Discourse on ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners’ (Basil of Seleucia)

Discourse on ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners’ 

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

(Mark 10:32-45)

By Basil of Seleucia (mid-5th century)

The interest of the listeners increases the anxiety of the tongue. The longing of the Church’s assembly for divine teaching increases my fear before the undertaking of speaking. Therefore, the Master, calming the fear of speech, cried out: “Blessed are those who speak into the ears of those who hear,” those who cast the seed of teaching into fertile soil and heap up good doctrines in the threshing floor of the soul. For it is worth laboring for this, hoping to reap the fruits of preaching.

And the Jews, on the one hand, avoided hearing even the prophecies, and the admonitions were also unwelcome to them, as we find written in the Prophets. For it says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” For this reason Jeremiah, seeking a reasonable excuse, put forward his youth: “I am young, and I do not know how to speak.” And Moses, when he was called to the leadership of the people, avoids the honor by accusing himself: “I am weak-voiced and slow of tongue.” The refusal of those sent exposes the disobedient character of the Jews. This race was always God-fighting, and opposed to divine benefactions. At one time they lamented the Egyptian slavery, and when they were delivered, they reviled the one who delivered them. They traversed the sea as though it were a highway; with dusty feet they journeyed upon the deep, and they attributed the benefaction to the calf. Heaven again sent down the flakes of manna, and they below blasphemed, crying out: “Our soul has become utterly dry because of this hollow bread.” A rock followed that flooded the desert with torrents, and a single strike of the rod brought forth many springs of waters. But not even this purified their ungrateful tongue, and despite this enjoyment they said: “When he struck the rock and waters flowed and torrents overflowed, can he also give bread?” Again, when they did not know the way, a cloud journeyed with them, removing ignorance and preventing the burning of the rays. A pillar of fire gave light by night, but they, dishonoring the one who honored them with miracles, said: “Let us appoint leaders and return to Egypt.” Clouds of birds were brought by the wind, preparing for them a meal as for foreign travelers. For forty years their garments, though worn, remained new, overcoming time and nature, and along with the garments, their footwear also remained new out of necessity, to endure the forty years of journeying. When they fought, the course of the elements of nature allied with them, when the sun, taught to delay, hastened the victory by lengthening the duration of the day, so as to make them victors in a single day. By lengthening its course, it shortened the time of the battle — though perhaps it also increased the duration of time — so as not to grieve those already wearied by delaying the victory. After the sun, the stream of the Jordan also stopped, and its current was restrained, yielding them a place to walk. The natural law of flow stood still, awaiting their passage. The kings heard and were troubled; the cities submitted of themselves. Jericho was encircled and cast off the circle of its wall, as if avoiding its inhabitants and hastening toward the Israelites. What was the gratitude for all these things? “Let us appoint leaders and return to Egypt.” 

But the things that followed were more terrible than the former. They worshiped the idol of the Moabites. The victors worshiping the idols of the conquered! Prophetic blood was shed, Mosaic books were burned, they hated a God-loving religion, they set up demonic statues.

But these things are ancient and of old. How then did they behave at the Incarnation of the Savior? Christ had compassion on mankind and came, extending a hand of salvation to our race. Yet they did not change their ways, nor were they ashamed before the miracles, but the mindset of their ancestors ran through time and found its heirs. Flakes of miracles, a sea of healings, an abundance of every good thing. Yet, though benefitted, they grieved and proclaimed with words the perplexity of their soul: “What shall we do? For this man performs many signs.” They saw sufferings being driven away, and they were wounded in soul by the passion of envy. The deliverance from the misfortune of others they regarded as their own misfortune. A paralytic arose, a blind man saw, a dead man proclaimed the defeat of death, and the Physician was counted among criminals. They were freed from the hands of demons, and yet they were not ashamed to call demon-possessed the One who freed them from demons. And again they persisted in lamenting: “What shall we do? For this man does such signs.” The conduct of the Jews proved to be a disgrace of human nature. They could endure no longer; passion led them to murder. Yet simple murder seemed inglorious to them. They contrive the Cross, and thus, mixing the miracles with shameful lawlessness, they prepared the cure for their envy. But none of these things escaped Christ, who willingly went toward the Passion, since from early on He prophetically anticipated His death, saying: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He did not ignore the Passion, He who said: “I have authority to lay down my life, and I have authority to take it again.”

For the Passion belonged to the divine economy. And indeed the Jews would dare it unlawfully, but God had ordained it for our salvation. Yet the Christ-loving choir of the Apostles grew faint-hearted when hearing about the Passion, and the word wounded their soul, making them taste beforehand the Passion through sorrow. And the Savior, softening the excessive grief of the disciples, intertwined the remembrance of the Passion with the proclamation of the Resurrection. And He repeatedly reminded them of the Passion, lightening it by the frequent rehearsal of the account, so that they might not be struck with astonishment at the sudden sight and thus their soul sink into much greater sorrow.

For this reason, even now the Savior, announcing beforehand the Passion, says: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of elders and scribes, and they will kill Him… and on the third day He will rise.” He shows that He knows the time, and that He comes to the Passion willingly. I could, He says, even withdraw from the Passion by changing course, and avoid my death by departing from the place of murder. But the time demands the Cross, necessity conceives the Passion, the appointed term of my presence seeks an occasion to come to its end. For this reason I formerly avoided stoning, because I awaited the Cross. For this reason I disappeared when they wished to cast me down from the cliff. Because I came to heal the death which the tree caused to Adam. In order to be nailed upon a tree, thus halting the course of evils that came from the tree. And ministers of my Passion are the Pharisees and the Scribes and the elders, the leaders of the Law — those who, while they have the honor of being considered successors of Moses, cooperate with the devil. The disciples of the Lawgiver, defenders of the lawless. But to you, my own, I foretell the Passion and heal your sorrow by announcing beforehand the Resurrection: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of elders and scribes, and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.” If you are grieved at the Passion, let the Resurrection heal your grief. If you tremble at the Cross, rejoice at the victory: “on the third day I shall rise.” I go toward a ready victory; soon I shall raise the trophy; the time of crowning has been appointed. I go to death, in order to compel it not to have its dominion over mankind forever. And I shall rise from the tomb, inaugurating the Resurrection. I shall teach Hades to await its successor — the Resurrection. With me death ceases and immortality is planted. Small will be the interval between death and life. For I do not descend to pay a debt of sin, but to abolish it.

But the souls of the disciples could not endure these words; rather, from the memory of the Passion they were overcome, and silence seized them all. Peter, however, was astonished at hearing these things, and unable, out of love, to bear the Passion, took hold of the Lord’s hand and said: “Be it far from You, Lord; this shall not be unto You.” The voice revealed the wound of his soul. What are You saying, O Master? How do You contemplate the Cross and speak of the Passion? Shall death dare to attack You, when even Hades could not endure Your voice? Previously You cried out to the dead son of the widow, and death fled, unable even to lead him to the grave. How then will death receive Him whom it fears? Leave these words, O Master. Elijah surpassed death, Enoch was translated, escaping Hades — how then shall Christ submit to death?

These things Peter was saying about the Passion; but Christ silenced him, rebuking him sharply: “Get behind me, Satan; you are a stumbling block to me, for you do not set your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” What are you saying, Peter? Do you hinder death? Do you not then look toward the Resurrection? Do you hinder the Cross? How then will the victory be accomplished? Shall the Passion not happen? How then will dispassion come? Shall I not fasten my Body to the tree? How then will the handwriting of sins, written through the tree, be torn up? Shall I not ascend on high? How then shall I triumph over the devil? Shall I avoid burial? How then shall the tombs be abolished? Shall I not descend to the dead? How then shall I bind Hades? How shall I grant release to those in chains? Shall I avoid the Cross? How then shall I heal the wounds of Adam? How else shall the transgression of the first-formed be healed? Without knowing it, Peter, you are siding with the devil. Shall I avoid death? How then shall the prophecies be fulfilled? You will have the reproach of Isaiah, who will cry out to you even more loudly: “As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent.” He will recount to you the benefit of the Passion, saying: “By His stripe we were all healed.” Jeremiah also will reproach you, portraying the Passion: “Behold, like an innocent lamb led to be sacrificed, I knew it not.” On the other hand, David will denounce you, praising with his harp the fragrance of the Passion: “Myrrh and aloes and cassia from your garments.” You will find Zechariah opposing you, who says: “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” And another will say: “The sun shall set at midday.” And again: “Neither day nor night, and at evening there shall be light.” Wait a little, Peter, and you will see the fulfillment of these words: the sun seized in the midst of the day, and premature night spread over creation; the rocks split, Hades plundered; death abolished, the devil cast down from his tyrannical power, the multitude of the dead set free. All these things, Peter — do you wish me to hinder them? Do you wish me to restrain them? To cancel their fulfillment? “Get behind me, Satan; for you do not set your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”

What harshness these words have, O Master! How fearful is this rebuke against Peter! A little earlier he heard from You, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,” and now You call the Apostle Satan? A little earlier You said: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” And now You call him a stumbling block and an instrument of the devil? Yet Judas is not rebuked, though he sells You and delivers You to death. He makes an agreement with the Jews against You. He sees You honored with myrrh and is indignant, and calculating precisely the amount he lost, he cries out: “Why this waste? This could have been sold for much,” and with these words he rebukes Your forbearance. And You were not angered, You did not rebuke him. On the contrary, You removed anger, expressing Your compassion with the words: “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me. For by pouring this myrrh, she has done it for my burial.” As if to say to Judas: Do not deprive me of burial by your slanders, since you deprive me also of life. This woman prepares me with burial for the murder you have caused. Reckon the price of the myrrh as burial expenses. Since you are already bargaining for murder, at least yield on the matter of burial.

You saw him coming against You with soldiers and weapons and clubs, and You did not say, “Get behind me, Satan.” You did not rebuke him with words, nor frighten him with deeds, but even urged him on to the act: “Friend, for what have you come?” Take up the task; do not delay your boldness. Confirm the betrayal by the deed. Thus You treated Judas. But Peter, who loves You, is insulted — and because he pities You, he is wounded? He erred out of ignorance — why then is he scourged with words? Yes, says the Savior, the Lover of mankind: where the wound is incurable, there the medicine is useless. But where there is hope of healing, there the incision is healing. Where I recognize a disciple, even if I rebuke, I instruct. But where the disposition is foreign to me, the disease is incurable. Of the one I heal ignorance; of the other I provoke madness. But you, Peter, advise me to withdraw from the Passion. I, however, exhort you to imitate my death, to accept the Cross, to endure the Passion, to desire danger with zeal. For “if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The Passion is the way of salvation, and the Cross the cause of the Kingdom. By participation in my sufferings, show that you are my disciples. And thus, because you will suffer for my sake, you will reign with me. To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages. Amen.

Source: Migne P.G. vol. 85, col. 337. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.