Книга пророка Иезекииля, Глава 34, стих 21. Толкования стиха

WE MUST RELY ON GOD’S MERCY. AUGUSTINE: If we lament the many sheep that are straying outside, woe to those whose shoulders and sides and horns have brought it about. It is only strong sheep who would do this. Who are the strong? Those who rely on their own righteousness. None but those who called themselves just divided the sheep and drove them outside. Shoulders bold at shoving, because they do not bear God’s burden; evil sides, conspiracies of friends, companions in obstinacy; horns lifted up, high and mighty pride. Shove with sides and shoulders, flail with your horns, drive outside what you have not bought. Certainly this is your whole case, that you are just and others are unjust, and it was unfitting that the just should remain with the unjust, unfitting, that is to say, that the corn should remain among the weeds, unfitting that the sheep should feed among the goats until the shepherd should come who would make no mistake in separating them. SERMON 47.16.

LOOK TO CHRIST FOR PROOF THAT THE GOSPEL IS TRUE. AUGUSTINE: Just as we must abominate their injustice and cruelty, so we must praise the mercy of our Shepherd, who is truly our God; he will save his sheep. Perhaps, my brothers, he is doing this when we say this, doing it through the least of his servants, doing it perhaps through unworthy servants. Let him save his sheep; let them hear the voice of their Shepherd and follow him. Do not let them look for a proof of the church from the mouth of people. Let them look for it from the mouth of God, look for it from the mouth of Christ. Whoever he calls ungodly is ungodly, whoever he calls just is just, whoever he calls a sheep is a sheep, whoever he calls a goat is a goat. He himself is truth, let him speak, let the church be sought from him. Tell us, Lord, where is your church? SERMON 47.19.

 Время Его служения будет отличаться торжеством правосудия. Среди пленных отмечалось неравенство – теперь оно будет искоренено. Мысль эта выражена так: сильные и строптивые овцы и козлы виновны были в том, что они не довольствовались тем, что наелись на хорошем пастбище и пили чистую воду, но остатки пастбища еще топтали ногами, а воду после питья мутили, так что слабым овцам оставалось истоптанное пастбище и мутная вода. При этом сильные овцы толкали и бодали слабых, за что Господь обещает строго покарать их: «Разжиревшую и буйную истреблю» (16).