278. Беседа в день тезоименитства Благочестивейшего Государя Императора Николая Павловича

(Spoken in the Widow's House on December 6; printed in the Provincial Gazette of 1852, in the Works of the Holy Father of 1853 and in the collection of 1861) Go and do likewise (Luke 10:37). Gathered in one of the monasteries of the vast region of the Royal Mercy, what is closer to us to think and talk about if not mercy? Here you can rejoice at the actions of mercy, and you can learn the inventive art of mercy. But we must primarily learn from one Teacher. “For there is only one teacher, Christ,” according to His own word (Matthew 23:8). Christ the Savior, explaining the commandment of love for one’s neighbor and resolving the question: who is one’s neighbor, in the parable of the one who fell among the thieves, indicated the image of mercy, and said to the questioner, and even to this day says in the Gospel to each of us: “Go and do likewise.” Let's look at this image of mercy. Someone was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him, exposed him, wounded him, and left him barely alive. Those passing along that road, the priest and the Levite, saw him and passed by. But a passing Samaritan, seeing him, took pity, bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, put him on the animal on which he was riding, brought him to the inn, continued to take care of him here, and when leaving he entrusted this care to the innkeeper, to whom he gave two pieces of silver for this, promising to pay what would be spent on top of this. Christ the Savior, having forced the co-questioner to recognize in the face and action of the Samaritan the solution to the question of who is the neighbor, and the fulfillment of the commandment to love one’s neighbor, finally said: do the same. “Go and do the same.” It may seem incomprehensible why not some “Israelite truly, in whom there is no flattery” (John 1:47) was chosen as a model of mercy, but a Samaritan, apparently an ignoble offspring from a mixture of Judaism and paganism? Why, on the contrary, is the image of unmercifulness represented in the priest and the Levite? Is this kind of people more prone to hard-heartedness than others? Why is the road from Jerusalem to Jericho mentioned, when it was only necessary to show the work of mercy, which is equally wonderful no matter what road it is done on? – In order not to leave bewilderment in your minds about these questions, I am prompted to mention the mysterious sign of the parable in question, to which, perhaps, some of the Holy Fathers were led by these very questions. “Jerusalem,” the city of peace, is an image of the gracious kingdom of God. "Jericho", the city of roses, is an image of the world with its charms. The man who “descended from Jerusalem to Jericho” was the forefather Adam, when he carelessly descended with his thoughts from the spiritual beauties of the kingdom of God to the delights of the sensory world. “Robbers” are spirits of malice and wickedness who “stripped” man of the clothing of purity and light, and covered his hitherto healthy and immortal being with the “ulcers” of sin and corruption. The “priest” and the “Levite” (Luke 10:30–32), who saw the wounded and half-dead man, but did not help him, mean that the old law and sacrifices represented the plight of the sinner man only as visible and awaiting help, but did not heal him. The Merciful One, as church hymns put it, “not from Samaria, but from Mary, who hath risen up,” is Christ. He pours on the spiritual wounds of a sinner the “oil” of mercy, consolation, forgiveness and the “wine” of grace-filled, life-giving, joy-giving, strengthening power, and as an “obligation”, He completely covers them with His virtue, His merit on the cross. The “hotel” in which healing from sinful wounds continues and takes place is the Church. “Gostinnik” is an image of the servants of Christ 740. “Two pieces of silver” (Luke 10:34–35), for the continuation of healing and nutrition of the healed, are the two Testaments of the Divine Scriptures, which the Merciful Christ is ready to give to those who prudently use the endless increase in the treasures of wisdom and grace. Having touched on this mysterious interpretation of the parable, perhaps not superfluous for those who want to experience the depths of Christ’s words, I return to considering the immediate and more open, moral meaning of it. It is necessary to take into consideration that the one who asks: who is his neighbor is given an answer by the Knower of the Heart, who not only hears his words, but also sees his thoughts, real and ready to be born. And from the question itself, it can be noted that the co-questionnaire wanted to confuse the concept of loving your neighbor as yourself. Really, he probably thought, is it really necessary to love people like Samaritans and pagans as oneself, on an equal basis with the chosen members of the chosen people of God? In order to destroy this dream of national pride and contempt for people, put in the place of love for one’s neighbor, and to teach the doctrine of true, universal love for one’s neighbor, Christ the Savior deigned to show that even among the chosen, apparently members of the chosen people, there may be people whom one cannot be proud of at all, and in the unchosen tribe there may be people whom one cannot help but respect. For this purpose He pointed out the image of unmercifulness in the Jewish priest, and the image of mercy in the Samaritan. Now let's see how we should act in order to fulfill the command of the Lord: “Go and do likewise.” What did the Samaritan do when he found a robbed, wounded, half-dead man on the road? – “Having seen him show mercy” (Luke 10:33). He did not say in his heart: “This is a Jerusalemite, one of those who “do not touch the Samaritans” (John 4:9); Why feel sorry for those who despise us? - No, in the suffering person he did not want to see an alien or hostile person, but he saw only a person, and felt pity; the suffering of his neighbor resonated in his heart. “Go and do the same.” Do not pass by the needy and suffering without attention; do not look at him with a cold eye; don’t say: he is not one of those who excite sympathy. He is a man; and he suffers: what more to arouse your sympathy? Doesn’t it happen that when before our eyes a doctor’s knife acts on the body of a patient, a stranger to us, our heart involuntarily feels embarrassed? You see that you are involuntarily, naturally, as if physically, compassionate: how can you not be compassionate mentally, freely, judiciously? What else did the compassionate Samaritan do with the one who fell into the thieves? “He came and washed his scabs, pouring in oil and wine” (Luke 10:34). He did not stop at one thought about his pitiful situation, at one feeling of compassion for him; but he immediately got down to business to provide whatever help the suffering person needed, whatever was possible from the compassionate side. “Go and do the same.” Do not be content with thoughts, feelings, words, where action is necessary and possible. It’s good if you don’t have a heart of stone: but it’s not good if you have a dry and crumpled hand, unforgiving and not open to the beggar. “If... a brother or sister,” says the Apostle, “they will be naked and deprived of their daily food; But someone says to them: ... go in peace, keep yourself warm and satisfy yourself, but he will not give them the needs of the body: what good is it” (James 2:15–16)? “My children,” cries another Apostle, “we do not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). What else is a compassionate Samaritan? - “Having mounted... him on your cattle, bring him to the inn and attend to him” (Luke 10:34). Here it is worthy of note that the Samaritan had only one animal on which he rode himself, and did not have another, which he could provide to the weak. So, he decided to deprive himself of what his neighbor needed. “Having mounted... on his cattle,” he led the weak man to the inn; and he himself walked, despite the fact that he was tired, providing assistance to the sufferer. “Go and do the same”: You do a virtue pleasing to God when you serve your neighbor with what you have in abundance, what you do not need, if, moreover, you do this with love for God, who commanded goodness, with love for your neighbor in need. But if you deprive yourself of pleasantness, comfort, peace in order to console and calm your neighbor; if you damage what is necessary for you in order to help the needs of your neighbor, then you undergo a feat that can lead to a crown; you sow seed that can bring an abundant harvest of blessings and rewards. Finally, the compassionate Samaritan, “he took two pieces of silver and gave them to the guest” (Luke 10:35), to continue caring for the victim of the robbers, promising more in the future, as needed. A benevolent traveler might think that he had already done enough for the unfortunate man when he with difficulty saved him from helpless suffering and death, delivered him to a safe place, followed him for the night, and that for this, if necessary, to continue the journey, he must be left to the philanthropy of others. But true love for one’s neighbor spoke differently to the heart: do not be indifferent to the tomorrow of the one with whom you had compassion yesterday: do not leave a good deed unfinished; do not be satisfied with the color when you can reach the fruit. And the Samaritan arranges and provides charity for the unfortunate person until he, with restored strength, has the opportunity to arrange his own well-being. “Go and do the same.” If your neighbor needs it, if you can only perform a simultaneous act of mercy, or only participate in it: having done what is necessary and possible, you have fulfilled what is due. But if your neighbor is in need, and continued help is possible on your part: do not allow your love for your neighbor to be shorter than his misfortune. Especially those who, by good will and vow, take upon themselves the exercise of any kind of work of mercy, should never forget that a vow does not bind anyone involuntarily, but that one who has bound himself by a vow voluntarily cannot break it innocently, and that, according to the word of the Lord, “no one lays his hand on his forehead, and in vain turns back, he is ruled in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Amen. To the Governorate. Ved.: “The Mysteries of Christ.” You might be interested in: