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Matthew 18:3. and said: Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven; “If you do not humble yourself and become like children, says the Savior, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). Oh, how necessary it is for us to be humble, like those. Without humility there cannot be a simple, sincere faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. My God, Lord Jesus Christ! Grant me to be a child of faith - simple, trusting" [2, 328]. “It is necessary to acquire a heart in the spiritual sense that is pure and tender, humble, soft, which would easily feel the poisonousness of every sin, which would hurt from everything that is disgusting to the Most Holy Lord, and with its pain draws out tears that cleanse the filth of the heart; he must be taught to sincerity and sincere love for all people, and in particular to compassionate love for the poor and unfortunate. Simplicity and sincerity of heart are dear to God. The apostles were chosen not from the wise and reasonable people of this age, because they are evil, but from infants, that is, from people who, in their concepts, simplicity and innocence, are like infants. Earthly wisdom is sometimes ashamed of the simplicity of the Gospel, but this is the very wisdom that all people must learn if they value eternal happiness. Everyone should learn from the Gospel and the Apostolic Epistles holy simplicity, sincerity, purity and love. Unless you turn and become like children,” said the Savior, “you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3)” [2, 410]. “When you are outraged by thoughts of unbelief or blasphemy, then put yourself in the state of your former innocence, when you were seven or eight years old, etc. and when you unquestioningly revered the shrine. This is a powerful weapon against thoughts. If you do not humble yourself, you will become like children... (Matthew 18:3). Every bad thought, the slightest inclination of the flesh towards laziness, every ear of laziness, destroy at the very beginning. The slightest mistake on your part will give her the means to take possession of you. Beware" [2, 471]. “We must remember more often the words of Spasov: unless you humble yourself and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven [Matt. 18:3, 4] and the Apostle: As newborn babes, love verbal and unflattering milk, so that in it (them) you may grow unto salvation [1 Pet. 2:2 ], (unflattering – not deceptive, unfeigned, true)” [5, vol. 2, 555]. Matthew 18:6. “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.” “Sometimes the enemy tricks us in that when we see any sin or vice in a brother or in society, he strikes our heart with indifference and coldness, reluctance or, rather, shameful cowardice to say a firm, accusatory word to untruth, to break the horn of the sinner. Christ the King! Grant me apostolic zeal and the fire of the Holy Spirit in my heart, so that I may always boldly rebel against the impudent vice that has especially infected many, and may I not spare anyone for the sake of their salvation and the rest of Your people, so that they are not tempted, seeing the spread of vice, and do not fall themselves. If he seduces one from these little ones who believe in Me, let him not eat, and let the millstone of the village fall upon his neck, and drown in the abyss of the sea. For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost [Matt. 18:6, 11]" [5, vol. 1, 126]. “The enemy also deceives me in that when I see any sin or vice in a brother or in society, he strikes my heart with indifference and coldness towards him, reluctance or, rather, shameful cowardice - to say a firm, accusatory word to unrighteousness and break the horn of the sinner (Wed: Ps. 74:11); I become a dumb dog, unable to bark: psynemia, as it is said about us, who cannot bark (Isa. 56:10). - Christ the King! Grant me apostolic zeal and the fire of the Holy Spirit in my heart, so that I may always boldly rebel against the impudent vice that has especially infected many, and may I not spare anyone for the sake of their salvation and the rest of Your people, so that they are not tempted, seeing the spread of vice, and do not fall themselves. Whoever shall offend one of these little ones... (Matthew 18:6) the Son of Man will come to seek and save the lost (Matthew 18:11)” [8, 536]. Matthew 18:10. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.” “Matt. Ch. 18, art. 10 onwards. See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. Why should one be particularly careful not to tempt any of those who believe in the Lord? Because the Son of God Himself appeared on earth in the flesh precisely in order to find and save the lost. For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost (Matthew 18:11)” [1, 80]. Matthew 18:11. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:12. “What do you think? If someone had a hundred sheep, and one of them got lost, would he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go looking for the lost one?” Matthew 18:13. “and if he happens to find her, then, verily, I say to you, he rejoices over her more than over the ninety-nine who were not lost.” "12 Art. and further. What do you think? If someone had a hundred sheep, and one of them got lost, would he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go looking for the lost one? and if he happens to find her, then, truly, I tell you, he rejoices over her more than over the ninety-nine who were not lost. Thus, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:12–14). Note here: It was not for nothing that the Savior used such a comparison, that is, He called Himself vaguely a certain man or householder who has a hundred sheep. By His sheep He means all His rational creatures - both Angels and men, just as He usually calls all people His sheep in the Gospel, and Himself the Shepherd. So, look: the Lord’s wealth consists, among other things, in a hundred sheep. These sheep - rational and verbal - are Angels and people. One of these sheep got lost. Who is this lost sheep? - Man, or the entire human race - from Adam to the last man who will be born on the last day of the world, because the Lord became incarnate for everyone, suffered and died. Do you see how many sheep the Lord has; because of the multitude, He does not count them according to our human counting: all people from the beginning of the world to the end are taken as one sheep; The angelic world consists of ninety-nine sheep. In order to have a sufficient understanding of the number of Angels in heaven, serving the Lord day and night (in our opinion), take the number of people - from the first person on earth to the very last one who will be born on the last day of the world, ninety-nine times - and you will receive the number of the Angels of the Lord living in heaven. Let us assume that the number of all people from the beginning of the world until now is septillion - a number that people never reach and will not reach in their accounts, because it would be necessary to count several years - the Angels will all be ninety-nine septillion. You see how the Lord God has many rational and verbal creatures, pure and holy, who know how to serve their Creator with righteousness, holiness, thanksgiving and praise, not like a person who is sinful and all filth, forgets God every day and, like an unreasonable creature, does not know about the duty of thanksgiving and praise to his Creator. And the Lord God did not leave us, lost, covered with purulent scabs of sins and His unclean sheep. Since we are covered with flesh and, due to its coarseness, could not ascend in mind and heart to our Creator, we darkened His light within ourselves, we got lost through our own negligence - He Himself clothed ourselves with flesh so that people would see the life-giving light of the eyes of their souls, so that He Himself could seek and save His sheep that perished far from Him. Look: He left for us ninety-nine of His best, faithful sheep in the mountains, that is, in the high spaces of the sky, and went to us on earth to look for one lost sheep. Having found her, He took her on His shoulder and joyfully brought her to His Father. You see how the Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son love us. Is it possible for those who themselves are trying for it to despair of their salvation” [1, 80]. “How pleasant is it for you, how fun is it when you find some lost, necessary and valuable thing? You are ready to jump for joy. – Imagine how pleasing it is to the Heavenly Father at the sight of His lost child - a sinner man, but found, at the sight of His lost and revived sheep (See: Matt. 18:13), at the sight of His lost and found drachma - that is, this living image of God - man (See: Luke 15:8-10)? It is impossible to describe this joy, just as God Himself is indescribable and infinitely perfect - in all His properties! The Heavenly Father’s joy over His lost and found prodigal son is so great (See: Luke 15:11-32) that the entire loving and benevolent heaven strives for joy: for there is joy in heaven over one repentant sinner (Wed: Luke 15:7). – Perishing brothers and sisters! Return from the path of destruction to the Heavenly Father. Repent: the Kingdom of Heaven is drawing near (Matthew 3:2, 4:17)” [11, 298]. Matthew 18:15. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; If he listens to you, then you have gained your brother.” Matthew 18:16. “But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Matthew 18:17. “If he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a publican.” “Our salvation is in the Church, as in Noah’s Ark, and nowhere else. If the church disobeys, you will be like a pagan and a publican (Matthew 18:17). – The Church is us, the body of Christ (Cf.: 1 Cor. 12:27), and He, Christ, is the Savior of the body; and we are members of the body, of His flesh and of His bones. The helmsman is the Holy Spirit, that is, the verbal ship of the Church. Only in the Church, as in Noah’s Ark, can one be saved. The pious Cornelius the centurion, a former pagan who always prayed and gave alms, was instructed by an Angel to call the Apostle Peter and from him hear the word of salvation and receive baptism with the whole house (See: Acts 10:1-31). Significant. – Whoever is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5); Mohammedans - will not enter, Jews - will not enter, idolaters - will not enter, heretics - will not enter, sectarians - will not enter; fornicators, adulterers, covetous people, offenders, drunkards, thieves - will not inherit the Kingdom of God (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9-10). Quickly lay hold of eternal life and prepare for it. Don't be late. Only by true faith in Christ and in His Church will we be saved and by works of love” [4, 38]. "When two or three witnesses have spoken, every verb will stand (Matthew 18:16; Deut. 19:15). - The devil often blasphemes one of the saints in us or slanderes some truth. Servant of Christ! You have the whole Church of Christ as a witness to the holiness of God's elect or the truth of a well-known dogma, decree, rule, ritual - Christ Himself and the Spirit God. - Who else should you listen to? - Is this the creeping serpent in the darkness - His corruptive breath? - By his fruit you will know him (cf. Matthew 7:16, 20)" Matthew 18:20. “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” “The omnipresence of the Lord explains how He at one and the same time dwells or rests in millions of Christian souls, in thousands of Christian churches, in thousands and other such places, where two or three congregations are held in His name (Matthew 18:20). He embraces, surrounds us, always looks at us with His brightest eyes of the sun, but we often do not notice Him with the eyes of our souls, we consider Him as if far from ourselves. “The Lord is near” [2, 78]. “When necessary, the Omnipresent One thunders in a certain place with His voice, as, for example, God the Father thundered, testifying to His Son; or the Son of God Jesus Christ also thundered from heaven to Saul; in the Old Testament He appeared on earth, either in the bush where He called Himself, or at Sinai, where he had a long talk with Moses; so, out of condescension towards our weakness, God, from His omnipresence, seems to limit Himself, becoming Existing, as it were, only in a certain place. So He is now, according to His promise, present where two or three are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20)” [2, 293]. “For there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them [Matthew 18:20]. I revere even two or three praying together: for according to the promise of the Lord He Himself is among them; all the more I reverence a large congregation. Conciliar prayer is successful and fruitful if it is friendly, unanimous (gather in My name), The diligent prayer of the Church for the Apostle Peter immediately reached the throne of God, and the Lord sent His Angel to miraculously free Peter from prison, whom Herod wanted to kill. The friendly prayer of the Apostles Paul and Silas brought down to them heavenly miraculous help from the Holy Spirit [Acts 12:5-11; Acts 16:24-26]. “How quickly God hears the prayer of two or three praying together from the heart. Where there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them [Matt. 18:20], says the Lord Himself” [5, vol. 2, 536]. “Where there are two or three gathered in My name, I am in the midst of them [Matthew 18:20]. Why is the co-presence of God promised primarily to two or three? Because where two or three have gathered in the name of Christ, there is the Church, the unity of faith and love, there is mutual love. Everyone understands this, as My disciples naturally, if there is love between himself [John 13:35]" [5, vol. 2, 339]. “July 21. To the God-loving gathering in the mother of Russian cities, God-saved Kyiv, of the Right Reverend Bishops and the entire consecrated Council with the pious zealots of the Holy Orthodox Church from the laity - my heartfelt greetings in the Lord, in the spirit of Christ's filial and brotherly love. Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)” [4, 32]. “What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth? - This means to believe that God in every place and in every place sees and hears those praying to Him, sighing to Him, repenting to Him, thanking and glorifying Him - and not in a certain place, for example, on some mountain, as the Samaritan woman thought, or only in the church, although, without a doubt, in the church God is closer to us, according to His own promise; where there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20), and especially because of His Holy Mysteries celebrated here: to bow in spirit and truth (John 4:23) means to pray to God in communion with the Church with all your heart, with all your mind, with all zeal and reverence, with living faith, with with firm hope - and not just uttering words without meaning and feeling, or nodding your head and moving your hand without living thought and living feeling. This last is not prayer, but only a lifeless shadow of prayer; it does not appease, but angers God. May God deliver each of us from such prayer. – Let us all learn to worship God in spirit and truth: by praying, we will bring to God the fruits of prayer: unfeigned repentance, correction of the heart and whole life, we will be zealous for every virtue. This will be the worship of God in spirit and truth. Amen" [9, 139]. Matthew 18:21. “Then Peter came to Him and said: Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? up to seven times? Matthew 18:22. “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, up to seven times, but unto seventy times seven.” “You easily forgive yourself everything; if you sin against God or against people, easily forgive others. Love your neighbor as yourself, forgive him a lot. If my brother sins against me many times, will I forgive him up to seven times? I do not tell you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven [Matt. 18:21, 22], says the Lord. This is where love is known. Even this is not enough for love: love loves its enemies, does good to those who hate it, blesses those who curse it and prays for those who offend it [See: Lk. 6:27, 28]" [5, vol. 1, 196]. “If he falls seven times, and repents seven times, saying: I repent, leave it to him [Cf.: Luke 17:4; Matt. 18:21, 22]. The Lord knows, as the Knower of the Heart, that people are prone to very frequent falls, and when they fall, they often rise up, therefore he gave the commandment - to forgive sins often; and He Himself is the first to fulfill His holy word: - as soon as you say from with all my heart: I repent, he immediately forgives” [5, vol. 2, 550]. “You live with an evil person, let’s say with a wife or a mother-in-law, or a sister-in-law, and they, as they say, often gnaw at you, eat you with words, and give you no peace; or, if your wife is a stepmother to your children, she scolds your son or daughter; You yourself are angry with her and secretly with inner contempt you tell others: she is evil, like a viper, and you say: I would like to break up with her. My friend! Don’t rush, be patient - this is the enemy’s temptation for you: he tempts you, by God’s permission, through your wife (or through your relatives - brothers, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law), and she is the enemy’s pathetic instrument: the malice of your wife (or your relatives) is nothing more than a strong pretext of the enemy; her evil antics can be called fits of malice, exactly in the same way as a drunkard has fits of drunkenness, an adulterer has fits of fornication, a glutton has fits of gluttony or extreme greed for food, a money lover has fits of avarice, a stingy person has fits of stinginess, a proud person has fits of pride, an idle talker has fits idle talk, for a lazy person - laziness. These attacks will pass: and again your enemy will be a person who, as they say, is at ease. In the name of the Lord, I pray to you, brothers, be patient, take pity on the poor person who is being violated by the enemy, especially on the woman: she is a weak creature, due to her sensitive heart she is especially irritable and prone to anger from the enemy, for the enemy attacks our weak sides; have patience, endure a thousand times, endure without number: because the enemy does not sleep and is tireless and does not count his attacks; don't get excited, don't rush; remember that we all have our own passions, our own passions, which are also hated by others. But what if they wouldn’t tolerate us either, if they wouldn’t endure the attacks of our passions? Oh! Beloved brothers, we all walk among the snares of the enemy, who by all means wants to laugh at us, at our life according to Christ; So that he does not laugh at us at all and does not destroy us, there is only one way left: to endure his machinations generously and not to get excited: with your patience save your souls (Luke 21:19), says the Lord. Why patience? Because the enemy is trying in every possible way to overshadow and confuse us on the path of salvation. Remember the merciful words of the Savior to Peter’s question: Lord, if my brother sins against me, will I forgive him sevenfold? – I do not tell you: up to seven times, but seven and ten times seven (Matthew 18:21–22). The passion will pass, and the person will be kind again. They usually say about such people: time brings something to him, but he is a good person. This presence has the pretext of an enemy” [8, 347]. “Despondency in a Christian is madness: for tell me, why should we be despondent? About sins? But Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). They overcome sin, God’s love for mankind, and Christ commanded to forgive those who fall into sins seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). About the machinations of the enemy, about his grave attacks on our soul? “But this prepares us for crowns of patience; it is our honor that for the sake of life in Christ we experience various dirty tricks from him” [8, 289]. Matthew 18:23. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants;” Matthew 18:24. “When he began to reckon, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;” Matthew 18:25. “And since he did not have anything to pay with, his sovereign ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and to pay;” Matthew 18:26. “Then that slave fell, and, bowing to him, said: Sir! Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you everything.” Matthew 18:27. “The Emperor, having mercy on that slave, released him and forgave him the debt.” Matthew 18:28. “The servant went out and found one of his companions who owed him a hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and strangled him, saying: Pay me what you owe.” Matthew 18:29. “Then his companion fell at his feet and begged him and said, “Have patience with me, and I will give you everything.” Matthew 18:30. “But he didn’t want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt.” Matthew 18:31. “His comrades, seeing what had happened, were very upset and, when they came, they told their sovereign everything that had happened.” Matthew 18:32. “Then his sovereign calls him and says: evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.” Matthew 18:33. “Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your companion, just as I had mercy on you?” Matthew 18:34. “And his sovereign became angry and handed him over to the torturers until he paid him back the entire debt.” Matthew 18:35. “So will My Heavenly Father do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother his sins from his heart.” “Today, beloved brethren, the Gospel parable of the Savior was read, in which He, the Lord our God, likened the Kingdom of Heaven or His Righteous Judgment over people to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to reckon, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents, that is, twenty million! Or - simply without a number, because a definite number is put here instead of an indefinite one. And since he did not have anything to pay with, his sovereign ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and to pay. Then that slave fell and, bowing to him, said: Sir! Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything. The Emperor, having mercy on that slave, released him and forgave him the debt. That servant, going out, found one of his comrades, who owed him one hundred denarii, at our expense - no more than twenty rubles, and, grabbing him, he strangled him, saying: give me what you owe. Then his comrade fell at his feet, begged him and said: have patience with me, and I will give you everything. But he didn’t want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt. His comrades, seeing what had happened, were very upset and, when they came, they told their sovereign everything that had happened. Then his sovereign calls him and says: evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me; Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your companion, just as I had mercy on you? And, angry, his sovereign handed him over to the torturers until he paid him all the debt. So will My Heavenly Father do to you,” the Lord concluded His speech, “if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins (Matthew 18:23–35). I repeated the entire Gospel I read so that you would remember it better. It is not to our credit that today’s Gospel depicts the extreme hardness and malice of the human heart towards our neighbors. From the very time when people, through sin, surrendered to the leader of evil, the devil, HE built a strong nest for himself in their hearts, planting in it his hellish malice, which he has since shown very often in very rude, violent forms. Biblical and civil history and the diaries of our Time are full of examples of this malice and hard-heartedness of people because of self-interest, because of my desire to exploit the property of my neighbor predatorily, or because of offended pride, because of wild whim, because of unsatisfied animal love, many and very often do not think about plunging a knife into the heart or throat of a neighbor or otherwise taking his life in some way, not to mention quarrels, disputes, curses, trials and other expressions of human malice" [9, 223]. “Through prayer we atone for our sins. “He has forgiven you all the debt, because you have begged Me [Matt. 18:32]. Experience says the same” [5, vol. 2, 494]. “The one who prays must hope to beg the Lord for all sins: I will forgive you all the debt, since you have begged Me [Matt. 18:32], for there is no sin that overcomes God’s love for mankind [mol. 4 to St. communion]. The blood of the Son of God cleanses us from all sin [1 John. 1:7] (Mary of Egypt). If anyone sins, the imams will intercede with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous [1 Jn. 2:1]" [5, vol. 2, 525]. "ABOUT! How far I am from the Spirit of Christ, from the spirit of patience, from His Cross. He allowed the villains to mock His Most Pure Body, to spit on His face, to hit His cheek, to pierce His head with a cane, to lift Himself up on the Cross, to pierce His legs and arms with nails, and to pierce His side. What about me? – And I lose my temper when others do, in my opinion, some injustice to my material property, when they take my money, eat my bread and salt, tea and sugar for free. No one scolds me, does not spit in my face, does not hit me on the cheeks, no one has ever pierced my head with a cane, no one has pierced my arms and legs - and I almost declare war on my neighbors, who cause damage not to my body, not to my life, but only to my material wealth, my generosity and hospitality. Lord, because I truly suffer in my entrails, because severe stomach pains torment me, because I expressed displeasure at the imaginary insults of my brethren, who often partake of my table, because I was greedy - so I suffer in my belly. For whoever sins is the one who suffers (Wis. 11:17). Grant me, Lord, at least from now on to come to my senses completely and to endure with love (Compare: 1 Cor. 13:4) the frequent guests who come to me. - God! I am a sinner and a great sinner: have mercy on me! Generous! Grant me to be generous. Lender, to whom I owe ten talents, grant me to readily forgive my debtors, who owe only ten talents (cf. Matthew 18:24–34). Amen" [10, 92]. 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