In order to be confirmed in the hope of salvation and bliss, one should add one’s own effort to achieve bliss to prayer. The Lord Himself speaks about this: Why do you call Me: “Lord! God!" and do not do what I say (Luke 6:46). Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21).
The teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, briefly set out in His Beatitudes, can be a guide in our feat.
There are nine beatitudes:
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
9. 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. (Matt. 5:3-12).
For a correct understanding of the Beatitudes, we should remember that the Lord handed them to us as the Gospel says: He opened His mouth and taught. Being meek and humble in heart, He offered His teaching, not commanding, but pleasing those who would freely accept and implement it. Therefore, in each saying about beatitude one should consider: a teaching or commandment; gratification, or promise of reward.
About the first beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be poor in spirit.
To be poor in spirit means to have the spiritual conviction that we have nothing of our own, but have only what God gives, and that we cannot do anything good without God’s help and grace; and thus, we must consider that we are nothing and resort to God’s mercy in everything. Briefly, according to the explanation of St. John Chrysostom, spiritual poverty is humility (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, conversation 15).
Even the rich can be poor in spirit if they come to the conclusion that visible wealth is perishable and impermanent and that it does not replace the lack of spiritual goods. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what ransom will a man give for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).
Physical poverty can serve to perfect spiritual poverty if a Christian chooses it voluntarily, for God. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said this to the rich man: If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me (Matthew 19:21).
The Lord promises the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor in spirit.
In the present life, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such people internally and initially, thanks to their faith and hope, and in the future - completely, through participation in eternal bliss.
About the Second Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be weepers.
In this commandment, the name crying should be understood as sadness and contrition of the heart and actual tears because we serve the Lord imperfectly and unworthily and deserve His wrath through our sins. Sorrow for God's sake produces unchangeable repentance leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow produces death (2 Cor 7:10).
The Lord promises those who mourn that they will be comforted.
Here we understand the consolation of grace, consisting in the forgiveness of sins and a pacified conscience.
Sadness over sins should not reach the point of despair.
About the third beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be meek.
Meekness is a quiet disposition of spirit, combined with caution not to irritate anyone or to be irritated by anything.
Special actions of Christian meekness: do not grumble not only at God, but also at people, and when something happens against our desires, do not indulge in anger, do not become arrogant.
The Lord promises the meek that they will inherit the earth.
In relation to the followers of Christ, the prediction of inheriting the earth was fulfilled literally, i.e. the ever meek Christians, instead of being destroyed by the fury of the pagans, inherited the universe which the pagans had formerly possessed.
The meaning of this promise in relation to Christians in general and to everyone in particular is that they will receive an inheritance, as the Psalmist puts it, in the land of the living, where they live and do not die, i.e. will receive eternal bliss (see Ps. 27:13).
About the Fourth Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
Although we should understand by the name of truth every virtue that a Christian should desire as food and drink, we should primarily mean that truth about which in the prophecy of Daniel it is said that eternal truth will be brought (Dan 9:24), i.e. the justification of a person guilty before God will be accomplished - justification through grace and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul speaks of this truth: The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ in all and on all who believe: for there is no difference, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth. as a propitiation in His blood through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness in the forgiveness of sins previously committed (Rom. 3:22-25).
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who do good, but do not consider themselves righteous; not relying on their good deeds, they admit themselves to be sinners and guilty before God. Those who desire and pray faith, like true food and drink, hunger and thirst for grace-filled justification through Jesus Christ.
The Lord promises those who hunger and thirst for righteousness that they will be satisfied.
Just like bodily saturation, which brings, firstly, the cessation of feelings of hunger and thirst, and secondly, the reinforcement of the body with food, spiritual saturation means: the inner peace of a pardoned sinner; the acquisition of power to do good, and this power is supplied by justifying grace. However, the complete satiation of the soul, created for the enjoyment of infinite good, will follow in eternal life, according to the word of the Psalmist: I will be satisfied when Your glory is revealed (see Ps. 16:15).
About the Fifth Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be merciful.
This commandment must be fulfilled through physical and spiritual works of mercy. St. John Chrysostom notes that there are different types of mercy and this commandment is broad (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, conversation 15).
The physical works of mercy are as follows: to feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked (lack of necessary and decent clothing); visit someone in prison; visit the sick person, serve him and help him recover or Christian preparation for death; accept the wanderer into the house and provide rest; bury the dead in poverty and misery.
The works of spiritual mercy are as follows: exhortation to turn a sinner from his false path (James 5:20); teach the ignorant truth and goodness; to give good and timely advice to your neighbor in difficulty or in case of danger that he does not notice; pray to God for your neighbor; comfort the sad; not to repay the evil done to us by others; forgive offenses with all your heart.
Punishing a defendant does not contradict the commandment of mercy if done out of duty and with good intention, that is, to correct the guilty or protect the innocent from his crimes.
The Lord promises the merciful that they will receive mercy.
This implies pardon from eternal condemnation for sins at the Judgment of God.
About the Sixth Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be pure in heart.
Purity of heart is not quite the same as sincerity. Candor (sincerity) - when a person does not demonstrate his good dispositions, which in reality do not exist in his heart, but embodies the existing good dispositions with modesty in deeds - is only the initial degree of purity of heart. True purity of the heart is achieved by constant and unflagging feat of vigilance over oneself, expelling from the heart every unlawful desire and thought, attachment to earthly objects, with faith and love, constantly preserving in it the memory of the Lord God Jesus Christ.
The Lord promises those with a pure heart that they will see God.
The Word of God allegorically endows the human heart with vision and calls Christians to make the eyes of the heart see (Eph. 1:18). Just as a healthy eye is able to see light, so a pure heart is able to contemplate God. Since the sight of God is the source of eternal bliss, the promise to see Him is a promise of a high degree of eternal bliss.
About the Seventh Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be peacemakers.
To be a peacemaker means to act in a friendly manner and not give rise to disagreement; stop the disagreement that has arisen by all means, even sacrificing one’s interests, unless this contradicts duty and does not harm anyone; try to reconcile those at war with each other, and if this is not possible, then pray to God for their reconciliation.
The Lord promises the peacemakers that they will be called sons of God.
This promise signifies the height of the peacekeepers’ feat and the reward prepared for them. Since by their deed they imitate the Only Begotten Son of God, who came to earth to reconcile sinful man with the justice of God, they are promised the gracious name of the sons of God and, without a doubt, a degree of bliss worthy of this name.
About the Eighth Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be ready to endure persecution for the sake of the truth, without betraying it. This commandment requires the following qualities: love of truth, constancy and firmness in virtue, courage and patience if someone is exposed to disaster or danger for not wanting to betray truth and virtue. The Lord promises those persecuted for the sake of righteousness the Kingdom of Heaven, as if in exchange for what they are deprived of through persecution, just as it was promised to the poor in spirit in replenishing the feeling of lack and poverty.
About the Ninth Beatitude
Those who desire bliss must be ready to joyfully accept reproach, persecution, disaster and death itself for the name of Christ and for the true Orthodox faith.
The feat corresponding to this commandment is called martyrdom.
The Lord promises a great reward in Heaven for this feat, i.e. predominant and high degree of bliss.
The Beatitudes given to us by the Savior do not in the least violate the commandments of the law. On the contrary, these commandments are mutually complementary.
The Ten Commandments of the Law are limited to prohibiting doing what is sinful. The Beatitudes teach us how we can achieve Christian perfection or holiness.
The Ten Commandments were given in Old Testament times to keep wild and rude people from evil. The Beatitudes were given to Christians to show them what spiritual disposition they should have in order to draw closer and closer to God and gain holiness, and at the same time bliss, that is, the highest degree of happiness.
Holiness, born of closeness to God, is the highest bliss, the highest happiness that a person can desire.
The Old Testament law is the law of strict truth, and the New Testament law of Christ is the law of Divine love and grace, which alone gives people the strength to fully observe the law of God and approach perfection.
Jesus Christ, calling us to the eternal Kingdom of God, shows the way to it, through the fulfillment of His commandments, for the fulfillment of which He promises, as the King of heaven and earth, eternal bliss in the future eternal life.
Jesus Christ says:
2. Blessed are those who cry, for they will be comforted.
5. Blessed be the mercy that there will be mercy.
6. Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for these shall be called sons of God.
8. Blessed is the expulsion of truth for the sake of them, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
9. Blessed are you when they 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 many in heaven.
In each of these sayings or instructions of the Lord one should distinguish, on the one hand, a teaching or commandment, and on the other, an indulgence or a promise of reward.
To fulfill the Beatitudes it is necessary: communication with God - prayer, internal and external; fight against sinful tendencies - fasting, abstinence and so on.
About the first beatitude
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, that is, the humble; because theirs is (that is, the Kingdom of Heaven will be given to them).
Blessed, that is, extremely happy and pleasing to God; poor in spirit- humble, who are aware of their imperfection and unworthiness before God and never think that they are better or holier than others; like- for, because; those- their.
Spiritual poverty
there is a spiritual conviction that our life and all our spiritual and physical blessings (such as life, health, strength, mental abilities, knowledge, wealth and all sorts of worldly blessings), all this is a gift from the Creator God: without heavenly help it is impossible to acquire , neither material well-being, nor spiritual wealth - all this is God's gift.
Spiritual poverty is called humility, and her virtue is humility.
Humility or humility is the main Christian virtue, because it is the opposite of pride, and all the evil in the world came from pride. The first of the angels became the devil, the first people sinned, and their descendants quarrel and are at enmity with each other because of pride. " The beginning of sin is pride"(Sir. 10, 15).
Without humility, turning to God is impossible, no Christian virtue is possible.
Humility gives us the opportunity to know ourselves, to correctly evaluate our strengths and weaknesses; it has a beneficial effect on the fulfillment of our duties towards our neighbors, arouses and strengthens in us faith in God, hope and love for Him, attracts God’s mercy to us, and also makes people inclined towards us.
The Word of God says: " The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise"(Ps. 50 , 19); "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"(Prov. 3 , 34). “Learn from Me,” the Savior instructs, “for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”(Matt. 16 , 29).
Physical poverty, or poverty, can greatly contribute to the acquisition of spiritual poverty, if this poverty, or poverty, is accepted willingly and without complaint. But the “physically poor” cannot always be “spiritually poor.”
And the rich can be “poor in spirit” if they understand that visible, material wealth is perishable and fleeting, and that it cannot replace spiritual wealth; if they remember the words of the Lord: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? or what ransom does a man give for his soul?” (Matt. 16 , 26).
But Christian humility must be strictly distinguished from selfish self-abasement that undermines human dignity, such as sycophancy, ingratiation, etc.
We must, at the same time, strictly turn away from the so-called “noble pride” or “defense of insulted honor,” reflecting prejudices and harmful superstitions remaining among European peoples as a legacy of Roman paganism hostile to Christianity. A true Christian must resolutely renounce these prejudices, which have created the anti-Christian and shameful custom of duels.
As a reward for the poor in spirit, that is, the humble, the Lord Jesus Christ promises the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, an eternally blissful life. The poor in spirit begin to feel this participation in the Kingdom of God even here, through faith and hope in God, and finally and in all its fullness they receive it in the future life.
About the Second Beatitude
2. Blessed are those who cry, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are those who mourn (for their sins); because they will be comforted.
Crying
Those who cry and grieve for their sins; tii- They.
The crying spoken of in the second beatitude is, first of all, true sorrow of the heart, and tears of repentance for the sins we have committed, for our guilt before a merciful God (for example, the crying of the Apostle Peter after his denial).
“For Godly sorrow produces repentance that results in salvation; but worldly sorrow produces death,” says the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 7 , 10).
Sorrow and tears caused by misfortunes that befall us, for example, the death of people dear to us (Christ Himself shed tears at the death of Lazarus), can be spiritually beneficial, if only these sorrows and tears are imbued with faith and hope, patience and devotion to the will of God.
Moreover, sorrow and tears caused by compassion for the misfortune of one’s neighbor can lead to bliss, if these tears are sincere and accompanied by deeds of Christian charity towards love.
The sadness of this world is sadness without hope in God, which comes not from the consciousness of one’s sinfulness before God, but from the dissatisfaction of ambitious, power-hungry and selfish aspirations. Such sadness, through despondency and despair, leads to spiritual death, sometimes accompanied by physical death (suicide). An example of such sadness is Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ the Savior.
As a reward for those who cry, the Lord promises that they will be comforted - they will receive forgiveness of sins, and through this inner peace, they will receive eternal joy, that is, eternal bliss.
About the third beatitude
3.Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit (take possession of) the earth.
Meek, gentle; like- because, because.
Meekness is a calmer, full of Christian love, state of the human spirit, in which a person never gets irritated and never allows himself to grumble, not only towards God, but also towards people.
Meek people do not get irritated themselves and do not irritate other people.
Christian meekness is expressed mainly in patiently enduring insults caused by others, and is the opposite of anger, malice, self-exaltation and vindictiveness.
A meek person always regrets the hardness of the heart of the person who has offended him; wishes him correction; prays for him and submits his actions to the judgment of God, heeding the instructions of the Apostle; "If it is possible for you, be at peace with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved; vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord" (Rom. 12 , 18-19).
The highest example of meekness for us is our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, who prayed on the cross for His enemies. He taught us not to take revenge on our enemies, but to do good to them. “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11 , 29).
Meekness conquers the most cruel hearts of people, as observation of human life convinces us of this, and the entire history of the persecution of Christians confirms this.
A Christian can only be angry at himself, at his own sins and at the tempter - the devil.
The Lord promises the meek that they will inherit the earth. This promise means that meek people in this life, by the power of God, are preserved on earth, despite all the intrigues of man and the most severe persecution, and in the future life they will be heirs of the heavenly fatherland, new land(2 Pet. 3 , 13) with its eternal benefits.
About the Fourth Beatitude
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (desiring righteousness); because they will be satisfied.
There are those who really want to; thirsty- very thirsty; hungry and thirsty for truth- those who desire truth as much as a hungry person desires to eat and a thirsty person to drink.
Hungering and thirsting for truth, these are those people who, deeply aware of their sinfulness, that is, guilt before God, fervently desire the truth. They try to please God with their lives in truth, that is, according to Christ’s Gospel law, which requires from Christians the most holy justice in all their relations with their neighbors.
The expression “hungry and thirsty” shows that our desire for truth should be as strong as the desire of the hungry and thirsty to quench their hunger and thirst. This desire is beautifully expressed by King David: “As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so does my soul thirst for You, O God! My soul thirsts for the mighty, living God” (Psalm. 41 , 2-3).
The Lord promises those who hunger and thirst for righteousness that they will be satisfied. Here we mean spiritual saturation, consisting in inner, spiritual peace, peace of conscience, justification and pardon. This saturation in life here on earth only happens partially. But to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness most of all, the Lord reveals the secrets of His kingdom, and their hearts, even in this world, enjoy the knowledge of the truths revealed in the Gospel of God, that is, our Orthodox Christian teaching.
They will receive complete saturation, that is, complete satisfaction of the holy aspirations of the human spirit, (and hence the highest joy, bliss) in the future, eternal, blissful life with God; as the Psalmist says, King David: " I will be satisfied, never to appear in Your glory"(Ps. 16 , 15).
About the Fifth Beatitude
5. Blessed are the mercy, for there will be mercy.
Blessed are they who have mercy, for they will receive mercy.
For, because; tii- such people, they.
Merciful or merciful, these are those people who are compassionate towards others, with all their hearts they feel sorry for people who are in trouble or misfortune, and try to help them with good deeds.
Works of mercy are material (bodily) and spiritual.
Material works of mercy (bodily):
1. Feed the hungry.
2. Give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked or lacking in clothing.
4. Visit someone in prison.
5. Visit the sick person and help him recover or Christianly prepare for death.
6. Take the wanderer into the house and give him rest.
7. Bury the dead of the poor.
Spiritual works of mercy:
1. By word and example “to turn the sinner from the wrong path” (Jas. 5 , 20).
2. Teach the non-leader (those who don’t know) truth and goodness.
3. Give good and timely advice to your neighbor in difficulty and danger.
4. Comfort the sad.
5. Do not repay evil for evil.
6. Forgive offenses with all your heart.
7. Pray to God for everyone.
The Lord promises the merciful as a reward that they themselves will pardoned; that is, at the future judgment of Christ, the special mercy of the righteous Judge will be shown to them: they will be delivered from eternal condemnation for their sins, just as they showed mercy to others on earth (see Gospel of Matt. 25 , 31-46).
About the Sixth Beatitude
6. Blessed be the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Pure in heart are those people who not only do not openly sin, but also do not harbor vicious and unclean thoughts, desires and feelings in themselves, in their hearts. The heart of such people is free from attachments and addictions to corruptible earthly things, and in general free from sinful passions generated by selfishness, that is, pride and pride. People who are pure in heart always, unceasingly think about God.
In order to acquire purity of heart, one must maintain the fasts commanded by the Church, and in every possible way protect oneself from overeating, drunkenness, indecent shows and amusements, and from reading obscene, immodest books.
Purity of heart is much higher than simple sincerity. Purity of heart consists only in the sincerity and frankness of a person in relation to others, and purity of heart requires the complete suppression of vicious thoughts and desires and constant remembrance of God and His holy law.
The Lord promises people with a pure heart as a reward that they will see God. Here on earth they will see Him gracefully and mysteriously, with the spiritual eyes of the heart. They can see God in His appearances, images and likenesses. In the future eternal life they will see God “as He is” (1 John. 3 , 2). And since the sight of God is the source of the highest bliss, the promise to see, to contemplate God is a promise of the highest degree of bliss.
About the Seventh Beatitude
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for these shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Peacekeepers
People living with everyone in peace and harmony and establishing peace between people; sons of God- sons of God; will be called- they will call themselves.
Peacemakers are those people who themselves try to live with everyone in peace and harmony, and try to reconcile other people who are at war with each other, or at least pray to God for their reconciliation.
Peacemakers remember the words of the Savior: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John. 14 , 27).
“If it is possible for you, be at peace with all people,” says the Apostle Paul (Rom. 12 , 18).
The Lord promises the peacemakers that they will be called sons of God, that is, they will be closest to God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. By their feat, peacemakers are likened to the Only Begotten Son of God Jesus Christ, who came to earth to reconcile sinners with the justice of God and to establish peace between people, instead of the enmity that prevailed among them. Therefore, peacemakers are promised the gracious name of sons of God, that is, children of God, and with this inexplicable bliss.
The Apostle Paul says: “And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, so that we may be glorified with Him. For I think that the sufferings of this present time are worth nothing in comparison with the glory that will be revealed.” in us" (Rom. 8 , 17-18).
About the Eighth Beatitude
8. Blessed is the expulsion of truth for the sake of them, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Exiled, unloved; for the sake of truth- for truth, for righteous life; like- because, because.
Persecuted for the sake of truth, these are those true believers who so love to live according to the truth, that is, according to the law of God, that for the firm fulfillment of their Christian duties, for their righteous and pious life, they suffer from wicked people, from enemies of truth and goodness, - persecution, persecution, deprivation and disaster, but they do not change the truth.
Persecution is inevitable for Christians who live according to the truth of the Gospel, because evil people hate the truth (since the truth exposes their evil deeds) and always persecute and persecute in every possible way those people who defend the truth. The Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, was crucified on the cross by haters of God’s truth and predicted to all His followers: “ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too"(John. 15 , 20). "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution"says the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 3 , 12).
In order to patiently endure persecution for the sake of truth, a person must have: love for the truth, constancy and firmness in virtue, courage and patience, faith and trust in the help and protection of God.
To those persecuted for the truth, for their confessional feat, the Lord promises the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the complete triumph of the spirit, joy and bliss in the heavenly villages of future eternal life (Luke. 22 , 28-30).
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.
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.
The courage of Christian martyrs must be strictly distinguished from fanaticism, which is zeal 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, lest you become faint and faint 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.
“Just so 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; but if you are a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate” (1 Pet. 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.
Conversation about the meaning of evil
The thought of world evil lies as a heavy burden of doubt on the hearts of many believers. It seems unclear why God allows evil. After all, God in His Omnipotence could easily eliminate evil... How can an infinitely merciful God tolerate that the evil actions of one scoundrel would condemn thousands, sometimes millions, maybe even half of humanity to need, grief and disaster?..
What is the “meaning of Evil”? After all, nothing with God is meaningless.
To answer these questions it is necessary to recall what evil is.
By evil we should not understand suffering, need and deprivation, but sins and moral guilt. God doesn't want evil. Almighty God cannot approve of evil. Moreover, God forbids evil. God punishes evil. Evil or sin is a contradiction and an objection to God's will.
The beginning of evil, as we know, was laid by the highest angel created by God, who boldly abandoned obedience to the all-good will of God and became the Devil.
The devil is the cause of evil
It inspires or influences the origin of sin in a person.
It is not the human body, as many people think, that is the source of sin, no, but it becomes an instrument of sin or good, not by itself, but by the will of man.
The true faith of Christ points to the following two reasons for the existence of evil in the world:
1) First reason lies in human free will. Our free will is an imprint of the Divine likeness. This gift of God raises man above all creatures of the world...
In freely choosing good and rejecting evil, a person exalts God, glorifies God and improves himself.
The book of Jesus Sirach (15, 14) says: " He (God) created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his will; i.e. "God created man in the beginning and left him free choice."
Thus, God gives people with good will the opportunity to earn Heaven for themselves, and people with evil will - hell.
But both one and the other can only be achieved through the freedom of human will...
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
He says: if by nature, and not by freedom, you had done good, then for what has God prepared indescribable crowns? The sheep is meek, but it will never be crowned for its meekness: because its meekness comes not from freedom, but from nature.”
St. Basil the Great
says: “Why is it that in the structure itself we are not given sinlessness, so that it would be impossible to sin, even if we wanted to? Therefore, why do you not recognize the servants as serviceable when you keep them bound, but when you see what they are doing voluntarily before you? " Therefore, what is pleasing to God is not what is forced, but what is done voluntarily - virtue comes from will, and not from necessity, and what you produce depends on what is in us; and what is in us, freely. Therefore, whoever blames the Creator “He who did not make us sinless does nothing more than prefer a nature that is unreasonable, motionless and has no aspirations, to a nature gifted with will and self-activity.” In other words: he prefers a machine (“robot”) to an intelligent creature.
Thus, internal cause The origin of evil or sin lies in the free will of man.
2) The second reason or the meaning of the existence of evil is that Pain is also evil leads to good. But God does not allow evil for the sake of good. God does not need such an expensive payment.
God does not want evil under any circumstances. But since evil entered the world through the fault of creation, God in His world plan also forces evil to serve good.
Here's an example: Jacob's sons sold their brother Joseph into slavery. They did an evil thing. But God turned evil into good.
Joseph rose to prominence in Egypt and was given the opportunity to save his family from famine, from which the Messiah would come.
When, a few years later, Joseph saw his brothers, he told them: “You intended evil against me, but God turned it to good!!!”
In the days of the apostles
Jews persecuted Christians in Palestine. And Christians had to flee from Judea, sanctified by the life and blood of the Savior. But wherever they went, they sowed the word of the Gospel. The sins of the persecutors were directed by Divine hand to the spread of Christianity...
...The pagan emperors of Rome persecuted the young Christian Church. Tens of thousands of martyrs then shed their blood for Christ. And the blood of the martyrs became the seed for millions of new Christians.
The rage of the persecutors, the sin of hatred and murder were directed by God here too to the building of the Church. They thought and did evil, but God justified all their deeds for good...
The entire history of mankind, right up to the events of our days, shows the truth of these words.
The greatest catastrophes of nations were at the same time the greatest triumphs of religion, the turning of people to God...
We just have to have patience and wait. “For with God one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (2 Pet. 3 , 8).
But this interweaving of evil in terms of governing the world was not some kind of belated superstructure, an amendment to what had been created. This interweaving of evil occurred in the act of God's eternal will in which the creation of the world was decided.
For God is eternal today!
And His foreknowledge comes from eternity. It operates always and continuously.
(Extracted from the brochure by L. Lyusin: “Who is right?”
with additions).
Conclusion
The knowledge we have acquired of true faith and Christian life (piety) must always guide us in our lives.
But in order to correctly and savingly use the knowledge of faith and piety, it is necessary for every Christian to have the virtue reasoning, i.e. Christian prudence.
The Apostle Peter, addressing Christians, says: " show virtue in your faith, and prudence in virtue"(2 Pet. 1 , 5).
What is done without reasoning may not turn out to be reasonable, and even good things can bring harm instead of benefit.
The teaching of the Orthodox Church known to us about faith and piety must be demonstrated in practice and, moreover, not hypocritically, sincerely fulfilling everything that we know from this teaching. If you know this, blessed are you when you do"(John. 13 , 17).
If we see that we are sinning, that is, we are not fulfilling this teaching as necessary, then we must force ourselves to immediately bring sincere repentance and firmly resolve to avoid sin in the future, making amends for it with the opposite good deeds.
When it seems to us that we are fulfilling this or that commandment well, then we should never be arrogant or proud of this, but with deep humility and gratitude to God, admit that we are fulfilling only what obliged to fulfill, as Christ the Savior said: “When you have done all that was commanded you, say: We are worthless servants, because we have done what we had to do” (Luke. 17 , 10).
MODERN SCIENTISTS AND FAITH IN GOD
True science has long recognized that the area of research is almost nothing in comparison with the area of the unexplored. Moreover, the more science covers the area of research, the more the area subject to research increases accordingly. “Everything new openly contributes to the expansion in arithmetical proportion of the kingdom of the unknown” (A. K. Morrison). Science will never finish its work as long as the world stands.
Representatives of true science recognize that their information about the world must be replenished from another source. This source is religion.
The greatest scientist of our century Max Planck, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918, says: “Religion and science are in no way mutually exclusive, as was previously believed and as many of our contemporaries fear; on the contrary, they are consistent and complement each other".
Prof. M. M. Novikov(former rector of Moscow University), awarded a golden doctoral diploma from the University of Heidelberg in 1954 and since 1957 a full member of the New York Academy of Sciences, in his article: " The Naturalist's Path to Religion", writes: "One of the most amazing things in the history of science was the fact that physics- this is the strongest foundation of the old materialistic natural science, took an idealistic path. She came to the conclusion that physical phenomena are determined by spiritual divine power. This has been expressed recently by three of the most eminent scientists.
Well known in wide public circles (at least by name) A. Einstein's theory of relativity. But not everyone knows that it led the scientist to the formulation of a “cosmic religion.” This religion, like any other, recognizes the existence of a higher Spirit who creates World Harmony.
The developed M. Planck quantum theory Regarding the problem that interests us, this author writes the following: “The only thing that is primarily given for the natural scientist is the content of his sensory perceptions and the measurements derived from this. From here, through inductive research, he tries to get as close as possible to God and His world order, as the highest, but an eternally unattainable goal. If, therefore, both religion and natural science require faith in God for their justification, then for the first (religion) God stands at the beginning, for the second (science) at the end of all thinking. For religion He represents the foundation , for science - the crown of development of worldview... Man needs the natural sciences for knowledge, and religion for action (behavior). For knowledge, the only solid starting point is the perception of our feelings.
The assumption of the existence of some regular world order is a prerequisite for the formulation of fruitful questions. But this path is not suitable for action, because with the manifestations of our will we cannot wait until our knowledge is perfect and we acquire omniscience. After all, life requires immediate decisions from us.”
Planck further points out that if we attribute to God, in addition to omnipotence and omniscience, the attributes of goodness and love, then approaching Him gives the person seeking consolation a feeling of happiness to a high degree. “From the point of view of natural science, not the slightest objection can be raised against such a concept.”
The work caused a great sensation V. Heisenberg- Nobel Prize laureate 1932. He formulated the principle of indeterminism (uncertainty), according to which it is possible only with certain limitations to define elementary particles as the last and indecomposable units of matter. And besides, it is impossible to know simultaneously and accurately the position of a particle and the speed of its movement. We claim that electrons exist, but we are not able to distinguish them from one another. As for matter, this very concept in the previous sense becomes redundant. The world, according to Heisenberg, consists of something whose essence is unknown to us. This “something” manifests itself either in the form of, as it were, particles, or in the form of waves, and if we are already looking for names, then this “something” must be designated by the word energy, and even then in quotation marks. The so-called natural science laws are laws that are not precise, but static in nature (i.e., without taking into account the acting forces).
To these considerations it should be added that the concept of an indefinite “something” also applies to life phenomena. But here it takes on a completely different character. Mathematical equations that characterize elementary physical processes are not applicable here, because life, as Drish argued, represents an autonomous (independent, independent) region.”
Famous Professor I. A. Ilyin says: “A real scientist understands perfectly well that the “scientific” picture of the universe is changing all the time, becoming more complicated, deepening, going into details and never giving either complete clarity or unity... A real scientist knows that science will never be able explain his latest premises or define his basic concepts, for example, establish exactly what an "atom", "electron", "vitamin", "energy" or "psychological function" is; he knows that all his "definitions" explanations" and "theories" are only imperfect attempts to get closer to the living mystery of the material and mental world. There is no point in arguing about the productivity of science: all modern technology and medicine testify to it. But as for its theoretical truths and their provability, science floats across the seas of the problematic (supposed) and mysterious."
One of the most famous American scientists, former chairman of the New York Academy of Sciences, A. Kressm Morrison, proves the existence of God in his brilliant article: " Seven reasons why I believe in God".
“We are still only at the dawn of scientific knowledge,” says C. Morrison. “The closer to dawn, the brighter our morning, the more clearly the creation of an intelligent Creator becomes clear to us. Now, in the spirit of scientific humility, in the spirit of faith based on knowledge, we are even closer to unshakable confidence in the existence of God.
Personally, I count seven circumstances that determine my faith in God. Here they are:
: A very clear mathematical law proves that the universe was created by the Greatest Intelligence.
Imagine that you are throwing ten coins into a bag. Coins, in order of value, range from one cent to ten. Then shake the bag. Now try to pull out the coins one by one in order of their value, putting each coin back again and shaking the bag again. Mathematics says that we have a one in ten chance of drawing a one-cent coin the first time. To pull out a one-cent coin, and immediately after it a two-cent coin, our chances turn out to be one in a hundred. To pull out three coins in a row in this way, we have one chance in a thousand, etc. For the fact that we pull out all ten coins in a given order, we have one chance in ten billion.
The same mathematical arguments suggest that for the emergence and development of life on earth, such an incredible number of relationships and interconnections are necessary that without reasonable direction, simply by chance, they could not have arisen in any way. The speed of rotation on the surface of the earth is defined as one thousand miles per hour. If the earth rotated at a speed of one hundred miles per hour, our days and nights would become ten times longer. During a long day, the sun would burn out all living things; during a long night, all living things would freeze to death.
Then the temperature of the sun is 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The earth is removed from the sun as much as necessary for this “eternal fire” to properly warm us, no more, no less! If the sun gave half as much heat, we would freeze. If it gave twice as much, we would die from the heat.
The slope of the earth is 23°. This is where the seasons come from. If the slope of the earth were different, evaporation from the ocean would move back and forth, south and north, piling up entire continents of ice. If the moon, instead of its present distance, were 50,000 miles away from us, our ebb and flow of tides would take on such enormous proportions that all continents would be under water twice a day. As a result, the mountains themselves would soon be washed away. If the earth's crust were comparatively thicker than it is now, there would not be enough oxygen on the surface, and all living things would be doomed to death. If the ocean were relatively deeper, carbon dioxide would absorb all the oxygen, and all living things would, again, die. If the atmosphere enveloping the globe were a little thinner, then the meteors, millions of which burn up in it every day, falling to the ground, would fall on it in their entirety and would cause innumerable fires everywhere.
These and countless other examples indicate that there is not even one chance in many millions for the accidental emergence of life on earth.
The wealth of sources from which life draws strength to accomplish its task is in itself proof of the presence of a self-sufficient and omnipotent Mind.
No man has hitherto been able to comprehend what life is. She has neither weight nor size, but she truly has strength. A sprouting root can destroy the rock. Life conquered water, land and air, took possession of their elements, forcing them to dissolve and transform their constituent combinations.
A sculptor who gives form to all living things, an artist who carves the shape of each leaf on a tree, who determines the color of each flower. Life is a musician who taught birds to sing songs of love, who taught insects to make an innumerable number of sounds and call each other with them. Life is a subtle chemist, giving taste to fruits, smell to flowers, a chemist changing water and carbon dioxide into sugar and wood, and at the same time receiving oxygen necessary for all living things.
Here before us is a drop of protoplasm, an almost invisible drop, transparent, jelly-like, capable of moving and extracting energy from the sun. This cell, this transparent lobe of dust is the germ of life and has within itself the power to communicate life to large and small. The power of this drop, this speck of dust, is greater than the power of our existence, stronger than animals and people, for it the basis of everything living. Nature did not create life. Rocks split by fire and freshwater seas would not be able to meet the requirements that life imposes for its emergence.
Who put life into this speck of protoplasm?
: The intelligence of animals undeniably testifies to a wise Creator, who instilled instinct in creatures who, without it, would have been completely helpless creatures.
The young salmon spends its youth in the sea, then returns to its native river and follows it along the very same side along which the eggs from which it hatched were carried. What guides him with such precision? If he is placed in a different environment, he will immediately feel that he has lost his way, he will fight his way to the main stream, then go against the stream and fulfill his destiny with due precision.
The behavior of the eel hides an even greater secret. These amazing creatures in adulthood travel from all ponds, rivers and lakes, even if they are in Europe, travel thousands of miles across the ocean and go to the depths of the sea off Bermuda. Here they perform their act of reproduction and die. Little eels, which seem to have no idea about anything, which could be lost in the depths of the ocean, follow the path of their fathers, to the very rivers, ponds and lakes from which they began their journey to Bermuda. In Europe, not a single eel that belongs to American waters has ever been caught, and in America, not a single European eel has ever been caught. The European eel reaches maturity a year later, allowing it to make its journey. Where is this guiding impulse born?
A wasp, after picking up a grasshopper, strikes it in a precisely defined place. The grasshopper “dies” from this blow. He loses consciousness and continues to live, representing a kind of canned meat. After this, the wasp lays its larvae so that the hatched little ones can suck the grasshopper without killing it. Dead meat would be deadly food for them. Having completed this work, the mother wasp flies away and dies. She never sees her cubs. There is not the slightest doubt that every wasp does this work for the first time in its life, without any training, and does it exactly as it should, otherwise where would there be wasps? This mystical technique cannot be explained by the fact that wasps learn from one another. It is embedded in their flesh and blood.
Fourth
: Man has more than animal instinct. He has reason.
There was and is no such animal that could count to ten. It cannot even understand the essence of the number ten. If instinct can be compared to one note of a flute, with a beautiful but limited sound, then we must accept that the human mind is capable of perceiving all the notes of not only one flute, but also all the instruments of the orchestra. Is it worth mentioning one more point: thanks to our mind, we are able to reason about what we are, and this ability is determined only by the fact that a spark of the Mind of the Universe is embedded in us.
: The miracle of genes - a phenomenon that we know, but which was not known to Darwin - indicates that care was taken for all living things.
The size of genes is so incredibly insignificant that if all of them, that is, the genes thanks to which all people around the globe live, were collected together, they could fit into a thimble. And the thimble wouldn't be full yet! And yet, these ultramicroscopic genes and their accompanying chromosomes are present in all cells of all living things and are the absolute key to explaining all the characteristics of humans, animals and plants. Thimble! It can contain all the individual characteristics of all two billion human beings. And there can be no question of doubt about this. If this is so, then how is it that a gene even includes the key to the psychology of each individual being, fitting all this into such a small volume?
This is where evolution begins! It starts at unit, which is keeper and carrier of genes. And the fact that several million atoms included in an ultramicroscopic gene may turn out to be the absolute key directing life on earth is evidence proving that all living things are cared for, that someone has foreseen for them in advance, and that the foresight comes from the Creative Mind. No other hypothesis here can help solve this riddle of existence.
: Observing the economy of nature, we are forced to admit that only an extremely perfect Reason can provide for all the relationships that arise in such a complex economy.
Many years ago in Australia, some species of cactus introduced here were planted as hedges. In the absence of hostile insects here, the cactus multiplied in such incredible numbers that people began to look for means to combat it. And the cactus continued to spread. It got to the point that the area he occupied turned out to be larger than the area of England. He began to force people out of cities and villages, he began to destroy farms. Entomologists have searched the whole world in search of measures to combat the cactus. Finally, they managed to find an insect that fed exclusively on cactus. It reproduced easily and had no enemies in Australia. Soon this insect defeated the cactus. The cactus retreated. The number of this plant has decreased. The number of insects has also decreased. There are only as many of them left as needed to keep the cactus under constant control.
And this kind of controlling relationship is observed everywhere. Why, in fact, did not insects, which multiply so incredibly quickly, suppress all living things? Because they breathe not with their lungs, but with their tracheas. If an insect grows, its trachea does not grow in proportion. This is why there have never been and cannot be insects that are too large. This discrepancy holds back their growth. If it were not for this physical control, man could not exist on earth. Imagine a bumblebee the size of a lion.
: The fact that man is able to perceive the idea of the existence of God is in itself sufficient evidence.
The concept of God arises from that mysterious faculty of man which we call imagination. Only with the help of this power, and only with its help, is man (and no other living creature on earth) capable of finding confirmation of abstract things. The breadth that this ability opens up is absolutely immense. In fact, thanks to the perfect imagination of man, the possibility of spiritual reality arises, and man can, with all the obviousness of his goal and goal, determine the great truth that Heaven is everywhere and in everything, the truth that God lives everywhere and in everything, that He lives in ours. hearts.
And so, both from the side of science and from the side of imagination, we find confirmation of the words of the psalmist:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, but the firmament declares the work of His hand.”
Famous surgeon, former prof. Universities of Cologne, Bonn and Berlin, Augustin Beer says: “Even if science and religion happened to fall into conflict, harmony in their relationship would soon be restored through mutual penetration on the basis of more accurate data.”
Let us end our conversation again with the words of the scientist A. K. Morrison: “Man recognizes the necessity of moral principles; in which the sense of duty lives; from this flows his faith in God.
The flowering of religious feeling enriches the human soul and elevates it so much that it allows it to perceive the Divine presence. The instinctive exclamation of a person: “Oh my God!” It is quite natural, and even the simplest form of prayer brings a person closer to the Creator.
Respect, sacrifice, strength of character, moral principles, imagination - are not born from denial and atheism, this amazing self-deception that replaces God with man. Without faith, culture disappears, order collapses and evil prevails
Let us unswervingly believe in the Creator Spirit, in Divine love and in human brotherhood. Let us lift up our souls to God, fulfilling His will as it is revealed to us; Let us maintain the confidence inherent in faith that we are worthy of the cares with which the Lord surrounds the creatures He created." To these words of A. Morrison we will add the words of a psychiatrist and theologian prof. I. M. Andreeva: “True knowledge is incompatible with pride. Humility is an indispensable condition for the possibility of knowing the Truth. Only a humble scientist, like a humble religious thinker, who always remembers the words of the Savior - Without Me you cannot create anything and I am the way and the truth and the life- are able to follow the right path (method) to the knowledge of the Truth. For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
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You are talking about the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ. He begins it with the Beatitudes.
! Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Here the Lord encourages the desire to seek and love the truth. This also applies to God’s truth: that is, the desire to understand the teachings of God, to delve into the Holy Scriptures. "Truth lovers", being resurrected after the Second Coming of Christ, will learn the whole truth.
! Happy are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Here Christ proclaims love and mercy towards people. Further in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called to love even your enemies. And Christ called love for people itself the second most important commandment after love for God (see Matt. 22:36-40). Love generates mercy, that is, forgiveness. Jesus also constantly taught about forgiveness (see Matt. 6:14, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37). That is, loving and forgiving people will also be pardoned and forgiven here on earth for their mistakes and then at the Great Judgment.
! Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Here we are talking about spiritual purity, that is, sincere kindness and gentleness. Such people will be rewarded by inheriting eternal life and seeing God.
! Happy are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. As noted above, Jesus taught love for enemies and merciful forgiveness even for those who offend... The commandments of love are incompatible with bloodshed and wars. Continuing the work of Jesus, the apostles also taught never to respond to evil with evil, but only with good. Because maintaining and strengthening peace is very valuable in the eyes of God. Therefore, the peacemakers in heaven will be called sons of God...
! Happy are those who are exiled for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. From the following verses 11-12 it is clear that it is said here about those who will have to suffer for the truth - for the firmness of faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ, faithfulness to His commandments... A place has been prepared for them in the Kingdom of Heaven (see John 14 :1-3).
As you can see, the beatitudes (happiness) are very relevant today, if you use the correct modern translation of the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ.
* Due to the fact that not all programs and browsers display the Greek language, Greek words are given in Latin.
Valery Tatarkin
Many have heard about the commandments of Jesus Christ, the Beatitudes. Many people know that there are only nine of them. But what are they? What do they teach? How are the Beatitudes different from the ones that were given? You can learn more about this from the article!
Commandments of Jesus Christ
Nine Beatitudes
Who said these nine beatitudes?
The Lord Jesus Christ himself is on the mountain with the twelve apostles and a multitude of people (Matthew 5:3-12).
What do the Beatitudes say?
In the Beatitudes, the Lord teaches us what ways we can achieve the Kingdom of Heaven. Each of these 9 sayings contains both a commandment and a promise of reward for fulfilling it.
What is God's first commandment for obtaining blessedness?
Bliss– happy. Poor in spirit- humiliating themselves. Yako- because.
It says that poor in spirit, i.e. people who love to do good without boasting about it, and who present themselves as great sinners before God, will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.
The second commandment of God for obtaining bliss:
Tia– those.
This beatitude says that crying, i.e. people who repent of their sins and cry about them will receive consolation in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The third commandment of God:
Krotsyi- meek, humble.
This commandment is that meek people who are not angry themselves and do not anger others in any way, do not irritate, and who get along everywhere, receive both earthly blessings and the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Fourth Beatitude:
Hungering- those who want to eat. Thirsty- thirsty. Is it true- justification, good.
This commandment says that hungry and thirsty for truth, i.e. people who, like the hungry and thirsty, desire justification (salvation) for the soul through faith in Jesus Christ, will receive satisfaction for themselves and thereby satisfy their soul.
Fifth Beatitude:
It says that merciful and kind people who do deeds of mercy will be pardoned by God, i.e. delivered from eternal condemnation at the terrible judgment of God.
Sixth Commandmentbliss:
They will see- they will see.
This commandment is that the pure in heart, i.e. people who have their hearts pure from evil desires and thoughts and always preserve the memory of God will see God Himself, which constitutes the greatest degree of bliss.
Master, are the Beatitudes the commandments of true happiness on earth? When did people receive them and in what quantity?
God's boundless love for man was expressed in the fact that He did not abandon His creation even after the fall of the first parents. Moreover, He inevitably continued to take care of the salvation of the human race, providing people with moral forces and divine institutions, which, like a lighthouse, guided man in the storm of the sea of \u200b\u200blife. Having given people the internal law of conscience, God supplemented it as needed with an external law - Revelation. The need for a frank law was revealed when, as a result of the Fall, man’s moral consciousness was dulled and distorted. That is why the Apostle Paul says that “the law was given because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19), that is, because of the Fall. The conscience of man was eclipsed and distorted - and to its aid the Ten Commandments were given, in which the will of God is clearly expressed. These Commandments were received by the prophet Moses on two clay tablets on Mount Sinai, and therefore they are also called the Sinai legislation.
Over many centuries of Old Testament history, the essence and meaning of the moral revelation expressed in the Sinai commandments were buried under the weight of a huge variety of everyday and ritual prescriptions. The scrupulous execution of the purely external, ritual aspect of the law began to be given paramount importance. Therefore, the Lord had to appear in order to renew the content of the law and fill it with inner spiritual meaning.
Our Lord Jesus Christ continued to build on the foundation that was laid in ancient times by the prophets: “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). But His building is more perfect - He fulfilled and at the same time completed the law. The Lord reduces the commandments given through Moses to the law of conscience and heart. As a result, they are no longer written on tablets of stone, but on tablets of the heart (Rom. 8:10). Thus, the Savior raises our thought from earthly and temporary blessings, which prompted the Israelites to fulfill the law, to incorruptible and eternal blessings, directing the Christian’s thought to Heaven as the goal of his existence.
Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. There are nine of them (see Matt. 5:3-12). They talk about what a person should do, what he should be, in order to find happiness and fullness of life. Bliss is synonymous with happiness. Saint Gregory of Nyssa defines beatitude as follows: “Bliss is the totality and completeness of everything that is good and that is desired as good, without a single lack, deprivation or obstacle. The followers of Christ not only expect bliss as the future, but it is inherent in their soul as the present, since Christ himself is present in them.” In other words, bliss is that inner, unemotional joy that a person gains in this life and which passes with him into eternity.
The first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for among them is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Who are the poor in spirit and why does the Kingdom of Heaven belong to them?
Life with God is the fullness of being, the highest good and human happiness. But in order for a person to find happiness, he must be able to accept the Spirit of God into himself, freeing his heart from sins and passions. Sin drives God out of people’s lives, and then the person’s own “I” reigns in the central place of their spiritual life that belonged to Him. There is a distortion of life values, a change in all guidelines. Instead of ascending to God, serving Him and being in saving communion with Him, a person directs all his strength to satisfying the needs of his own egoism. The state when people live for themselves and place their own “I” as the center of their inner universe is called pride. Pride is the beginning of sin, because a proud person relies only on himself in life. He believes that he can do everything himself and he doesn’t need God. Pride is the beginning of the denial of God and even the struggle with Him, and spiritual poverty, or humility, is the opposite state of pride. It is no coincidence that the Word of God warns us that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
The Holy Fathers teach that the first sign of recovery of the soul is the vision of one’s sins, as countless as the sand of the sea. Awareness of one's fallen state leads a person to humility, which is naturally the first step on the path to God. Saint Nicholas of Serbia writes: “Our human poverty is very deep and hidden, so that many do not reach its bottom. But good for those who go down to the very bottom. Poverty of spirit is not some gift received from the outside, but it is a real state of a person that only needs to be realized. And they come to the realization of their spiritual poverty by severely testing themselves. Whoever decides to do this comes to understand threefold poverty: poverty from the point of view of one’s knowledge, poverty from the point of view of one’s kindness, poverty from the point of view of one’s deeds.”
Spiritual poverty and humility are not weakness, but great strength. This is a person’s victory over himself, over the demon of egoism and the omnipotence of passions. We are required to be able to see our shortcomings in order to fight them and open our hearts to God, so that He reigns in it, sanctifying and transforming our lives with His grace.
The second beatitude: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” It is very difficult for people to understand this commandment. Those who cry are always unhappy. What saving tears are they talking about?
Indeed, according to the words of St. John Chrysostom, this commandment seems to contradict the opinion of the entire universe, because everyone considers those who cry to be unhappy. In the ordinary mind, tears are an indispensable sign of human grief, pain, resentment, and hopelessness. But those who weep blissfully are not those who cry because of everyday problems, because powerless anger, humiliated pride, and wounded pride also cry. This “sadness of this world” often leads to the mortal sin of despondency and despair. But if a person is able to cry out of compassion for his brother, then this indicates a very special state of his soul. The heart of such a person is alive, and therefore responsive to the pain of his neighbor and, therefore, capable of deeds of kindness and compassion. Charity and willingness to help others are the most important components of human happiness. For a person cannot be happy when someone nearby is suffering, just as there is no joy in the midst of ashes, victims and human grief. Therefore, our tears are a direct and morally healthy response to the grief of another person, because indifference is passive participation in lawlessness. To the best of our ability and ability, using word or deed, consolation, any participation in the life of a suffering person, changing his fate for the better, we fulfill this commandment. In essence, this commandment is aimed at ensuring that there are fewer suffering and crying among us. After all, if every person empathizes with the grief of his neighbor, figuratively speaking, weeps about this grief, and is puzzled by the goal of helping him, then there will be no mourners left.
Also, the holy fathers understood by mourners people who mourn their sins and the break with God. Saint Gregory the Theologian said that those who cry are those who regret the lost spiritual state as a result of sin. The holy fathers called such sadness according to God joyful, for it does not fall as a heavy burden on the soul, but encourages a person to seek God and find consolation in Him.
The third beatitude sounds like this: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” What is the definition of meekness? And why are the meek blessed immediately after those who weep?
Meekness is a person’s ability to understand and forgive another. It is the result of humility. And humility, as we said earlier, is characterized by the ability to put God or another person at the center of one’s life. A humble person, poor in spirit, is ready to understand and forgive. Meekness is also patience and generosity. “Why are the meek blessed immediately after those who mourn? Because meekness is the fruit and consequence of contrition and mourning for our sins, writes Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). - Most of all, we are looking for peace of mind in the world, but we don’t have it that much, because this peace is the fruit of meekness and kindness. “...Learn from Me that I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).” You can imagine what our lives would be like if we were all able to accept, understand and forgive each other. Heaven would have begun already on Earth. Therefore, St. Basil the Great teaches: “Meekness is the greatest of the virtues and is therefore numbered among the beatitudes... for the meek will “inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). This land is the Heavenly Jerusalem, it is not a spoil for those who compete, but is given as an inheritance to the long-suffering and meek.”
