Moscow Sretenskaya Theological Seminary. The resurrection of the righteous Lazarus

08.05.2015

According to the Gospel, Saint Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. His life was connected with the Savior, because it was him who was resurrected by Christ on the fourth day after he died. In the Catholic Church, the day of Saint Lazarus is December 17, and he is also considered the very first bishop who served in Marseille.

The Gospel about Lazarus is spoken of only on behalf of John, and all the events that are associated with him are associated with the resurrection. When Christ went to Lazarus - to the tomb where he was buried, he began to cry very much, and those who stood nearby, who saw this, began to say that Jesus loved Lazarus very much. After Christ was near the cave, the stone was rolled away from it, and the Savior began to pray. A few minutes passed, and a man's hand appeared from the cave, and then the whole man, it turned out to be Lazarus. He was tied in swaddling clothes, Christ asked to be untied.

The exact burial place of Lazarus is unknown

According to the Catholic tradition, which was reflected in the Legend, Lazarus, with his sister and Mary Magdalene, decided to go to Marseille, where he began to preach the teachings of Christ. There were mainly pagans in Marseilles who did not immediately accept the new teacher. After some time, Lazarus was able to become the Bishop of Marseilles.

The relics of Lazarus were delivered to the city of Kitiy, now called Larnaca, in a special marble reliquary. There was a small inscription on the shrine that says that Lazarus was a friend of the Savior.

A few years later, the emperor Leo the Wise ordered to transport the relics of the saint to Constantinople, where they were placed in a small church of the same name. In the 10th century, a church named after Lazarus was built in the city of Larnaca near the grave of Lazarus. The most interesting thing is that in the 20th century, scientists accidentally discovered a small cancer containing human remains. In their opinion, these were the remains of Saint Lazarus. Most likely, not all the relics of the saint were taken to Constantinople. Scientists continue to disagree about the burial place of Saint Lazarus, since at one time there were rumors that he was buried in Bethany, where his grave is located. This place is now considered to be Muslim, and you have to pay money to see the grave. There is a small mosque next to the grave. The city of Bethany during the Byzantine rule was called Lazarion, after it was captured by the Muslims, the city began to be called El - Azaria, which in Arabic means "the city of Lazarus".

Several facts of resurrection and the tradition of veneration of Lazarus

The name Lazarus comes from an abbreviated form of another name - Elizar. If we talk about the translation of this name, it means “God helped me”. A small but very revered order of knights was named in his honor, which is called the Order of Lazarus sacred.

According to statistics, at the moment there are more than six thousand people in this order who live on different continents. The order is considered monastic, but refers to military people who take part in hostilities. It all began with the crusaders who fought in the lands of Palestine in the 11th century. Today, representatives of the order are only engaged in charity work.

In Cyprus, in the city of Larnaca, where the Church of Saint Lazarus is located, there is a tomb in a small underground crypt, and there is a museum in it. This museum is assembled from unique exhibits that have not been purchased or ordered from anyone. Everything that is there was brought and donated by the parishioners of the temple, who have visited it for many centuries. Much time passed, and the museum overflowed, there was not enough space and a new building was built, which was turned into a new and expanded museum.

Art critics spoke differently about Lazarus

In the last century, Van Gogh decided to talk about an unusual interpretation of the plot presented in the New Testament. This work was very different from the canonical representation, since the Savior, who performed a miracle by resurrecting Lazarus, was shown as the Sun, and in the main place was the Saint himself with his sisters Mary and Martha. In modern Russia, Lazarus symbolizes a person who suffers from illness and poverty, although after death he was rewarded in his later life in Heaven.

In Cuba, not everyone can beg for alms, it can be done by those who have dedicated themselves to the Saint. Lazarus on this island remains the most important patron saint for the population, and not only representatives of Christianity try to celebrate the holiday, but also supporters of the Santeri, who consider Lazarus a deity, the ruler of diseases.

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The Order of Saint Lazarus is the most closed military-monastic order of the era of the Crusades. Leprosy - a terrible curse of the Middle Ages - rallied the brothers of the order stronger than any vows and oaths, and the life and deeds of the unfortunate remained behind the gloomy walls of their monastery ...

The hospitable order of St. Lazarus traces its history to the time of the Byzantine province of Palestine Prima (Palaestina Prima) (IV century AD), where actions were first taken to provide charitable support to lepers. By then, leprosy had long been rampant in the Eastern Mediterranean. This infectious disease probably spread from Egypt.

As the Ebers Papyrus testifies, this chronic, eroding infectious disease was well known in Egypt as early as the 16th century BC. Lucretius believed that it was carried by the waters of the Nile, while Galen saw it as the reason for the lack of hygiene when preparing food and while eating. The disease spread throughout Judea after the Exodus and was then brought by Phoenician sea traders to Syria and other countries - hence the name that Hippocrates gave it: "Phoenician disease."

The spread of leprosy across Western Europe was facilitated by the campaigns of conquest by the Roman army. Those who were infected with the "Phoenician disease" were disgusted by those around them, so the patients were doomed to live in isolation from society.

After the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great (306-337 AD) awakened interest in the Holy Land and turned Jerusalem into an attractive force for Christian pilgrims, in the 4th century St. Basil the Great founded the first leper colony in the city of Ptolemiada (Acre, Saint-Jean d'Acr, present-day Acre) to care for lepers.

This kind of ministry began to spread. New leper colony was opened in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. The monastic order responsible for the leper colony in Ptolemias followed the Basilian rule. Christian dominion in the Holy Land ended in 638 AD when Jerusalem was conquered by the Caliph Omar.
As a result of his campaigns of conquest, the Middle East and North Africa were ruled by Islam for over four hundred years.

Christian pilgrimage that began in the 4th century AD. during the period following the fall of Jerusalem, the number of pilgrims increased significantly at the turn of the millennium. The increase in the number of pilgrims required the opening of new hospice houses in addition to those provided by the Basilian brothers to lepers and other infectious patients.

A particular increase in the number of hospice homes intended for sick and indigent pilgrims began around 1050, with the organization of a pilgrimage brotherhood of merchants from Amalfi, who were guided by the Benedictine charter.

In 1078 the Seljuks captured Jerusalem, but soon in 1093 they were driven out of there by the Fatimids. The religious intolerance of the Fatimids and their mistreatment of Christian pilgrims served as the spark that ignited the flames of the First Crusade led by Godefroy de Boulogne. In 1099, the Holy City was captured by the crusaders, who founded the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The conquest of Jerusalem by the Latins entailed a reorganization of the hospitable brotherhoods and orders that operated in the Holy City. The Basilian Brotherhood of Lepers was transformed into the Catholic Order of Saint Lazarus and moved its leper colony outside the city, to the northwest wall opposite the Patriarchal Quarter. the order accepted the Rite of St. Augustine and its charter was approved by Pope Paschal II in 1115.

The Lazarists or Lazarites continued to carry out the strangely welcoming ministry, caring for lepers and other infectious patients and, thereby complementing the brothers of the Order of St. John who provided support to sick and needy pilgrims.

But unlike the patients who are in the hospital of St. John, who were simply travelers in trouble, lepers in the leper colony of the Order of St. Lazarus were doomed to live in eternal isolation from the outside world.

The degree of alienation to which the lepers were subjected was so high that the Third Lateran Council, meeting in 1179, found it necessary to take harsh measures against those priests who did not allow lepers who were not allowed to attend public worship to have their own churches. The Council decreed that in all places of compact residence of lepers, they would be allowed to have their own church, cemetery and priest.

The peculiarity of such patients required a different organization from that which was admitted at St. John. Leprozorium was led by the master, who was almost invariably a priest, to whom the brothers and sisters who looked after the sick were subordinate.

Patients of the leper colony were also considered brothers or sisters of the home that sheltered them and lived according to the same charter that united them with their spiritual patrons. Thus, the sick were full members of the convention and took part in the management of the order.

During their stay in Palestine and thereafter, during the first two centuries following their departure to Europe, members of the order wore only a simple cross made of green fabric, sewn on the front of the outer garment or shirt, as well as on the left side of the cloak.

This tradition has been maintained since the beginning of the 12th century, when the brothers of St. Lazarus took this symbol as a mark of distinction from the knight brothers of other orders.

The two newly formed orders (Hospitallers and Lazarites) originally had one master - Gerard le Fondateur.

In 1120, after his death, the master of the Hospital of St. Lazarus was appointed rector of St. John Boyant Roger (1120-1131); while the master of St. John was appointed Raymond du Puy (1120-1158 / 60).

Boyan's successors were little-known masters - Jean (1131-1153?), Barthelemy (1153? -1154?) And Itier (? 1154-? 1155). around 1155 Hughes de St.-Pol was appointed master. In 1157 he was succeeded by the master of St. John Raymond du Puy, director of the Hospital of St. Lazarus as a suffragan.

In 1123, the Kingdom of Latin Jerusalem was suddenly faced with danger from the Caliph of Egypt al-Amir. This threat necessitated the militarization of the military monastic orders operating in the Holy Land. Following the order of St. John, the Order of Saint Lazarus, assumed military functions and established a class of warrior brothers.

Despite the fact that its military role has never been as significant as that of the Order of St. John and the Order of the Temple, the Knights of the Order of St. Lazarus nevertheless contributed to the protection of the Holy Land.

Several brother knights, not infected with leprosy, were accepted into the order, but at the same time, the leper knights always, when necessary, took up arms. The order also included secular brothers-sergeants, who were recruited from among commoners with leprosy. The order unit probably took part in the Battle of Hattin in 1187.

There are also mentions of the participation of the Lazarites in the tragic battle for Gaza against the Khorezmians at La Forbi in October 1244, where the order suffered heavy losses. In 1253, the order launched a desperate attack against the Muslims of Ramla and was saved from total annihilation only through the intervention of Louis IX of France. The Warrior Brothers also fought heroically during the last siege of Acre in 1291.

The order has also been involved in clashes between Christian forces and rivalries between orders. In 1258, during the war between the Genoese and Venetians in Syria, the knights of Saint Lazarus, taking the side of the Venetians, joined the knights of the Temple and the knights of the order of St. Thomas of Acre against the Order of St. John, who sided with the Genoese. A battle took place between them. The knights of St. John came out victorious and killed all the knights of the three orders with the exception of one Templar.

Order of St. Lazarus continued to expand his holdings in the Holy Land and by 1142, in addition to holdings near the Mount of Olives, he acquired a church, monastery and mill in Jerusalem. By 1155, the order had acquired houses in Tiberias, Nablus and Ascalon, then in Acre and probably in Caesarea. Later, the order acquired two more hospice houses for pilgrims in Armenia.

The domination of Christians in the Holy City ended after the Christian forces were driven back from Jerusalem by Sultan Saladin after the Battle of Tiberias in October 1187. The Order of Saint Lazarus moved its headquarters to Acre, where it was given the tower of Lazarus in the northern suburb of Montmousard. ...

In October 1253, while continuing to maintain its infirmary in Acre, the order moved its headquarters to France with the permission of Pope Alexander IV and King Louis IX of France, who entrusted the port of Aigues Mortes to the protection of the order and granted him a house in Paris in 1262 Pope Urban IV endowed the order with the same privileges that were granted to other monastic orders.

These privileges were confirmed in 1264. In 1265, Pope Clement IV ordered the white clergy to accept into the Houses of the Order all lepers without exception, regardless of gender and status - men and women, clergy or laity.

In April 1291, the Saracen army under the leadership of Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil laid siege to Akra. Five military-monastic orders have joined forces, led by the Master of the Temple, Guillaume de Beauje.

The Christian garrison consisted of approximately 14,000 infantrymen and 700 knights of which more than half were members of military monastic orders. Most of the knights belonged to the Order of the Temple (about 240 Knights Templar) and to the Order of St. John (about 140 Hospitallers).

The other three military orders could only provide 50 knights (25 knights of St. Lazarus, 15 knights-Teutons and 10 knights of the order of St. Thomas).

The Knights of Saint Lazarus joined the Knights of the Temple in the fourth sector of defense. Despite the bravery of the defenders, the last citadel of the Latins fell under a furious attack from the Saracens. All the brothers-soldiers of the Order of Saint Lazarus, who were in Acre and died defending the city.

After the expulsion of the crusaders from Palestine, the order settled in France, where it continued its hospital activities, and in other European countries. A classic example of a secluded hideaway where the Lazarites continued to care for the lepers was Lazaretto Island in the Venetian Lagoon. The national branches of the order lost contact with each other, although each claimed direct succession with the medieval brotherhood.

In 1572, the Savoyard branch of the order merged with the Order of St. Mauritius to form the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, which today is the dynastic award of the House of Savoy.

In 1608, the French part of the order, together with the Order of Our Lady of Carmel, formed the Royal Order of Our Lady of Carmel and Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, which existed until 1830.

The modern Order of Saint Lazarus has branches in 24 countries around the world and continues its charitable work.

The hospital activity, which is characterized by constant links between the helper and the helper, retains its original purpose of caring for lepers.
By royal decree of 1929, the Order of Mauritius and Lazarus was declared an award for impeccable service and services to the state, both in the military and in the civilian field.

In the hierarchy of awards of the Italian kingdom, the Order of Mauritius and Lazarus ranked second after the highest order of the Annunciation

(John 5:25)

I. Faith to Moses and the prophets, healing of the man born blind,
the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus

“If Moses and the prophets do not listen,
then if someone rose from the dead, they will not believe»
(Luke 16:31)

The Lord has performed an incredible number of miracles over the people of Israel. But most of all is the resurrection of Lazarus. Marvelous Human catcher chose the rebellious Jews as eyewitnesses of the miracle, and they themselves showed the coffin of the deceased, rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave, breathed in the stench of the decaying body. With our own ears we heard the call to the dead man to rise again, with our own eyes we saw his first steps after the resurrection, with our own hands they untied the burial shroud, making sure that this was not a ghost.

Well, did all the Jews believe in Christ? - Not at all. But we went to the bosses and “ from that day they decided to kill Jesus"(John 11: 53). Thus, the righteousness of the Lord was confirmed, speaking through the mouth of Abraham in the parable of the rich and poor Lazarus: “If Moses and the prophets are not listened to, then if someone is raised from the dead, they will not believe”(Luke 16:31). But Israel was waiting for the Messiah at this very time. The Jews knew that the seventy-seven years, prophesied by Daniel, end from the decree on the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple to the anointing of the Holy One (Dan. 9: 24), that the royal scepter left the descendants of Judah (Gen. 49: 10), and the Teacher appeared in Nazareth, according to whose word the dead rise and the lepers are cleansed. " Explore the Scriptures ... they testify of Me”(John 5:39) - Christ turned to the experts of the Scriptures. But they did not believe clear prophecies and demanded miracles and signs from heaven... When the Lord worked miracles, they did not believe them either.

The resurrection of Lazarus is inseparable from another miracle that stirred up Israel - the healing of the man born blind (see John 9: 1-41). If the healing of a diseased eye can still be attributed to the human medical art, then the establishment of vision is only one Divine action. The Jews rejected this miracle, for “ They did not believe that he (born blind) was blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of this one who had received his sight and asked them: Is this your son, of whom you say that he was born blind? how does he see now?"(John 9: 18-19).

How does he see? “Obviously,” we will answer, “by the power of the One who raised the dead, commanded the elements, multiplied bread, cast out demons, walked on water. By the power of the One Who was free to create another unheard-of miracle - to resurrect the decaying dead man and thereby reveal His Deity, make the Jews unrequited, preach the destruction of Hell to the dead, and the universal resurrection to the living.

II. Raising Lazarus
like a great and unprecedented miracle

The Lord, having learned from the messengers of Martha and Mary about the illness of Lazarus, came to Bethany only on the third day after his death, having stayed “Two days in that place"(John 11: 6). The Lord's Delay The Holy Fathers agree to come to the aid of a friend by the desire to resurrect a real dead man, four days old and stinking - a miracle hitherto unknown to Israel: “Why ‘Stayed’? In order to die and be buried, so that later no one could say that He resurrected him when he had not yet died, that it was only a deep sleep, or relaxation, or deprivation of feelings, but not death. For this reason, He stayed for so long that even decay occurred, so they said: ‘Already stinks’(John 11:39) ".

Saint Amphilochius of Iconium describes this miracle quite figuratively: “Only the Lord cried out: ‘Lazarus, get out!’(John 11:43), and immediately the body was filled with life, the hair grew again, the proportions of the body were in the proper ratio, the veins were again filled with pure blood. Hell, struck down to the depths, released Lazarus. The soul of Lazarus, once again returned and summoned by the holy angels, united with its own body. "

It has happened before that the greatest prophets of Israel raised the dead, but they never raised those whose bodies were touched by corruption. “Who is the sight, who is hearing, like a dead man stinking vosta? Elijah ubo erect also Elisha, but not from the sepulcher, but below the four-day period, ”proclaims the Holy Church through the lips of St. Andrew of Crete at Compline, the heel of the week.

Another miracle was added to the miracle of the resurrection - Lazarus, « entwined hand and foot with burial shroud "(John 11:44), moved freely: "Bound the feet of Lazarus, who walked, a miracle in miracles: for the boliy appearing forbidding strengthens also Christ: His word is servilely served, as if working for God and the Master."

III. The resurrection of Lazarus as a manifestation
true Incarnation of Jesus Christ

According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, expressed in the hymns of the Lazarus Sabbath, Christ revealed his true Deity and humanity in the resurrection of Lazarus: “Assuring the Word, Thy Resurrection, Thou art called Lazarus from the grave, and Thou hast raised up like God, so that by showing the people God and Man together truly existing "," Thou two proposing Thy actions, showed Thou creatures to the Savior the compulsion: God is God and Man "," Thou hast showed the Divine knowledge of the Divine, from the dead raising the four-day Lazarus Vladyka "," This true God, Lazarev knew Thou Thou didst proclaim Thy disciple, assuring the Master of His Divinity of an indefinite action. "

« Then Jesus told them directly: Lazarus is dead"(John 11:14).
Omniscience of God

In these words of Jesus Christ, who was physically far from the place of illness and the death of a friend, the Omniscience of God manifested itself: “By the same apostle, like a messenger of God, you predicted death for Lazarev. In Bethany, be present as a people, you are not an ignorant friend of Your grave, and you asked as if you were a Man. But by Thee is resurrected four days, Thy Divine power is revealed. "

« Jesus wept"(John 11:35).
Opaque incarnation of God

The Savior's tears testified to His true, and not a ghostly Incarnation, as St. John Chrysostom writes about this: “Why does the Evangelist carefully and more than once notice that He wept and that He held back sorrow? In order for you to know that He was truly clothed with our nature. " The creators of the canons of the week of Vai and Lazarus Saturday, the Monks Andrew of Crete, John Damascene, Kosma Mayumsky and Theophanes Inscribed with great emotion and heartfelt feeling, describe the tears of the God-man: we were a Man "," Shedding tears over a friend for the sake of, showed thou flesh from us, taken away from us, by a being not by the opinion of the Savior, united to You, and like a Man-lover God, having proclaimed this abiye you raised up ", you shed tears over Lazarus, by the law of nature, assuring Your flesh, Jesus my God, you have perceived the flesh, ”“ This Undescribed is described, came to Bethany, as if the Man the Lord tear down over Lazarus, as though God resurrects a four-day one ”,“ Walk, and tear down, prophesy to my Savior, showing your human action: manifesting the Divine, raise up Lazarus. "

However, some circumstances of the miracle could give rise to doubts about the Divinity of the Savior. Indeed, why should the Omniscient God ask the Jews about Lazarus: “ where did you put it"(John 11:34)? Why would the Almighty pray to anyone to perform a miracle (John 11: 41-42)? In the IV century, the anomes justified their heresy with similar arguments, denying not only the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son, but also the very likeness of the Son to the Father. Up to our time, Jews and Gnostics ask slyly about this.

« Where did you put it?"(John 11:34).
Jews are the main witnesses

Indeed, why should the Omniscient God ask where they put Lazarus: “A strange and glorious miracle, how the Creator of all is not ignorant, as if unaware of the question: where does he lie, weep for him? where was Lazarus buried, and I will raise him from the dead little by little?

It's clear that the alleged ignorance of Christ has nothing to do with it, as Chrysostom writes about this: “You say, Jew, that Christ did not know this, if he said:‘ where did you put it?`` Likewise, the Father did not know in paradise where Adam hid himself, if He walked, as it were, looking for him in paradise, and said: ' Adam where are you(Gen. 3: 9)? ’... What do you say when you hear God say to Cain:‘ where is your brother Abel(Gen. 4: 9)? "... If that means ignorance, then this also means ignorance."

Why then Does the Lord ask about this? According to the thought of Saints John Chrysostom and Basil the Great, the Monks Andrew of Crete and Ephraim the Syrian, the question “ Where did you put it?", Was asked with only one purpose: to bring the questioning Jews to the place of the planned miracle as witnesses of the resurrection:" Of course, he gives this reason to impudent co-questioners, but it is clearer than the sun that He had no need to ask. And by saying ‘ Where did you put it?'I wanted to confirm that Lazar was indeed buried. He asked not about ‘where is the coffin?’ But ‘where did they put the dead man?’. He knew the stubbornness of the Jews with which they denied His glorious deeds and tied them up with His question ‘ Where was the deceased put?`` I didn't ask about where Lazarus was buried or buried, but ' where did you put it?’ Show Me it yourself you unbelievers» .

A strange prayer.
The Unity of the Will of the Father and the Son

« Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: Father! thank you that you heard me. I knew that you would always hear me; but he said [these things] for the people standing here, that they might believe that you sent me"(John 11: 41-42).

Before we understand for whom this prayer was created and whether it was needed for the resurrection of Lazarus, let us ask ourselves a question, Did His prayer appeal to the Father humiliate the Son? The anomee heretics believed that yes, it was humiliating: “How can the one who prays be like the one who receives the prayer? One prays and the other accepts prayer, "just as the servant is less than the one to whom he serves. However, Christ who came “ not to be served, but to serve and give his soul for the redemption of many"(Mark 10:45), personally washed the feet of the twelve apostles, including Judas:" and you are clean, but not all. For He knew His betrayer"(John 13: 10-11). But, obviously, Christ is higher than the Apostles and, moreover, the betrayer Judas, which means that His prayer to the Father in no way diminished His Divine dignity.

The Anomees saw in Jesus' prayer the source of the miracles performed by Him: "If He had not prayed, then he would not have raised Lazarus." But, Christ performed many miracles without praying to anyone... St. John Chrysostom lists: “How else did He do something else without prayer, saying, for example: I'm telling you, demon, ‘get out of it’(Mark 9:25), and again: ' I want to cleanse'(Mark 1:41), also:' take your bed and walk'(John 5: 8), and:' your sins are forgiven you'(Matthew 9: 2), and saying to the sea:' shut up, stop'(Mark 4:39)'?

We will ask more, Did Lazarus rise after this prayer?- Obviously not: “When the prayer was completed, the dead did not rise; and when He said: ' Lazarus, get out!'Then the dead are resurrected. Oh hell! The prayer has been completed, and you are not freeing the dead? “No, says hell. Why? - Because I was not given a command. I am the guard who keeps the guilty here; if I do not receive a command, then I do not let go; the prayer was not for me, but for the unbelievers present; without receiving a command, I do not release the guilty one; waiting for a voice to free my soul. "

Let us carefully read the words of Christ's prayer: “ Father! thank you that you heard me. I knew that you would always hear me; but he said [these things] for the people standing here, that they might believe that you sent me"(John 11: 41-42).

There is no petition here to the Father to resurrect the deceased Lazarus, to loosen the shackles of death, to restore the decayed body and return the soul to it. There is no petition at all in this prayer, which means that it was not the source of the miracle. This means that this prayer did not testify to the alleged inequality of the Son to the Father, but to the unity of the will and nature of the Father and the Son, as St. Andrew writes about this: “This is how He speaks for the Jews, showing that He came from heaven and that He is the Son of God. and God, and that he does everything according to the Father's intention, as having with Him the same will and nature. And since there was a man, he speaks humanly, so that incarnation does not seem insignificant. "

- Why then did Christ pray?

For Martha, who asked: "God! if you were here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that what you ask God, God will give you "(John 11: 21-22). Martha asked Christ to pray - the Lord prayed.

For the sake of the Jews, who with their lips slyly honored the Father, but did not recognize the Son: "Honoring Thy Father, and showing that you are not God-loving, you are right to pray to Christ, and sovereignly raised up a four-day one."

IV. The resurrection of Lazarus as the beginning of the destruction of hell
and the image of the future resurrection of the dead

"The time is coming when the dead will hear
the voice of the Son of God and, having heard, they will live "
(John 5:25)

Death entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve. All people, including the Old Testament righteous and prophets, went to hell at their death. His power seemed so unshakable and eternal that even among God's chosen people there appeared a considerable number of those who “ said there is no resurrection, no angel, no spirit”(Acts 23: 8). And the Sadducees, and Martha, and all of us who read the Gospel lines, should have been taught the resurrection, assured of its reality: "The general resurrection, before assuring Your passion, from the dead you raised Lazarus Christ God." On Lazarus, the prophetic words of the Lord, spoken by Him earlier, were fulfilled: "The time is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, having heard, will come to life"(John 5:25).

By the resurrection of the decaying corpse, the foundations of hell were shaken, and hope arose for those languishing in it. In the canon for Compline, the heel of the week Vai Church paints hell as a jealous creature who, for the first time in millennia of domination over the dead, was afraid of the ruin of his own possessions and therefore is ready to sacrifice one prisoner, just not to lose many: “I pray thee Lazarus, hell, get up, get out of the rivets my soon, go away: goodness for me to weep the mountaineer is detached, rather than all those who have devoured them before the greed "," Why do not raise up Lazarus soon, crying out of hell crying from the valley? that not abie rose again from here? May Christ not captivate others by resurrecting thee. " The Holy Fathers unanimously note that if the Lord had not called on a specific name, all hell would have been prematurely empty, because then all the dead would have been resurrected: “So that, by turning speech in general to the dead, not to call everyone out of the graves, He therefore says:‘ Lazarus, get out!’, You alone I call in the presence of this people » .

In the resurrection of Lazarus, the Lord clearly showed the features of the general resurrection - a great and terrible sacrament that has to happen on the last day. So, reasoning about universality of resurrection, the Monk Ephraim the Syrian notes that it was no coincidence that the Lord resurrected 3 people: a girl who had just died, a young man carried to the cemetery, and decaying Lazarus: by way of faith, along the entire path of the dead, to dispel the hope of life, and at the beginning, and in the middle, and at the end of it to reveal the resurrection. " Like the resurrection of Lazarus, the universal resurrection will happen in an instant... For the stench of the decaying body did not disappear from the cave, as Lazarus, obeying the imperious word of the Lord, went out to meet the shocked Jews, came out alive, healthy, filled with vital juices. The loud voice of the Savior, who called out: « Lazarus, get out!"Symbolized the great trumpet that one day will proclaim the general resurrection. It is also surprising how much the Bethany miracle coincides in detail with the revelation of the Apostle Paul about the last day of the world: “ I tell you a secret: not all of us will die, but all change all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet; for it will sound the trumpet, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed"(1 Cor. 15: 52).

Finally, having manifested his power over death, Christ showed that He himself can be resurrected if He has to taste death and go down to hell. For us, the words of the Lord addressed to Martha and spoken by Him before performing the miracle are especially important: “ He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will come to life. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die"(John 11: 25-26). Euthymius Zigaben, a Byzantine monk-collector of patristic interpretations of the Four Gospels, writes that “it speaks of believers in Christ who, although they die death on earth, will live the blissful life of the century to come. And those who live here and the believers will not die the eternal death of the century to come. Saying this, Jesus Christ showed that only in the next century there is true life and death, because they cannot change and replace one another, and that it is them that must be taken care of most of all. "

What kind of life did the Jews choose?

V. The Resurrection of Lazarus as the Rejection of the Jews

« If I had not done deeds between them,
what no one else did, they would have no sin;
but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father»
(John 15:24)

Jews are the main witnesses of the miracle

The Lord who called the Apostles to become fishers of people, set magnificent traps for obstinate Jews, so that those who, with Talmudic stubbornness and resourcefulness, found refutation of the prophecies of Moses, Isaiah, Daniel and all the prophets in general about the Born of the Virgin, who found flaws in His miracles, themselves witnessed such a miracle that cannot be refuted, it would be impossible to misinterpret.

All five of the feelings of the Jews who came to the grave testified to the resurrection of Lazarus, as Chrysostom writes about this: “That's why he asks:‘ where did you put it'(John 11:34)? - so that those who said: ' go and see', And who brought Him, could not say that He raised another; so that both the voice and the hands testify: - the voice that said: - ‘ go and see', - hands that have rolled away the stone and allowed the bandages; also - sight and hearing, - hearing, since he heard a voice, - sight, because he saw the one who went out (from the grave); likewise, the sense of smell, as it felt the stench, - ‘ already stinks; for four days as he is in the grave’» .

For this, Christ delayed two days, so that those who swaddled the dead were convinced of his death and decay. For this, the omniscient Lord asked, where did they put Lazarus, so that those who buried Lazarus would bring Christ to the place of burial and become witnesses of the miracle themselves. For this, the almighty Christ, who promised believers the power to move mountains (Matt. 17:20), did not want to move the tombstone so that those who moved it away would feel the stench of the dead. For this, Christ asked to untie the risen, so that, by touching Lazarus, the Jews were convinced that this was not a ghost and that it was the one whom they themselves swaddled with.

The choice of the Jews - the choice of death

Where is the Jewish madness? where is the unbelief? As long as strangers, until the stairs, behold the deceased with a voice issuing, and do not believe in Christ, verily, sons of darkness, you are all .

By the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus undeniably revealed about Himself that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and God. The Vineyard Keepers realized that his rightful Heir had arrived. And, as it was predicted in the bitter parable of the evil winegrowers, they decided to kill “ Keeping Israel"(Psalm 120: 4), to commit an act as monstrous as it is insane:" Instead of being amazed and amazed, they consult to kill Him, - Him, who raised the dead. What madness! They thought to put to death the One who conquered death in the bodies of others. "

The terrible sentence was preceded by slander: “ If we leave Him in this way, then all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take possession of both our place and our people."(John 11:48). The Jews presented Christ as a rebel, encroaching on the royal power, an impostor, who will lead the people along with him to punish the Romans. But, as Euthymius Zigaben writes, “Jesus Christ not only did not teach to rebel against the government, but on the contrary, He commanded to pay tribute to Caesar and turned away from the people who wanted to make Him king; during His travels, He always observed modesty in everything and commanded everyone to lead a better life, which could sooner serve to the loss of all power. " And what kind of people said these words? - Those who later called for the release of the rebel and murderer Varrava, those who shouted that have no king but Caesar.

« This Man works many miracles. What should we do? ”(John 11:47) - the Jews asked. The obvious answer is given by Chrysostom: "One should have believed, served and worshiped, and no longer honored Him as a man." But the Jews " put to kill Jesus”(John 11:53) and thus doomed themselves to eternal death and rejection. Themselves and pronounced their own sentence: “ So when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with these vineyards? They say to him: He will put these evildoers to an evil death, and give the vineyard to other winegrowers, who will give him the fruits in their own time.”(Matt. 21: 40-41).

In vain did the Jews memorize the words of Moses about the Prophet, Whom must be obeyed, in vain did they read about the punishments that would follow the violation of this command. Ahead of them awaited the destruction of the temple, the devastation of Jerusalem, the murder of more than a million tribesmen, illness and a terrible famine, during which mothers devoured their own children, a shameful scattering.

It was for them that the Lord shed tears, and not for Lazarus, for, as the Monk Andrew writes, Christ “came to resurrect Lazarus, and therefore it would be useless to weep over who should be resurrected. And for the Jews it was truly necessary to weep, because He foresaw that even after the miracle was done, they would remain in their unbelief. "

Those who wanted to preserve earthly power lost this power: “ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those sent to you! How many times have I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left empty"(Matt. 23:38). After the Crucifixion of the God-man, the Vineyard passed into other hands: "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people bearing its fruits"(Matt. 21: 43).

What can we, the very people to whom the Kingdom of God have been handed over, learn from the holy Gospel lines describing the resurrection of Lazarus?

Vi. The Resurrection of Lazarus as a Edification for Christians

« God! that's who you love is sick"(John 11: 3).
Attitude towards the misfortunes of the righteous

How not to falter in faith when you see the misfortunes of the righteous? How not to count those who are visited by sickness and sorrow, rejected by God Himself? Such questions have always been asked and will be asked to the end of the century. You just need to accept as a fact (including the gospel story) that those who please God often suffer and not go into more subtle reasoning. Here is what St. John Chrysostom writes in connection with the illness of Lazarus: “Many are tempted when they see some people who are pleasing to God in some kind of calamity, when they see, for example, that they have undergone illness, or poverty, or something like that; but they do not know that such sufferings are characteristic of those who are especially dear to God. So Lazarus was one of the friends of Christ, but he was sick, just as those who sent it said: ‘ that's who you love is sick'(John 11: 3)'.

Several centuries after the fatal illness of Lazarus, the Monk Anthony the Great was tormented by similar questions: “Lord! Why do some of people reach old age and a state of weakness, while others die in childhood and live a little? Why are some poor and others rich? Why do tyrants and villains prosper and abound with all earthly blessings, while the righteous are oppressed by misfortunes and poverty? "

And he received an answer that can be addressed to all of us, those of little faith and doubting God's care for us: “Anthony! pay attention to yourself and do not subject your investigation to the fate of God, because it is soul-damaging "

« Jesus wept"(John 11:35).
The measure of Christian lamentation

We often see how inconsolable are Christians who have lost a loved one, as if they are not Christians who are burying them, as if there is no Kingdom of Heaven and there will be no general resurrection. It happens, on the contrary, that the death of loved ones does not touch the hardened human hearts.

Both of these behaviors are unnatural to human nature, as shown by the God-man, having shed tears over his friend, "offering us images of heartfelt love." The Monk Andrew of Crete, the creator of the quoted canon song, reveals its meaning in the "Conversation on the Four-Day Lazarus": "‘ Jesus burst into tears’. And thus he showed an example, an image and a measure of how we should cry for the dead. I shed tears, seeing the damage to our nature and the ugly appearance that death gives a person. " The same is true of St. Basil the Great: Christ "to some extent and limits concluded the necessary passionate movements, preventing non-compassion, because it is bestial, and not allowing one to indulge in sorrow and shed many tears, because it is cowardly."

« When he heard that [Lazarus] was sick,
I spent two days at the place where I was"(John 11: 6).
Humble behavior

The Almighty Lord postponed his coming to Bethany not only so that Lazarus would die, be buried and begin to decay, but also so that “someone would not consider it indecent that He, according to the first rumor, was in a hurry to show a miracle”. Christ teaches us how carefully and dishonorably one should dispose of God's gifts: "Christ, Thy Divinity, giving Thy disciple an image, among the people you humbled yourself, though you must hide."

How unsafe it is to be proud of the gifts of grace received from God can be seen from the story described in the "Ancient Patericon" about a monk of high life who publicly performed a certain miracle:

Abba Anthony heard about a young monk that he had performed such a miracle on the way: when he saw some elders who had traveled and were tired on the way, he ordered the wild donkeys to approach them and carry the elders on them until they reached Anthony. When the elders told Abba Anthony about this, he told them: "It seems to me that this monk is a ship full of blessings, but I do not know if he will enter the pier." After some time, Abba Anthony suddenly began to cry, pulling his hair and sobbing. The disciples asked him: "What are you crying about, Abba?" The elder answered them: "Now the great pillar of the Church has fallen!" He was talking about a young monk. "But go to him yourself," he continued, "and see what happened!" The disciples walk and find the monk sitting on a mat and mourning the sin he has committed. Seeing Anthony's disciples, the monk says to them: "Tell the elder to beg God to give me only ten days of life, and I hope to cleanse my sin and repent." But after five days he passed away.

Caiaphas, " being high priest that year,
predicted that Jesus would die for the people"(John 11: 51).
Respect for the Holy Order

Caiaphas, who received the position of high priest for money and condemned the Lord to death, uttered a prophecy that signifies the very essence of the redemptive feat of Jesus Christ: “ it is better for us that one person should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish"(John 11:50). Why then did the Spirit speak through the mouth of the wicked? - Because, Chrysostom replies, Caiaphas, despite all his crimes and evil disposition, was legal bishop: “Having fully received the bishopric, although he was not worthy, he prophesied without understanding what he was saying. Grace used only his mouth, but did not touch the unclean heart ... However, even at the same time, the Spirit was still inherent in them. Only when they raised their hands on Christ, He left them and passed on to the apostles. "

Likewise, a priest, no matter how badly he lives, is an instrument of the Spirit of God and a performer of His Sacraments until the priesthood was removed from him. That is why it is so terrible to fall into condemnation of priests, even if they lead an impious life, although this is often only an appearance, for, as St. Ignatius writes, “the dishonor inflicted on the ministers of the altar refers to the altar, to the God Who is present in it and worshiped”.

Vii. The resurrection of Lazarus as an allegory for the healing of the soul

Lazarus, a four-day inhabitant of the gloomy land of the dead, is the image of our soul, dead by virtues and exuding the stench of sinful skills. Few of the Christians who read the holy lines about the resurrection of the four-day dead did not then sigh along with the monk hymnographer about their own rebellion and forgiveness of sins: “You raised up Lazarus to the Divine Christ with the verb: Christ is four days old, raise me up, now dead, my sins, and was laid in a ditch, and darker than the shadow of the dead, and as good-heartedly deliver and save me "," get me out of my passions, as before the four days of Thy friend Lazarus "," The dead man stinks, tied , Master, you raised up, and I am not bound by the captives of sins, raise up singing "

The Monk Andrew of Crete sees in the resurrection of Lazarus the triumph of grace over the mortifying letter of the Law: “ Jesus, again grieving inwardly, comes to the tomb. It was a cave - dark heart of the Jews and a stone lay on it - gross and cruel disbelief ... Jesus said, take away the stone. Severe - disobedience - roll off the stone to extract the dead from the letter of Scripture. Take away the stone- unbearable by the yoke of the Law, so that they could receive the life-giving Word of grace. Take away the stone- the covering and burdening mind. "

But all the Fathers in general attribute the allegorical meaning of the resurrection of Lazarus to the resurrection of our inner man. Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria writes about this most figuratively, vividly and fully: “Our mind is a friend of Christ, but is often conquered by the weakness of human nature, falls into sin and dies a spiritual death and most pitiful, but from Christ's side honored with pity, for the deceased is His friend ... Let the sisters and relatives of the dead mind - the flesh, like Martha (for Martha is more physical and material), and the soul, like Mary (for Mary is more devout and more reverent), come to Christ and fall before Him, leading after them the thoughts of confession, as those are the Jews. For Judas means confession. And the Lord, no doubt, will appear at the tomb, the blindness lying in memory will command to take away, as it were, a stone of some kind, and will bring to memory future blessings and torments. And he will call with the great voice of the gospel trumpet: get out of the world, do not be buried in worldly amusements and passions; - like His disciples, He said: ' you are not from the world'(John 15:19), and the apostle Paul:' and we will go out to Him for mill'(Hebrews 13:13), that is, the world - and thus resurrect from sin the deceased, whose wounds smelled of malice. The deceased smelled because he was four days old, that is, he died for the four meek and bright virtues and was idle and immovable to them. However, although he was motionless and tied hand and foot, gripped by the bonds of his own sins and seemed completely inactive, although he was covered with a handkerchief over his face, so that when the flesh was applied he could not see anything divine, in short, he was in the worst position and “by activity”, which is indicated by hands and feet, and “by contemplation,” which is indicated by a covered face, - so, although he is in such a distressing situation, he will hear: untie him good and salvation angels or priests and give him forgiveness sins, let him go and start doing good. "

What may the merciful Lord grant us!

Literature

• Bible. M .: Russian Bible Society. 2004.
• Lenten triode. In 2 hours. Moscow: Edition of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1992.
• John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. Creations. SPb .: Publishing house. SPbDA, 1898. Vol. 1, part 2. Reprint.
• John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. Creations. SPb .: Publishing house. SPbDA, 1902. T. 8, part 1. Reprint.
• Amphilochius of Iconium, saint. Word on the resurrection of Lazarus // http://www.portal-slovo.ru/theology/37620.php
• Basil the Great, saint. About the grief and tears of Jesus Christ before the resurrection of Lazarus. Cit. on: M. Interpretation // Sat. Art. on the interpretive and edifying reading of the Four Gospels, with a bibliographic index. SPb .: Synodal Printing House. 1893.Vol. 2.P. 300. Reprint.
• Ephraim Sirin, reverend. On the resurrection of Lazarus. Cit. on: M. Interpretation. S. 292-295.
• Andrew of Crete, reverend. Conversation on the Four-Day Lazarus // Christian Reading. 1826. XXII.
• Ignatiy Bryanchaninov, saint. Sermons // Sobr. op. in 7 volumes.M .: Blagovest, 2001.Vol. 4.
• Ignatiy Bryanchaninov, saint. Oteater // Collected. op. in 7 volumes.Vol. 6.
• Ancient patericon, set out in chapters. M .: Publishing house of the Athos Russian Panteleimon monastery. 1891. Reprint.
• Euthymius Zigaben, monk. Interpretation of the Gospel of John, compiled according to the ancient Byzantine patristic interpretations of the 12th century. Kiev, 1887. T. 2. Reprint.
• Theophylact Bulgarian, blessed. Interpretation of the Gospel of John // Theophylact Bulgarian, blessed. Interpretation of the Four Gospels. M .: Sretensky monastery, 2000.Vol. 2.

In the same place. Song 7.

Andrew of Crete, reverend. Conversation on the Four-Day Lazarus. P. 5.

Theophylact Bulgarian, blissful. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. T. 2. Ch. 11, p. 197.

In the Middle Ages, leprosy plagued all of Europe. Unhappy patients were forced to live out their sad days in complete isolation - it was very easy to get infected. This misfortune did not escape the warlike crusaders: already on the territory of Palestine, many lepers appeared, treated in a leper colony outside the walls of Jerusalem. This is where the strange story of a strange order of leper knights begins, who instilled fear in the enemy with their very appearance.

In 1098, the crusaders in Palestine founded one of the most unusual orders in the history of such organizations. The fact is that the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem was originally the most common hospital for lepers.

Strange warriors

In fact, that very hospital was under the jurisdiction of the Greek Patriarchate, as the representatives of the Holy See pointed out to the self-proclaimed knights. Only those knights who contracted leprosy were accepted into the ranks of the Order of Saint Lazarus - in fact, on the battlefield, such warriors had nothing to fear.

Unrecognized under the cross

Until 1255, the Order, which followed the "Rite of St. Augustine," was not recognized by the Holy See. However, European kings favored lepers, but not broken knights: the chapter of the order gradually gained strength in the Holy Land.

Third crusade

The Order spent most of its time in peaceful labors. It was only after Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187 that the knights of Saint Lazarus began to take an active part in the hostilities. Many documents have survived, according to which the leper knights repeatedly fought during the Third Crusade.

Slaughter of Forbia

On October 17, 1244, the Order could well have ended its existence. The Battle of Forbia was more like a merciless massacre: the crusaders suffered a crushing defeat, but the Order of Saint Lazarus left on the battlefield in general all the knights capable of fighting - including the master himself.

Risen from the ashes

However, the order was restored. During the Second Crusade, Louis XVII endowed the brave lepers with property and income in Boigny. Here, after the expulsion of the crusaders from Palestine, a new seat of the Order was founded.

Modern crusaders

The French in 1608 preferred to unite with the Order of Our Lady of Carmel - now the Hospitallers called themselves the Royal Order of Our Lady of Carmel and Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. In this form, the order existed until 1830. Actually, the organization (which has already regained its former name) still exists today. The Order of Saint Lazarus has residences in 24 countries of the world and is engaged in charitable activities.

Church.

On Cyprus has two three-domed churches: St. Lazarus in the city of Larnaca, which will be discussed in this article, and the temple of the St. Barbara monastery near the city of Famagusta. Construction Church of St. Lazarus began in 890 on the site of the church that already existed at that time, where Jesus Christ's friend Lazarus was buried. Funds for construction were provided to the city of Kition (then the city of Larnaca was called so) by the emperor of Byzantium Leo VI the Wise, instead of part of the relics of St. Lazarus. Temple made of stone, it consists of three naves - central and side rooms and three domes located on the middle nave. V In the early history of the temple, when the area where it is located was uninhabited, there were swamps around (St. Lazarevsky swamps), this building had the status of a monastery.

V During the Venetian occupation of Cyprus, the temple was named a Benedictine monastery and belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. After the Turks captured Cyprus, the temple was bought by the Orthodox Church (1589) Turks the presence of Orthodoxy was beneficial, as they tried to reduce the influence of European Catholicism in the region. but Catholics were allowed twice a year to perform services in the temple within the small chapel, which adjoined from the north to the altar, until 1794, when Archbishop Chrysanthus and Bishop MelitiosI, outraged by the claims of Catholics for sole ownership of the temple, did not revoke the permit for Catholic services.

O Catholic presence speaks "Jerusalem cross", which can now be observed at the northern entrance to the temple and the Latin altar, located in a small chapel adjacent to the altar of the temple. WITH development of the city, the temple actually ceases to be a monastery, only it is listed according to documents, up toXIXcentury.
Three the domes were subsequently destroyed, either from an earthquake, or, they were ordered to be demolished by the Turkish invaders (by 1571 the entire island was occupied by the Ottoman Empire).

Arcade at the temple was built in the course of restoration work later.

V During the period of Ottoman rule in Cyprus, bells ringing and the bell towers themselves were banned - the bells in the Church of St. Lazarus were located on wooden structures in the form of pillars - in Larnaca, Turkish influence was not established within such a strict framework as in other cities of Cyprus, no one removed the bells. V 1856 Russia demanded that this ban be lifted. Across for several years, the construction of a stone bell tower was completed, which was subsequently also destroyed and restored again.

Iconostasis temple - the embodiment of the high skill of wood carving. His the creation began in the 1770s and lasted for several decades. Covered it is gold, decorated with 120 icons. Altar made in 1773 and is also the standard of woodcarving craftsmanship. Icon with the image of Saint Lazarus in vestments covered with crosses - the bishop's robe, the icon telling about the resurrection of Lazarus and many other icons adorn the walls of the church.

Resurrection of Lazarus.

This an event, like almost any other religious plot, can be called a legend, fairy tale, etc. V in a simplified form, it can be rewritten as follows:

Lazar and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, were friends of Jesus Christ, who often visited their house in the village of Bethany on the West Bank of the Jordan River, 3 km away. from the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem.Est several options “how Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick”.NSO according to one data, during the illness and subsequent death of Lazarus, Jesus was on the other side of the Jordan and foresaw the illness and death of his friend “Jesus Christ foresaw with His Divinity”, told the apostles about this and they all went to Bethany to Lazarus.NSO others - when Lazarus fell seriously ill, Jesus was already on the way to Bethany with the Apostles, but did not anticipate the extremely painful state of his friend (at least he did not tell his fellow travelers anything about it). Sisters Lazarus learned that Jesus was going to them in the company of the Apostles, they sent messengers to meet them, so that they would hasten them. Martha and Mary believed that Jesus could heal Lazarus, who was already dying. Sent With the sisters of Lazarus, the people met the travelers and told them the whole situation. Despite on this, Jesus ordered the Apostles to stop for a couple of days to rest. On the questioning glances of the Apostles regarding such a slowness in such an urgent matter as the cure of Lazarus, Jesus allegedly said: “The illness of Lazarus is not to death, but to the glory of God. May the Son of God be glorified through her ... " Those., through the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus will once again glorify God and himself. V As a result, according to the first or the second scenario described above, or maybe according to some other scenario, Jesus ended up in Bethany when Lazarus had already died, moreover, he had already begun to decompose. By According to various descriptions, a fetid smell emanated from the burial cave with the entrance covered with a stone: "Lord, Lord, our brother Lazarus, four days already lies in the coffin and stinks!" - Martha said to Jesus, heaI no longer believed that in this situation it was possible to somehow return life to her brother's body. V In the hot climate of Palestine, rotting of corpses begins quickly, therefore, the funeral is carried out immediately - on the day of the death of a person. On the fourth day, in such a climate, the signs of decomposition become so obvious that no sane person, at the sight of such a rotting body, would even have a thought about any resurrection. Skeptical the attitude of Lazarus' sister Martha to this is understandable. V Jesus answered, “Your brother will be resurrected, for I am the Resurrection and the life. Didn't I tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God? » After this Jesus went to the burial cave and said to remove the stone that was blocking the entrance to it. Sisters Lazarus agreed, and the stone was removed. Around crowded people, all closely watched what was happening. Jews standing in the crowd shouted insults at Jesus, someone demonstratively spat, showing their disgust for what was happening, and the rest just stopped to watch. Jesus looked at the sky and recited a prayer, tears streaming down his cheeks. Across for a while Jesus approached the open burial cave a little and said loudly: "Lazarus, go out!" On In the eyes of numerous people, Lazarus came out of the cave, wrapped in burial cloths, with a scarf on his head. By According to some sources, he left slowly, according to others, he ran out, as if frightened by something, a man. Jesus said, "Untie him, let him go!" People were so surprised by what happened that no one could say a word. Some the Jews, after what they saw, harbored even greater anger against Jesus, hastened to Jerusalem. There they told the members of the Sanhedrin (the highest judicial body in the cities of Ancient Judea) about what had happened, and soon it was decided to kill Jesus. The following for two days Jesus stayed with the resurrected Lazarus at home. There He told Lazarus to go to Cyprus to avoid persecution by the Jews. Lazarus arrived in Cyprus in 33 A.D. at the age of 30, where he later had the title of the first Bishop of Kitia. Lived Lazarus after the resurrection for another 30 years in the city of Kition (on the site of Kition, the city of Larnaca was formed, once consisting of two cities: Larnaca proper and the port of Skala, where the Church of St. Lazarus was located). According to legends, after arriving in Cyprus, Lazarus never smiled, only once a smile appeared on his face when he saw someone stealing a pot - "Clay steals clay!" he said with a smile. So he ate all food with honey (or with a low-alcohol drink based on it), supposedly, "to sweeten his longing for his friend Jesus." Yet There is a legend that at that time there was a large vineyard on the site of the Salt Lake in Kition (Larnaca). Lazarus walked there and wanted to drink grape juice, went up to the owner and asked permission. V the owner replied that he had no grapes. When Lazarus pointed to a basket full of grapes standing next to him, the owner said that it was salt. Soon the vineyard withered, and a swamp formed in its place, and then - a large salt lake, which is now called "Salt Lake".

The relics of Saint Lazarus.

First The relics of Saint Lazarus were discovered in 890 in a church that was located on the site of the present Church of Saint Lazarus. On The crypt bore the inscription "Lazarus, who was dead for four days, Friend of Christ." V at that time Leo was the Emperor of ByzantiumVI Wise. He learned about this find and ordered the delivery of the Holy relics to the capital of the Empire, Constantinople. Instead of allocated funds and forces for the construction of a new temple on the site of the existing one. V 1972 in the sarcophagus under the altar of the church of Saint Lazarus, part of the remains of the Saint was discovered. it suggests that the inhabitants of Kition did not give up all the relics in full. Sarcophagus to this day it is in its place. On one of its sides is an inscription meaning the word "Friend". He made to replace the sarcophagus, which was taken to Constantinople by order of LeoVIWise, along with part of the relics of St. Lazarus. From Kition The holy relics were taken to Chrysopolis, then moved to the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia. V further LeoVIbesides the temple in Kition, built another one, named after the same Saint - in Constantinople, where part of the relics was located until the time when they were not captured by the crusaders, who conquered the city. They took the remains of Saint Lazarus to Marseille, where their further fate is not known.

Photos and text: Anatoly Sidorov