Притча о винограднике и о делателях,нанятых в разные часы

And the parable about the vineyard, to which at different hours of the day those who had to cultivate it came, one after another, hiring from morning to evening, as time allowed, seems to agree with what has been said so far. For everyone received the same payment, everyone received the same honor from the householder, or better yet, the last were preferred to the first, having taken an equal amount of silver with those who worked in the morning, and even before them, and in this, as others would think, taking advantage of the generosity of the giver, in reality receiving the due honor. If they, being called along with those who grumbled, did not listen, and then, having repented, were the last to begin the work, then they would deserve payment only for the time in which they did it. If, as soon as they were hired, they showed zeal, why blame them for involuntary idleness? From the subsequent diligence one can see that which they would have had before if they had been in business. Expressing this, the householder, in his justification, said to those who reproached them and did not rejoice in their own honor, but were tormented by the honor bestowed on others on an equal basis with them: “Friend, I will not offend you: did you not consult with me for a penalty? take what is yours and go: I want to give to this last one, as I did to you: or should I not create the death I want in my own? Even if your eye is evil, because I am good? (Matthew 20:13–15). In this way he denounced the unjust jealousy of those who grumbled, and showed that his goodness fulfilled the truth, because he did not allow the involuntary guilt of idleness to become a cause of damage for them, taking into account the intention, and not the execution, since idleness occurred, without a doubt, not from negligence, but from chance. What they said: “No one has hired us” (Matthew 20:7) frees them from suspicion of laziness, shows that they were ready to get down to business, and blames their inaction on the lack of employers. And if the one who rewarded everyone for their deeds, those who did one part of the day, gave full payment, as well as those who spent the whole day in the deed, then by deed itself, and not by words, he made it clear that those who remained idle for several hours before the deed were worthy of this, not out of negligence, but out of necessity, since there was no one calling for the deed. And it was a matter of goodness, and perhaps justice, of the householder not to leave at a loss those who had been harmed by time, and not to allow them to give up the advantage, when he had no right to accuse of involuntary idleness those 8 who were ready for work in the morning and, perhaps, having come after everyone else and having made great efforts, in a few hours completed the work of the whole day. And it is reasoned fairly that those who have done a deed worth a denarius receive no less than a denarius, although they did not work the whole day. For the one who, hiring them, said: “You too go into [my] vineyard and work, and it will be righteous,” I will give you (cf. Matt. 20:7), giving a denarius, did not lie; for he gave what was fair, and did not give in vain, but fairly proportioned the payment to labor, and not to time. For for this reason he preferred them to others, and because they equally took part in the work, he recognized them as worth equal pay, and because in a short time they became equal to those to whom the continuation of the whole day gave freedom to work effortlessly 9 , as diligent he called the first to receive rewards, so that both by the honor shown to them, and by the reproof of those who grumbled and in the lazy, arouse zeal for diligence in doing good. For he knew that the honor shown to one would turn others to work, out of love for glory, taking on work that even exceeded their strength. Oh, how senseless is the passion of envy! Those who have not been offended by anything envy those who have been honored; they consider the gain of others to be their own loss; having lost nothing, they grumble; the success of others hurts them: they are deprived of strength and melt away, seeing that they are not being praised, and they say: “These are the last, ... and you have created them equal to us, who bore the burden of day and age” (Matthew 20:12); they set forth the length of time, not daring, as is likely, to point out in their defense the advantage over them in the case; They think to boast about something for which they are worthy of condemnation, they measure time and do not reason that the matter is not proportionate to time. Scorched by the heat, if they did it carelessly and carelessly, what benefit did they bring to the householder, who demanded work, and not useless fatigue, care for the vineyard, and not wasting hours of the whole day in it? This very thing that he changed the order of those who did things: he made the first last, and the last first, shows nothing more than the thriftiness of some and the laziness of others. And if both of them showed the same diligence and what they did was in proportion to the time, would they have any plausible excuse for grumbling, having received the payment agreed upon in the contract, even if it was given to others many times over or more, if they were not saddened by envy, which upsets many others, and especially those who are painful to see the honors given to others? I think they would not grumble if they worked without the latter, and some received the agreed payment, not having anyone to show their envious disposition towards. Now the honor of the rivals was aroused by a passion of envy, which would not have been aroused if others had not seemed preferable, who, in comparison with their own labors, had worked, judging by the time, little; and that negotiated payment for the work, which, if no one had irritated their envy by preference, they would have accepted with joy, they now take with grumbling, hurt only by the fact that they were recognized as inferior to others who not only became participants in the payment, but even turned out to be the best, because they received an equivalent reward for a short work. You got yours, man! Why does someone else who has received the same upset you? Your fee has not been reduced. Why does it offend you that another, in your opinion, received more than you? If you didn’t know that someone else received the same amount as you yourself, you would willingly accept the usual payment. But since someone else received it with you, what you got seemed small to you. Didn't you get too much? But I didn’t agree and didn’t expect to receive it. Why, without having been offended, do you complain in the voice of the offended? Why do you complain about the damage without losing anything? Why do you condemn the landlord’s generosity as unfair? Why do you call mercy towards those who need compassion, as someone else might think, a wrong division? If you were to add to another, taking away from what was due to you, then you would truly be acting unfairly, giving to one what belongs to another and showing unprofitable generosity from someone else’s property. If he also repaid your debt in full, and gave it to them out of debt or out of mercy, then why do you censure along with the one who benefited and the one who benefited, out of a bad disposition of heart, denigrating those who did not provide a plausible pretext for censure, blaming your own passion on others, condemning together both the one who showed the benefit and (in any way) the one who took advantage of it, just so as not to suppress it in yourself unreasonable passion, recognizing for yourself a holy deed not to envy other people's good and not to be discouraged when others are having fun? Such is envy: it turns the joy of those having fun into tears for itself, and always spends time in torment, as soon as it fails to see those who aroused it in the disasters it would like. But you would like the worker to always stand outside the vineyard, idle, and the ascetic to remain not at all struggling without an opponent, and hiding from those who should learn what a person needs in order to have strength. You would like the warrior, who may seem valiant in battles with enemies, sitting and basking under his roof, to grow like virgins; It is not desirable for you to have innate courage manifested in deeds, and you, envying crowns, are spared from labor. And I give advice to the victorious ascetic to be ready for all kinds of exploits: because I call courage that which men allow to see in their exploits, despite the weakness of the body, taking into account the nobility of the soul, when the enemy attacks in different ways, drawing into the temptation of those who meet different intrigues, and a person knows how to act adaptively in each attack. For Paul, knowing that the enemy is plotting many things against everyone, wants everyone, following Paul’s example, to be ready to resist the attacks of the enemy, and sometimes equips them with the shield of faith, the armor of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, and sometimes, like fighters, he anoints them for heroic deeds and says: “Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the beginning, and against the authorities [and] the ruler of the darkness of this world, to the spiritual wickedness” (Eph. 6:12), so that those who strive, having learned the multitude of enemies and the fact that they wage war in darkness and are by nature invisible, would be sober, always awake and not letting go of their weapons, but having them completely ready to repel. since, in the words of the wise Solomon, “sleep will be taken away” from the enemies, “and they will not sleep, ... and will not sleep ... unless they do evil” (cf. Proverbs 4:16), then, as the Apostle says, let soldiers have a watchful eye, watching the aspirations of the enemies, so as not to suffer anything unpleasant from carelessness. And he advises hastening as quickly as possible “to the honor of the highest calling” (Phil. 3:14) and to guard the one who strives together, so that he who goes along with him does not stumble; when there are no opponents, have your hands in a martial movement, with this exercise accustoming yourself to experience, and when the enemies are present and enter into battle, then do not rotate the weapon in your hands in empty air, but try to cut the very heads of the enemies with it and torment them with your nails. And since the opponents, as the rulers of the world of darkness, are in the habit of “shooting down the upright in heart in the darkness” (Ps. 10:2) - and every intention, so that it is difficult or even impossible to be warned, is carried out in the darkness, thereby achieving what they plot and harm, being invisible, then the Lord says: “Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35), wanting with a belt to give us convenience for a quick procession, and with a burning lamp to protect us from a harmful collision with those walking together. For this is what Paul said: “I therefore flow, not as if I were unknown” (1 Cor. 9:26), that is, using the light as a guide in a good, stumbling-free procession. And David says: “Your law is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my paths” (Ps. 119:105); and I walk the path of Your commandments without reproach, and whatever temptations lie in contact with them on the path, I partly cautiously avoid them, and partly, in the rapid pursuit of my flow, I move through them, once succeeding in soaring my mind and then safely observing everywhere the stumbling blocks that lie ahead along the way. Just as someone bitten by a snake is frightened by a curved rope lying on the ground, because fear gives it an appearance that arouses suspicion and leads one to think about what was experienced before, so David after the Fall was horrified by the unforbidden use of the desired thing. He was afraid that some kind of cunning of the enemy was hidden in this, offering as a seductive bait to sin the very thing that is permitted, and thereby contriving to attract him to something forbidden, just as he had previously been drawn into the net by looking at his wife, leading to unauthorized adultery. And he lets us see this when, during the war, having desired the water of Bethlehem, he did not want to drink the water brought, which is why he admitted his strong thirst and showed abstinence, reasoning that if he does not suppress unbridled lust, he will open a convenient path to all voluptuousness. And one of the other God-wise Apostles calls the enemy a lion, because under any other more honorable appearance he did not succeed, no matter how hard he tried in his malice, and not without reason, for the sake of intimidation, he takes on the image of an animal; and to whom he resembles in cruelty, from him he borrows an appearance that can lead to fear. For the Apostle says: “Our adversary the devil, roaring like a lion, walks about, seeking someone to devour; resist him courageously” (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8-9) - and by roaring he signifies the harmful fury of the enemy, and by the words “resist courageously” he shows what strength those who fight the beast should acquire from feat, strengthening their natural strength with frequent daily exercises. For he did not say: “Flee or evade the beast that gnashes its teeth,” but commanded to resist it, to go cheerfully against it, knowing that everyone has the power to protect their safety and for this protection everyone has natural and inalienable weapons. Paul also inspires, saying: “Present... your weapons of the righteousness of God” (Rom. 6:13), and with these words he teaches those who are knowledgeable to overthrow the enemy in the same way as he overthrows the foolish, so that the eye wages war against everything that can deceive through sight; the ear struggled with bad conversations that could corrupt good morals; the sense of smell was carefully averted from fumes, which usually pampered and weakened spiritual strength; the taste was abandoned exquisitely for the greater sweetness of flavored juices; the sense of touch did not stop at the bodies, pleasantly charming with softness and smoothness; and the covetous hand stretched out for alms; and the feet, according to the word of Solomon, flowing “for evil” (Proverbs 1:16), hastily flowed along the path of the commandments; and the blasphemous tongue spoke verbs of gratitude. Thus, weapons of sin become weapons of righteousness, directed back at the one who previously abused them to the destruction of those who acquired them. Therefore, with cruelty and breathing rage, the tormentor rises up against those who have abandoned him and have venerated themselves to God, hastening to return to himself those who are fleeing from him by flight, as if by long habit he had become his assistant, and subjects him to various temptations, raising sorrows everywhere, misfortunes everywhere, so that the vicious life, being recognized by serenity as bearable, will dispose him, as if to an untroubled harbour, to return to the peace of the one who who, as if at sea, is overwhelmed by temptations and says, of course, in the words of those who suffer in the desert: “It was better for us to work as Egyptians than to die in this desert” (Ex. 14:12). For whoever loves inactivity recognizes that it is preferable for himself to obey desires rather than fight them, when he sees that the path of virtue is rough and difficult to travel and everywhere there are many who cause sorrow on it, both former friends who have finally become enemies and want to be chased and enslaved, as well as true and unknown enemies who meet along the way and hinder good success in what is expected. So many hitherto unknown nations delayed the Israelites as long as they could and, envious of their march towards something useful for them, said: “You will not pass through us” (Num. 20:18). And Pharaoh, while still having them in his power, when they were planning to escape, said to those who assisted him in this: “Let the deeds of these people be aggravated” (Ex. 5:9), thinking that freedom from business served as an incentive for them to be bold, so he carefully pursued after those who had fled, not agreeing that they should become free, as they wanted and as they were born, but hastening to do it again slaves of those who were, and could always be, high-born and free. And some, with a firm determination of spirit, having escaped this slavery, patiently endured every embitterment they encountered until they achieved the desired perfection, while others, leaving slavery not entirely deliberately, not enduring the difficulty of the beginnings of virtue (the beginning of any business, and even more difficult, is difficult and unpleasant, before getting used to it), they planned to return to Egypt, again choosing as their ruler the one who had once He was well rated by them as having turned out to be hostile and worthy of great hatred. For they said: “Let us appoint an elder for ourselves, and we will return to Egypt” (Num. 14:4), considering it easy to return from a path accomplished with great difficulty, and adding due to their inactivity: “Because we would not be a grave in Egypt,” we went out to die “in the wilderness” (Ex. 14:11). And inactivity is the line between virtue and vice. Whoever has deviated from the latter is not yet unquestioningly in goodness. Whoever still holds between one and the other, until he has completely freed himself from one, will not unshakably establish both knees in the other, no longer limping as before, and ceasing to either lean on one side or hang on the other. Such is one who lags behind a bad habit: he is greatly carried back, although he also moves forward, and succeeds in what he tries, and is forced, with changing motives, to deviate often here and there, until, through much exercise and a long time, he weanes himself from the former and turns himself into a habit of the latter, like someone who has come from adolescence to manhood and has become incapable, even if he wanted, to move from the present state to past. For it is not in accordance with anything in the body, according to the law of nature, to successively change ages, moving from the age of childhood to senile dignity, to inspire confidence with gray hair, to become important and respectable by its very condition, and for the soul not to succeed in its characteristic success in goodness and in virtue not to complete the legal ages, moving from one to another and thus achieving the desired perfection, but to remain in the unreasonable state of childhood or at the age following childhood, willingly indulging in youthful lusts, and in an elderly senile body still youthful and blossoming, constantly having fun with those reprehensible things with which even sober youths briefly amused themselves. And that the soul also changes the differences of ages, ascending from infancy to perfection, Paul teaches this, saying in one place: “As you gave little children to drink with the milk of Christ, and not with meat” (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-2); and in another: “We will reach as far as... into a perfect man, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ” (Eph. 4:13); and again: “When the child was born, like a child, you said, like a child, you thought in wisdom, like a child, you thought; when the man was, he rejected the child” (1 Cor. 13:11). The Apostle knows that others, having been born once, need another birth and again return from this life to the womb; That’s why he says to them: “My children, even though I am sick, Christ will be imagined in you” (Gal. 4:19). Thus, for those who apparently bear the glorious features of Christ, but who have not yet assumed the full image, the Apostle again desires to become conceived in the womb, so that, having put aside their ugliness, they change into a perfect and complete form, becoming like the One who gave birth and being recognized as genuine, and not false and illegitimate, His children. But the soul should pass through these states with greater comfort than the body through ages. The body for all this time is enslaved by necessity and subject to the laws of nature, does not have the power to move into a state that time does not bring, and cannot enter the next age and pass through it more quickly than it should, because each age gives it a certain time and does not allow it to finish it before the 10th time and move into the adjacent one. The soul, by volition, remaining in the present state as long as it wants and moving into another whenever it wants, whenever it wants, has an unrestricted right to this transition; even if she decides to bypass the middle states, it is possible for her to move with a slight leap from one end to the other and, having barely entered, suddenly achieve perfection, when soon the determination of the will and thoroughness with a firm and unshakable thought will move from what is condemned by the soul to what is assumed by it. About those who followed Moses' proposal. Thus, like Moses, those who longed for freedom, having confirmed their intention with immutable patience, overcame all the sorrows that they constantly encountered, not being afraid of the immense multitude of enemies, while enduring the hunger and thirst that dominated the body unflaggingly: because the undoubted faith in the expected pleasure made the work ahead easier for them, comforting the felt sorrows with good anticipation when experiencing real sorrows dissolving with the joy of future blessings. For the mind, occupied with joyful thoughts, does not strongly perceive the troubles that disturb it and knows how to dull real difficulties by thinking about the benefits that it will enjoy later. Therefore, in accordance with their needs, the creature was transformed, the sea hardened for the persecuted, the waters divided, opening a dry path, and, until those being rescued crossed, the dissected waters on both sides rose vertically to a height, petrifying their current and keeping the ebbs in a straight position with icy tributaries 11; the hard and moisture-free stone formed a lake and sea around itself, emanating from the depths abundant streams of drinkable and sweet water. The sky, instead of the earth, grew manna, sending down unsown fruit in the form of snow and hastily preparing for the hungry a comfortable meal, not only replenishing the impoverishment of the belly, but even by changing the quality satisfying the desire of everyone, for for which food, by the memory of it, someone received an attraction, the taste for it was found in the same thing, thinking that he was eating the very thing that lusted, and one substance served the various wishes of everyone, becoming similar in taste to the sensation of every quality. The bitter water was sweetened, instantly changing one quality to another, from a drink that shortly before was heavy and unpleasant to the taste, becoming a sweet drink. The air, unable to produce eggs, gave birth to a ready-made quail and, driving it with a strong wind, crowded those in need of food to the very bushes, giving them the birds - catchable prey without nets - into their hands. Night, illuminated by a pillar of fire, turned into day; the solar heat of the day was moderated by a cloud, which, hovering over the people, served as a medium between them and the rays pouring from the vault of heaven, so that, walking in the open sky, they would not be scorched on the way, but would be shaded by the thick cover of the cloud, walking comfortably, as if being under a roof, and not walking through a desert naked from everywhere and having no shadow. Neither their clothes nor their shoes, which had been constantly on their bodies for forty years, decayed; the pack cattle, which usually do not live that long, did not die; neither illness, nor relaxation, nor fever, nor chills, nor any other ailment that usually affects the body attacked them, for “do not hurt their knees” (Ps. 104:37), - by the grace of God they overcame nature, becoming higher than the weakness associated with it, and renounced the suffering associated with the body. The terrible hordes of enemies in the battle fell one after another, laid down unhurt as a sign of the reaping hand. The walls collapsed on their own without the help of a human hand, overthrown by the wave of God. Many numerous peoples were destroyed by hidden power, leaving behind the Israelites a land and a place of residence that was not occupied by anyone and did not require worries. And this very thing was later said by the hymn writer David: “Thy hand has consumed the tongues, and I have planted them: ... It was not with your sword that you conquered the earth, and their arm did not save them, but your right hand and your arm and the enlightenment of your face, because you were pleased with them” (Ps. 43: 3-4). This is how David describes the security in everything of those who please God, and how they achieve everything that is useful for them, how, according to God’s truthful Providence, they enjoy the care of them from above and, out of hope in the Savior, they are fearless everywhere. They say: “We will not be afraid; the earth is always troubled, and the mountains of the sea are cut into the hearts” (Ps. 45:3); If, then, the whole creation, having wavered, comes into confusion and is indignant, surrounded by a continuous series of calamities, we will not be afraid and tremble, like those who, being struck by the expectation of some misfortune, imagine every noise and sound that comes in relation to what they suspect, because the weakest of all is the conscience, wounded by the memory of a bad deed: it considers everything hostile, hostile, ready to take revenge, according to the ever-present expectation of punishment for bad deeds, which she has within herself, even if no one knew or could expose her 12, and thinks that everyone knows her secrets. But this is not a conscience free from guile; She has a lot of confidence in herself, not seeing a solid reason for condemnation in anything and firmly hoping that she will always be invincible for everyone, having innocence as a guide to boldness and sometimes saying: “If a regiment takes up arms against me, my heart will not fear” (Ps. 26:3); and sometimes: “I will not be afraid of those people around who attack me” (Ps. 3:7). And that he is such a person who trusts in God in words and deeds, this can be seen in David himself, who said this, who with this hope boldly goes out against the glorious Goliath, without military weapons - against a fenced-in weapon, a young man - against a giant, as against dogs, taking only a rod and a few stones and, like a dog, overthrowing him with one throwing a stone, not by bodily strength, but by force, as he said, of an invisible weapon - venerable name of God. For, relying on this protection, he goes out into battle and expresses his determination in words, saying: “You come against me with a sword and with a spear and a shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God of Hosts, the God of the host of Israel” (1 Sam. 17:45); with this one weapon he came out against such weapons; He directed the thrown stone to the designated target and pierced the copper helmet, crushed the shameless brow, overthrew the arrogant, and brought down to the ground the one who exalted himself in thought. And since such were the works of David's child's hand, which had the strength to do, that they could hardly produce a stone that could be lifted by hand, fired from a throwing projectile, or a battering weapon that acts with great speed, then, pursued by enemies, as he was in faith, he turned out to be such in experience, not enduring in the least what his persecutors tried to subject him to, but always overcoming all sorts of intrigues, and without worries escaping from insurmountable dangers. Thus, David, who was once persecuted by Saul, was covered by a stone, casting a shadow on both sides and dividing both the seeker and the sought, so that David, who could suffer offense from the crowd, would be preserved unharmed. So, caught in the forest by his hostile son Absalom, when he did not have an army commensurate with the attacking force, because with a small squad he was forced to enter into battle with an entire people, he unlawfully used the very trees in the oak grove as supporters against the rebels, arming each tree to repel the offensive force of the attackers and through the trees, accomplishing what could be done by many hands experienced in military affairs. For it is said: “Multiply the oak forest to devour men, rather than the sword to devour them” (2 Samuel 18:8). And after a turn in the success of the battle, one oak tree delighted the fleeing parricide, grabbing him by the hair and removing him from the mule carrying him: as a military commander, as a sign of victory, he detained the captive youth, triumphantly exposing to everyone the shame of this wicked man who had decided on insane audacity; yet other oak trees, in other places and everywhere, wounded the enemies, using branches instead of swords. So in another case, surrounded from everywhere by many enemies, David slept carefree, as a sign and indisputable proof that he did not care about those around him, showing fearless sleep to those who wanted to find out the firmness of his hope. Therefore, boasting one day, he said: “I fell asleep and fell asleep, ... for the Lord will intercede for me” (Ps. 3:6) - during sleep he entrusted his body to the Intercessor and soon in practice learned the power of this Intercessor, because, having risen, he found himself in the safe protection of the guard, as God Himself. Sometimes he says: “All the nations have beaten me, and in the name of the Lord I have resisted them” (Ps. 117:10), again using the same weapon against the attackers that he had previously used against Goliath and had real experience of strength when, without effort, throwing a stone from a sling, he overthrew the enemy with a powerful blow. Competing with him, those who followed David spoke beautifully to God: “Oh We will disgrace those who rise up against us” (Ps. 43:6), laughing and mocking the enemies, because God’s help was with them and prepared shame for the enemies. And that by humiliating themselves they became worthy to come into communion with God, this is also shown by David, saying: “Even if I walk through the midst of the shadow of death, I will not fear, because You are with me” (Ps. 22:4), because mortal dangers then drown us when we are far from God as truly unworthy of help. And having become close and close to Him by faith and deeds, we are above all intrigue and all harm, because a high hand lifts us to a height above the dangers from those who rule below and are not strong enough to touch those who in their lives have become above all such harm. To those approaching such a state, God said: “If you pass through water, ... the rivers will not cover you: and if you pass through fire, ... the fire will not burn you, for I am the Lord God with you” (cf. Is. 43: 2–3). Thus, God, by the very fact that a living being does not suffer harm in the least from the quickly destroying elements, of which one, through inhalation, inflames the insides, and the other, drawn in through the same inhalation, stops breathing itself, shows the power of His power, transgressing the limits of nature and making the destructive salutary, when some, being worthy of good deeds, walk through these elements. If, having approached God, we use such mercy to take care of us, and having moved away from God, as helpless, we can suffer harm from everything, then we should take care of righteousness, which brings us closer to God and gives us liberation from suffering and fearlessness, because, according to the words of the wise Solomon, “the righteous ... like a lion trusts” (cf. Proverbs 28:1), in freedom of life taking advantage of the natural nobility and fearlessness of this animal and boldly confronting any disaster in the confidence that the Companion is close to him, Who, to those who need help and, due to the rudeness of their morals, is far removed from the Helper of God, says: “Food cannot save My hand? Or have I made My ears too heavy to hear? But your sins separate you and me” (cf. Isa. 59:1-2). With these words, God showed His disposition that He was ready to defend, but He also added the reason holding Him back, saying: “Your sins separate you and Me,” so that He would not be reproached for not coming as a Helper; says that those who require help are not in a state worthy of helping them, because it is the custom for His help to come to those who approach God, and not to those who have retreated far from Him 13 . This is what Patriarch Abraham said to the rich man in need of help: “A great chasm has established itself between us and you” (cf. Luke 16:26), thereby clearly showing that the unrighteous are very far removed not only from God, but also from righteous men and cannot receive any benefit from love of mankind, because their morals are far removed from the affinity with love of mankind. And what state is close to God, David teaches: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and will save the humble in spirit” (Ps. 33:19). For what is most pleasing to God is a modest way of thinking, especially when in success there is a reason to become arrogant to the point of recklessness, but the thought remains within moderation, does not rise high, exalted by the memories of good deeds done, which usually lead it to soar, and does not lead the conscience to exaltation by those good deeds that it remembers have been done in the soul. Such is the one who, according to legal regulations, celebrates Passover at night; such is he who eats the most unleavened bread. One is worthy of praise, trying to hide himself in darkness in what he does according to the Lord's advice, hiding in a cage that which, being recognized, brings the glory of holiness; the other, even after completing the deed, remains as modest and unpretentious as he was before the commission. For this is what unleavened bread is like: it does not expand in volume, like leavened bread, when it is brought close to the fire, but even at this time it remains in a humble form and means a humble person when he succeeds in virtue. Just as fire raises leaven, if it is not mixed with unleavened bread, and when it swells, it takes on any form it pleases, so virtue causes the soul to become arrogant, if firm judgment does not prepare it to keep what is given to it unshakable. Such is the one to whom God’s word says: “Your neck is like a monist” (Song. 1:9), testifying to both the very multitude of virtues and humility with all these virtues, meaning “with a neck” the rightness and height of life, and a “monist” way of thinking. For just as he calls the neck of a proud person “a sinew of iron” (cf. Is. 48:4) because of inflexibility and because it rises to heights through conceit and is hardened by arrogance, so he calls the neck of a virtuous and humble person a golden monist, allowing one to judge by the appearance of this decoration about the state of the soul, and by the substance of it about its dignity, because a monisto is made from a straight thread and is bent. in the circle and right in life bows to humility. For He who now spoke to the bride: “Your neck is like the monists” (Song. 1, 9) soon after this says: “Your neck is like the pillar of David” (Song. 4, 4); and also: “Your neck is like an elephant pillar” (Song. 7:5), meaning either the ascension of virtue to heights and excited activity in life, or a humble way of thinking, or inaccessibility to thoughts of conceit. For nothing can walk or crawl upward on an elephant pillar, not having something to grab hold of and sliding at the very touch because of its smoothness, just as a proud thought cannot touch a modest way of thinking, in which all the unevenness of vanity is smoothed out everywhere, because vanity, out of the habit of man-pleasing, carving out elevations and steps in the soul, provides a convenient ascent for arrogance, instilling conceit and arrogance with the imaginary successes of a person. That is why the Lord sometimes says: “Blessed are the humble in heart” (cf. Matt. 5:8), and sometimes: “When you have done all that is commanded you, say, for we are unworthy servants: for whatever we ought to do, we have done” (Luke 17:10). And this encourages us to acquire useful things through the lamp of bliss through such virtue and teaches us to moderate our thoughts about ourselves by thinking about the humble sayings He used. For whoever always calls himself an “inexorable slave” and reasons that he fulfilled what was ordered by the Owner as a necessary duty, he will never dream anything high about himself, will not dare to ever count himself among his sons, in what he has done, having repaid only the duty of the service prescribed to him, and not voluntarily showing generosity. This virtue is a fence, a wall of other virtues: it keeps the treasures of the soul unstolen, for it all the saints endure sorrows and attacks, as well as those who compete with their lives, forced, because of the enemies who besiege this wall, to always be awake and sober, so that the enemies, having destroyed the wall and bursting inside, do not instantly plunder the wealth acquired over a long time. But they do not harm those who sit watchfully behind the battlements of the walls and reflect the advancing thoughts of arrogance, like arrows, with these words: “We are servants without keys: we must create, we must create.” Indeed, they in no way allow the passion of pride to enter inside, because it plunders everything acquired, and finally the mind, which has worked hard for this acquisition, is taken captive by its own will. It is not the custom of robbers to dig up ruins under which nothing is hidden in the ground, and those who carry out sea robberies are intolerant of attacking ships that are not loaded with a lot of money, and searchers do not undertake in vain to search storerooms in which there is no wealth and take on empty labor. Therefore, about the one who is inflicted with sorrows and who is bothered by his enemies, reason that he is richer in good deeds, the more people trouble him. And therefore, rejoice more than be sad that the beloved from this migration will go to the Fatherland with great acquisitions and will appear crowned before God, not only for the fact that they courageously labored and return from the exploit rich, but also because, while struggling, they tried to hide from the local spectators during their exploits, preserving for themselves full approval in the future and the ineffable glory of it. diminished by human praise. About the glory prepared for those who give alms. How much will a beggar who is fed in good time then deliver! How many and what kind of rewards, with the applause of all nature, will other good deeds bring! When covered with clothes in the cold, and consigned to the grave after death, and having been cared for during a long-term illness, and a stranger brought into the house, and comforted in prison, appear before the judgment seat to the One who knows what they have suffered, recognizing their benefactor and being recognized by him, when the Terrible Judge of all, appropriating for Himself the mercy shown to those who have been blessed, will say: “What you have done to them, then to Me.” co-creator” (Matthew 25:40), then tell me, what riches can compare with this sweet and benevolent voice? What praises will you consider equal to that glorious proclamation, when all creation will see him praised and will not envy (then there will be no time for envy), but will marvel at him and please him because of the benefits that he has received? Can you name any similar joy in this life that could excite so much joy? Can you find any joy strong enough to compare with this joy? Or what pleasure has even a trace of this pleasure? Or what kind of glory, even remotely approaching this glorification? If you point to the kingdom itself, then no matter how brilliant the earthly kingdom seems, it is not likened to the one into which this indicated word of God is introduced, just as one filled with sorrows is not likened to one not involved in them, not free from confusion and fear - giving peace and serenity. It’s great to take advantage of this wealth. This means acquiring property, and not being a guardian of a treasure kept for others; this means - in the true sense, to make into your property what was previously considered only property; this means making yourself an heir and successor to these works, and not giving up what you have acquired, which will not be of any use to those in need at the trial. This means to transfer earthly things to Heaven, to make perishable things permanent, to change what is temporary into something that serves for eternal pleasure. This means to truly become the steward of mammon, to acquire friends from mammon, who after death are accepted into their shelters - here homeless, and there hospitable, in the present century not sheltered from air changes, and then receiving into the wonderful churches of the one who consoled them here in poverty and relieved them from the heat of need by communication with the body's needs. This means being a wise steward of the property given by God, with pieces of silver, eaten away by rust, to buy an endless Kingdom, for the present - the future, the property to be divided by those whose property is a reliable guarantor, the Lord of all God Himself, Who in good time pays off the debt with growth, not a hundredth part, but a hundredfold, when receiving what is loaned is useful and the use is suitable for long-term enjoyment in the Infinite Century. This means laying up treasure in Heaven, preparing great consolation for oneself there, doing good in secret and receiving the glory openly in front of all creation, guarding earthly wealth with humility and not giving it away through vanity into the hands of predators. What storerooms, doors and locks are for the safe storage of money, so is a modest way of thinking for good deeds, covering them and not giving any opportunity for theft to those who dig through the walls. This virtue preserves what has been acquired and teaches how to acquire what has not yet been acquired. She teaches us to thank God for everything and consoles us in present sorrows with the expectation of future blessings. She restrains irritability, rushing to take revenge on enemies, pacifying it, like a predatory dog, with a modest thought. She considers fame and ignorance to be equal in honor to the ever-present dignity of the soul, and not to mortal insignificance, which does not seem to triumph for long. She urges to respect her husband as head and ruler, just as she teaches a subordinate member to obey the ruling member in everything. For this is how the Creator says to Eve: “He will possess you” (Gen. 3:16); and Paul said: “Let the wife fear her husband” (Eph. 5:33). And Sarah, convinced of this, called Abraham lord, honoring him whom the Lawmaker commanded to be honoured. She advises to take care of the servant and treat him as a fellow tribesman, and whoever the dominion holds under the yoke of service should be allowed to weaken in work by encouraging him to behave freely, and always commands a fearful conscience to instill moderate courage, so as not to remain completely despondent and not to blame God for his misfortune, who allowed this inequality of conditions. She inspires to compassionately help the needy in poverty and presents him to God as perfect in virtues, just as a warrior without physical defects is presented to a king. Those who carry out military recruitment take into account bodily age and do not put on the list those who have a deficiency in anything - in the same way, God rejects, of course, those who are imperfect in all proper things, disdaining the beauty of other good deeds. Why should one strive equally for all virtues and preserve everything equally, if only the intention is to decorate the image in accordance with the Prototype, to illuminate it in full light with Divine gifts, and not with the vile traits of a soul that is losing its beauty. For, according to the word of the Apostle, whoever fulfilled the entire Law sinned in one thing, “being guilty of all” (James 2:10), as well as in everything else that is required by the Law, naturally not achieving perfection, in which we strive to succeed in the glory of God, who gives everything to everyone. Amen. “Be ye therefore perfect,” says the Savior, “as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). To him be glory forever. Amen. According to the manuscript it reads: μηδέ συνχωρησαι, πλεονεξίαν αύτούς ύποστηναι, άβούλητον άργίαν έγκαλειν ούκ έχοντος δίκαιον τοις έξ όρθρου and so on. According to the manuscript it reads: πρός αδειαν άνειμένης έργασίας. Instead of: πρό ώρας the manuscript reads: προώρως. According to the manuscript it reads: καί τήν παλίρ οιαν έπιλουσα άποκρήμνως and so on. According to the manuscript it reads: κάν μηδείς συνείδη μηδέ έλέγχειν δυνηται. The manuscript reads: ? , τοις πλησιάζουσι Θεω and so on. You might be interested in: