Why does the apostle consider that the denial of man of his sinfulness is a false witness on Jesus? Of course, one could say that it is, first of all, about the sense of the earthly ministry of the Savior, Who said directly that the world lies in evil and that He came to deliver him it from this evil. Hardly in such a context our assertions of our own sinlessness will sound even a little convincing; they will become rather the witness of our thoughtlessness or arrogance.

Maybe and something else: John could answer in his message those of his coreligionists, who were (perhaps, quite sincerely) persuaded that having entrusted their fate to Christ, they had freed themselves just like that from the power of this sin, which prevented them from living formerly a righteous life. Knowing that sin and the Kingdom are incompatible and being assured that the Kingdom became an integral part of their life, they completely calmed down for their own sinfulness: it seemed to them that they are now not under the power of sin by definition.

The apostle, as seen, dispels their errors on his own account. But the main thing is all the same, probably, somewhere else: the denial by man of his own sinfulness makes very absurd the coming of the Savior into the world. Isaiah of Babylon already said that the Messiah is not going to suffer for His own sins, but for the sins of the people, to whom He will come. And the cleansing of the people from sin will become one of the essential tasks being before Him.

Jesus Himself spoke in particular about the salvation of the sinners from their sin, without cleansing of which one can not enter the Kingdom. But here is, it turns out now that were found in the Church people questioning this mission of the Savior. It is not surprising that John gives them a severe rebuke: for, not wishing to accept the proposed salvation, they not only did not go to Christ, but also misled the others on the path. John understood perfectly that it is about very important things, not to be treated so lightly.

The appearance in Jerusalem, described in today's reading, of the "Magi" who came "from the east" (v. 1) raises a number of questions. Who were these "Magi"? Why were they interested at all in the birth of the Messiah-Christ, a question that in those days would seem to have been of interest only to Jews? And what mysterious "star" (v. 2) led them? The traditional answer to the last question has been to point to the fact that the "Magi," who knew the astronomy of their time well, could notice some unusual phenomenon in the starry sky and interpret it as a sign that the Messiah had indeed been born. But such an answer presupposes that these "Magi" not only knew astronomy well, but were awaiting the coming of the Messiah no less than the Jews themselves.

Palestine at that time was part of the Roman Empire, which in the east bordered Persia, a land the Romans never managed to conquer despite many attempts. The state religion of Persia at that time was Zoroastrianism, and in the Roman Empire the priests of this religion were called in Greek "magi" (in the Synodal translation these "magi" became "wise men"). Zoroastrianism was remarkable in that its followers, like the Jews, awaited the Messiah, who would come to earth at the end of time in order to lead here the last battle of the sons of Light against the sons of darkness. It appears that among the Zoroastrian priests there were some who decided to step beyond the limits prescribed by the tradition of their own religion. They were the ones who set out for Judea in order to find there the Messiah for whom they had been waiting so long.

Of course, traditional Zoroastrian messianic ideas differed significantly from biblical ones. But for those who set out for Palestine, the desire to find the truth was clearly stronger than the influence of accepted opinions and the pressure of their environment. And the pressure could be very strong: the Roman Empire and Persia were traditionally hostile to one another, and for the magi to set out for Judea meant going straight into the enemy camp. Moreover, of course, they had no guarantees that they would actually find the One they were seeking. But, as we can see, finding the Messiah of whom not only biblical books but also Zoroastrian books spoke was absolutely necessary for these people. And therefore they found the One they were seeking (vv. 9-11).

Not everyone is destined by God to be born among the people of God. But the search for truth is open to everyone. And if this search is sincere and persistent, sooner or later it will surely lead the seeker to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The words of John's letter seem paradoxical at first glance. On the one hand, he states that as Christians we must not be involved in sin, because the blood of Christ cleanses us from every sin (1 John 1:6-7). On the other hand, according to his own words, we are by no means sinless, and we had better not deceive ourselves about this (1 John 1:8).

Meanwhile, this paradox, or rather this antinomy, describes the phenomenon of biblical righteousness, known even in pre-Christian times. Sober-minded people who sought genuine spiritual life and, accordingly, firm relations with God never considered themselves perfect or sinless. And biblical righteousness was never equated with sinlessness. There is no darkness in God; in Him there is only light (1 John 1:5). This truth was known to believing Jews in every age. Righteousness is not light emitted by a person, but God's light reflected by him. Such is human righteousness, and this is exactly how the authors of the Old Testament books describe it.

In this respect nothing has changed: after the coming of Christ, the human being remained what he had been. Neither before nor now is anyone born into the world free from sin. But with the coming of the Messiah, something did change. New possibilities opened up. Formerly the Kingdom was beside the world. The prophets of Israel sometimes saw it as if through a transparent but insurmountable barrier. Many, not only among the Jewish people but throughout the world, sensed its breath.

But for the transformation of the world, for a complete and qualitative change in its nature, for its final liberation from the power of sin and death, this was not enough. The Kingdom had to enter into the world in all its fullness, inevitably colliding in doing so with the evil in which, according to the word of the Gospel, the fallen world lies. This collision, its first and chief blow, was taken upon Himself by the One who brought the Kingdom into the world, the Savior Himself. It was His blood that opened the road into the Kingdom for us. But not only that: it also opened the road for the Kingdom into our hearts. Formerly those who sought the path of righteousness strove to become a perfect reflection of God's light, in spite of their sinfulness, which remained unconquered to the end. Now those who seek the path of the Kingdom can become an open door through which the breath of the Kingdom enters the world being transformed. This happens in spite of their own sinfulness, which, however, has become conquerable thanks to what the Savior has done for us. And now the path of the Kingdom, beginning in our world that has not yet been transformed, is completed in the fullness of that Kingdom. In the fullness that will be revealed to the world on the day of the Savior's return. His return in glory.