Слово в понедельник Святой Пасхи

“As smoke disappears, let them disappear, as wax melts before the fire, so let sinners perish before the presence of God” (Ps. 67:3) Do you, my brothers, listen to these menacing words that are so often pronounced during today’s services, and have you thought about their importance? As for me, I can never pronounce them without some inner trembling. For I think: what if they come true in full force? How many of us will remain alive who either pronounce or hear them? Now these words are like the thunder of a distant cloud, and do not strike anyone, but why? Because between us sinners and the punishing truth of God stands the great Mediator and almighty Intercessor; when truth and law say: let sinners perish from the face of God, the mercy and love of the Savior say: no, let them not perish, but let them be converted and saved. Therefore, we, despite our many sins, continue to stand harmlessly before the face of God. But this justice for us with mercy will not continue forever, the time will come when the Mediator and Intercessor will leave his place, so to speak, we will stand alone before the face of God, and then what will happen to us if we remain in our sins? The seer John foresaw the desperate state of sinners in the future, and this is how he depicts it: “And in these days men will seek death, and will not find it: and they will desire to die, and death will flee from them” (Rev. 9:6). “And he said to the mountains and the stones: Fall on us and cover us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath has come: and who can!” ( Rev. 6:16–17 ). And note, my brethren, from what sinners will perish: from the wrath of the Lamb. Not a lion, not a tiger, or any other terrible and fierce beast, but a Lamb. That is, the former Intercessor and Savior himself will become an accuser, judge and punisher for sinners. You might be interested in: