XXVI. Узкий и пространный путь

“Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in through it; for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked will perish” (Ps. 1:6). “Strive to enter through the strait gate” (Luke 13:24). “But Abraham said to the rich man who was tormented in the fire: child! remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; now he is comforted here, but you suffer” (Luke 16:25). “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). “Through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). We must walk along a narrow and straitened path (Sermon 7 about the rich man and Lazarus). The path to death is wide and spacious at the beginning, but narrow at the end (Ibid.). How can a narrow and sad path be convenient? Because he is both the path and the gateway to bliss (Conversation 23 on the Evangelist Matthew; on the words: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” - Matthew 7:1). Let us enter the narrow path with hope and fear: with fear, because there is danger from everywhere; with hope, for the sake of the Leader on the way, Jesus (Conversation 6 on the Evangelist Matthew, chapter 8). Reasoning about the narrow and spacious path There are two paths along which those wandering in this world go to their end, namely: close and extensive. The narrow path is filled with thorns of troubles and sorrows; the spacious one is covered with flowers of the sweets and luxury of this world. On the narrow path, the Leader is Christ Himself, who bore the Cross and was crucified on the Cross; along this path go His faithful, who have renounced this world and its whims, and have taken up their cross. On the vast path, the ruler of the world is the prince of darkness; along it go those who live freely and in all sorts of pleasures. The narrow path leads to eternal bliss; extensive leads to eternal trouble. Some reasons why the godly suffer tribulation in this world First. Satan abuses them and tempts them, and thus wants to take them away from Christ, and when he cannot do this, he causes them harm through evil people. Second. Satan, not being able to do anything to Christ, Who destroyed His kingdom, rushes towards His servants who keep His commandments. “The devil,” says St. Basil the Great, - not being able to offend God Himself, turned his hatred to His image, that is, to man” (Word in Lakiza). Third. Satan, jealous of the eternal well-being of God's servants, tries to drive them away from him with all sorts of misfortunes. Fourth. Satan, not being able to harm the soul of the pious through temptation, tries at least to cause suffering to their body through evil people, for he, as an evil spirit, takes some joy in causing suffering to a person, and especially to a faithful one. Fifth. The pious are not of this world, but their fatherland is heaven, for they despise this world; That’s why the world hates them as if they were not their own: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you,” says Christ (John 15:19). Sixth. The good do not communicate with the evil, but they expose their malice by their holy life; That is why the evil persecute the good. Thus, the proud persecutes the humble, the crafty persecutes the simple-hearted, the covetous persecutes the generous, the evil persecutes the meek, for the good man pricks the eyes of the evil one like a troublemaker. Seventh. God allows adversity to befall the good so that they remember that their fatherland is not here, but in heaven, where their Heavenly Father is, and so they would not love vanity, “they would not have the city that abides here, but would seek the one to come” (Heb. 13:14). “The Lord punishes whomever he loves,” says the apostle (Heb. 12:6). Eighth. Pious people are not without sins; and for this reason troubles are sent to them, so that, having been cleansed by them, they may enter directly into the heavenly fatherland. Ninth. The more they suffer here, the more they will be glorified in eternal life. “And if they are punished a little, they will be greatly favored” (Wis. 3:5). Tenth. Through these troubles the pious humble themselves and recognize their weakness, for just as happiness exalts, so misfortune humbles and brings a person to self-knowledge. Eleventh. Thus, they learn the considerable virtue of patience, which is necessary for salvation, and which cannot be learned without tribulation and temptation, for “from tribulation comes patience, from patience experience, from experience lies hope, and hope... does not put one to shame” (Rom. 5:3-5). “Look,” says St. Basil the Great, - where sorrow leads: to hope that will not be put to shame. Are you sick? Rejoice: for “whom the Lord loves he chastens” (Heb. 12:6). Are you poor? Rejoice: for with Lazarus, because of his suffering, you will receive good consolation in the next century. Do you tolerate reproaches? Blessed are you: for your reproach will be turned into angelic glory” (On Psalm 59). Choose, Christian, either to have fun here in peace and to suffer forever; or to bear the cross with Christ and reign with Him forever. “There is no one,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “who would be at peace both here, that is, in this century, and there, that is, in the future” (Homily 3 about Lazarus). You might be interested in: