355. Беседа в день Тезоименитства Благоверного Государя Наследника Цесаревича Великого Князя Николая Александровича

In great time there is a young heir, ...under rulers and guardians, even before the father's command (Gal.4:1-2). This apostolic image of the heir being raised was brought to my memory by the High Heir of the Great Throne, whose name today especially excites prayerful feelings among millions of the Orthodox people. Under the watchful care of the Most Pious Crowned Parents, He is now undergoing the process of preparation for the achievement of Royal feats, which the right of birth and the Divine and Royal Law destined for Him. May “the Most High, who owns the kingdom of mankind!” confirm and fulfill in him the hopes of the Fatherland! ( Dan. 4:22 ) A wisely trained heir to the throne is a treasure reserved for the coming generations of the kingdom. But what if a wisely brought up heir to the kingdom, entering into royal activity, meets around him a clan that was not brought up wisely and carelessly 870? Can he support or arrange the prosperity of the kingdom and the people as comfortably as if he were surrounded by people brought up carefully and wisely? - Of course not. So, the people must thank the king, who strengthens their prosperity by the wise upbringing of his heir: and at the same time they must contribute to the good intentions of the king and their future prosperity by ensuring that each father of the family raises his children carefully and wisely, in accordance with his condition and their abilities. In modern times, there is so much talk, writing, and arguing about the subjects, rules and methods of education that this almost reduces the trust of educators from those being educated, who hear them bickering among themselves, and see guide books, recently approved, soon condemned by other new ones 871. “Perhaps this is inevitable, due to the multiplied and diversified demands of public and private life, which education must satisfy. Moreover, some consider publicity to be a universal cure against social evils, although sometimes it can also be a source of social illnesses if it uncontrollably widens its mouth not only to truth, but also to untruth. However, I am commanded not to “controversy in words” (2 Tim. 2:14). It is my duty to point out, as far as possible, to parents and educators what is undeniably true, and accessible and useful to all of them, and to a guidebook that no other would push them away from. Didn’t the Bible give good education to the people of God in the Old Testament? Didn’t she give even more perfect education to the people of God in the New Testament? Wisely arranging the education of future citizens of the kingdom of heaven, she did not lack wisdom to teach the right rules for the formation of a good citizen of the kingdom of earth, and had the need to teach them 872; because a bad citizen of the kingdom of earth is not fit for the kingdom of heaven. So, it is worth the effort to look for teachings on education in the Bible. The most ancient teaching about this can be found in the word of the Lord to Abraham: “Abraham... will become a great and plentiful nation, and because of him all the nations of the earth will be blessed; For we have commanded our sons and their families after themselves, and they will preserve the ways of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice” (Gen. 18:18-19). Here, firstly, in the form of praise for the upbringing that Abraham will give to his children, the main rule of upbringing is taught: “give the commandment to your sons ... to keep the ways of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice,” or, to also say for the present, give your children a pious and moral upbringing, in accordance with the law of God. Secondly, the beneficial consequences of such upbringing are also shown here: “Abraham ... will be great and many in language”; - the father of a family, who gives his children a pious and moral upbringing, can expect from himself numerous, respected and prosperous offspring. It is not difficult to understand that one who is careless about such an upbringing cannot expect the same, but threatens him with the opposite. Further, we find directly stated rules of education in the Old Testament books, mainly teaching ones, in the book of Solomon’s parables and in the book of Jesus son of Sirach. Solomon teaches: “punish your son, so that he will be trustworthy; but do not take your soul to annoyance” (Prov. 19:18). “Punish” means: teach; give useful instructions; but also actually: punish for wrongdoing. But the Wise One sets a limit to the severity of the instruction and the severity of the punishment: do not act with vexation and irritation, and do not arouse vexation and irritation. An irritated mentor does not instruct, but irritates. The noise of irritation drowns out the voice of truth. Instruct kindly; rebuke meekly and peacefully; punish moderately and with regret. Solomon encourages such action, promising good fruits from it. “Discipline your son and he will love you; and will give grace to your soul; He will not listen to the tongue of a transgressor” (Prov. 28:17). The teaching of the Son of Sirach is more strict. “Are you children, I will punish you and bend their necks from youth” (Sir.7:25). “Discipline your son, and do it to him, so that he does not stumble in his lack of judgment” (Sir.30:13). In particular, he addresses with a bitter word those parents who love to amuse their children, and amuse themselves with them, and not teach them, give them excessive freedom, and frivolously look at the impulses of their frivolity: “Care a child, and he will frighten thee, play with him, and he will sadden thee” (Sir.30:9). Finally, the Gospel, which in general, instead of the spirit of fear of the law that prevailed in the Old Testament, spreads the spirit of love and freedom, and in the rules of education softens the ancient severity. St. Apostle Paul writes: “fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and teaching of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). And in another message: “fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, so that they do not lose heart” (Col. 3:21). This is the teaching of the sacred books about education. It is simple and not complex: because it is intended not only for the wise, but also for the simple. However, the wise will not humiliate themselves if they pay attention to these simple lessons to their students: because they were taught by people led by the Spirit of God. The simplest education according to the rules of true piety and pure morality can form a good citizen of the earthly kingdom, capable of heavenly citizenship; wise education can undoubtedly do more and more perfectly adapt the educated person to achieve various generally useful goals. But without these rules, the most scientific education is the construction of a plausible building without a solid foundation. According to these rules, the youth 873 David was simply raised to shepherd 874 sheep: but a man was revealed in him, capable of shepherding the people of God, a victorious warrior, a king, a Prophet. According to these rules, probably more instructively, the son of the kings, Solomon, was raised, and appeared as a wise king, a prophetic king, an unusually happy king. From the fact that in the Old Testament teaching on education one can see more severity, and in the Gospel more freedom-loving meekness, the question naturally arises: should one follow exclusively the latter, and put aside the former? To resolve this question, I turn to the saying of St. Apostle Paul, with whom he began the word. “At times there is a young heir, there is no one better than a slave, ... but there are masters and guardians.” You see, he talks about strict education as not reprehensible, ordinary and proper. This is all the more remarkable since he presents strict education as an image of how God educates humanity. This is evident from the immediate following words: “and we, when we were young, were under the elements of the world of enslavement” (Gal. 4:1–3). The Old Testament is the childhood of mankind, and its initial education under the slavish fear of the law. Christianity is the highest age of humanity, and its perfect upbringing under grace; here, according to the elevated knowledge and strength of spirit, spiritual freedom is entrusted to him; and then the person is no longer internally a slave, but the son and heir of God Jesus - Christ 875. So, since the Apostle recognizes the same order in the upbringing of humanity by God, and in the upbringing of every person by parents and mentors: it is clear that even from the Christian meek upbringing, he does not completely exclude ancient severity, so that freedom is entrusted to the one being educated as he acquires the ability to use it. Does it make any difference whether to give extensive freedom to those who know how to use it, or to those who do not know how, to those who are mature in mind, or to those who are immature? – Obviously it doesn’t matter. Consequently, children should be given freedom as they grow older and more educated. Which of the two directions is more correct, more pleasant, and more satisfactory for a person, proceeding from the expansion of freedom to its limitation, or, on the contrary, from its limitation to its expansion? – Obviously the latter. So, it is necessary to lead children from restricting freedom to expanding it. Otherwise, having become too free too early, where will he go next with his desire for advancement and increasing satisfaction? Will he not be tempted to shake the fair limits of reasonable and legal 876 freedom? Let those who are called by the providence of God to be parents, educators and mentors of 877 children not neglect these reminders; Let them think about them well-timed and prudently: and most importantly, let piety be the basis and soul of education, and take care of this with sincere zeal for the sake of children, for themselves, for the sake of the Fatherland, for the sake of posterity. “A man will be known by his children” (Sir.11:28). Amen. In the author's manuscript at first it was: “not wisely brought up.” Handwritten The author previously stated: “They can say: who knows whether you are guiding us correctly, when you constantly argue about this among yourself and refute each other, when the books approved for us yesterday are now condemned by other books and will surely be condemned by new ones tomorrow?” In the author’s manuscript it was written before: “to do this.” In the author's manuscript the word “youth” is inserted after and before the word. “sheep” was the word: “flock”. Vm. These words came first in the author’s manuscript: “freedom; and a man from a slave becomes a son of God and an heir to the kingdom of heaven.” These words are inserted after in the author’s manuscript. You might be interested in: