Поучение 41 46 . В неделю мытаря и фарисея. О хранении божественных заповедей, и о праведном осуждении грешников, проводящих жизнь в лености.

Brothers and Fathers! The Most Good God, who willed and brought us from non-existence into being, placed us in this world as in a school, so that we could learn and fulfill His Divine commandments. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, having sent His disciples and Apostles into the world to preach the Gospel of His kingdom, commanded them, saying: “Going... teach and teach all languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to observe them often and to do all that is given to you as commandments” (Matthew 28:19-20). What are these commandments of God that He commanded us to keep? According to the Old Testament and time, we list some: do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, and others that are written there; but according to the New Testament, that is, according to the Gospel, they are higher and incomparably more important than these. So the law of Moses says that we should be careful from killing, and the Gospel says that we not only should not kill, but we should not be angry and reproach each other (Matthew 5:21-22); but should be angry only at the devil and have constant enmity with demons. The law also says: “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” but Christ also cuts off the view that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Again, the law prescribes not to swear falsely, and Christ commands “not to swear in any way,” neither true nor false (Matthew 5:33-34). The law also says: “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” and Christ says: love your enemies... pray for those who offend you and curse you, and do good to those who hate you” (Matthew 5:43-44). Do you see, beloved, what is the difference between the Old Testament and the Gospel? The Old Law forbids a person only sinful actions, but the Gospel cuts off not only sinful actions, but also the causes and roots from which sins begin and grow, and completely eradicates them from the inside, from our hearts. Therefore, brethren, if we are monks and do not act according to the old law, and do not live according to the Gospel teaching, but live our lives like lawless pagans: then what will we, the humble, have to do on that terrible day of judgment? “Be not flattered,” says the Apostle, “neither harlots, nor idolaters, nor adulterers... neither the wicked, nor the sodomites, nor the covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor molesters, nor extortioners, nor lovers of money will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9, 10). Therefore, I have repeatedly told you, and now I say, that none of you separate from the brethren, do not spend your life in negligence and laziness, that is, do not omit church services and your (cell) rules, so that none of you collects money, has a slave, feeds the cattle, calling them his own, and does not consider any other thing his own, so that you do not engage in buying and trading, which is not in accordance with monastic life and rank, no cenobitic monks, no silent brethren. For this is illegal, and from this, for the most part, great and grave sins are born. However, some of you do not listen to God's law, do not obey and resist the truth. However, I, humble one, am not guilty of your blood; for I did not stop telling you about the truth of God and did not cease to announce the sword of God coming against the disobedient and disobedient monks. Listen to what the honest Forerunner says about the uncorrected and unrepentant: “Behold, the ax lies at the root of the tree. Every tree... that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 3:10); i.e. Every person who does not do good for his soul and does not bear the fruit of virtue and repentance, but remains fruitless and unrepentant, is cut by death and goes into eternal fire. Aren't you afraid of these words? Do you not tremble at the threat of God? Aren't you afraid of death, the arrival of which we expect today or tomorrow? How will we then look at these terrible angels who are about to come in order to take us out of this world? Are we not afraid of the separation of soul and body? How will we go on this long journey without having with us what we need, that is, good deeds that would preserve us? With what face will we, having criminal deeds with us, stand before the terrible judgment seat of Christ, where the whole world will fall and bow down? What will happen to us then? Truly, beloved, He will inevitably send us to a place where the fire does not go out and the worm does not die, to where the crying is inconsolable and the gnashing of teeth is terrible. But, oh, lest this happen to us, who have renounced the world and the things in the world, my beloved brothers and children in the Lord! Come at least now, on these holy days, to which the Lord has led us this summer, let us fall down and weep before our good God. Let us hasten before the last terrible hour of death comes upon us; and before the terrible day of judgment befalls us, let us subdue the face of our Lord Jesus Christ; Let us appease him with confession, prayer, fasting, purity, obedience, and especially peace and love among ourselves, and other good God-pleasing deeds. If we do this, then our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is ready to forgive us our sins; He tolerates us, and daily and hourly awaits our repentance and turning to Him; for he does not disdain sinful man, does not drive him away or reproach him, but accepts him with great joy, embraces and kisses him like the prodigal son, as He showed this with the harlot and the thief. I beg you, my brothers, to awaken from the heavy sleep of laziness and sin. Let us strive in these short days of our life. Like diligent children, at the end of their studies, when they are going back to their homeland, they go with great joy and gladness; so let us also do so, as sincere and true disciples of the Gospel; and when that hour of separation from this temporary life comes, we will leave here with joy and go into eternal life, into our former fatherland, that is, into the Kingdom of Heaven, into the joy of the Angels, into the lordship of the saints, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. See Patrology Greek, Minya edition. Volume 99. Paris. 1860, p. 641. You might be interested in: