Поучение 95 111 . В неделю девятую. О том, чтобы с послушанием, с верою и от души быть усердным на всякое служение.

Brothers and Fathers! Fearing the condemnation of the one who hid the talent in the ground, to whom the Lord said: “You wicked and slothful servant... it was fitting for you to give my money as a trader, and I came and took what was mine with interest” (Matthew 25:26-27), out of necessity, I speak with you in these few words. And you, good traders, must put what has been said into action, which by the grace of God you fulfill through your good obedience. However, there are those among you who not only do not increase what is given to them, but are also ready to destroy what they have. Who are they? These are those who refuse obedience, and instead of any justification, they say: “I’m sorry.” What are you saying, brother? You promised obedience to death, and now you refuse the service for which by the grace of God you are capable. But you say: “I’m afraid to cross the sea.” This is from unbelief: there you are afraid of fear where there is no fear. If you trust in obedience, you will not only swim across the sea, but you can also cross the water naked, imitating that blessed novice who, adhering to the commandment of his father, was not afraid to swim across that terrible river (Nile), and having crossed, remained unharmed, so that those who saw it were amazed. Obedience can tame even animals; This is evidenced by the novice who, at the command of his elder, tied up the hyena. Obedience also works miracles over the dead; and this was demonstrated by Akakios, who cried out from the tomb. And why do I say this or that? The Only Begotten Son of God Himself “became obedient even to the point of death, death... on the cross” (Phil. 2:8), and accomplished the saving redemption of the world. Such are the fruits of obedience. Do you now want to know the harm of disobedience? Think about Adam, who, having disobeyed God and tasted the forbidden fruit, introduced death into the world. Think about Saul: and you will find that he, having disobeyed the Holy Prophet Samuel, lost both his kingdom and his life on the mountains of Gilboa. In addition, remember also about the man of God, who, having been seduced by the false prophet, fell into the sin of disobedience, and was torn to pieces by a lion. And what happened to the blessed Apostle Peter? Having reverently refused to wash his feet with the Lord, did he not hear this: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8)? What else happened to that brother who disobeyed Euthymius the Great, refusing to obey to look after the monastery’s cattle? For the supposedly blessed excuses, didn’t a demon take possession of him that hour, and he fell to the ground, exuding foam? This is the judgment on those who refuse this obedience and contradict. For every disobedient novice raises a contradiction, but the Lord righteously sends an unmerciful angel against him. Since “we are many in one body... but judge one another in one” (Rom. 12:5) and one takes the place of the eye, and the other the ear, another the place of the nose, and the other the tongue, one the place of the hand, and the other the foot; and if the members do not act as they should, but begin to argue disorderly, that is, the eye wants to hear, the ear to smell, the nose to talk, the tongue to touch and the hand to walk, then won’t the entire composition of the body be upset? And if this is so, then let everyone fulfill his ministry, and let him use whatever gift he has received from God for the benefit of brotherhood, thinking in his mind that everything that is ours is in the hand of God - and that not everyone who swims on the sea will certainly find death there, but whoever lives on land will certainly die there; but as our Good God, even before the creation of the world, determined a time, a place, and an image for everything, so the end of everyone comes. I said this not so much for the sake of those in question, for I had already accepted them as obedience, but also for the sake of all those listening, so that they would be attentive and fulfill the vows that they made before God and His chosen Angels with all their might, and would not resist, even if what was commanded threatened death; for this is what the fathers command, and first of all Basil the Great. Living in this way, we will not die in sin, but will live in righteousness, and will receive the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Translated from Hellenic Greek. See Patrolology, vol. 99, p. 672. You might be interested in: