Sermon 335F

Sermon 335/F

ABOUT THE MARTYRS

How great security has been given to the martyrs by God.

But what shall we say about the martyrs? How great a security was given to them that they did not even care about the division of their members? He takes care of the number of the hairs and does not take care of the integrity of the members in the resurrection? Therefore, confess Christ. Choose one of two for yourself. Do you want Christ to confess you before His Father? Yes, he says. Therefore, you also confess Christ before men.

The martyrs overcame because they sought solace from Christ. To know Christ is one thing, to not know Him is another.

For indeed the holy martyrs did not rely on themselves but sought solace from Christ. Therefore, they were victorious. Hear the voice of those who do not presume of themselves. It is the voice of the holy martyrs: Unless it was because the Lord was with us, let Israel now say, unless it was because the Lord was with us, when men rose up against us, they might have swallowed us alive. The martyrs say: Unless it was because the Lord was with us, unless He had helped, unless He had strengthened the heart in faith, unless He had given patience, unless He had supplied strength to those fighting, they might have swallowed us alive. What does it mean: they might have swallowed us alive? Just as we know Christ, just as we know that He suffered and rose again, just as we know that He is coming for the judgment of the living and the dead, unless He had helped, they would have swallowed us. Alive, He said, knowing ones. It is a different thing not to know Christ. Therefore, one is swallowed because he thinks there is no savior. Therefore, he is swallowed but he is swallowed dead. For the one who knows Christ the savior and denies Him is swallowed alive. He knows how, knowing, the living and wise perish. He denies and perishes as if he did not perish. But indeed he perishes more then. Behold, they denied Christ, they were released from prisons and chains. Tell me: Did they perish or not? I ask the faith of the heart, not the eyes of the flesh. You see that there is a not perishing of perishing, and a perishing of not perishing. Therefore, it is said: Whoever finds his life will lose it. By losing it does not lose, by not losing it will lose more. Why do you deny Christ? O you who now rejoice freed from chains. You answered: "I feared for my soul," you said. "I was to be killed. Therefore, I denied. I cared for my soul lest I lose it." You lost it more, you were swallowed alive. If you had feared, you would not have lost it. Fool! You feared for your body, not your soul. Did you not hear Him who said: Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul? You did not even take care of the body, because on the day of judgment the soul with the body will burn. You feared for the body lest the persecutor might kill you. Behold, he did not kill you because you denied Christ. You removed the persecutor by denying Christ. Remove fever if you can. Behold, it is coming, behold, it will grow, behold, it will cast you out of the body. Where will you go when you leave the body? But what I had begun to say, you did not even take care of the body. For while your soul is consumed and tormented by the heat of fire, your body rots, returning to ashes. And the martyrs, you say, were not human? Even their bodies turn to ashes. And when the voice from heaven comes, you will both rise. The martyr proceeds, and you proceed. But see who goes where, where he goes, where you go. You indeed have a confused resurrection, but those who have done good to the resurrection of life, those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. What judgment? What punishments? Hear the prophet Isaiah: Their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched. If you do not amend while you live, behold where you will rise, to the fire, to the flames where fire will not be quenched and worms will not die. What is it that you feared? Whom did you fear? For the body. Behold, hellfire and the worm cling to the body. You see that you did not even consult the body when you feared. Do not be afraid and be afraid. Do not be afraid that your soul will be cast out by the persecutor. Do not be afraid that your body will be killed. You did not fear for the soul and consulted for the body. God will be the supporter of both your soul and body, and the restorer of your soul and the renewer of your body.