Word on the text James. 5:16

“The prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16) Delivered on August 27, 1872 in the Lavra Trinity Cathedral The example of the great prophet of God Elijah St. The Apostle James teaches us what power our mutual prayers for each other can have. Himself a strict ascetic, even before being called by Christ the Savior to be one of the apostles, he lived the strict life of the Nazarenes, and was so zealous in prayer for his people to the Lord that his knees, from frequent falling in prayer, were covered with growths, the apostle and brother of the Lord shows us in the righteous man subservient to us, to what extent the prayerful intercession before God of one person can extend. The Kingdom of Israel, in which St. lived. the prophet Elijah fell away from God and introduced the worship of pagan gods; At the same time, the corruption of morals intensified in him. Zealous for the true God, the prophet prayed that it would not rain. For the sake of converting the wicked, he asked God for execution, which, by its gradual intensification, could little by little lead the people into contrition and turn them to the only sovereign king of the world, sending early and late rain to the earth. Pray that it may not rain, and that it may not rain on the earth for three years and six months (James 5:17). We see here the power of punishing prayer for the purpose of correction. But here is another experience of the power of the same prayer, but already merciful. And again you prayed, and the sky gave rain, and the earth grew its fruit (James 5:18). Pointing to such an example in the world of the Old Testament to Christians who in Christ Jesus were granted greater closeness to the Heavenly Father, St. The apostle gives reason to conclude that our prayers for each other will not remain fruitless before God. Therefore, the words of the Apostle can be applied to us, the children of the New Testament: the prayer of the righteous avails much. These words contain the conditions for the effectiveness of our prayer. The prayer of a righteous person can do a lot; therefore, it is not a self-seeking prayer, it is sent from the depths of a lover’s heart, it is a prayer devoted to the true benefits of one’s neighbor. He who serves his Lord in truth remembers first of all the commandment to love his neighbor, and therefore with all his soul he is ready to serve for him with that powerful instrument that is given to us in prayer. Trusting in the Lord, who told his disciples: whatever you ask of the Father in My name, I will do (John 14:13), he uses the boldness of love to intercede before the Heavenly Father for his fellow men, humbly prostrates himself before the Almighty and calls upon those who demand the great mercy of the Lord. Is there a threat of disaster? He, like a lightning rod, extracting from the cloud of future misfortune a spark of God's wrath, allows the thunderous cloud to resolve itself with an abundant outpouring of mercy. Remember the prayer of Abraham, when the Lord, who came to his booth, announced that he was going to carry out his judgment on the lawless Sodom and Gomorrah. There, in Sodom, lived Abraham's relative Lot the righteous; There, Abraham’s loving heart also included several other righteous people, for whom he considered it his duty to intercede. Remember what a debate he entered into with divine justice, contrasting it with fatherly goodness. The good opinion that he was generally accustomed to have about others made him fear that a significant number of good people, whom he guessed in wicked cities up to fifty, would perish along with the sinners. “Will You, Lord, destroy the righteous with the wicked,” he began to pray to the Lord. - It can’t be that you did this. Will the judge of all the earth act unjustly? Perhaps there are fifty righteous people in this city? “The Lord mercifully answered: if I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, then for their sake I will spare this whole place.” This answer leads the compassionate intercessor to bewilderment and fear: has he not already increased the number of righteous people too much? but once encouraged by the mercy of the Lord, he resumes his prayer speech: I dare to say to the Lord, I am dust and ashes: maybe there won’t be five righteous people there until fifty, only five. Will You then destroy the entire city? – Such a humble, but at the same time full of love, prayer deserved an answer: if I find forty-five righteous people there, I will not destroy them. And the intercessor has new courage and asks again: maybe there will only be forty righteous people there? “The request was successful this time too. – Abraham’s soul struggles between fear and hope: what if he asks for more? Wouldn't it be in vain? Or maybe one more prayer will save so many brothers. “Do not be angry, Lord, if I say again: perhaps there will be thirty righteous people.” - He did not pray in vain. “If I find thirty there, I won’t do it.” So, have Abraham’s boldness and love been completely exhausted? No, he says again: I dare to say to the Lord: maybe there will be twenty righteous people there? - And this condition is accepted. Abraham feels that the Lord, so merciful, will hear his prayer once again: may my Lord not be angry if I say one more time: maybe there will be ten righteous people there? “I will not destroy even for the sake of ten,” answered the Lord. We cannot say whether the long-suffering condescension to the intercessor would have lasted longer; but at least we see that it was not the Lord who first stopped this conversation, which was so comforting and encouraging for all those praying for others. Of course, the Lord does not need our intercession to have mercy on those who are worthy of mercy. But he treats us as good parents do, who, teaching their children to be charitable, give them, albeit small, means to help those in need. But the apostle also says: the prayer of the righteous can do much if it is hastened, that is, intensified. Prayer should not be a fleeting feeling in the soul, inspired only by external circumstances. It must always be inherent in the soul of a Christian, like the air needed to breathe. Only then does the soul feel itself in strength and strength, only then is it filled with life and joy, when it rises from the earthly and ascends to the heavenly, which is akin to it. Just as the chest, rising incessantly with its breath, shows the semblance of wings rising and falling in the movement of a bird - into the mountainous spaces, so the soul, rising in thought and feeling to the divine, and with a reverse movement towards itself, deepening into the consciousness of its weakness and sinfulness, is only more and more excited to raise its wings to God, so that in Him it can find peace, help and strength for itself and others. Who will give me a krill like a dove, and I will fly and rest (Ps. 54:7)? exclaimed the royal prayer book. These krills and this calmness are prayer. When these double movements of the soul ceased, in thought and feeling, from oneself to God, and from God to oneself, in order to again rush to the source of strength and life, then it would mean that our soul had died: just as the cessation of the oscillation of the breasts serves as a clear sign of the lifelessness of our body. This constant feeling in the soul, a prayerful feeling, can and should intensify from time to time. Just as when walking uphill or doing something hard, we use more effort, breathe more intensely, so in response to the needs of ourselves and our fellows, we can and must act with greater composure, renounce everything that burdens the spirit, call for help all the ways given to us in order to strengthen our prayer. From here arise various feats that contribute to our prayer. Thus, Christ the Savior in one case pointed out the need to combine prayer with fasting. By conquering sensuality, fasting gives more freedom to the spirit to act. In another case, the word of God indicates the combination of prayer and almsgiving. The Angel of the Lord said to the centurion Cornelius: Your prayers and your alms have been raised up as a memorial before God (Acts 10:4). In other cases, it excites us to strengthen and deepen the prayer by repeating it repeatedly. What especially contributes to the success of prayer is when it is performed not only by the person praying, but also by those for whom he offers prayer. Otherwise, the powerful prayer of the righteous may remain ineffective. This is what it was said to the prophet Jeremiah about the people of Israel: and do not pray for the good of these people (Jer. 14:11). And it was said to another prophet: if such righteous people as Noah, Daniel and Job rise up as intercessors for this people, then these righteous people themselves will be saved, and the land will be consumed: they will not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but these alone will be saved (Ezek. 14:14, 16, 18). What should we, brothers, do? We are not righteous. Can the promise of the effectiveness of our prayer for others also extend to us? Is it possible to apply to us the words of the apostle: our prayer can do much and hasten? I dare to answer based on the word of the great ascetic. St. John Climacus says: “Do not refuse to pray for the soul of another, even if you have not yet acquired the gift of prayer; because the faith of the one who asks has often saved and the one who prayed for him with contrition” (p. 352; 4th ed., 1894, p. 250). You see how all this is connected with each other and mutually helps each other. One has a deep consciousness of his helplessness and a strong faith that the other can help him with his prayer. Another also has a vivid sense of his powerlessness - and yet there is so much love not to deny his neighbor in his spiritual need as much as he can help. Thus, through the faith of the one asking, God gives strength to meager prayer, and weak prayer is warmed by love, flares up and brings help from God - help to the needy and reinforcement to the one praying. Let us, according to the commandment of the Lord and the Apostles, pray for each other, remembering that the example of the Lord’s Prayer given to us teaches us this continually. How is the Lord's Prayer given to us structured? - not from one person and not for one person, but from all, and for all, and to the common one heavenly Father of all. And this prayer is given not only to the righteous, but also to those who feel many debts before the Lord God. - Amen.