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Human judgment is never carried out in truth, not only because rights are not respected, but also because even if the judge were not bribed with money or gifts, if he were free from anger and goodwill, then often the circumstances themselves are powerless to reveal the truth: either some misunderstanding occurs, or there are no faithful witnesses. But only that judgment is true in which God, who judges everything justly, examines everything that is hidden in our hearts. Since He understands everything, He will not pronounce judgment due to any mental confusion, hatred or any other reason. Only in such a court is the truth present, so that the criminals and the guilty themselves admit that they were convicted by right. What is truer than this judgment? It is no secret to any of you that criminals never want to admit their guilt, but try to hide it. There is nothing like that at that court, but they themselves make a decision regarding themselves. Even in this world, similar things happened - with King David, who says: “Behold, I have sinned, I [the shepherd] have acted lawlessly; and these sheep, what did they do? (2 Samuel 24:17). Do not say that he was prompted to say this by punishment, just as those who have been tortured and do not know that they are guilty, but under the influence of blows pretend to have sinned. Not so the righteous man: at a time when others were punished, when he alone was free from punishment, he took the punishment upon himself, saying: I sinned, I, the shepherd, acted lawlessly. Cain said: “My punishment is more than one can bear” (Gen. 4:13), and this was before he suffered the punishment. But Adam hid himself in order to make his crime open and obvious by hiding. Do you want to see similar things in Gehenna? When the rich man heard, “You have already received good things” (Luke 16:25), he did not resist and did not ask for an apology. Let no one say that fear of the judge did this - we know that others answer boldly and contradict even in court. Was there not also a judge? Pay attention to how the one withholding one talent responds: “I was afraid of you, because you are a cruel man” (Luke 19:21). O meekness! O calmness of the Judge! What words did He bear: I was afraid of you because you are a cruel person. What judge would not be inflamed by these words, but Him? In another place He says, as if indicating the reason: “My people! What have I done to you and how have I burdened you? answer Me” (Mic. 6:3). In another place He also asks not about the new, but about the past: “What unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me?..” (Jer. 2:5). Fairly and deservedly accusing Jonah, He says: “Are you really so upset about the plant?.. Should I not feel sorry for Nineveh, a great city in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people?” ( Jonah 4:9, 11 ) Do you not understand that He shows us the reason everywhere? He did not consider it unworthy to indicate the reason even when he spoke to the devil: “Have you paid your attention to My servant Job? for there is no one like him on earth: a blameless, just, fearing God and shunning evil” (Job 1:8). We must also pay attention to those whom He commands to be cast into Gehenna. First the Court will sit, and then the punishment will be pronounced, so that they are punished when they cannot say anything against him: just as what happened to him who did not have a wedding garment, so it will be with those who did not deliver food to Him, and with those who committed something similar [criminal]. He will pronounce judgment not rashly, but after everything has been collected in one place, and will announce to those subject to punishment with great meekness the torment that each of them will undergo for his guilt according to law and justice (4). Now everything depends on us; and then the verdict over us will be in the power of one Judge. So, “let us come before His face with praise” (Ps. 94:2), we will weep and weep. If before the Day of the Lord we appease the Judge so that He forgives us our sins, then we will not be subject to the Judgment. Otherwise, each of us will be brought to Judgment in front of the entire universe, and we will have no hope of receiving forgiveness. No one living on earth, without receiving remission of sins, upon transition to the future life, can avoid being tortured for them. But just as here criminals from prison are brought to trial in chains, so after leaving this life, all souls will be brought to the Last Judgment, burdened with various bonds of sins. Truly, real life is no better than prison. Just as, when entering a prison house, we see everyone burdened with shackles, so now, if, having eliminated all external splendor, we enter into the life of everyone, we will see that the soul of everyone is surrounded by bonds heavier than iron, and especially if we enter the souls of the rich. Truly, the more wealth they have, the more they are bound. Just as when you see a prisoner whose neck, arms, and often even legs are in iron, you consider him extremely unhappy, so when you see a rich man who owns countless treasures, do not call him happy, but for that very reason consider him the most unfortunate. In fact, in addition to the fact that he is in chains, there is also a cruel prison guard with him - evil covetousness, which does not allow him to leave prison, but prepares for him thousands of new shackles, prisons, doors and locks; and, having plunged him into an inner prison, still forces him to enjoy his bonds, so that he cannot even find the hope of freeing himself from the evil that oppresses him. And if you penetrate with your thoughts into the inside of his soul, you will see it not only bound, but also extremely ugly, defiled and filled with worms. The pleasures of a voluptuous life are no better, but even more disgusting, because they corrupt both body and soul and afflict them with countless diseases. Imagining all this, let us pray to the Redeemer of our souls, that He would break the shackles, and drive away that cruel guard from us, and, freeing our spirit from heavy iron bonds, make it lighter than a feather; and with prayer to Him let us combine our own diligence, zeal, and good readiness. Thus, we will be able in a short time to free ourselves from the evil that possesses us, and to recognize our previous state, and to perceive the freedom previously given to us (6). What kind of anger do you not deserve when you give money to a harlot but pass by a beggar without attention? If you also gave from righteous labors, would it not be sinful to give a reward for vice and honor for what should be punished? When you feed your voluptuousness by robbing orphans and offending widows, then think, what kind of fire awaits those who dare to do such things? Listen to what Paul says: “not only...they do it, but they also approve of those who do it” (Rom. 1:32). Perhaps we are already reproaching you too much; but even if we did not reproach, punishment still awaits incorrigible sinners. What is the use of pleasing with words those who are actually subject to punishment? Do you approve of the dancer? Do you praise and admire him? So, you are worse than him, because he can excuse himself by saying that he is poor, although not thoroughly, and you do not have this excuse either. If I ask him why he, leaving other occupations, turned to this despicable and obscene thing, he will say that in this occupation, by working a little, he can make a lot of profit. And if I ask you why you admire a dissolute man who lives for the destruction of others, you cannot resort to the same excuse, but you will be forced to bow down, be ashamed and blush. So, if you have nothing to say to us, who demand an account from you, then how will we resist when that Terrible and inexorable judgment opens, at which we will have to give an account of our thoughts, and our deeds, and everything? With what eyes shall we look at the Judge? What shall we say? How can we justify it? What kind of apology can we imagine - plausible or unseemly? Is it the cost, the pleasure, or the destruction of others whom we destroy by supporting their trade? It will be impossible to say anything, but we will inevitably be subjected to execution, which has no end, knows no limit. To prevent this from happening to us, from now on we will be careful in every possible way, and thus, after leaving here with good hope, we will achieve eternal blessings (8). Imagine in what position you find yourself before the judge, when memorable records about you are opened, convicting you of untruth, testifying to your madness: remember what fear, what trepidation embraces you, how your limbs tremble, how all your insides are shaken - and this at the human court! If human judgment brings such horror, then who can describe the horror in which the Lord of all will carry out His Judgment on the universe? We say this not to frighten you, but to instill prudence in you. Do not value money above Christ, do not prefer untruth and self-interest to God. You only have time until the grave - this was told to you yesterday. At the end of your life, a grave inevitably awaits you. Strive to ensure that, while waiting for it, you prepare for yourself the transition from the present life to the future. Love the deeds of justice: in the grave we will receive permission, in the grave our mortal shell will be destroyed. Let us try to avoid the coming judgment, I beg you, brothers! One should speak and listen about this subject with no other feelings than with the determination to acquire a thirst for truth. See how the prophet cries: “Oh, what a day of the Lord, for the day of the Lord is at hand” (Joel 1:15)! If the prophet trembles at the memory of this day, then should we, guilty of countless sins, remember it without fear? Let us have mercy on the Judge with repentance, let us atone for our sins, let us be afraid of this truly terrible threat of Him: “Whoever denies Me before men, him I also will deny (and not only the one who is rejected in words, but also the one who is rejected in deed is rejected) before My Heavenly Father; whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33, 32 ). If these words - just spoken - already inspire fear, then what will we have to experience when contemplating the very deeds that correspond to them? Imagine, brothers, this picture: here is the Judge of the universe seated. Before Him are the Angels and Archangels, He is glorified by the Cherubim, the worldly Powers, the heavenly Armies, and among them the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs; here are those who were kings, rulers, judges, nobles, rich, poor, wise men, simpletons - they all stand before the throne of the King, and in front of so many witnesses - heavenly and earthly - the Judge pronounces a sentence and denies being alien to him before the Heavenly Father! “I will deny,” He said, whoever denies Me before men, before My Father in Heaven (see Matthew 10:33) (9). You might be interested in: