Беседа 8

Eph.4:1–2. Therefore I, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness and long-suffering, bearing with one another in love. To be a prisoner for Christ is more glorious than to sit at His right hand. – Suffering for Christ is higher than all blessings. - About the guard of the prison in which Paul was imprisoned. - Why did God allow those who guarded Peter in prison to perish? – The shackles and suffering served to glorify Paul. - Against those obsessed with greed and covetousness. - About three youths. The dignity of teachers lies not in trying to gain honor and glory from their students, but in leading them to salvation, and directing all their actions towards this goal. If any teacher cared only about the first (his own honor and glory), he would not be a teacher, but a tyrant. And God placed you over them not so that you would enjoy greater honor, but so that, forgetting yourself, you would think only about what pertains to them. This is the duty of a teacher. Such was Blessed Paul; he was alien to any pride and behaved on an equal basis with others - even as if he were less than others: he called himself their slave, and taught a lot of instructions in the form of a request. So, look, and now he writes not in a commanding, not an imperious tone, but meekly and humbly: “So I, a prisoner in the Lord, beg you,” he says, “to act worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Tell me why are you asking? Is it so that you can get something for yourself? No, he says, but in order to save others. But whoever asks, asks for what is useful for himself? And this is useful to me, he says, as I wrote about this elsewhere: “for now we are alive, as you stand in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8). He always so strongly desired the salvation of his disciples! “I am therefore a prisoner in the Lord.” Truly, it is a great and important honor (to be in prison for the sake of the Lord) - it is higher than royal, consular, and any other dignity. He also speaks about this (his bonds) in his letter to Philemon: “like me, Paul is an old man, and now a prisoner of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:9). Indeed, there is nothing so glorious as the bonds for Christ's sake, like the fetters laid on these sacred hands. To be a prisoner for Christ's sake is more glorious than to be an apostle, teacher and evangelist. He who loves Christ understands these words. He who uncontrollably strives for the Lord and burns with love for Him knows the power of bonds. Paul would rather be in prison for Christ than live in heaven. His (chained) hands to them (his disciples) seemed brighter than any gold, any royal crown. It’s not so much the headband with precious stones that shines on the head, but rather the iron shackles for Christ’s sake. Then the prison becomes brighter than the royal palaces. What do I say - royal ones? Brighter than the sky itself, because it contains within itself the prisoner of Christ. He who loves Christ knows this dignity, knows this virtue, knows how many benefits prisoner for His sake has brought to the human race. Perhaps the bonds for His sake are more glorious than sitting at His right hand, more honorable than sitting on twelve thrones. And what should I say (after this) about human (goods)? I am ashamed to compare wealth and gold jewelry with bonds. But, having stopped talking about the greatness of the bonds, (I will say) that if the bonds for the sake of Christ were not rewarded with anything, then the reward would still be great, the reward alone would be sufficient in the fact that these sufferings are endured for the sake of the beloved. These words are understandable to those who love, if not God, then people - those who rejoice more in enduring suffering for the sake of their beloved than in receiving honor from them. They were also clear to the sacred host of the apostles. In fact, listen to what blessed Luke says: “They went away from the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were deemed worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ” (Acts 5:41). Others find it funny to consider dishonor a virtue and turn it into an object of joy. But those who know Christ’s love consider this (dishonor) above all bliss. If someone gave me either the whole sky or these fetters, I would prefer them. If anyone wanted to place me either in the heavenly places with the angels, or with Paul imprisoned in chains, I would choose prison. If someone made me one of those powers that surround heaven and the throne (of God), or such a prisoner, I would prefer to become this prisoner. And rightly so, there is nothing more blissful than these fetters. I would now like to be in those places where, they say, these bonds are still preserved, to see them and marvel at the people who had such a strong love for Christ. I would like to see the fetters of which the demons, who are revered by the angels, are terrified and tremble. There is nothing better than suffering for the sake of Christ. I do not commend Paul so much because he was caught up into heaven as because he was thrown into prison. I please him not so much because I heard unspeakable verbs, but because I was in bonds. I please him not so much for the fact that he was caught up to the third heaven, but for the bonds. And that the bonds were greater than all this, he knew that himself. Listen: he did not say: I pray to you, I who have heard unspeakable verbs. And what? “Therefore I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you.” It is not surprising if he does not use these words in all his epistles - after all, he was not always in bondage, but from time to time. For me it is more valiant to endure evil for Christ than to receive honor from Him. This is a great honor, this is glory, beyond which there is nothing. If He, having become a slave for me and counting glory for nothing, considered nothing so glorious for Himself as being crucified for me, then what should I not endure? Listen to what He himself says: “Father! .. glorify Your Son” (John 17:1). What are you saying? You, along with the robbers and robbers, are being led to the cross to be subjected to a shameful death; You endure being strangled and spitting on you, and you call this glory? I call, he says. Since I suffer for those whom I love, I consider (this suffering) glory. If He, having loved the pitiable and the unfortunate, calls suffering glory; if for Him glory did not consist in being on the throne of the Father, not in glory, but in dishonor, and He preferred the latter to the former, then all the more should I consider this glory. O blessed bonds! Oh, blessed hands, adorned with these bonds! Paul's hands were not honored so much when they set him on his feet and gave the ability to walk to the lame man in Lystra (Acts 14:8-11), but when they were in chains. If I had lived in those days, I would have mostly kissed them and applied them to my apples. I would continually kiss the hands that were worthy to be in chains for the sake of my Master. Are you surprised at Paul that the viper touched his hand and did nothing to him? Do not be surprised: she was afraid of the fetters; The whole sea was afraid of them, because then he was in chains. If someone gave me the power to raise the dead, I would not choose it, but chains. If I had no concerns about the church and my bodily strength were strong, I would not have refused to make such a long journey just to see Paul’s chains and the prison in which he was imprisoned. Although monuments of his miracles are found everywhere, they do not make the same impression as the monuments of his plagues. And in the Scriptures he does not please me so much when he performs miracles as when he suffers, when he is beaten and dragged. The handkerchiefs and towels from which miraculous actions were performed are rightly venerated - they are also worthy of surprise, but not as much as those (apostolic sufferings). It is said: they beat him, and “having given them many blows, they threw him into prison” (Acts 16:23); also: “the prisoners...sang praises to God” (Acts 16:25); also: “they stoned him and dragged him out of the city, considering him dead” (Acts 14:19). If you want to know how much the chains meant, for the sake of Christ, imposed on the body of (His) servant, listen to what Christ himself says: “Blessed are you.” When? When will you raise the dead? No. When? When will you heal the blind? And not in this case. And when? “When they revile you and persecute you and slander you in every way unjustly because of Me” (Matthew 5:11). If reproach alone brings so much bliss, then what will not suffering do? Listen to what the blessed one (Paul) himself says in another place: “And now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:8). But the bonds are more glorious than this crown. If only I could be worthy of them, I don’t even talk about anything else. Without any reward, suffering for the sake of Christ is enough for me. Let me only be given the opportunity to say that I am fulfilling “the lack of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh” (Col. 1:24), and I do not need anything more. And Peter was awarded such chains. He is said to have “slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains” (Acts 12:6). He was so calm in his bonds and grieved so little about it that he could fall asleep: a deep sleep would not have overtaken him if he had been in great anxiety. He slept among the soldiers, “And behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared, and light shone around the prison. The angel, pushing Peter on the side, awakened him” (Acts 12:7). If someone told me: what do you want to be - the angel who pushed Peter, or the one saved by Peter? I would rather be Peter, for whom the angel also came. These bonds would be sweet to me. But why, someone will say, did he pray (after being released from prison), as if he had been freed from the greatest misfortune? Don't be surprised by this. He prayed because he was afraid to die. He was afraid to die because he still wanted to live to suffer. Listen to what Blessed Paul himself says about this: “I have a desire to be separated and be with Christ, because this is incomparably better, but remaining in the flesh is more necessary for you” (Phil. 1:23–24). He further called this a gift: “for it has been given to you for Christ’s sake not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Phil. 1:29). Thus, the latter is greater than the first, because “it is given to you.” Truly this is the greatest gift, and greater than all (other gifts), both the gift to stop the sun and the moon, and the gift to move the world. This is more power over demons, or the power to cast out demons. They suffer not so much when we drive them out by faith, but when they see that for the sake of Christ we suffer disasters and are in bonds. This gives us greater boldness (towards Christ). It is good to be in bonds for the sake of Christ, not because they bring us the kingdom, but because this happens for the sake of Christ. I do not please the bonds because they (as if) open the way to heaven in advance, but because they are endured for the sake of the Lord of heaven. To know (the apostle) that he endured bonds for the sake of Christ - what a consolation this is for him! How much joy! What an honor! How much glory! I myself would like to always talk about this, I would like to at least touch these shackles; but since I am deprived of this happiness in reality, at least mentally, through sincere desire, I enclose my soul in them. As a result of the earthquake, it is said that the prison with the bound Paul shook, “and everyone’s bonds were loosened” (Acts 16:26). Do you see the ability of ties to loosen ties? Just as the death of the Lord put death to death, so Paul’s bonds loosed the prisoners, shook the prison, opened the doors. However, the natural strength of the bonds is not the same, but (completely) the opposite - to hold the prisoner tightly and not to tear apart the walls (dungeon) before him. And that property (of which we are speaking) does not belong to simple bonds, but to bonds for the sake of Christ. “The watchman... fell down in trembling upon Paul and Silas” (Acts 16:27, 29). Ordinary bonds do not do this; those who bind do not lead to the feet of the bound, but on the contrary, they subjugate the latter to the former. And now the free man was at the feet of the prisoner; the binder asked the bound one to free him from fear. Tell me, weren't you the one who tied him up? Was it not you who imprisoned him in the inner prison? Weren't you the one who put the stocks on his feet? Why are you trembling? Why are you embarrassed? Why are you crying? Why did you draw your sword? Never, he says, has it happened to me to knit such (people); I did not know that such was the power of the prisoners of Christ. What are you saying? They have received the power to open the heavens: will they not open the prisons? They resolved those bound by demons: will iron really be stronger than them? You didn’t know these men, that’s why you deserve an apology. Bound - Paul, whom all the angels honor - Paul, whose scarves and headdresses drove away demons and healed diseases. And demonic bonds are much stronger and more inseparable than iron ones, because the soul is bound first, and the body last. So, the one who liberates bound souls could not free his body? He who broke the bonds of demons would not break the bonds of iron? Whoever released those prisoners and freed them from the power of demons through his clothes, wouldn’t he have been freed by himself? He was previously tied up; then he released the bound ones to show you that the bound servants of Christ have much more strength than those free from bonds. It would not be so surprising if he did this while free from bondage. This means that the bonds were not the cause of weakness, but of greater strength. Thus, the power of the saint is revealed more brilliantly when, bound, he commands those free from bonds, when - the prisoner himself - he frees not only himself, but also other prisoners. What is the use of walls? What is the benefit of being thrown into the inner prison when the outer one was also opened? But why did this happen at night and with an earthquake? However, I deviated from the apostolic words, I became too busy with apostolic affairs; but be somewhat lenient with me, and let me enjoy Paul’s bonds - let me dwell on them even longer. I have taken up the bonds, and no one will turn me away from them. I am now more tightly bound by love than he was then by chains. No one can break these bonds, because they are from the love of Christ. Neither angels nor the kingdom of heaven can resolve them. Let's listen to what Paul himself says about this: “neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate us from the love... of Christ” (Rom. 8:38–39). Why did this happen in the middle of the night, why with an earthquake? Listen to God's economy and marvel. The bonds of everyone were loosened and the doors were opened. But this was done only for the prison guard, not to show (him the power of the bonds), but for his salvation. The prisoners did not know that they were allowed, as is clear from Paul's exclamation. What exactly does it say? “But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here” (Acts 16:28). They would not all be (in prison) if they knew that the doors were open, and they themselves were freed from bonds. Those who break down walls, penetrate through roofs and fences, and decide to do anything, being in chains, would not remain when the bonds were loosed, and the doors were open, and the prison guard himself was asleep. But instead of iron bonds, they had bonds of sleep. This was how it was arranged so that the deed would be completed, and the miracle would not cause any harm to the prison guard, who was supposed to be saved. Moreover, prisoners bond especially tightly at night, and not during the day. Therefore, one could see them again connected with great effort and immersed in sleep. If this had happened during the day, there would have been great confusion. Why was the building shaken? In order for the prison guard to awaken and see what had happened, since he alone was worthy of salvation. Here, I ask you, look at the abundance of the grace of Christ. Speaking about Paul’s bonds, it is timely to remember the grace of Christ, especially since the bonds themselves constitute the work of God’s grace. Some condemn the fact that the prison guard was saved, whereas in this case one should marvel at God’s love for mankind. And no wonder. Such is the nature of weak people that they even criticize the nutritional quality of food that should be praised, and they call honey bitter. (People with) sick eyes are blinded by the light that should have been shining on them, although this does not depend on the natural property of the light, but on the weakness of those who are unable to use it as they should. What are they saying? Then how one should be surprised that he (the apostle) saved a man who had fallen into extreme distress and made him better - they say: how did (the guard) not consider this a work of magic and sorcery, and even more not guard them and shout at them? But at the same time he realized a lot: firstly, that he heard them praising God - sorcerers would not sing such hymns, but he, it is said, heard them praising God (Acts 16:25); secondly, the fact that he not only did not run away, but also did not allow him to kill himself. If they had done this for themselves, they would not have remained in prison, but the first would have been freed themselves. Their love for mankind is also great: they prevented the one who bound them from killing themselves, as if saying to him: You guarded us very tightly, imprisoning us in an inner prison and binding us with heavy shackles, so that you yourself could be freed from the heaviest bonds. Each (person) is bound by the bonds of his sins. These last bonds are worthy of curses, but those (ties) are blessed and deserve to be asked for with great prayers. The apostle showed in a sensual way how the last (material) bonds free one from the first (spiritual bonds). Did you see how they were freed from the iron bonds with which they were bound? You will see that you yourself are freed from other heavy bonds. These bonds—I mean not Pavlov’s, but the prisoners—come from sinful bonds. There were two kinds of prisoners in the prison, and the guard himself was a prisoner. They were bound by iron and sins, but he was bound only by sins. Paul freed them as his testimony, since the bonds were visible. And Christ did the same, or better – vice versa. There was a double relaxation there. Which one exactly? Sinful and bodily. What is he doing? “Be of good cheer,” he says, “child! Your sins are forgiven you” (Matthew 9:2). First, he healed the soul from relaxation, then he moves on to the body. Namely, when “some of the scribes said to themselves: He is blaspheming. But Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? For what is easier to say: your sins are forgiven, or to say: get up and walk? But so that you know that The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, - then he says to the paralytic: get up, take up your bed, and go to your house” (Matthew 9: 3-6). So that what has been said will be fulfilled: “With your mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant!” (Luke 19:22). What do they (say)? “No one except God has the power to forgive sins,” that is, neither an angel, nor an archangel, nor any other created power. You yourself admitted this. What should He have said? If it is shown that I forgive sins, then it is clear that I am God? But He didn't say that, so what? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, then he says to the paralytic: get up, take up your bed, and go to your house.” So, when I, he says, do something more difficult, then, obviously, there should no longer be any disbelief and dispute about what is much easier. That is why He performed spiritual healing first, because there were many contradictions. But here (the apostle) came to the sensual from the mental. So, the faith (of the prison guard) was not frivolous. He saw the prisoners and did not see or hear anything bad from them. He saw that the deed was not accomplished through magic - since they sang praises to God; I saw in what was happening a matter of their great love for mankind, since they did not take revenge on him, although they could. They could have escaped (from prison), freeing both themselves and other prisoners, and if not the prisoners, then at least themselves; but they didn't do it. So he felt respect (for the apostle) not only for the miracle, but also for his very behavior. How did he (Paul) exclaim? “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Do you see how, in fact, he is alien to vanity and pride and how filled with love? He didn’t say that this happened for us, but exactly one of the prisoners said: “for we are all here.” Meanwhile, if they (Paul and Silas) had not been freed first and not through a miracle, they should have remained silent and released all the prisoners. And if they had remained silent and had not stopped his hands with a loud cry, then (the guard) would have cut his throat with a sword. (The Apostle) made this proclamation because he was imprisoned in the farthest compartment of the prison. You, he says, acted to your own detriment by throwing into inner prison those who would free you from danger. But they didn't imitate what he did. And if he had killed himself, then all the prisoners would have fled. You see that (the apostles) wished better to remain in chains than to see the death of the prison guard. That’s why he thought to himself: if they were sorcerers, they would release everyone (the other prisoners), and they themselves would be freed from their bonds. Probably many of these (people) were thrown into prison. And he was surprised because, although he often received sorcerers, he had not seen anything like this. The sorcerer would not shake the foundations (the dungeon): this could wake up the guard and make it more difficult for himself to escape. But let us finally pay attention to the faith of the prison guard. “He demanded,” it is said, “fire, ran into the prison and fell in trepidation to Paul and Silas, and, leading them out, said: my lords! What should I do to be saved?” ( Acts 16:29–30 )? He had fire and a sword in his hands and said: “My lords! what should I do to be saved? They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved” (Acts 16:31). It is unusual for sorcerers, he says, to teach such a doctrine; There is no mention of demons in their words. Do you see how worthy he was of salvation? Having seen the miracle and freed himself from fear, he did not forget the most important thing, and in such danger, he cared about the salvation of his soul and approached the teachers as he should have approached - he fell at their feet. “And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And, taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and immediately was baptized himself and all his household" (Acts 16:32-33). Do you see the fiery zeal of this man? He did not postpone the matter until time, did not say: “The day will come, then we will see, we will think,” but with true zeal he and his whole household were baptized. He did not act as many do now, not paying attention to the fact that both slaves and wives, and their children have not yet been sanctified (by baptism). Imitate, I pray you, the prison guard. I say this, not by ordering, but by expressing my desire. What is the use of commanding, when even the desire has no power? Yes, a rude, cruel man, who always had them before his eyes, suddenly became so compassionate, so caring, “he washed away their wounds,” it is said. Pay attention again to Paul’s fiery zeal: after the bonds and scourging, he is blessed. O blessed fetters! What creatures they gave birth to that night! What children they gave birth to! And about them we can say: “to whom I have begotten in my bonds” (Phil. 1:10). Do you see how he (the apostle) rejoices, and how he wants to give more dignity to the born children with these (ties)? Do you see how great the glory of the bonds is when it illuminates with its Radiance not only the prisoner, but also those born to him at this time? Those born by Paul in bonds have something more, not in in relation, I say, to grace—the grace is the same—and not in relation to the remission of sins—and remission is the same for everyone—but in the sense that from the very beginning one learns to rejoice and rejoice in such exploits: “And having taken them,” it is said, “at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and was immediately baptized himself.” Finally, pay attention to the fruit. He immediately rewarded them (for spiritual benefits) with visible things. “And when he brought them into his house, he offered a meal, and rejoiced with all his house because he had believed in God” (Acts 16:34). And what would he not have done when the open doors of the prison revealed heaven to him? He washed the teacher, offered him a meal and rejoiced himself. Paul's chains entered the prison and turned everything here into a church, made everyone the body of Christ, offered a spiritual meal, and gave birth to children in whom the angels rejoice. So, wasn’t I telling the truth when I called the prison brighter than the sky? She was a cause of joy for heaven too. If there is joy in heaven over one repentant sinner, if where two are gathered in the name of Christ, there He is in the midst of them, then how much more was it all here, where Paul, and Silas, and the prison guard, and his whole household, and such faith were present. Look, in fact, what firmness of faith! But this dungeon reminded me of another dungeon. Which one? The one in which Peter was. But there was nothing like that here - he “ordered four quartets of soldiers to guard him” (Acts 12:4), and did not sing, did not stay awake, but slept, and although he did not suffer blows, the danger was greater. Everything has already been done there - they have already suffered punishment - but here not yet. Therefore, here, although the blows did not cause pain, the anticipation of the future was terrifying. But look at the miracle here too. “And behold,” it is said, “the Angel of the Lord appeared, and the light shone in the prison. The angel, pushing Peter in the side, woke him up and said: get up quickly. And the chains fell from his hands” (Acts 12:7). So that Peter would not think that what had happened was only the action of light, (the angel) pushed him. No one saw the light, but only he, and considered it a ghost. So those who sleep do not feel the blessings of God! “And The Angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your shoes.” Then he said to him, “Put on your clothes and follow me.” Peter went out and followed him, not knowing that what the Angel was doing was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision. Having passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gates leading into the city, which opened to them of their own accord; they went out and walked through one street, and suddenly the Angel was not with him. Acts 12:8–10). Why was it not here what happened with Paul and Silas? Because they were intended to be released from their bonds, that is why God did not want to free them the same way as Peter. As for Blessed Peter, the death penalty was imposed on him. Well, they say, wouldn’t it have been a greater miracle if he, taken from prison and delivered into the hands of the king, had been delivered from great dangers here without any harm? In this case, the soldiers would not have died. There is a lot that is unclear here. How, they say, did God save His servant with the punishment and destruction of others? How should we respond to this? First, that (God) did not desire the destruction of others; secondly, that this (their death) did not occur because it was predetermined, but because of the cruelty of the judge. How? God arranged the circumstances so that not only would the guards not perish, but Peter would also be saved—which we see here in relation to the prison guard; but the judge did not take advantage of the circumstances as he should. “When the day came,” it is said, “there was great anxiety among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter” (Acts 12:18). What then? Herod makes a study of what happened and, having interrogated the guards, “ordered them to be executed” (Acts 12:19). If he had not interrogated them, he would have had some excuse. Now he demanded them to trial, interrogated them, found out that (Peter) was in chains, that the prison was strong, that the guards stood at the doors, the wall was not broken, the door was not open, and there was no other sign of crime. After this, he had no choice but to marvel at the power of God, which snatched (Peter) away from the midst of these dangers, and to worship the One who could do such a thing. He “ordered to execute them.” How can you blame God after this? If He had torn down the walls and thus freed (the apostle), it would have been considered a matter of their negligence. If, according to God’s dispensation, what happened was not visible as a human atrocity, but as a divine miracle, then why did he (the judge) do this? If (Peter) wanted to run away, he would have run away as he was - in chains. If he wanted to run away from fear, he would not have shown such foresight; he would not have taken the sandals, but left them. In the present case, the angel says to him: “put on your shoes,” so that it will be known that he did not act here as if he was planning to run away, but very calmly. Being in bonds and between two warriors, he would not have had enough leisure to resolve the bonds, and being in the inner compartment of the prison. Thus, the guards are punished by the injustice of the judge. Why didn't the Jews do this? Here I remember another prison - the first in Rome, the second in Caesarea, but the real one was in Jerusalem. Why did the bishops and Pharisees, when they heard from those they sent to prison to bring Peter out of it, that “they were not found in prison,” but that the doors were locked, and the guards were standing in front of the doors, did not kill the guards, but “were perplexed what this meant” (Acts 5:24)? If they, with all their desire to kill them, did not think of anything like this, then all the more should you have done this - you, who do everything to please them (the Pharisees and scribes). For this, he (the judge) was soon punished. If you then blame (God), then blame Him for murders on the roads, for thousands of other unjust deprivations of life, and even for children beaten for the sake of Christ. After all, according to you, Christ must be guilty of beating them. But, in fact, (the fault of their death was) not Christ, but rather the madness and cruelty of Herod’s father. If you say: why didn’t (God) snatch him from the hands of Herod? - He could have done this too, but there would have been no benefit from it. How many times did Christ escape from their hands? But did this bring any benefit to the ungrateful? And here, from what has happened, there is great benefit to the faithful. When, despite the existence of monuments about some event, it is confirmed by enemies, then the evidence is not subject to any doubt. And both here and there, the lips of the enemies are blocked by nothing more than the aliens’ story about what happened. Why didn’t the jailer do anything like that, while what he saw was no less than what Herod saw? If you pay attention to the amazingness of what happened, then to learn that the prisoner left when the doors were locked is no less than to see the doors open. The latter may seem more likely to be a vision, but the former may not, if it is accurately described. Therefore, if he (the guard) had been evil, he would have killed Paul, like Herod killed the soldiers. But he wasn't like that. If we wanted to refute those who say: why did God allow children to be beaten? - then our word to you would go beyond the limits assigned to it at first. Now, having given great gratitude to the bonds of Paul for the fact that they were the cause of so many blessings for us, in conclusion of our word, we ask you not only not to grieve if anyone has to suffer for Christ, but also to rejoice, like the apostles, and to boast, like Paul: “And therefore I will boast much more willingly,” he said, “of my weaknesses.” For this it was said to him: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul boasts in his bonds, but do you boast about your riches? The apostles rejoiced that they were worthy to accept wounds, but are you looking for bliss and luxury? How do you want to receive the same benefits as them when you are following a completely different path with them? “And now,” says (the apostle), “I, at the attraction of the Spirit, go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will meet me there; only the Holy Spirit bears witness in all the cities, saying that bonds and tribulations await me” (Acts 20:22–23). Why are you going if bonds and sorrows await you? Precisely for this purpose, he says, to be bound for Christ, to die for Him. I am ready to accept not only bonds, but also death for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing more blessed than this soul! What is he boasting about? Bonds, sorrows, chains, wounds. “I,” he says, “bear the marks of the Lord Jesus, like some great trophy, on my body” (Gal. 6:17); and again: “for the hope of Israel,” he says, “I am surrounded by these bonds” (Acts 28:20); also: “for whom I am fulfilling the mission in chains” (Eph. 6:20). What does this mean? Aren’t you ashamed? How were you not afraid, - after having endured the bonds - to go around the world? How were you not afraid that someone would call your God powerless? That is why others will not want to have fellowship with you? This is not the case, he answers. They can shine even in the royal palaces. with my bonds, they began to preach the word of God without fear” (Phil. 1:13-14). Do you see that bonds have more power than the resurrection of the dead? They saw (the apostle) in bonds and received even more boldness. For where there are bonds, something great must happen. Where there is sorrow, there will certainly be salvation, there will certainly be peace, there will certainly be great things. So the devil, when he wants to strike, is himself struck; when he binds the servants of God, then the word (of God) spreads even more. And look, this happens everywhere. He was in bonds, and this is what he did in prison: “in my very bonds,” he says, “(Phil. 1:7). He was chained in Rome, and there he converted many to the faith. This is because not only he himself had boldness, but many others also received boldness through him. He was in prison in Jerusalem, and the prisoner's preaching astonished the king and terrified the ruler. Frightened, it is said, he let him go, and the one who bound him was not ashamed to accept from the bound one the teaching about the future. In bonds he sailed, did not die during a shipwreck and tamed the storm. While he was in chains, a poisonous animal touched him and, without causing him any harm, left him behind. He was a prisoner in Rome and, preaching in prison, attracted thousands to himself, instead of offering (to his listeners) this very thing, that is, bonds. Nowadays there are no cases of being imprisoned in shackles, but there are other types of shackles, if we so desire. Which ones? This is to restrain your hands so as not to be inclined to covetousness. Let us bind ourselves with these shackles. Instead of iron, let the fear of God serve us. Let us resolve those bound by poverty and sorrow. It is not the same thing to open the doors of a prison and give freedom to the soul of a person constrained by need. It is not the same thing to loosen the chains of prisoners and to “set those who are tormented free” (Luke 4:18). The latter is greater than the first, because for that there is no reward, but for this there are countless ones. Pavlov's chains were long and detained us for a long time. And in fact they are long, and more beautiful than any gold chain. These shackles, like some kind of machine, drag their prisoners to heaven, and like some kind of golden chain stretching (to heaven), they drag them to heaven. And the surprising thing is that, by tying the prisoners down, they bring about their grief. This is not, however, their natural property. Therefore, if God arranges it this way (as we have now seen), then here pay attention not to the natural property and order of things, but to what is higher than both. Let us learn from here in sorrows not to lose heart and not to be sad. Look, really, at this blessed one. He suffered blows, and strong blows: “he gave them,” it is said, “many blows” (Acts 16:23). He was imprisoned in bonds, and in strong bonds: (the guard) “threw him into the inner prison” (Acts 16:24), and into a very strong prison. However, even in such circumstances, at midnight - when, under the influence of sleep, these strongest bonds, even those who are vigorously awakened sleep - they (Paul and Silas) sang and praised the Lord. What could be stronger than these souls? They knew that the youths also sang in the fire and in the oven. Perhaps they (Paul and Silas) thought: we have not yet suffered anything like this. But the word, developing correctly, led us to other bonds, to another prison. What to do? And I would like to shut up, but I can’t. I have found another dungeon that is more surprising and amazing than this one. And you, perk up, as if the word was just beginning, and pay close attention to it. I want to interrupt the word, but I can’t. Just as a drinking man does not tear himself away from the cup, no matter what is said to him, so I, having taken hold of the wonderful prison cup of the prisoners of Christ, cannot stop, cannot be silent. If, in fact, he was not silent in prison, and at night, and in his wounds, will I remain silent, sitting during the day, taking advantage of complete calm for an interview, - will I remain silent when those in prison, beaten with sticks, did not allow themselves to remain silent at midnight? The youths were not silent in the cave and in the fire: wouldn’t it be a shame for us to remain silent? So, let's take a look at this dungeon. And here they were imprisoned, but immediately at the very beginning it turned out that they should not burn, but, as it were, enter prison. Why (otherwise) do you bind those who are to be burned? They were bound, like Paul, both hand and foot, bound with the same cruelty; and he (Nebuchadnezzar) threw them into the inner prison and then ordered the furnace to be heated strongly. But let's look at what followed. When they (Paul and Silas) sang, the prison shook and the doors were opened. When these (youths) also sang, the shackles fell from their hands and feet, the prison was opened, and the holes of the furnace were opened, because the dew of the spirit burst in noisily (Dan. 3:19-93). But there seems to be such a multitude of objects that I don’t know what to talk about before, what to talk about after: therefore, I ask you not to demand order from me. Both events have a lot in common with each other. Those who were with them (Paul and Silas) in bonds were freed from bonds and, however, slept. Here, instead, there was something else: those who threw them into the oven were burned. But I wanted to say that the king saw them free from bonds and bowed to them (Dan. 3:95); I heard them singing, saw four walking and called them. So, like Paul, who could, but did not come out of prison until the one who imprisoned him called and brought him out, and the three youths did not come out until the king commanded them to come out. What do we learn from here? Do not rush into suffering, do not rush to accept sorrows and do not remain in them; when we are freed from them. The king bowed to them; He could have entered where the saints were, but, approaching the opening, he stopped: he did not dare to enter the prison in which he had prepared burning for them. And notice the words. He said: “Lord, what should I do to be saved?” This one, although not with such humility, nevertheless said no less pleasant words: “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God! come out and come!” . Great honor! “Servants of the Most High God! come out and come!” (Dan. 3:93). How will they come out, O king, when you threw them bound into the fire, when they have been in the fire for so long? Even if they were adamantine, if they consisted of metal, would they not have perished during the time they sang their entire hymn? But that’s why they were saved because they sang. The fire was afraid of their joy, and was afraid of their amazing song, their anthem. What do you call them? “I previously said: “servants of the Most High God!” , because for the servants of God everything is possible. If people also have servants who, in the affairs of their masters, have no less power and authority, no less control, than the masters themselves, then all the more is this possible for the servants of God.” These are the most pleasant words for them. The king knew that with these words he would give them special pleasure. In fact, if they went into the fire in order to remain servants of God, then for them no other words were more pleasant than these. If he had called them kings, lords of the universe, he would not have pleased them as much as he did when he said: “Come out and come.” And what's surprising? Paul, when writing to the great city that owned the universe, and was proud of its virtues, contrasted this (the dignity of the servant of God), as equal to his dignity, even much, incomparably greater, and consulate, and kingdom, and dominion over the universe: he wrote: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1). “Servants of the Most High God!” . If they, says (the king), try so hard to be slaves, then we will completely convince them of this. Now look at the complacency of the youths. They were not indignant, they were not angry, they did not contradict, but they left. If they considered it an insult that they were thrown into the oven, they would be indignant at the one who threw it. Here we don’t see anything like that: they came out (of the oven) as if they had descended from heaven itself. The one who would say about them the same as the prophet said about the sun would not sin: “he comes out like a bridegroom from his bridal chamber” (Ps. 18:6). Why? Because they came out then with greater glory than the sun comes out. The sun is a sensual light to illuminate the earth, but they illuminate it differently, that is, spiritually. For their sake, the king immediately sent an order in the following words: “I am pleased to announce to you the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed on me. How great...and how powerful!” (Dan. 3:99–100). Thus, they emerged (from the fire), spreading from themselves the brightest rays, with which the very countries were illuminated, and which, through the royal decrees, were to spread everywhere and dispel the darkness everywhere. “come out and come over.” He did not order to extinguish the furnace - and with such confidence that they could not only walk inside it, but also come out of it, despite its burning flame, he did them a special honor. But let’s look, if you like, at the words of the prison guard. “Lord, what should I do to be saved?” What's nicer than these words? They make the angels themselves rejoice. In order to hear such words, the Only Begotten (Son) of God became a slave. The first believers spoke these same words to Peter: what must we do to be saved? What did he say? “Believe and be baptized” (Acts 18:8). Because of the desire for salvation and obedience of the Jews, Paul would willingly throw himself into Gehenna to hear such words from them. And look: he demands nothing for himself, but leaves everything to them. But let’s look at what follows. The king does not say: let me be saved; but what he teaches (others) is stronger than any words. He immediately becomes a preacher. He does not need to be announced, as the prison guard. But what? He glorifies God and confesses His power. “I clearly see that your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords - that He sent his angel and brought you out of the cave.” He would not want to testify to this about the captives and thereby humiliate the manner of his actions. He would not have wanted to accept disgrace for such madness, so if the truth had not been very obvious, he would not have written such a decree, especially since there were so many witnesses. Do you see how strong the bonds are? What is the power of chanting during mourning? Because of the persecution, they did not give in to despondency, did not lose heart, but then they were especially cheerful, then they were especially happy. And rightly so they did. One more thing remains: why were the prisoners released in the dungeon, and the executioners burned in the cave, when the king should have endured this? After all, those who put them in chains and cast them into the cave sinned not so much as the one who ordered them to do it. So why did they die? There is no need to say much here (to explain the matter). (They perished) because they were wicked. This was why it was arranged so that the power of the fire would be obvious and there would be a greater miracle. If, in fact, the fire devoured with such force those who were outside the cave, then how did it leave those inside the cave unharmed? (This happened so that) the power of God would be more obvious. And let no one be surprised that I compared the king with the prison guard: he acted the same with the latter. The king was not more glorious than the guard: both benefited equally. But the righteous, as I said, are especially cheerful in spirit when they are in sorrow, when they are in chains, because to suffer for Christ is more pleasant than any pleasure. Do you want me to remind you of another dungeon? We need to move from these bonds to another prison. Which one do you want? Is it the one in which Jeremiah was imprisoned? Or to Joseph's prison? Or – John? Thanks be to the bonds of Pavlov: how many prisons they showed us! Do you want to hear about the prison in which John was imprisoned? And he was once in bonds for Christ and for the Divine law. What is he? Did you remain idle in prison? Is it not from this conclusion that he sent his disciples, saying to them: go, tell Christ: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). And while there, he taught others, he was not negligent. And Jeremiah, fulfilling his duty, did not predict (in prison) about the Babylonian captivity? And Joseph? Wasn't he imprisoned for thirteen years? However, even here (in prison) I did not forget about virtue. Let's talk about some more bonds and finish our word. Our Lord, who freed the universe from sins, was also in bonds; hands were tied, having done countless good things: having tied them, it is said, “they took Him to Caiaphas” (Matthew 26:57). The One who performed so many miracles was in bondage. Reflecting on this, we will never grieve, but we will also rejoice in chains. Even without shackles, we are still somehow connected. Do you see what a blessing ties are? Knowing all this, let us give thanks for everything to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. You might be interested in: