5. Царь и почтенный им подданный – преступник

It happens that the Tsar favors his subject, gives him a high rank, enriches him and shows him other high favors. But he, having become proud of the royal high mercy, shows ingratitude to the Tsar instead of gratitude, violates his laws, and is an ill-wisher to the Fatherland. Wanting to reject such an ungrateful and unscrupulous person from his mercy, the Tsar complains about him to the whole Fatherland and says about his crime and ingratitude: “I showed such and such a person, such and such a subject of mine, such and such mercies. But he neglected all this, and he repaid evil to me and to his Fatherland.” And such a criminal is deprived of all royal favor and is put to death. So God, the Heavenly King, complains to the whole world about people, His subjects, who know His name, but do not honor Him. They are enriched by various benefits from Him, but they all forget this, and are ungrateful to Him, they violate His holy and righteous law, and grieve and irritate Him, as we read in the books of the prophets and in the psalms about the ungrateful Jews: “they forgot His benefits and the wonders that He showed them” (Ps. 77:11). What did the Humane-loving Lord do for them? What kindnesses did you show? What good deeds have you shown? He chose them as His people and revealed His name to them. He heard the groaning of those who came to Egypt and were embittered against the tormentor, stood up for them and delivered them. He smote Egypt with its firstborn, and brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. He divided the Red Sea and brought Israel through the middle of it. He threw Pharaoh and his strength into the Red Sea. He led them through the desert and pleased them with all sorts of good things in the desert. He struck down their great kings in the face and killed the strong kings. And he gave the land as an inheritance to Israel his servant. And so “he brought them to the mountain of His holiness, to this mountain, which His right hand had acquired. And he drove out the nations from before them and divided their land by lot, ... and settled the tribes of Israel in their dwellings" (Ps. 77:54-55). But "how many times did they grieve Him in the wilderness, they angered Him in the land"* without water (Ps. 77:40), as it is written about in the books of Moses. So, having entered the promised land, “they still tempted and grieved the Most High God, and did not keep His statutes; and they turned away and retreated, like their fathers, turning into an unfaithful bow. And they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and provoked Him to anger with their idols. God heard and looked in anger, and greatly humiliated Israel” (Ps. 77:56-59). And their ingratitude testifies before heaven and earth: “Hear..., heaven, and listen, earth, for the Lord says: Sons I have begotten and exalted, but they have rejected Me. The ox knew his owner, and the donkey his master's manger; But Israel did not know Me, and My people did not understand” (Is. 1:2-3). He sent His servants, the prophets, to them to lead them to repentance and convert them to Himself. But Israel not only did not accept them, but also beat them. Then He Himself came to them in human form. But the holy evangelist testifies with pity to the world that “he came to his own, and his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). And not only did they not accept them, but they also blasphemed, embittered, quarreled and killed the One who came to save them. No matter what Christ the Lord did to them, no matter how hard he tried to turn them to repentance, they remained unhealed and bitter. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! How often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to!” Finally, they heard God’s terrible word: “Behold, your house is left to you empty” (Matthew 23:37–38). “Wrath is coming upon them to the end” (1 Thessalonians 2:16). And so the whole world sees the righteous destinies of God, sees and recognizes that they are righteously rejected from God. And the word of Christ was fulfilled, which he said: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people bearing its fruits” (Matthew 21:43). The pagans whom they abhorred were converted and called to Himself by God. And they stepped in in their place, and those who turned from idols to the Living God became people of God. But those who hypocritically worship God, profess the name of God with their lips, but renounce Him in deeds - they promised to serve God at Baptism, but serve the devil (whoever does whose will, serves him) - such Christians follow the hypocritical and obstinate Jews. And the denunciation of the Jews by the prophets and the Lord Himself for their unjust and ungrateful heart also applies to lying Christians. Christians took the place of Jews. They have taken the books of God’s word into their hands, but they do not want to live according to the word of God. They accepted Christ, but by their deeds they resist Him. They always listen to preachers as prophets sent from God, but they do not want to obey their teachings and, what is worse, they scold, slander and revile them. Therefore, just as the Jews are now exposed in the books of the saints before the whole world, so the ungrateful and false Christians on the last day at the Second Coming of Christ will be exposed before the holy Angels and the chosen ones of God. And the kingdom of God will be taken away from them, and then all the saints will see and recognize the righteous judgment of God. For what man did, said, planned, began, desired and sought in this world now, everything will follow him in another age, and will appear with him at the Judgment of Christ. Good, evil, secret deeds, words, thoughts of men will then be revealed to all Angels and people, says St. Basil the Great in his “Epistle to the Fallen Virgin.” Let us be afraid, Christians, and produce fruits worthy of repentance. May our sins not appear with us at the Judgment of Christ, like our rivals who denounce us; let us now atone for them with repentance and tears. May it not be said to us then: “Here is the man and his deeds!” Woe to the man with whom his sins will appear in worldwide disgrace! For according to his deeds he will be rewarded. Translation by P. Yungerov – Editorial office of “The ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: