105. Учитель и ученики

We see that students of arts and sciences learn from teachers. Thus Christians who are learning the Christian life must learn from Christ. Since Christians are nothing other than disciples of Christ. As we see, in the Acts of the Holy Apostles, at the beginning Christians were called disciples, and then they were called Christians (Acts 11:26). Teachers, in teaching their students the arts and sciences, set an example for them, and what they teach, they themselves do, and thus lead them to success in learning. He is a good teacher who both teaches and sets an example to follow in what he teaches. So Christ the Lord, living on earth, taught good and did good, and what he taught, he did, and by His example he taught us holy and Christian life. Therefore St. Evangelist Luke says: I wrote about everything that Jesus did and taught from the beginning (Acts 1:1). Do you want, Christian, to learn to live holy and Christianly (and it is absolutely necessary, if you want to be Christ’s, to be a true Christian, and not a false one), - if you want, then put before you the Holy Gospel and the immaculate life of Christ and learn from them. Just as you look at your face in front of a mirror and, seeing the blemishes on it, you erase and wash them away so that when you go out among the people you will not be ridiculed, so let the Gospel and the holy life of Christ written in it be a mirror for your soul. And when you see the vices of your soul, smooth them out with repentance, repentance and tears - so that you will not appear with your vices at the Last Judgment of Christ, and you will not be ashamed before the righteous Judge God, and His holy Angels, and people. We absolutely must have the sign of Christ, and appear there with it and show that just as we professed the name of Christ here, so in reality and in the way of life we ​​were Christ’s. We must be careful lest we hear: I never knew you (Matthew 7:23). Everything that you see in yourself that is contrary to the Gospel and the holy life of Christ is a vice. Correct everything that does not correspond to it. Do not follow the will of your flesh, although it caresses you, but follow the will of Christ, which leads you to your goodness and bliss. Are you saying that this is hard and bitter? 1) It is not hard, but easy to bear the yoke of Christ, according to the testimony of Christ Himself: My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Decide for yourself what is harder and what is easier: to take revenge or forgive, to be angry or not to be angry, to hate or to love, to live in pride or humility, to seek wealth, honor and glory or to neglect it, to be impatient or patient, and so on. Conscience itself convinces us to admit that it is much easier to forgive than to take revenge; to be meek rather than to be angry; to endure rather than not to endure; to love rather than to hate; not to care about earthly goods rather than to seek them; think about heavenly things rather than earthly things. Taking revenge requires a lot of work, but forgiveness is not difficult at all. Loving is easy and sweet, hating is hard and bitter. Hatred binds and burdens the heart, but love loosens, spreads and lightens the heart and thus makes a person joyful and cheerful. Humility is not afraid to fall, since it lies on the ground and walks on the ground: where should one who walks on the ground fall? Pride rises high and exalts itself, but is always in fear and trembling, lest it fall. And although he rushes about and tries with all his might to avoid falling, he nevertheless falls and is crushed. A patient soul is always in peace and quiet, while an impatient soul is always in confusion, anxiety and rebellion. And the more impatient he is, the more restlessness and rebellion he has. Whereas a patient soul, the more it endures, the greater peace and quiet it feels inside. Oh, if you could see the heart of the one who bears the yoke of the Gospel, the yoke of Christ! You would see in it a paradise of joy and sweetness, and the kingdom of God in it, although from the outside it is disturbed in various ways and, like a fragrant rose, is surrounded by thorns, troubles and misfortunes. There cannot but be consolation and true joy in that heart in which the kingdom of God is felt. My poor soul, sigh, pray and try to bear the good yoke of Christ - and you will live on earth in accordance with the heavenly life. Give me, Lord, your good yoke and a light burden to bear, and I will always be calm, peaceful, joyful and cheerful, and on earth I will eat the grains that fall from your heavenly table, like dogs from the table of their masters. God! Help me (Matthew 15 and 27). Hear me, Lord, for Your mercy is good! (Ps. 68:17). 2) If you love Christ, then you must love His holy Gospel and His holy life. It is impossible for someone who loves someone's face not to love his morals. If you love Christ, as you certainly must love, as the good and loving Lord, your Redeemer and Savior, who redeemed you not with gold and silver, but with His blood from terrible misfortune and destruction - if you love Him, then love His most holy and good morals. If you love His morals, then try to imitate and follow them, and strive, as far as is possible for a weak person, to reflect them in your soul. And you will be conformed to Him both here in this life and in the glory of the life to come. It is sweet for someone who loves to be with his beloved and follow him, but it is bitter to be separated from him. Like an iron magnet, so the morals of Christ attract a Christ-loving soul. And just as those who smell the fragrance want to smell it more and more, so those who know Christ and His holy and sweet morals try more and more to imitate them. All Your garments are like myrrh and scarlet and cassia (Ps. 44:9), the Word of God and the Virgin Son, Jesus Christ. Beloved Christian! The more we know Christ, the more we will love Him. The more we love Him, the more diligently we will follow His holy morals. It is impossible for someone who feels the incense not to desire and try to smell it more and more. Likewise, it is impossible for one who feels Christ’s love and humility in his heart not to follow Him and His holy morals. Know Christ - and you will love Christ and His holy life, and you will follow His good morals. 3) You say that those who live according to the rule of the Holy Gospel are hated by everyone, do you say that this is hard? Indeed, they are hated, as Christ Himself predicted for our confirmation and consolation: You will be hated by all because of My name (Matthew 10:22). And it is indeed difficult, and a considerable cross, to be hated by everyone, but it is comforting that all this happens for the sake of Christ, for whose sake we should all endure with joy. Hear the comforting word of Christ: If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; and since you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:18–19). And again: He who has My commandments and keeps them, he loves Me; and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and appear to him Myself (John 14:21). What could be more comforting than these words for the Christian soul? The world hates her, but God loves her. Her world is alienated, but God chooses her and accepts her. Tell me, tell me, please, what is better - to be loved by God or by the world? The whole world is nothing compared to God. The love of this world is bitter, and leads to even greater sorrow. It seems like something on the outside is like a red apple, but on the inside it is filled with rottenness and sorrow. God's love is sweet, comforting and joyful, and leads to eternal joy and sweetness. It is better, and incomparably better, to be loved by God alone than by the whole world. I wish and choose it. Let the whole world hate me, if it wants, and do to me what it wants, if only God alone loves me and, in His mercy, protects me. His love and mercy are greater for me than the love and mercy of the whole world. Good, O Lord, is Thy mercy (Ps. 68:17). For me, drawing closer to God is good (Ps. 73:28). I want nothing, either on earth or in heaven, except You alone and Your love (Ps. 72:25-26). With You, even in the shadow of death, I will be alive and blessed (Ps. 23:4), and without You, heaven is nothing (Ps. 73:25). Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love Your name (Ps. 119:132). 4) Are you saying that those who live according to the Gospel are despised, and are you ashamed to be despised? It is also true that pious souls are despised in the opinion of the world. But Christ also spoke about this for our warning: Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels (Mark 8:38). It will be a shame then to hear from Christ: I don’t know you, where you are from (Luke 13:27). You did not know Me - and I do not know you. They were ashamed of Me and My humility - and now I am ashamed of you. It will be a shame then, Christians, to hear these words, to hear before the whole world, to hear from Christ. It is shameful, but also scary, since eternal destruction will follow them. Pious souls are indeed despicable to the world, but honorable to God. Whoever serves Me, My Father will honor him, says the Lord (John 12:26). Contemptible to the world, but close to Christ, both fellow citizens with the saints and members of God (Eph. 2:19). Despised by the world, but friends of Christ the Lord and King of glory. You are My friends if you do what I command you (John 15:14). They are despicable to the world, but they constitute a living body in Christ (Rom. 12:5) and have Him as their heavenly Head (Eph. 1:22; 5:30). Contemptible to the world, but they are the dwelling and temple of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:19; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). Contemptible to the world, but sons of God (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 3:26). They are despicable to the world, but they have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). They are deprived of the short-term glory and honor of this world, but are rewarded with the eternal glory of God (2 Cor. 4:17; Col. 3:4). What, man, would you be ashamed to be despised by the world if you had dignity and glory from God? What is more worthy of this dignity, what is more noble than this nobility, what is more magnificent than this splendor, what is more glorious than this glory, how to be a person close to God, to be a friend of Christ, to be the church and dwelling place of God, to be the son of the Most High God, to be a living member of the body of Christ, to have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ? What could be more glorious and terrible than this? This incomparably surpasses all the glory of this world, which, in comparison with the heavenly glory, is like carrion and rot. Human! Don’t look at what a person appears to be on the outside, but look at what’s inside, it doesn’t matter what he is like before the world, but what matters is what he is like before God. True Christians are despised before the world, but within they have great glory and treasure. This treasure is rarely and very difficult to find under crowns, under the titles and names of this world, under purple and fine linen, between rich and beautiful walls, and for the most part under rubble and in huts and dens, here it has its place. True Christians are like smoked gold, but unknown and trampled upon by people. Glory to God’s love for mankind, glory to His goodness, glory to His mercy and generosity, that He has bestowed such honor and glory on a poor man! This is all our Savior and the Lord deserved for us. What, Christian, do you want to study evangelical philosophy and be a disciple of Christ, or do you want not to be despicable for the world and not study? 5) You say what you want, but the feat is difficult - to crucify the flesh with passions and lusts, which is what Evangelical and Christian philosophy requires? And indeed, this feat is difficult, but necessary and glorious. With considerable difficulty, students study in the schools of this world. They study mostly for bodily and temporary gain. We learn for the sake of spiritual and eternal benefit, and not from people, but from Christ the Lord of glory, from whom it is most sweet and glorious to learn. Warriors also fight with great difficulty in the battles of this world. They fight for earthly and temporary honor, but we fight for heavenly, eternal and incomparably better honor. With considerable difficulty, merchants travel and wander around various countries and cities. They work for the sake of perishable treasure, but we work for the sake of the incorruptible and spiritual. With considerable difficulty, farmers cultivate the land and sow. They labor to reap bodily and temporal fruits. We work to have spiritual fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). For the sake of these sweet fruits, we Christians must study, work and fight. 6) Are you saying that it is impossible to conquer oneself, what is required of a student of evangelical philosophy? And this is true, but with the help of Christ it is possible. Just as He commanded us to learn from Himself: Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), and He promised to give us help whenever we ask: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:7–8). Just try, work, fight, acknowledge your ignorance and weakness before Him, and pray earnestly to Him - and help will come to you. And so, with His help, it will be possible for you to do what is impossible for you without His help. You too can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13). His power is made perfect in our weaknesses when we acknowledge our weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9). Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we would follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). I have given you an example, so that you also do the same as I have done to you (John 13:15). Whoever serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there will my servant also be (John 12:26). And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:38). To the one who overcomes I will give to eat the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows except the one who receives (Rev. 2:17). Guide me, O Lord, in Thy path, and I will walk in Thy truth; let my heart rejoice in fearing Your name (Ps. 85:11). When youths and young men are sent by their parents to study the arts and sciences, they are afraid and horrified to begin, and at first they feel considerable grief. But when they get used to it and experience some benefits from learning the arts and sciences, they feel a considerable sweetness within themselves from learning, and the more they learn and enlighten their minds with science, the more they rejoice and have fun. Therefore, it is said by everyone and for everyone: “The root of the teaching is bitter, but its fruits are sweet.” All art and science leads to this. So those who approach the science of evangelical philosophy and begin to study it at first seem scary, and feel no small sorrow: the spiritual Christian life is bitter for the flesh and the yoke of Christ is heavy. But when they begin to study and see the spiritual benefit in their teaching, then they rejoice and try more and more to learn. And the more they study, the greater the sweetness they feel inside. So to every carnal man, at first Christ is terrible and bitter, but then kind and sweet. The yoke of Satan is at first pleasant and sweet, but then vile and bitter, as it really is. The yoke of Christ is at first terrible and bitter, but then kind and comfortable. For one who has learned Christian philosophy, doing good is joyful and sweet, but for one who has not studied it is difficult and boring. Imagine, Christian, two people - one who has studied Christian philosophy and one who has not - and you will see the great difference between them. This one thinks and speaks spiritually, this one carnally. This one has thoughts and speeches about God, the word of God and eternal life, while this one has thoughts and speeches about the vanity of the world and luxury. This one thinks and worries about how to obtain eternal life, this one thinks about how to collect wealth and find honor and glory in this world. He doesn’t care where to live: in rich and beautiful chambers or in a thin hut, he only wants to live in a good and beautiful house. It doesn’t matter to him whether he sits at a rich or meager meal, this one always thinks about the best. This one dresses equally in smart and humble clothes, this one wants only to walk around in smart clothes and, like the rich man of the Gospel, to dress in purple and fine linen (Luke 16:19). Whether he has the wealth of this world or not, he does not care about it and is content with what he has. This one takes care of him, and if he does not receive it, he grieves and complains. If he has wealth, he spends it on the poor and homeless and other godly things, this one spends it on luxury and his own whims. He has compassion for the poor person, as for a suffering member of his body. This one thinks and says: “What do I care about his needs? After all, he’s not mine,” and so on. He, if he is reproached or offended in some other way, remains silent or meekly responds to the offender. This one, if offended, becomes inflamed with anger, and insult for insult, and annoyance for annoyance, and repays evil for evil, and in other ways tries to take revenge, and so on. You see, Christian, the image of a student and a non-student of Christian philosophy, and how different one is from the other, you see. Join these students who are studying evangelical and Christian philosophy, and learn it with them from Christ - so that you will truly be a Christian and a disciple of Christ. And although the beginning of this teaching seems scary and sad to you, convince and force yourself, like a lazy donkey. Seeing this effort of yours, the Lord will help you, and day by day His holy yoke will seem lighter and sweeter. You might be interested in: