32. Сев и жатва

Farmers have sowing and harvesting. Likewise, Christians have their sowing and harvest. Farmers have seeds, and Christians have their seeds. For farmers, seeds are born from seeds, and for Christians, spiritual seeds are born from the seed of the word of God. Farmers have seeds of rye, wheat, barley and other things. For Christians, the seeds are repentance, sorrow for God, sighing, tears, prayer, thanksgiving, singing, deeds of mercy, patience, and so on. These spiritual seeds are born from the seed of the word of God that fell on human hearts. Farmers have appropriate times for sowing and harvesting. So Christians have the same time. Farmers know the time to sow. Likewise, Christians have an appropriate time when they should sow their seeds - this is the time of real life. “Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Reasonable and wise farmers do not miss the time when they should sow, but then they work and sow. Thus, reasonable and wise Christians do not miss the time of real life, but work and sow their seeds, repent, do works of repentance, do works of mercy, and so on. The present time is only the time of sowing, and in the next century this will not happen. Now is the favorable time to repent, cry about sins, pray, do good to everyone, but in the next century all this will cease. Farmers work and sow, hoping for the fruit born from the seed. So Christians work and sow with the hope of spiritual fruit, a merciful reward from God. Farmers reap the ripe fruits of their labors during the harvest. Likewise, Christians will reap the fruits of their labors and seeds at the end of the age and the resurrection from the dead. Farmers, collecting the fruits of their labors, rejoice. Likewise, Christians, seeing and collecting the fruits of their labors and seeds, will rejoice. “Those who sow in tears... will reap with joy. Those who leave went away and wept, throwing away their seeds, but those who came will come with joy, gathering their sheaves” 4 (Ps. 125:5-6). Farmers are lazy and careless, who do not sow at the right time and do not collect fruits during the harvest. Likewise, thoughtless, careless, careless Christians, who now do not sow spiritual seeds, will not reap any fruit at the end of the age and the resurrection from the dead, but will appear fruitless before the Lord. How will they gather then, when now they have not squandered it? How will they reap then when they have not sowed now? Christians! Let us labor and sow our seeds now. And then we will joyfully reap the fruits of our labors. Farmers who sow more seeds reap more during the harvest, and those who sow less will reap less. Likewise, Christians who sow more spiritual seeds in this life will reap more fruit on the last day, on the day of the Judgment of Christ, on which everyone and all works will appear, and those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, as the Apostle says, “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly” (2 Cor. 9:6). Our Lord is righteous: “He will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6). Therefore, the apostle exhorts us: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. Therefore, as long as we have time, let us do good to everyone, but first of all to those who are members of the faith” (Gal. 6:9-10). Christians! Let us write this apostolic word – “while there is time” – in our hearts. This is the time of our real life. Only now can we do charity and give alms - in the next century all this will end. Let us now try to sow - and then we will reap with joy; now we will work for good - and then we will calm down. Here we will squander our estates - and there we will collect much more. Let us give our gold and silver into the hands of the poor - and then we will receive it with interest from Christ the Lord. Fear not, Christian! “For He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). You give your silver into the hands of the poor, but Christ promised to give it to you for it and will give it back with a great profit. Everything that is spent on whims and luxury, on rich and beautiful houses, on rich tables, on rich clothes, on rich carriages, and horses, and so on, will perish. All these expenses are vain and will perish. You will know this on the day of your death, when you leave everything here. But what is put into the hands of the poor will not perish, but will bear fruit a hundredfold, just as a seed that falls on good soil does not perish, but brings fruit to the sower. Let us entrust our property into the hands of the poor in the name of Christ and receive it a hundredfold from Christ. When a farmer sows his seeds in the ground, then the foolish man who, not knowing the fruit that comes from the seed, laughs at it, thinking that the farmer is in vain destroying his seeds by throwing them into the ground. But the farmer, hoping that his seed thrown into the ground will bring him more fruit than is sown, does not stop sowing. This is what stupid and senseless people do. They, seeing that a Christian squanders his property and gives to the poor, laugh at this, thinking that he is ruining his property. These people think that only that property does not perish that is spent on what is visible - on the vanity and whims of this world. That is why they themselves spend their property not on alms, but on carnal lusts, and they laugh at those who squander and give to the poor. Laugh, man, laugh. But afterwards you will weep bitterly and sob, who do not regret spending thousands or hundreds on your daughter’s dowry, on building and decorating rich houses, on expensive wines and on rich tables, on silk and linen robes, on carriages and horses, on dog hunting and other whims, but for the sake of Christ, who suffered and died for you, who loved you, your enemy, so much that He loved Himself for your sake. you didn’t spare, - for the sake of Christ, I say, your so Great and High Benefactor, you regret giving a ruble and a half ruble, and even from His goodness given to you. For all the good we have is His. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it” (Ps. 23:1). Think like this, and you will certainly regret and cry. And if you don’t regret and cry now, then at the Second Coming of Christ and on the day of retribution you will regret and cry, but it will be too late and useless. Just as lazy men and revelers, seeing farmers collecting the fruits of their sown seeds and rejoicing in them, themselves lament and mourn, not seeing anything in their hands, for they did not work, did not sow, and therefore do not collect fruits and so remain without hope of food, so Christians who love luxury and revelers at the end of the age and the resurrection from the dead - then there will be a Christian harvest (Matthew 13:30), - They will be ashamed and disgraced, they will cry and sob when they see good Christians reaping the fruits of their seeds, but they will see themselves barren, in extreme poverty. Then they will truly learn that wealth, spent on whim and luxury, perishes and plunges the spender into destruction. But the wealth invested in the hands of the poor and wretched, for the sake of the name of Christ, is preserved, and much better and returns with great profit. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The damned, unmerciful will lose mercy, “for judgment is without mercy to him who showed no mercy” (James 2:13). Then the merciful, who have done deeds of mercy, will hear from the Righteous Judge: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me." And the unmerciful, those who love luxury and revelers, who squandered the Lord’s good possessions not on the poor, but on their own whims, like worthless slaves and unfaithful builders, will hear: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me” (Matthew 25:34–43). Christ does not demand our goods, but He Himself gives us everything. Christ does not demand, I say, but Christians, our brothers, demand. And what is given to Christians, then, out of His love for mankind, Christ imputes to Himself, for He says: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). And what is not done to Christians is not done to Christ Himself, according to what was said: “Because you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matthew 25:45). What is done to the members is done to the head. And what is not done to the members, is not done to the head. Good is done to the members - the head also imputes it to itself. If no good is done to the members, no good is done to the head itself. Think about this, man, stingy with alms, generous with his whims and luxury! Blessed Christian! Christ-loving soul! Do not look at the sons of this age, who are trying in every possible way to please this world, and not Christ who died for them. But do not stop doing good: “for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). Beloved, do not be like the evil, but be like the good. “Whoever does good is from God; but he who does evil has not seen God” (3 John 1:11). Imitate the farmer who sows at the right time with the hope of fruit. You too sow your seeds at this time, and during the harvest you will reap with joy. “Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap: whoever sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8). It will be desirable and sweet to hear: “Come, ye blessed!” Scary and terrible: “Get away from Me, you damned ones!” Christians, may these two words always ring in your ears: “come,” “go away.” Let us have mercy on our brethren, and we ourselves will have mercy. Let's give it - and it will be served to us. Amen. Farmers do not simply throw their seeds into the ground, but first imagine the harvest in their minds, and look at the fruits born from the sown seeds, and desire them with zeal, and so, looking at future profits, they work and sow. Likewise, merchants not only travel to foreign countries, but first look at the wealth collected from the merchants, and so they wander and merchants. Likewise, travelers not only go on a journey, but first look at the place to which they want to go, and so they take the path, work and walk along the path to the intended place. Likewise, warriors not only go to battle, but first look with intelligent eyes at the victory, and glory, and honor that follows from victory, and so they go to battle and fight against the enemy. Likewise, everyone in this world does not work simply, but first looks at the result for which the work begins, and at the fruit that follows from the work, and so begins to work. For no one begins or does anything without a proposal and intention. Beloved Christian, imitate such workers who work for temporary benefits. They work, looking at the perishable and quickly passing good. You look at eternal blessings with the eye of faith, blessings, “such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has not entered into the heart of man is what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). And work, too, with the hope of receiving these benefits. Look at the harvest that will be on the last day, a harvest in which not earthly, but heavenly, not corruptible, but incorruptible, not temporary, but eternal fruits are gathered. And so now, on earth, while there is time, before sowing and the right time for it has passed, sow your seeds - and during this harvest you will reap the fruits. Farmers and others who work for earthly goods are often deceived in their hopes. For there is not always good fruit and people do not always receive what they desire and work for. But whoever with faith, hope and zeal seeks eternal blessings is not deceived, but receives them, since “He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). Work, you and this one now, this one with faith and hope. Do not be afraid: the seed will not perish. You give into the hands of the poor, but in the hands of Christ what is given is found and will return to you with great profit. Put it in your mind and solidify it in your memory that your Fatherland and home are in heaven. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break through and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). Do not be afraid, there the hidden treasure will be intact and on the last day it will be pronounced and revealed before the whole world, and will be given to you, and will be inseparably with you forever and ever. From here it follows: 1) You will show that you came out of this world with your soul, mind and heart and have your citizenship in heaven, although your body is in the world. And you can say with the apostle: “our... citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). You will certainly turn with your spirit, heart and thoughts to where your hidden treasure is. 2) You will receive it in due time. You will hear from Christ on this day: “Beloved, here is your treasure, which you hid not on earth, but in heaven, according to My word! Here, it is given to you whole! Accept it and be comforted by it. And be rich not in perishable, but incorruptible wealth.” 3) A treasure hidden on earth brings fear and sadness to the hider, he is afraid that it will be stolen. By hiding your treasure in heaven, you will be freed from this fear and sadness, and you will be free, calm and peaceful in soul, which is the greatest good of the soul. Christian! Wherever you turn your thoughts, you will not have peace if you do not send your treasure to this Fatherland and home. Even if you hide it in the ground, even if you confine it in a room and chests, even if you trust the guards, even if you squander it on whim and luxury, you cannot escape the painful care of it. Always and wherever you are, care, sadness and fear will be with you, and, like a worm inside a tree, this evil inside your heart and soul will devour and torment you. And so you will suffer from extreme evil - you will sin and suffer. And when you send poor and wretched people into heaven through the hands, you will be freed from this evil. For this reason, believe the word of Christ: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” and transfer your treasure from earth to heaven, and there your heart will deal with your treasure. What is more lovable and sweeter than living with your body on earth and being in heaven with your soul and heart? O Jesus, Light of our soul's eyes! Open the eyes of our souls - let us see these blessings, “which You have prepared... for those who love” You, and let us seek them with desire and zeal. Beloved Christian! If you saw even a small particle of these blessings, then you, having despised everything in this world, would hasten to them with great desire. But please believe the true word of God, which is more reliable than any vision, and look for them. Poor are the farmers who have little harvested fruit. Although they endure need, they take care of them so that they have something to sow and to gather fruits. Poor Christian! Do you too, just as these poor and reasonable workers do. You have a miserable estate, but do not waste it all on your household expenses. Take care so that you have something to sow and harvest fruits during the harvest. Give some of the poor to Christ, who will give it to you a hundredfold in due time. Give even a little of this seed to the hands of the poor, so that by the grace of God your fruit may multiply. Give to the one who asks you with zeal, and the little thing given from a willing giver will be considered and accepted by the Humane-loving Jesus as something great, just as he accepted two mites from a poor widow. “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all those who put into the treasury, for they all put in out of their abundance, but out of her poverty she put in all that she had, all her food” (Mark 12:43-44). Put at least a mite into the hands of the poor, like seeds into the ground, and in due time you will reap it with joy. And the “cup” of cold “water” given in the name of... Christ is never forgotten by Him (See Mark 9:41). Translation by P. Yungerov – Editorial “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: