The feast of the exaltation – a conversation about the invincibility of hell

Sometimes we think that why the Savior came, not come true, and we bully ourselves of the temptations and hardships. Why we should not be afraid of the devil and what is the recipe for courage a sermon of Archpriest Alexander Abramov, the feast of the exaltation of the Holy cross.

Photo: tatmitropolia.ru

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When I saw Him the chief priests and officers, they shouted, crucify him, crucify Him! Pilate saith unto them, take ye Him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered him, we have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because he made Himself the Son of God.

When Pilate heard this word, he was the more afraid. And went again into the Praetorium and said to Jesus: whence art Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate said to Him, do not you answer? do you not know that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee? Jesus answered, you would have I no power if it were not given you from above; therefore the greater sin who delivered Me to you.

When Pilate heard this word, brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place called the pavement, but in Hebrew hawata. Then there was the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews: behold your King! But they cried out, take him, crucify Him! Pilate said to them: do your King shall I crucify? The chief priests answered we have no king but Caesar.

Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away. Carrying his Own cross, He went forth into a place called the skull, in Hebrew Golgotha; where they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews. The inscription read many of the Jews because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

By the cross of Jesus stood His mother and His Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, saith to His Mother: woman, behold your son! behold Thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took Her to his own.

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, it is done! And he bowed his head, and gave up the Ghost. But because it was the preparation, that the Jews, in order not to leave bodies on the cross on the Sabbath — for that Sabbath was a great day — asked Pilate to kill their leg and take them down.

So the soldiers came and first broke the legs, and the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his testimony is true; he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

In. 19: 6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35

Archpriest Alexander Abramov

In the name of today’s holiday often add the word “world”. World The Exaltation Of The Cross. And this is a very important addition. The Church tells us that this is happening not only in Jerusalem. And not only there stands the Cross of the Lord. And not only the anniversary of the historic event is celebrated today. The most important that relates to the meaning of this holiday is a conversation about the stupidity and pojedinosti hell.

We are so accustomed to intimidate us: temptations, hardships, difficulties, troubles. It is clear that half of it can be easily discarded because it is mostly whining and pity. But there are real problems, there is a valid temptation and hardship.

And today’s feast encourages us. Says that hell is not possible person to cheat. Will not be able at first to deceive the God-man Christ, and after Him, he loses and the absoluteness of his power over the ordinary man, of the earth.

Simple children’s symbol — the crossed lines. Human babble at the dawn of civilization. The devil tries to bring the sign completely uncharacteristic sense. Of something good, simple and clear — to make the murder weapon. But this perpetual devilish desire of death, tear, the end of blinded and Satan himself. He tried the Cross of Christ to make a cross, put on human history. And moreover, tried to put an end to God. And were confounded.

Photo: spbda.ru

Sometimes we think that all that which the Savior came not to pass. The Savior came to become a better person, and a person becomes worse. The Savior came that the person was truthful, but man is constantly improving in the art of lies. The Savior came so that man could see the Sky, but people are not able and earth to see under a, and only focus on myself.

So-so, but not until the end. Human being is capable of relationship with God and wants this relationship. He wants God to be a mother. But very often do not know how to be a mother. Suffering and myatetsya his soul, when Christ is not there when he puts himself outside the saving Christ of the Palace. The man realizes something is wrong. There is a glory, a mind, have money, have children, and God — no. And unhappy people. Much of the above may not be. But there is a God. And people happy.

The devil is the father not only some terrible force, which is able to ruin us. He is also the founder of the utter stupidity, lack of understanding of a man; he thinks of himself as something very important, magnified and inflated. And, like any inflated bubble bursts, touching the tip of the cross of Christ.

And the Cross of Christ is returned to the image from which it arose: children of the joy of humanity that the good still always wiser, smarter and stronger.

For the devil it would be ideal if the Savior would forever remain in hell, when he went down there on Holy Saturday. In his blindness he thought it would. That’s just nothing, it never happened. Weak, pointless, weak Satan. We are afraid of him just because allow ourselves to be afraid of him. But we have a simple recipe of courage, the Savior: walk in the light[1]. Because when you walk in the darkness, you stumble. And walking in the light will never stumble.

And all that was monstrous and terrible in the night sinful obscurations becomes meaningless, worthy of derision in the light of Christ’s day. We should not be afraid of Satan, because when we are afraid of temptations and influences of the devil, we open ourselves to it and these effects. With us the Savior. No Savior on the cross. And this is our victory and our hope. No Savior on the cross, and so the devil has over us, no power except that which we give him. And so even our very weak and distorted Christianity justified and necessary to God.

From the book “whosoever will may come. Conversations on Sundays and feast the gospel reading,” published in the publishing house “Nikea”

[1] Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth (Jn. 12: 35).

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