can manifest itself in the most different forms, not only physical, but they will always be senseless, unfair, cruel and causeless, for, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, everyone who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted ( 2 Tim. 3:12). However, we must be wary of the false “persecution complex” and be sure that we suffer only for the truth, and not for our own weaknesses and sins. The apostolic writings clearly warn: For this is pleasing to God, teaches the Apostle Peter, if anyone, thinking about God, endures tribulations, suffering unjustly. For what is praise if you endure being beaten for your wrongdoings? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this pleases God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps ( 1 Pet. 2:19-21).

If they slander you because of the name of Christ, then you are blessed, for the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of God, rests on you. ...If only none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, or as someone who encroaches on someone else’s property; and if you are a Christian, then do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate ( 1 Pet. 4:14-16).

Why does the world persecute true faith, piety, truth, which are so beneficial for the world itself? The Word of God answers us: the world lies in evil ( 1John 5:19). People, according to the word of King David, loved evil more than good ( Ps. 51:5), and the prince of this world, the devil, working through evil people, hates the truth and persecutes it, since it serves as a reproof of untruth. On this occasion St. right John of Kronstadt wrote: “Evil, depraved people have always hated the righteous and persecuted, and will continue to hate and persecute. Cain hated his righteous brother Abel, persecuted him for his piety and finally killed him; The beastly Esau hated his meek brother Jacob and persecuted him, threatening to kill him; The unrighteous children of the patriarch Jacob hated their brother, the righteous Joseph, and sold him secretly to Egypt so that he would not be a thorn in their side; The wicked Saul hated the meek David and persecuted him until his death, encroaching on his life; They hated the prophets of God, who denounced the lawless life, and beat some of them, killed others, stoned others, and finally, they persecuted and killed the greatest Righteous One, the fulfillment of the laws and prophets, the Sun of righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ” (“Full collection. op.” Archpriest John Sergiev, vol. I, pp. 218-224).

Persecution by the enemies of Christianity embraces the entire external conditions existence ancient Church. The heavy burden of persecution was further increased by the fact that poverty and poverty constituted distinctive feature the first Christians. Look, writes the apostle. Paul to the Corinthians, who are you who are called: not many of you are wise according to the flesh, not many of you are mighty, not many of you are noble; ...God chose the base things of the world and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are ( 1 Cor. 1:26.28). In addition to external trials, Christians who were poor materially, but rich in spirit, had to endure no less difficult internal trials - slander, blasphemy, ridicule, abuse, slander, etc.

The history of the Church shows us that Christians who lived in truth suffered not only from the pagans, but were persecuted even when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Such luminaries of the faith as Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom, Maximus the Confessor, John of Damascus, Sophronius of Jerusalem and many others were subjected to misrecognition, desecration, expulsion and martyrdom. So it is to this day, when in communist countries state power was used with particular force to destroy Christianity and Christians.

Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, was a great zealot for truth. But fearing persecution, according to his sacred duty, he could not look indifferently at the vices of people and exposed them. Of course, vicious people, for their part, could not indifferently tolerate the denunciations of the preacher of truth and social justice. His enemies multiplied, but he was ready to endure any persecution for the sake of truth. The evil enemies of John Chrysostom triumphed, and the saint was condemned to imprisonment. When his friends complained and grieved for him, he was completely calm and even cheerful. “Pray, my brothers,” he said, “remember me in your prayers.” When the tears of those around him were the answer to this, he continued: “Do not cry, my brothers, real life there is a journey during which one must endure both good and bad.” John Chrysostom owns wonderful words, which many martyrs and righteous people later loved to repeat: “Glory to God for everything, but especially for sorrows.”

Christians should accept any suffering joyfully, with mercy towards those who cause it. Like Christ, who, dying on the Cross, said: Father, forgive them... ( OK. 23:34), like the first martyr Stephen, stoned, who prayed: Lord! do not impute this sin to them ( Acts 7:60). Christ said: But to you who hear, I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. Offer the other to the one who hits you on the cheek, and to the one who takes away from you outerwear don’t bother me to take the shirt too. … Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing; and you will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven, give and it will be given to you... ( OK. 6:27-38).

The last, 9th Beatitude, is a preparation for us to be able to accept the further preaching of Jesus Christ about following Him, bearing our life's cross; and most importantly, to come closer to the great Mystery of the Savior Himself suffering on the cross.

Let no one be embarrassed by the apparent victory in this world of lies over truth, darkness over light. The main truth of the Christian gospel is that Christ has risen, that He is the Conqueror of death, and makes us, who believe in Him, partners and heirs of this victory. To those who believe in Him, Christ gave the cross - the strongest weapon against evil. The image of the Cross was forever covered with the sanctifying reflection of the Easter victory - the victory of God's truth over the kingdom of the prince of this world.

“You have been with Me in My tribulations,” says the Lord to His faithful followers, “and I bequeath to you, as My Father bequeathed to Me, the Kingdom ( OK. 22:28-29).

In the Apocalypse we read about people who fulfilled the last Beatitudes: these are those who came from the great tribulation; they washed their robes and y6elided their robes in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they remain before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits on the throne will dwell in them ( Rev. 7:14-15).

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From the very first to the very last pages In the Gospels, the apostles of Christ, together with the Mother of God, and all Christians, constantly rejoice at the salvation brought by Him.

As the Father has loved Me, and I have loved you,” says the Lord, “abide in My love.” If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. Cue I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete ( In. 15:9-11). ...And your heart will rejoice,” Christ says in another place, “and no one will take your joy away from you.” ...Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete ( In. 16:22-24).

True Christian joy is not earthly happiness, pleasure or a pleasant pastime, but an incomparable joy... in faith ( Rome. 15:13), the joy of knowledge God's love, joy is worthy, according to the words of St. Peter, to participate in Christ's suffering ( 1 Pet. 4:13).

Spiritual joy is closely related to spiritual suffering. It is wrong to think that joy comes only after suffering: joy in Christ comes along with suffering in Christ. They coexist and depend on one another for their strength and power. Just as sorrow over sin comes along with the joy of salvation, so suffering in this world is consonant with and even directly evokes this same inexpressible joy of salvation. Therefore, as the Apostle James says, Christians should count it great joy when they fall into various temptations, knowing that the perfect work of their steadfast faith is that they may become perfect and complete, lacking nothing ( Jacob 1:2-3). This is also the firm conviction of the Apostle Paul, who wrote: ... We boast in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also glory in our sorrows, knowing that from sorrow comes patience, from patience experience, from experience hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us ( Rome. 5:2-5). Such is the spiritual joy of Christians, the joy of martyrs, which more than anything testifies to the truth Christian faith and the authenticity of Christian spiritual life.

Vladyka, let us continue our conversation about the Beatitudes. The fourth beatitude is: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” What is greed and thirst for truth?

In this commandment, Christ combines the concepts of beatitude and truth. And truth acts as a condition for human happiness. Truth is a person's faithfulness to his covenant with God. After all, each of us at baptism entered into a union, or covenant, with God. Those who strive to live by the truth are called in the figurative language of the Bible “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Living in truth is not easy, because there are a lot of lies in the world. The source of lies is the devil, as the Lord directly says: “When he speaks a lie, he speaks his own, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). And every time we multiply lies, speak untruths or commit unrighteous deeds, we expand the domain of the devil. Living in a lie, a person cannot be happy, because the devil is not the source of happiness. Through untruth we enter the realm of evil, and evil and happiness are incompatible. The Beatitudes testify: there can be no happiness without truth, just as there can be no happiness with lies. And therefore, any attempt to arrange personal, family, social or public life based on lies inevitably leads to defeat, division, illness and suffering.

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness were all those who from the very beginning followed Christ and did not leave Him until death. And today those who thirst for righteousness will be those who thirst for Christ, for Jesus is the fullness of righteousness, the whole Truth and the whole order of life, as He Himself said about Himself: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) .

The fifth beatitude: “Blessed be the mercy, for there will be mercy.” Does this commandment tell us that the hope for God’s mercy can be to show mercy to our neighbors? What are works of mercy?

The Holy Fathers teach that the most pure source mercy is compassion. Compassion is a merciful heart. By doing good deeds and helping our neighbors, we discover that the person in whose fate we took part ceases to be a stranger to us, he enters our lives. Responsiveness, compassion and kindness that we address to other people connect us with them. The Lord himself lists acts of mercy, the fulfillment of which brings a person into the Kingdom of God: “... for I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

The Holy Scripture says: “A merciful man does good to his own soul” (Prov. 11:17). When you do something to someone else, you do it twice or a hundred times more for yourself, for the Lord sees everything and will reward it. After all, how we treat people, so the Lord will treat us, which He clearly and unambiguously said in the parable of Last Judgment.

The sixth beatitude: “Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God.” What is impurity of heart? What should we get rid of?

In this commandment we're talking about about the knowledge of God. The Lord does not reveal himself to an impure heart. The Monk Abba Isaiah teaches: “It is impossible for Christ to dwell in a person along with sin. If Christ has dwelt in you, then sin has died in you.” This means that a person who lives according to the law of lies, who does untruth and sows evil, will never be given the opportunity to accept the All-Good God into his petrified heart. Saint John Chrysostom says that all our lives we must sit at the door of our heart and protect it from contamination, which deprives us of communion with the Lord.

God is absolute purity and holiness, and in order to feel Him, a person must strive for the same state. It is no coincidence that the Lord says: “Unless you become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3). The child is clean. His inner world is close to the world of God. Like is known only by like, and in order to get closer to God and feel Him, a person must be like Him. To see the Creator, to accept and feel Him, to enter into communication with Him means to gain Truth, fullness of life and bliss. As St. Ephraim the Syrian teaches: “As long as the heart remains in goodness, so long does God abide in it, so long does it serve as a source of life, because good things come from it. But when it deviates from God and commits iniquities, it becomes a source of death, because evil comes from it. The heart is God’s abode, therefore it needs to be protected so that evil does not enter it and God does not withdraw from it.” Sinful defilement is washed with tears of repentance, when the sinned heart is ashamed of what it has done, it is painful to lose communication with God, and it is scary to die with unrepentant sin.

The seventh beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for these shall be called the sons of God.” Who is the peacemaker in God's eyes?

As St. John Chrysostom emphasizes, with this beatitude Christ “not only condemns the mutual disagreement and hatred of people among themselves, but demands more, namely, that we reconcile the disagreements and discords of others.” According to the commandment of Christ, we must become peacemakers, that is, those who create peace on earth. In this case, we will become sons of God by grace, because, in the words of Chrysostom, “and the work of the Only Begotten Son of God was to unite what was divided and to reconcile what was at war.” Already the Nativity of Christ itself was accompanied by an angelic song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14). For the Lord, the Source and Giver of peace, brought it to people with His birth. “The Lord has called us to peace,” says the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 7:15).

Peace is not only the absence of hostility, but a state of harmony and peace, without which the life of an individual and society as a whole turns into hell. A peacemaker can be one who has acquired a peaceful dispensation in his heart. And therefore we must try with all our might to preserve peace of mind.

Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) very accurately defines the relevance of this commandment: “If we turn to our time, then it is especially characterized by the alienation of people, the loss of heartfelt connection, mutual trust and sincere, benevolent attraction of one to another. Even among members of the same family, there is a noticeable desire to isolate themselves, to isolate themselves with partitions, in order to have their own corner. This happens because harmony has not been created, the inner peace of each family member with himself, within himself, so that on the basis of this inner world to seek and create peace with all loved ones and with all other people. Only when inner peace is restored in Jesus Christ human heart, then the connection of this heart with its neighbors is restored. This connection is expressed in the unity of word, spirit and thought.” It's obvious that for real happy life without peace with yourself and your neighbors is impossible.

The eighth beatitude: “It is blessed to banish righteousness for the sake of them, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” So, blessed are those who are persecuted for their faith, for good deeds, for steadfastness in faith? Why does the world persecute true faith, piety, truth, which are so beneficial for people?

Truth in this commandment means Christian faith and life according to the commandments of Christ. The Lord calls blessed those who endure persecution for faith and piety, for good deeds, for constancy and steadfastness in faith. The world met Christ with hostility, and therefore one should not be surprised that the attitude towards His followers will be the same. The Lord Himself said: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too” (John 15:20).

The Lord calls His disciples the salt of the earth. Every Christian is called to prevent the corruption of the human community in which he lives. But in order to testify to the truth, it is necessary to swim against the current, that is, to enter into contradiction, into conflict with the lies of this world, for which Christians will never become one. Therefore, clashes are inevitable, and where there are clashes, there is persecution.

Saint John Chrysostom interprets the fruits of persecution in this way: “Just as a plant grows faster when it is watered, so our faith blossoms more strongly and multiplies faster when it is subjected to persecution.” And Saint Gregory of Nyssa, discussing the meaning of this commandment, says: “Imagine that the Lord, Who is Truth and Holiness, Incorruptibility and Goodness... will tell you that blessed is everyone who is removed from everything that is opposite to Him: from corruption, darkness, sin, untruth, selfishness and anything else that in fact and in meaning does not agree with virtue... So, do not grieve, brethren, who are expelled from earthly things: he who is removed from here is installed in the Royal heavenly palaces.” That is, for Christians, being expelled from the world of lies and untruths is happiness, because otherwise they would have to live according to the laws of this world, which means they would find as a result of sorrow, illness and corruption. But if we persist in faith and do not become faint-hearted, then the final and irrevocable break with the earthly kingdom and its illusory temptations will open for us the path to the Kingdom of Heaven and a blissful eternity with God.

The ninth beatitude: “Blessed are you when they revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil things against you who lie to Me for your sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven!” How much courage is required not to give up, not to grow cold, not to despair and, most importantly, not to hate the persecutors! Please comment.

The last beatitude is about those who accept the crown of martyrdom for confessing the name of Christ. In the history of mankind, the truth of God was revealed exclusively in the person of the Savior. This truth is not an abstract ideological idea or some kind of philosophical conclusion, but it is a reality expressed in historical figure Jesus Christ. And therefore, the enemies of God’s truth understood that without fighting Christ and His witnesses it was impossible to defeat the Divine truth.

The 20th century became a terrible period of persecution of Christians, when in the post-revolutionary years bishops, priests, monks, and countless believers were subjected to sophisticated torture and torment. The people of God were exterminated only because they believed in Christ the Savior. Those who paid with their lives for loyalty to Christ and His Church were martyrs, and those who carried this faith through all the trials and survived became confessors. It’s hard to even imagine what would have happened to our people if the righteous of the twentieth century had not preserved Orthodox faith. The consequences of this would be catastrophic for our spiritual, religious and cultural identity. Devastated, disbelieving people, having lost God and spiritual immunity, would be doomed to self-destruction.

Taking Christian teaching and by comparing our lives with it, we take a completely definite position in key conflict of all times - the struggle of God with the devil, the forces of good with the forces of evil. If we accept the Beatitudes, then we accept Christ Himself. This means that our highest law and highest truth is the moral ideal of Christianity, for which we must be ready to suffer, gaining the fullness of life in the confession of Christ.

Blessed is the expulsion of truth for the sake of them, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile you, and mistreat you, and say all sorts of evil things against you, who lie to Me for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven.

We connect these two Beatitudes together because they are similar to each other. In Russian, the 8th and 9th commandments read like this: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they revile you and cast you out and utter every kind of slander and slander against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad then, for your reward will be great in heaven.

The last two Beatitudes say that all who live in truth will be persecuted. By truth we need to understand life according to the commandments of God. (This is where the word “righteous” comes from). In other words, blessed are those who are persecuted for faith and piety, for their good deeds done in the name of Christ, for constancy and steadfastness in the faith. Such people will be rewarded with the bliss of the Kingdom of Heaven in eternal life.

Exile for the truth takes many forms. This can be spiritual alienation, rejection or reproach, or opposition to the God-pleasing activities of those who live in truth, slander, embarrassment caused by the authorities, exile, torture, and, finally, death.

Remember the word, said Jesus Christ, which I said to you: a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too; If they have kept my word, they will keep yours. But they will do all this to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me (John 15:20-21). In these words, Christ calls His followers to imitate Him in everything, including His self-abasement. Imitating Christ is not some external duty or fulfillment of a forced requirement. In other words, this is not an external assimilation and repetition of His actions and actions. Imitation of Christ is a living, free arrangement of religious and moral life in Christ, through the power of love for Him as His Ideal, Redeemer and Savior. To love Christ, we are called to go through an inevitable path of self-denial. Through self-sacrifice as such, we come to reconciliation with all adversities, sorrows with all sorts of troubles. “There is no greater glory than sharing dishonor with Jesus,” the great saint, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, loved to say.

True Christians will always be persecuted because of Christ. They will be persecuted with Him and like Him, for the truth they profess and the good they do. As we have already said, these persecutions can manifest themselves in a variety of forms, not only physical, but they will always be senseless, unjust, cruel and without cause, for, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim. .3:12). However, we must be wary of the false “persecution complex” and be sure that we suffer only for the truth, and not for our own weaknesses and sins. The apostolic writings clearly warn: For this is pleasing to God, teaches the Apostle Peter, if anyone, thinking about God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. For what is praise if you endure being beaten for your wrongdoings? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this pleases God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:19-21).

If they slander you because of the name of Christ, then you are blessed, for the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of God, rests on you. ...If only none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, or as someone who encroaches on someone else’s property; and if you are a Christian, then do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate (1 Pet. 4: 14-16).

Why does the world persecute true faith, piety, truth, which are so beneficial for the world itself? The Word of God answers us: the world lies in evil (1 John 5:19). People, according to the word of King David, loved evil more than good (Ps. 51: 5), and the prince of this world, the devil, acting through evil people, hates the truth and persecutes it, since it serves as a reproof of unrighteousness. On this occasion St. right John of Kronstadt wrote: “Evil, depraved people have always hated the righteous and persecuted, and will continue to hate and persecute. Cain hated his righteous brother Abel, persecuted him for his piety and finally killed him; The beastly Esau hated his meek brother Jacob and persecuted him, threatening to kill him; The unrighteous children of the patriarch Jacob hated their brother, the righteous Joseph, and sold him secretly to Egypt so that he would not be a thorn in their side; The wicked Saul hated the meek David and persecuted him until his death, encroaching on his life; They hated the prophets of God, who denounced the lawless life, and beat some of them, killed others, stoned others, and finally, they persecuted and killed the greatest Righteous One, the fulfillment of the laws and prophets, the Sun of righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ” (“Full collection. op.” Archpriest John Sergiev, vol. I, pp. 218-224).

Persecution by the enemies of Christianity embraces the entire totality of the external conditions of the existence of the ancient Church. The heavy burden of persecution was further increased by the fact that poverty and poverty were a distinctive feature of the first Christians. Look, writes the ap. Paul to the Corinthians, who are you who are called: there are not many of you wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ...God has chosen the base things of the world and the base things, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are (1 Cor. 1:26, 28). In addition to external trials, Christians who were poor materially, but rich in spirit, had to endure no less difficult internal trials - slander, blasphemy, ridicule, abuse, slander, etc.

The history of the Church shows us that Christians who lived in truth suffered not only from the pagans, but were persecuted even when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Such luminaries of the faith as Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom, Maximus the Confessor, John of Damascus, Sophronius of Jerusalem and many others were subjected to misrecognition, desecration, expulsion and martyrdom. So it is to this day, when in communist countries state power was used with particular force to destroy Christianity and Christians.

Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, was a great zealot for truth. But fearing persecution, according to his sacred duty, he could not look indifferently at the vices of people and exposed them. Of course, vicious people, for their part, could not indifferently tolerate the denunciations of the preacher of truth and social justice. His enemies multiplied, but he was ready to endure any persecution for the sake of truth. The evil enemies of John Chrysostom triumphed, and the saint was condemned to imprisonment. When his friends complained and grieved for him, he was completely calm and even cheerful. “Pray, my brothers,” he said, “remember me in your prayers.” When the tears of those around him were the answer to this, he continued: “Don’t cry, my brothers, real life is a journey, during which you must endure both good and bad.” John Chrysostom owns wonderful words, which many martyrs and righteous people later loved to repeat: “Glory to God for everything, but especially for sorrows.”

Christians should accept any suffering joyfully, with mercy towards those who cause it. Like Christ, who, dying on the Cross, said: Father, forgive them... (Luke 23:34), like the first martyr Stephen, stoned, who prayed: Lord! Do not count this sin against them (Acts 7:60). Christ said: But to you who hear, I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. Give the other one to the one who hits you on the cheek, and do not prevent the one who takes your outer clothing from taking your shirt. ... Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing; and you will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you... (Luke 6: 27-38).

The last, 9th Beatitude, is a preparation for us to be able to accept the further preaching of Jesus Christ about following Him, bearing our life's cross; and most importantly - to come closer to the great Mystery of the sufferings of the Savior Himself on the cross.

Let no one be embarrassed by the apparent victory in this world of lies over truth, darkness over light. The main truth of the Christian gospel is that Christ has risen, that He is the Conqueror of death, and makes us, who believe in Him, partners and heirs of this victory. To those who believe in Him, Christ gave the cross - the strongest weapon against evil. The image of the Cross was forever covered with the sanctifying reflection of the Easter victory - the victory of God's truth over the kingdom of the prince of this world.

“You have been with Me in My tribulations,” says the Lord to His faithful followers, “and I bequeath to you, as My Father bequeathed to Me, the Kingdom (Luke 22: 28-29).

In the Apocalypse we read about people who fulfilled the last Beatitudes: these are those who came from the great tribulation; they washed their robes and y6elided their robes in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they remain before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits on the throne will dwell in them (Rev. 7: 14-15).

From the very first to the very last pages of the Gospel, the apostles of Christ, together with the Mother of God, and all Christians, constantly rejoice at the salvation brought by Him.

As the Father has loved Me, and I have loved you,” says the Lord, “abide in My love.” If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. Cue I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete (John 15:9-11). ...And your heart will rejoice,” Christ says in another place, “and no one will take your joy away from you.” ...Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete (John 16:22-24).

True Christian joy is not earthly happiness, pleasure or a pleasant pastime, but incomparable joy... in faith (Rom. 15:13), the joy of knowing God's love, joy worthily, according to the word of the apostle. Peter, to participate in Christ's sufferings (1 Pet. 4:13).

Spiritual joy is closely related to spiritual suffering. It is wrong to think that joy comes only after suffering: joy in Christ comes along with suffering in Christ. They coexist and depend on one another for their strength and power. Just as sorrow over sin comes along with the joy of salvation, so suffering in this world is consonant with and even directly evokes this same inexpressible joy of salvation. Therefore, as the Apostle James says, Christians should count it great joy when they fall into various temptations, knowing that the perfect work of their steadfast faith is that they may become perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2 -3). This is also the firm conviction of the Apostle Paul, who wrote: ... We boast in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also glory in our tribulations, knowing that from tribulation comes patience, from patience comes experience, from experience hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom. 5:2 -5). Such is the spiritual joy of Christians, the joy of martyrs, which more than anything testifies to the truth of the Christian faith and the authenticity of Christian spiritual life.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven (Matthew 5:12).

Prot. V. Potapov, 1993

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The ninth beatitude: Blessed are you when they revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil things against you who lie to Me for your sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven!

Here is the promise of a great reward for those who are patient!

Look at our lives, how hard we all suffer under the yoke of spiritual sorrows! “Our whole life on earth is painful and filled with sadness from slander, annoyance, reproach and other many types of troubles and misfortunes!..” “...Troubles from enemies, troubles from relatives, troubles from suffering false brethren...” “... For the body is weak, and our spirit is weak.” This is how we prayerfully cry out in the akathist before the icon Mother of God, called "Joy to All Who Sorrow." Mental anguish is especially severe when our most lofty spiritual aspirations are not understood, that is, exactly what the Lord said in our lives in the words “you lie to Me for my sake.”

So you, seeing the misfortune of your neighbors (children, husband, relatives), rush to the temple, knowing that only prayer can help them, and those for whom you just prayed with tears greet you at home with streams of abuse or angry looks, in an irritated tone just because you took a few hours away from the endless stream of hectic tasks around the house. How painful and bitter my heart is!

Or a person lives far from the temple, the years he has lived have bent him to the ground, and therefore he is afraid of the distance. But the desire to be in church, to pray, to give a note, to serve a prayer service, to take holy water overcomes everything! And so such a person hurries as best he can to the temple at night bad road, overcomes incredible difficulties in transport, and now he enters the temple, as an intercessor for his entire village, for those who would like to, but are no longer able to get there, and for those who have completely forgotten the temple, and he is showered with reproaches and ridicule: “You’re still dragging yourself to church, you should sit at home and pray, but you’ll die somewhere on the road” or: “It looks like you didn’t have to work hard enough to still carry your legs so far.”

How such a misunderstanding hurts my heart! Misunderstanding that love for the temple overcomes the seemingly insurmountable!

You value a sacred item kept in your home: a blessing icon. The Gospel, holy water - and what words can you convey the mental anguish when one day, coming home, you see the complete destruction of a dear corner - your shrine was violated by the people closest to you!

You unselfishly, out of a feeling of pity and compassion, for the sake of Christ, helped someone with your work, but you were slandered, mercilessly accused of self-interest, dishonesty, suspected of God knows what kind of dirt... How hard it is to endure such slander!

You strive to serve something for the temple, the monastery, doing it with all your heart, with great love, putting all your talents, all the abilities of your soul and physical capabilities into the work, but they stubbornly refuse to understand you, they persecute you, vilify you and humiliate you in every possible way, and they humiliate you not only morally, but maybe even physically - they beat you, push you, kick you, or drop something on you. How much courage is required not to give up, not to grow cold, not to despair and, most importantly, not to hate the persecutors! And how many other misunderstandings, false ideas, unthinkable accusations there are that give rise to unbearable torments of the soul, those sufferings that exceed the suffering of martyrdom and surpass greatest feats Christian ascetics of the first centuries.

Now we have come to the end of our confession, which today was based on the fulfillment of the beatitudes.

And probably each of you who sincerely repented realized that he was “empty and naked” of spiritual virtues. It would seem that one might come to despair: what should we, great sinners, do? We are not capable of anything, Lord! We have neither humility, nor meekness, nor purity of heart, nor love, nor even crying for sins!

And in response to such a question full of despair, one of the ascetics of piety answers: “If you cannot bring anything else to the Lord, then bring to Him your life’s cross and your suffering.” A lot can be said about the benefits of suffering for us. And since now is the Sacrament of Confession, that is, a test of our conscience - a spiritual hospital and a bathhouse that washes away the filth of our hearts - then we need to sincerely admit before the Lord that we do not know how to patiently, in a Christian manner, bear grievances, troubles, and injustices. We are all the greatest murmurers!

Which of us accepts sorrows with joy, as a cleansing medicine from the Lord Himself, and sees our friend and healer in the offender?

Forgive us, Lord, we are extremely cowardly!

We complain excessively, even to the point of losing our health, we are offended by the offenders, we harden our hearts and ourselves become impatient with people, because we greedily rush towards life, towards happiness, which is vain, empty, short-lived, like a dream. We put him above everything, above the Church, God, love for Christ, and the misfortune that befalls takes us by surprise, embitters and coarsens us! We shed tears, sweat and blood - we lose our health, but, alas, Lord! Sweat is shed with internal resistance, anger, curse. Tears - from resentment, anger, frustration, impossibility of revenge. Blood (disease) is without faith, and therefore our soul does not acquire anything good.

Meanwhile, the mood with which we endure suffering in our hearts and souls is the touchstone of our spiritual growth. “Courage in the face of them, readiness for them is a sign of a “right soul.” Courageous souls instinctively seek sacrifice, suffering, and grow spiritually stronger in trials. “For our momentary, slight suffering produces eternal glory in immeasurable abundance...” (2 Cor. 4 , 17). And not only suffering that comes from outside, but every spiritual effort, every voluntary deprivation, every refusal, sacrifice, is immediately exchanged for spiritual riches within us" (priest Alexander Elchaninov).

Lord, forgive us, weak in spirit!

Maybe some of you, unable to bear the weight of sorrows, made a mental attempt on your life, thought about suicide, sought in your thoughts ways to end your suffering by ending your life, while also thinking of annoying the offenders! Repent to the Lord!

And separately, when approaching the prayer of permission, personally repent to the priest, for this is a terrible sin that leads to death.

Lord, forgive us sinners!

We still somehow tolerate what we bring upon ourselves through our inattentive life. But there, in Heaven, only then does some assessment of us begin, when we innocently endure something, and endure it with all humility, without complaint, as God’s permission and test (Bishop Varlaam Ryashentsev).

Here we are, to great regret, we all live in vanity, our souls hurt from all sorts of sorrows and troubles, we are all waiting for peaceful, quiet earthly well-being; sorrow comes, and we become faint-hearted! And the Apostle Paul, revealing great meaning suffering of a Christian, says: “...it has been given to you for Christ’s sake not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Phil. 1:29). Do you hear? It is given to suffer for the Lord, as a great mercy, it is given to believe and suffer! As St. Isaac the Syrian says: “More precious than any prayer and sacrifice before the Lord are sorrows for Him, and more than all fragrances is the smell of their sweat.”

The Apostle also writes: “Beloved, do not shun the fiery temptation which is sent to you to test you as a strange adventure, but rejoice as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that when His glory is revealed you will rejoice and triumph” (1 Pet. 4, 12–13). Have you ever thought about these words of Holy Scripture?

No, Lord, many of us are consciously listening to him for the first time, despite our already gray heads, forgive us, sinners! But this is available to all of us and is still in the same Book - the Gospel, which is gathering dust on our shelves!

What we are going to is too high, and what we are leaving here is too insignificant. In this world all our virtues are insignificant, all our understanding of truth is insignificant. And therefore there is no higher beauty on earth than suffering for the sake of truth, there is no greater radiance than the radiance of innocent suffering (Archbishop John Shakhovskoy). This is how great courageous Christian souls think and speak!

Lord, forgive us sinners!

How far we are from such an understanding of Christian life!

And each of us wants to be saved. According to John Chrysostom, there are three conditions for salvation for a Christian:

– do not sin;

– having sinned, repent;

- whoever repents poorly must endure the sorrows that come.

And who can say that he repents diligently enough? Hence, the way to get rid of suffering for your sins is repentance. The strength of repentance must be proportionate to the degree of sin. If there is no sufficient consciousness of sin, there is no strength to bear active, deep repentance, then we must humbly accept the suffering sent and give thanks for them as for mercy, as a sign of God’s care for us.

Lord, forgive us sinners!

Our sins are innumerable, our concepts of spiritual life and Christian worldview are extremely small. The pharmacy with spiritual medicines for our sinful ailments is inexhaustibly rich in the spiritual hospital of the Mother Church!

I can talk to you for a very long time and a lot for the benefit of my soul, but the time has long expired.

Lord, accept our repentance!

Now everyone must show You, Lord, a firm determination to renounce sin, to hate sin, to turn their life around... And having confirmed this determination with an oath, to kiss the Cross and the Gospel. In this decision, promise to improve your life.

Lord, I sincerely want this! And I pray to You, help me keep my oath!

Lord, accept our prayer!

Lord, my Lord!

I am a bottomless abyss of sin: no matter where I look into myself, everything is bad, no matter what I remember, everything is done wrong, said incorrectly, badly thought out... And the intentions and dispositions of my soul are one insult to You, my Creator, Benefactor!

Have mercy on me, Lord Jesus Christ, our God! I, like an insignificant person, sinned, but You, like a generous God, have mercy on me!

Receive me in repentance! Give me time to bear the fruits of repentance. I don’t want to sin anymore, I don’t want to offend You, Lord! Allow me to partake of the Holy Mysteries, may Your gracious power descend upon me through them! Destroy the sin that lives in me! Live in me, Immortal Lord, so that neither life nor death separate me from You!

Weigh the fates - as you want, as you know - just save me, a poor sinner! And I will bless and glorify the Most Honest your name forever. Amen!

Someone asked the great: how will Christians be saved? last centuries, for there is no longer an arena of open martyrdom, when confessors of the Christian faith were beaten into stocks, thrown into prisons, crucified on crosses, given over to be torn to pieces by wild beasts, wheeled, arms or gradually all members of the body were cut off, pierced with spears, doused with boiling tin or oil, dipped in boiling cauldrons, burned in burning frying pans? For no one is any longer able to endure those labors and feats of repentance and purification of their souls, which were endured by the ascetics of the first centuries of Christianity, about which legends have reached us that seem almost incredible to our consciousness.

And I received the answer: they will be saved by patience with spiritual sorrows! And those who bear these spiritual sorrows courageously and patiently will receive greater crowns than those who slept on the ground, ate food once a week, and stood on a pillar in prayer all their lives.

Abbreviations of the names of the books of the Old and New Testaments mentioned in the text:

Old Testament

Deut. – Deuteronomy; Ps. – Psalter; Proverbs – Proverbs of Solomon; Sire. – Book of Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach; Jer. – The book of the prophet Jeremiah.

New Testament

Gospel:

Matt. – from Matthew; Mk. – from Mark; OK. - from Luke; In. - from John.

Council Epistles of the Apostles:

Jacob – Epistle of the Apostle James; 1 Pet. – First Epistle of the Apostle Peter; 1 John – First Epistle of the Apostle John.

Epistles of the Apostle Paul:

Rome. – Epistle to the Romans; 1 Cor. – First Epistle to the Corinthians; 2 Cor. – Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Gal. – Epistle to the Galatians; Phil. – Epistle to the Philippians; Col. – Epistle to the Colossians; 2 Thess. – Second Epistle to the Thessalonians (Thessalonians); Heb. – Epistle to the Hebrews.

LITERATURE

Anthony, Archbishop Kazansky. Sins against the Ten Commandments of God // Athos leaflet. No. 76. 1904.

Bukharev I., priest. The word of the shepherd to those who fast during Great Lent // Helmsman, 1892.

Dyachenko G.. priest. Lessons and examples of Christian love. M. 1889.

Penitent sinner: [Sat.]. St. Petersburg, 1901.

Materials from the archive of the priest. Boris Nikolaevsky.

Stratelatov K., priest. A collection of church teachings for the common people. St. Petersburg, 1890.

About the Ninth Beatitude

9. Blessed are you when people revile you, and despise you, and say all sorts of evil things about you lying, for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven.

(Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and slander you in every way unjustly because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.)

Bliss- blessed, happy and pleasing to God; when they slander you- when they revile you, that is, scold you; will be exhausted- they will drive; cry all evil verb- they will say any evil word, they will slander and slander in every possible way; on you- on you; lying- slander, unfairly accusing someone of something; For my sake- for me; like- for, because; bribe- reward; a lot- great.

In the last, ninth commandment, our Lord Jesus Christ calls especially blessed those who, for the name of Christ and for the true Orthodox faith in Him, patiently endure reproach, persecution, slander, slander, mockery, disasters and death itself.

This feat is called martyrdom. There can be nothing higher than the feat of martyrdom.

Courage Christian martyrs must be strictly distinguished from fanaticism, which is jealousy beyond reason, unreasonable. Christian courage must also be distinguished from the insensibility caused by despair and from the feigned indifference with which some criminals, due to their extreme bitterness and pride, listen to the verdict and go to execution.

Christian courage is based on high Christian virtues: faith in God, hope and trust in God, love for God and others, complete obedience and unshakable loyalty to the Lord God.

The highest example of martyrdom is Christ the Savior Himself, as well as the Apostles and countless Christians who joyfully went to suffer for the name of Christ.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every burden and the sin that so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. Think about Him who endured such reproach from sinners, so that you do not become faint and weak in your souls,” says the Apostle (Heb. 12:1-3).

For the feat of martyrdom, the Lord promises a great reward in heaven, that is, the highest degree of bliss in the future eternal life. But even here on earth, the Lord glorifies many martyrs for their firm confession of faith through the incorruption of their bodies and miracles.

“If they slander you because of the name of Christ, then you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, rests on you. By these He is blasphemed, but by you He is glorified.

“As long as none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as one who encroaches on someone else’s property; and if as a Christian, then do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate” (1 Peter 4:14-16) .

Countless Christian martyrs rejoiced amidst terrible suffering, as the surviving reliable descriptions of their lives tell.

NOTE: In Roman courts, special scribes were required to compile protocols (official records) of proceedings and decisions made. Such records of interrogations carried out in Roman courts during the trials of Christian martyrs, after a period of persecution, were carefully collected by the Holy Church. These protocols were included in the reliable description of the martyrdom of Christians.