Благость Божия

Be a preacher of the goodness of God, because God feeds you as an unworthy person and because you owe Him a lot, but His exaction is not visible on you, and He rewards you with great things for the small deeds you have done. Do not call God just, for His justice is not known by your deeds. Although David calls Him just and just (Ps. 119:137), His Son revealed to us that He is even more good and gracious. For he says: “It is good” to the evil and wicked (Luke 6:35). And why do you call God just, when in the chapter about the reward of workers you read: “I will not offend you, my friend... I want to give to this last one, as I would to you. Even if your eye is evil, because I am good” (Matthew 20:13–15)? Why does a person also call God just, when in the chapter about the prodigal son, who prodigally squandered his wealth, you read that with one contrition, which the son (the father) showed, came and fell on his neck, and gave him power over all his wealth? (Luke 15:20–22). For no one else said this about God so that we might doubt Him, but the Son of God Himself testified about Him. Where is God's justice? Is it because we are sinners and Christ died for us? And if He is so merciful, then we will believe that He does not accept change. Let us never imagine this iniquity, so as to call God unmerciful: the property of God does not change like the dead, and God does not acquire what He does not have; does not lose what He has; does not receive increase like creatures. What God had from the beginning, he always has and will have to infinity, as Blessed Cyril said in his interpretation of the book of Genesis: fear Him, he says, out of love, and not by the name of cruel, given to Him (that is, not because people gave Him the name “cruel”). Love Him as you must love Him, and not for what He will give you in the future, but for what we have received in the present world, created for our sake. For who is able to repay Him? Where is His reward for our deeds? Who prompted Him to bring us into being in the beginning? Who pleads with Him for us when we do not remember Him? When we did not yet exist, who brought this body of ours to life? And again, where does the thought of knowledge fall into the dust? Oh, how wonderful is the mercy of God! Oh, how amazing is the grace of God and our Creator! What a force that dominates everything! What immeasurable goodness by which He again raises our sinful nature to rebirth! Who has the strength to glorify Him? He raises up the transgressor (of the commandments) and the blasphemer of His, He renews the foolish dust, makes it rational and verbal, He makes the scattered and insensitive mind and wasted feelings into a rational nature and worthy of Divine thought! The sinner is not able to imagine the grace of his resurrection. Where is Gehenna that could make us sad? Where is the torment that frightens us in various ways and conquers the joy of His love? And what is Gehenna before the grace of His resurrection, when it will raise us from hell, cause this corruptible to be clothed with incorruptibility (I Cor. 15:53-54), and raise up those who fell into hell in glory? Come, you sensible ones, and be amazed! Who, having a wise and wonderful mind, will worthily marvel at the mercy of our Creator? There is a reward for sinners, and instead of a righteous reward, He rewards them with resurrection; and instead of the corruption of bodies that have trampled upon His law, He clothes them with the perfect glory of incorruptibility. This mercy is to resurrect us after we have sinned, higher than mercy is to bring us into being when we did not exist. Glory, Lord, to Your immeasurable grace! Behold, Lord, the waves of Your grace silenced me, and I had no thought left of gratitude to You! (That is, every thought in me fell silent, overcome by gratitude to You). With what lips will we glorify You, good King, who loves our life? Glory to Thee for these two worlds which Thou hast created for our growth and enjoyment! Raising us from everything that You have created to the knowledge of Your glory! Glory to You from now until forever. Amen.