Homily on the Human Soul and Body by St. Kyrill (Cyril) of Turov
A Parable from St. Kyrill.
This 12th century homily is one of the precious gems of Russian spirituality. It is unusual today in that St. Kyrill crafts his own parable, as if from separate pieces from holy writ, using them to expound upon the nature of the soul and body, and its judgement. His spiritual interpretations are profound and unexpected, especially of his understanding of Genesis 3. Also note his emphasis on there being no punishment, no judgement until the Second Coming of the Lord. This teaching is reflected throughout the fathers, but is unfortunately one that is mostly forgotten now, in favor of such ideas as toll houses and purgatory (which seem the same to me). The homilies of St. Kyrill are easy to read, but this one should be taken slowly, as there is much packed into his simple presentation.
This homily clearly held cultural significance long after it was written. The image of the icon below is from the 16th century, a beautiful one, and it depicts this very homily. I do not know off the top of my head of any other old icons that show scenes from a homily.
This is, like many of the homilies on this substack, the English premier of this homily, as far as I am aware.
St. Kyrill the Monk’s Parable about the Human Soul, the Body, the Violation of God's Commandment, the Resurrection of the Human Body, the Dread Judgment, and the Torment
Lord, bless, Father!
It is indeed good, brothers, and very beneficial for us to understand the meaning of the Holy Scriptures: this makes the soul chaste, directs the mind toward humility, sharpens the heart towards the pursuit of virtue, makes a person grateful, directs the thoughts toward God's commandments in heaven, strengthens the body for spiritual labors, gives disregard for this earthly life, wealth, and glory, and dispels all the worldly sorrows. Therefore, I ask you to diligently read the holy books, so that, being satiated with the word of God, you may attain the unspeakable bliss of eternal life: though it is invisible, it is eternal and without end, firm and unshakable. Let us not merely recite the written words with our tongues, but, having thoughtfully read them, strive to fulfill them in deed. For sweet is the honeycomb, and good is sugar, but better than both is the knowledge of the book: for it is the treasure of eternal life. If someone here were to find earthly treasure, they would not grab everything, but would take only one precious stone – and would already be free from sorrow, living with wealth until death. Similarly, one who finds the treasure of sacred books, as well as the prophetic, psalmic, apostolic, and preserved sayings of Christ the Savior, has a true mind that reflects – and this is not only for their own salvation but also for many others who listen to them. This fits with the gospel parable which says: “Every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old”; however, if out of vanity, someone favors the greater while neglecting the lesser and boldly hides the master’s silver without putting it into circulation to double the king's silver – human souls – then seeing his proud mind, the Lord will take His talent away from him; for He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. If the rulers of this world and those immersed in worldly affairs diligently seek book knowledge, how much more should we learn from them and immerse ourselves wholeheartedly in it, understanding the words of the Lord written about the salvation of our souls! But my unclear mind, having a weak understanding, struggles to set forth the necessary words in order and is like a blind archer who is laughed at because he cannot hit his target. Therefore, let me not speak from myself with an untrained tongue, but draw from sacred writings; with great fear I dare to touch the words of the Gospel, starting with the parable of the Lord as Matthew conveyed it to the church.
The Lord said: There was a householder who planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, left an entrance – and made gates but did not close the entrance. And going back home, he said: “Whom shall I leave as the guardian of my vineyard? If I leave one of my serving slaves, knowing my leniency, they will squander my goods. But here is what I will do: I will place a lame man and a blind man at the gates. If any of my enemies want to steal my vineyard, the lame man will see, and the blind man will hear. If either of them wishes to enter the vineyard, the lame man, not having legs, will not be able to get inside; the blind man, even if he enters, will wander and fall into the pit.” And placing them at the gates, he gave them authority over everything around the vineyard, and prepared light food and clothing for them. “Only,” he said, “do not touch what is inside the vineyard without my command.” And then he left, saying he would return in time and bring with him the payment for their work, but threatened them with punishment if they broke his prohibition. Leaving them there, let us return to the words of the Gospel, offering the fruit of the word to your eyes at the intellectual feast.
The householder is God the All-Seeing and Almighty, who created everything with a word, visible and invisible. He is called a householder because he has not only a house, according to the Scriptures. For the prophet says: “The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours: you founded the world and its fullness,” and also: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” Moses, however, understands the firmament as the bottom of the waters, and David places the water above the heavens. But look at the Scriptures and think: everywhere are God's houses, not only in creation but also in people. “For I will dwell,” he said, “in them.” And so it was: he descended and entered human flesh and lifted it from earth to heaven, and the flesh of man became the throne of God; that throne stands in the highest heaven. And as for planting the vineyard – that is paradise: for this is his work. It is written: “And God planted a garden in Eden.” And that he fenced it with a wall – means his fear. “At his fear,” says the prophet, “the earth trembles, rocks break apart, beasts are terrified, mountains smoke, luminaries serve obediently, clouds and air creatures fulfill the preordained.” The wall means the law. The law is the covenant of God to all. “He has set a boundary that they may not pass over and move.” But left an entrance, meaning knowledge to the mind: no creature will violate God's command. “For all,” he said, “wait for you: you give them their food in due season.” The food here is not called food, but the word of God, by which every creature is nourished. For Moses says: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The unclosed gates are the order of God’s wondrous creations, and through this – the knowledge of God's essence. “Through creation,” he said, “recognize the creator: not the nature, but the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the grace, which he creates sovereignly, pleasing all things high and low, visible and invisible. Though Christ is called a man, it is not in appearance but figuratively: no man can have the likeness of God. Scripture also resolves to call angels men – but by word, not by likeness. If some are scandalized, hearing Moses say: “God said: let us make man in our image and likeness,” and apply to the incorporeal a body without suitable reason, this is heresy still held by those who consider God similar to a man, who is indescribable and without limits to his properties. However, leaving this, I will return to the former matter.
And returning home, he said, “Whom shall I leave as the guardian of my house?” These questions – of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – are not about creations but about the master of creations, that is, the Lord, to whom He wished to hand over the earth and subdue all living things; He did not appoint the universe to the angels, and so on. “I will place at the gates a lame man and with him a blind man.” Who is this lame man and blind man? The lame man is the human body, and the blind man is the soul. First, God created Adam’s body without a soul, and then the soul. After creating the body, Scripture says: “And He breathed into his face the breath of life.” Hence, the body without the soul is lame and is not called a human but a corpse. Consider this and understand the Book of Genesis. God created the body outside of paradise and brought it into Eden, not into paradise. Eden means food. Just as anyone who invites someone to a feast first prepares abundant food and only then brings the guest, so too God first prepared Eden for his dwelling, not paradise. Paradise is indeed a holy place, like the altar in the church. The church is open to all. It is a mother to us all, giving birth to everyone through baptism and easily nourishing all who live in it, clothing and delighting all who enter it. For the prophet says: “Those who serve the church will eat and be satisfied.” And again: “O children of the church, sucking from her breasts fat and oil, sprinkle your heads with joy,” and David: “They shall drink of the abundance of Your house, and You shall make them drink of the river of Your pleasures.” And also: about the clothing of priests and the garments of monks: “Your servants, Lord, shall be clothed in righteousness,” and more. To the monk: “He took off from me the heavy and ugly garments and clothed me in salvation, and girded me with joy.” Sing to the Lord a new song – praise Him in the churches, His virtuous ones. And indeed, it is so: from the priests – the bishop, and from the monastery – the monk. Do you now see that the bishopric and the monastery are Eden, meaning a carefree life; the altar is holy like the paradise of Eden, which is hard to enter, though it has open gates. Thus, the lame man and the blind man were placed at the gates to guard what was inside, just as patriarchs, archbishops, and archimandrites are placed between the church and the altar to guard the holy mysteries from the enemies of Christ, that is, from heretics and wicked tempters, unholy lovers of sin, and unfaithful defilers. Listen attentively, we will speak in order, and you follow carefully. Although my disorderly mind and rough tongue struggle, hoping for your prayers, I ask for the gift of speech. Though I am unworthy to speak of this, for the benefit of the listeners, I will write. If someone listens with bias, they do not seek what would be of use to them but consider how to accuse us and for what to reproach us.
After they had sat for some time, the blind man said to the lame man: “What is this fragrance that wafts to me from the gates of the vineyard?” The lame man replied: “There is much good inside our master’s vineyard, and it is indescribably pleasant to taste. But since our master is wise, he placed you here, blind, and me, lame, and we cannot in any way partake of the good fruits.” The blind man replied, saying: “Why did you not tell me this earlier, so we would not suffer like this, but would have taken what was given to us long ago! Though I am blind, I have legs and am strong, I can carry both you and the load.” (Understand that sin is a spiritual burden; hence the prophet says: “A heavy burden weighs me down.”) And the blind man said: “Take a basket and sit on me; I will carry you, and you guide the way, and we will take all the good of our master; I do not think our master will come here.” These are the ideas of those who do not seek God but care only for worldly ranks and the body, not desiring to give an account for their deeds, but as if letting their vain soul into the wind! Therefore, Isaiah says: “The ignorant people will take up envy,” we, the sinners, envy the honor and glory of the righteous instead of imitating their deeds. “If,” added the blind man, “our master comes here, we will hide our deed from him. If he asks me about the theft, I will say: ‘You know, master, that I am blind.’ If he asks you, you say: ‘I am lame and cannot enter inside,’ and thus we will outwit our master and receive the payment for our work.” And the lame man sat on the blind man, and entering the vineyard, they stole all the good that was there of their master.
However, do not be angry, brothers, at my ignorance, because of which my tale takes on an unworthy appearance. For just as it is impossible for a bird with bound feet to soar to the height of the air, so it is for me, immersed in bodily desires, to speak of spiritual things: the words of a sinner, lacking the grace of the Holy Spirit, do not reach their goal. Nevertheless, let us return to the previously said, explaining the meaning of this parable.
They sat, as mentioned, for a long time. What does this “long time” signify? It represents the disregard for God’s commandment and the care for the body, with indifference towards one’s soul. For no one, having the fear of God, will be enticed by carnal desires, and no one who truly believes will unlawfully seek to attain rank – no one, awaiting death and the resurrection thereafter; others, however, are immersed in evil deeds. And I will repeat the same for the sake of instruction. The blind man said to the lame man: “What is this fragrance that wafts to me from the gates?” and so on. This is the inflation of Adam’s pride, who, possessing all earthly things, animals, the sea, and the creatures within it, enjoying the goodness in Eden, dared to touch the holy at God’s command and went from Eden to paradise. Therefore, the Scripture says: “God expelled Adam from paradise and condemned him to till the ground from which he was taken.” Think about it: he was not commanded to live there, and from there, he was expelled. But he entered just as this churchman, unworthy of the priesthood, hid his sin, disregarded God’s covenant, and for the sake of high rank and earthly glory ascended to the bishop's seat.
For this, Adam was condemned to death because he touched the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is recognized sin and voluntary action in favor of God. For it is written: “Woe to those who sin consciously!” This kills the breath of the life-giving Spirit that God breathed into him, which is the incomplete blessing of sanctification. For it is written: “And He breathed into him the breath of life.” Likewise, Christ, breathing on the faces of the apostles, said: “Receive the Holy Spirit,” – an incomplete grace, merely a pledge of dedication; for He commanded them to wait for the Holy Spirit Himself: “Who, when He comes,” He said, “will sanctify you completely.” Similarly, bishops sanctify subdeacons, readers, and deacons – an incomplete gift, but a pledge of dedication so that they can prepare themselves for ultimate sanctification. Nothing is more pleasing to God than not exalting oneself in ranks, and nothing is more abominable to Him than arrogant boastfulness in unlawfully seizing rank. Look at the same blind man with the lame man, how they disregarded their master’s command and prohibition: taking the lame man and the burden, he carried him and, entering, approached the tree, tasted the fruit, which was very good, and thus they stole what they were ordered to guard.
Cain tasted from that tree; not being dedicated, he encroached upon the priestly rank, envied the holy Abel, whom he killed out of envy. The sons of Korah, who were with Dathan and Abiram, tasted from that tree: taking censers, they went into the tabernacle, being undedicated – and the earth swallowed them. The same tree was tasted by the priest Eli, who, knowing that his sons violated the law of the priests, did not remove them from the holy rank. The same tree was tasted by heretics, who in deception, pretending to know the spiritual way, were mistaken and, unrepentant, perished. But, shortening this, let us return to the former narration.
Though my tongue is exhausted, the prophet inspires me, saying: “I am exhausted from crying; my throat is hoarse!”
The master heard that his vineyard had been robbed and commanded to cast away the lame man from the gates and expel the blind man from the guards.
Understand now, you most senseless of officials, the foolishest of priests! When will you become wise? Will the one who planted the ear not hear? Will the one who formed the eye not see? Will He who disciplines the nations not rebuke? Will He who teaches man knowledge not understand our errors? The Lord will indeed perceive the deceptive thoughts, like lies, and will cast the unrighteous from authority, driving away the ungodly from the altar. For no rank in this world will save those who break God's commandments from torment. But I ask your mercy, look attentively at what is written and consider all that you hear.
God commanded Adam to be expelled from paradise because he touched the forbidden, that is, entered the sanctified place without permission. And He placed him near the food of paradise. “Only,” He said, “stretch out your hand and eat from the tree of paradise, and you will live forever1,” if, of course, he comes to his senses and, humbling himself, repents for what he has sinned. But great is God’s love for mankind! He both punishes us and shows mercy, reproaches us for our sins and again accepts us in repentance; He does not desire the death of a sinner but commands to correct and live.
Humility, the beginning of which is repentance. “I will confess,” he said, “my iniquity, and You forgave the iniquity of my heart.” The trunk of that root is faith. “Your faith,” he said, “will save you,” and all will be given to the believer. From that trunk come many different branches, for there are many kinds of repentance: tears, fasting, pure prayer, alms, humility, sighing, and more. Those branches have fruitful outcomes: love, obedience, submission, love of the poor – many ways of salvation. You see: the tree of life was not in paradise, not in Eden, but in exile, that is, in removal from rank. He also cast out Cain, knowing about his murder of his brother, and, reproaching, showed him the tree of life, saying: “Wail and tremble!” that is, repent of malice, envy, deceit, murder, and lying, humble yourself, fast, keep vigil, lie on the ground. But since you did not do this, you have departed from the face of God – not by the remoteness of the earth, but by the lack of fear of God in the soul. If there are no good deeds in us and no repentance for sins, then whatever rank we are in, we are far from God. Only close to the broken-hearted is the Lord; He will save those of a humble spirit, He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off from the earth the memory of them. So Paul also drove out from the sacred altar Hymenaeus and Philetus and the priests who committed fornication in Corinth and placed them next to the holy altar, that is, among the sanctified, saying: “Shame them, but love them, so they do not perish in wicked fate, let them repent and live!” Alexander the coppersmith, of whom Paul said: “May the Lord repay him according to his works,” did not want to taste from that tree of life! Nor did Trophimus of Ephesus, nor Nicholas, one of the seven deacons who renounced Christ, becoming a priest in the temple of the idol Seleucia, who handed over Christians to the torturers; about both of them, John writes, saying: “They went out from us and stood against us.” The heretics did not receive from that tree of paradise either, and they were cursed and died a spiritual death, not understanding the prophet who said: “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” For no sin can overcome God’s mercy. But let us not despair like Judas; let us not doubt the resurrection of the flesh, like the Sadducees – but through repentance, let us knock on God’s gates until He opens the doors of paradise for us. The Lord did not falsely say: “Knock, and it shall be opened to you! Seek, and you shall find! Ask, and it shall be given to you!” But I will not extend the narration with an exposition of the words that will prolong the conversation; let us return to what has already been said.
That man saw that his vineyard had been robbed and wished to separate the blind man and the lame man; and he ordered to first bring the blind man to interrogate him about who violated his command and encroached on the forbidden without his permission. For nothing can be hidden from God’s eye, and none of us know ourselves as well as God knows all of us.
God commanded the soul to be separated from the body. By the word of God, the soul departs from the body: “You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” When you see a body buried in the ground, do not think that the soul is there as well, for the soul is not of the earth and does not enter the earth. But if you see the miraculous relics of saints, know that their soul is not there, but understand it as God's grace glorifying His saints: “Those who honor Me, I will honor.” He commanded the blind man to be brought: after departing from the body, the soul of every person appears before God with an angel attached to it, whether the person was a believer or non-believer, living righteously or unrighteously. “The Lord will question the righteous and the wicked,” for all nations were born of one blood and spread over the face of the earth, and God appointed them to do good, giving rain from heaven and fruitful seasons. “He makes His sun rise on the good and the evil,” and so forth. Let no one condemn me for these words, but look at the Scriptures, and you will find that I draw from the holy books. Moses writes: “He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.” Jeremiah says: “Only the Lord is the God of all the nations under heaven,” though He left each in its own delusion, but their souls will stand before Him, and He will judge them by their deeds. Paul says: “Why should I judge those outside? Do you not judge those inside? But those outside, God judges.” He calls those inside the faith, and those outside the pagan nations. Now it is appropriate for the souls departing from their bodies to hear the name of God, so that on the Judgment Day, resurrected in the body, they can bow to God without sin, and it is not fitting for souls deceived by the devil to serve their flesh, for the apostle says: “Then every eye will see, and every nation will bow, acknowledging that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father – one.” But every learned person knows this – I will briefly interpret the conversation about the blind man, according to my understanding, though I foresee reproaches directed at me; I know that this narration is not from wisdom but from ignorance. However, here we build on the foundation of the prophetic and apostolic writings, placing Christ Himself as the cornerstone.
When the blind man was brought, the interrogation began. “Did I not set you,” said the master, “as a good guard of my vineyard? Why did you rob it?” The blind man replied: “Master! You know that I am blind and without a guide I cannot see where to go, and I do not know any place, even if I wanted to go. I did not hear anyone passing through the gates; otherwise, I would have begun to shout loudly after him. But I think, master, that the lame man stole it.” Recognize in this the deceitful conversation of the soul before God and the accusation against the body.
So also is the spiritual word: “Lord, I am the Spirit. I neither desired to eat or drink, nor did I seek earthly honor or glory, nor did I understand carnal desires, nor did I follow the devil’s will – all this was done by the body!”
Then the master commanded the blind man to be kept in a secret place known only to him until he returned to the vineyard and called the lame man – and then he would judge them both.
Therefore, until the second coming of Christ, there is neither judgment nor torment for any human soul, whether believer or non-believer. Believe in the truth of the resurrection of the human body. “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.” The example of Ezekiel showed us the hope of resurrection. “Prophesy,” he said, “son of man, to these bones, that flesh may grow on them and skin may cover them, that the Spirit may come from the four winds and enter these dead – let them live!” The Creator accomplishes all this, not changing the order, but still renewing His original work. First, He created the body of Adam and only then breathed into him the soul. Likewise, in a woman’s womb: first, the body is formed from seed, and after five months He creates the soul. In baptism, He first generates with water, then regenerates with the Spirit from the corruption of sin. Similarly, on the Judgment Day: first, He will renew the earth, gather the human dust, and create all our bodies in the twinkling of an eye, then our souls will each enter its own body, according to Paul, who says that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive. Who are these dead? All the nations that did not accept God’s law, not knowing baptism. “Whoever sins unlawfully will perish unlawfully.” He calls the Christians living. See: all people will be resurrected in the flesh, and we believe Paul’s testimony, who said by God’s word: “He who does not understand the man created by God from the beginning will not understand the one born into life through baptism; therefore, he does not believe in the subsequent resurrection of the flesh to eternal life for all people: some to honor and glory, others to disgrace and torment.” But let us speak of the rest.
When the master came to take the fruits of the vineyard and saw it robbed, he called the lame man and united him with the blind man, and they began to accuse each other. The lame man said to the blind man: “If you had not carried me, I could not have gotten there, as I am lame.” The blind man said: “If you had not shown me the way, I could not have gotten there.” Then the master, sitting on the judgment seat, began to judge them both. And he said: “As you stole, so now – let the lame man sit on the blind man.” And when the lame man sat down, he commanded them to be severely punished in the darkness of torment before all the servants.
Know, brothers, the interpretation of this parable. The householder is God the Father, the creator of all. His noble son is our Lord Jesus Christ. The vineyard is the earth and the world. The fence around the vineyard is God's law and commandments. The servants who were with him are the angels. The lame man is the human body. The blind man is his soul. That He placed them at the gates means He gave man dominion over the earth, giving him the law and commandments. When man broke God’s commandment and was condemned to death for it, first his soul is brought to God and justified, saying: “It was not I, but the flesh that sinned.” Therefore, there is no torment for souls until the second coming, but they are preserved – God knows where. When He comes to renew the earth and resurrect all the dead, as He Himself foretold, then: “All who are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have done good will come forth to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.” Then our souls will enter our bodies, and each will receive according to his deeds: the righteous – eternal life, and the sinners – endless torment of death. “As someone has sinned, so shall he receive punishment.”
All this I have interpreted not by my own thoughts, but according to the holy books. And this is not my word, but only a conversation, for I am not such a teacher as those churchly and holy men.
I do not know if this quotation is accurate from a 12th century Old Church Slavonic, or if St. Kyrill is taking this words in isolation or with certain license in order to make a broader spiritual point.
Grace and Peace to you