34. Царь – податель, и похититель его даяния

If the Tsar gave something to his subject and immediately some impudent person stole that gift from his hands before the Tsar’s eyes, what would the Tsar do to the one who stole it? Strong anger would certainly flare up against the kidnapper. And righteously, since both the one who gave the King would be greatly annoyed, and the servant who received it would be offended. God, the Heavenly King, in His goodness and love for mankind, gives His blessings to all people. And he places it in their hands, so that everyone will be content with His benefits and know and thank Him as their Benefactor. But fearless people steal the gifts of God from people and, as it were, tear them out of their hands, and do this lawless deed before the all-seeing eyes of God. God gives His good to His servants as a gift into their hands, and they steal God’s given good. And those whom God honors, they make, as it were, unworthy. And whom God supplies, they deprive. And those whom God enriches, they become poor. And God sees this lawless deed of theirs. Consider, man, what annoyance it is to God and what an insult to people from such kidnappers. And from here it is impossible to say how strong the wrath of God will kindle against them! Those who did not help their brethren - the poor and wretched people - are sent into eternal fire, as we read in Matthew, in chapter 25: what will happen to those who not only do not help, but also kidnap and take away? Think about it, you tasty thief who satiates himself with the good of others! Such a lawless deed is done by: 1) Robbers who attack travelers and take away their property. 2) Strong, but fearless persons who take away lands, groves and other lands that they need to support life from poor widows and other people without intercessors. 3) Bosses who do not give their subordinates the salary determined by the Sovereign, or give it, but not in full, but without any reason, for the sake of their delicacy, withhold it. 4) Judges and clerks who take payment from those who come to court and do not do business without payment. Their usual trick is: “come tomorrow”; and this word means: “bring it, and the work will be done.” 5) Gentlemen landowners who burden their peasants either with great taxes or with many works. This is a serious theft, although the blinded gentleman does not see. The poor peasant works and sweats all summer, but has nothing to eat and clothe with his family. He plows and sows, but one landowner collects almost everything. Our Fatherland groans and sighs a lot from these “noble” souls, as well as from the “fair” judges! Lord, have mercy on Your creation! 6) Secret robbers and thieves who steal shops, houses, stables, and other other people's property secretly. 7) Lawless merchants who sell a bad thing for a good one and a cheap one for an expensive one and deceive their neighbor in some sale. 8) Anyone who, in any way, unjustly appropriates someone else’s property. All such good of God, given by God into human hands, is stolen, and, as it were, torn out of their hands before God. Human! God gives His goods to your neighbor into his possession, as if into his hands, and you steal this goods from his hands. And God sees your lawless deed, sees it and writes it down in His book, and will present it before your face at His Judgment. Then you will see how bad you did! But repent and return what was stolen, and scatter the goods collected by evil, so that they will not appear with you at that judgment, and it will not be said about you: “Here is a man and his deeds!” The thief of a royal gift offends himself more than the person from whom he steals the gift. Likewise, every kidnapper, thief and robber harms himself more than the one from whom he steals. The thief of the royal gift is deprived of the royal favor and falls under the royal wrath. Likewise, every kidnapper and thief who steals someone else’s property is deprived of God’s mercy and is subject to His righteous wrath. The thief of the royal gift, as the royal enemy and an annoyance to his royal majesty, is excluded from the number of good subjects and subjected to punishment. Likewise, every predator and thief is excluded from the number of good Christians and is subject to temporary and eternal punishment. What is subject to temporary punishment, we see. We see how the property untruthfully collected by the thieves crumbles and perishes, and they themselves suffer in this world from dishonor, remorse and torment of conscience. And it often happens that such people become rich for a while and, like a flower in a field, shine for a while, but suddenly, like a flower, they wither and fall and become like one of the poor and wretched. The stolen property of others, like fire entering a house, consumes all other property, for where there is unrighteousness, there the curse of God takes root. Where God's curse is, there will be no good, and all misfortune will follow. Predators and robbers are like a man scooping water with a sieve. So from their hands, everything that is neither stolen nor collected flows through various streams, like water drawn with a sieve. Kidnap and grab, man, as you want and whatever you want. However, everything will flow out of your hands, and your unrighteous property will be destroyed like fire. And that the kidnapper and thief is subject to eternal punishment is clear from the fact that the apostle wrote: “Neither thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:10). Those who do not show mercy to their neighbor are expelled and sent into eternal fire (Matthew 25:41). How will those who steal other people's property suffer? Thus, a kidnapper and a robber offend themselves more than their neighbor from whom they steal; harm themselves more than him. O man! You temporarily take advantage of someone else’s, but you will pay for it with eternal suffering. It’s scary to hear about eternal suffering, and not just to suffer. But you will not escape this, truly you will not escape, unless you repent and reconcile with your brother. The Lord says to you: “Make peace with your adversary quickly, while you are still on the way with him, lest your adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the servant, and they throw you into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not come out of there until you have paid the last coin” (Matthew 5:25–26). Make peace, man, make peace quickly with everyone you have offended. Be reconciled while you are on the path of your life, until the Righteous Judge calls you to Himself for judgment. He calls everyone through death. And as you are called, so you will appear before His judgment. You might be interested in: