Беседа 36

Acts 16:25–26. Around midnight, Paul and Silas, praying, sang praises to God; the prisoners listened to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison shook; immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened. You need to pray at night. – About the true calling of God. 1. What can compare with the souls (of Paul and Silas)? They suffered blows, received many wounds, endured insults, were in extreme danger, were in chains, kept in an inner prison; but even at the same time they did not allow themselves to sleep, but stayed awake throughout the night. Look what a blessing sorrow is. And we sleep on soft beds, and without any danger, throughout the night. Perhaps they were awake because they were in such circumstances. Neither the power of sleep overpowered them, nor did suffering exhaust them, nor did fear depress them; but all this excited them even more and filled them with great joy. “About midnight,” says (the writer), “they sang to God; the prisoners listened to them." The prisoners thought this was strange and unusual. “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook; immediately all the doors opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.” The earthquake was such that (the watchman) woke up; the doors opened so that one could not help but be surprised at what had happened; but the prisoners did not see this; otherwise they would all run away. “The prison guard, waking up and seeing that the doors of the prison were open, drew a sword and wanted to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here” (Acts 16:27–28). He was especially amazed at Paul’s philanthropy, and was amazed at his courage, how he, having the opportunity to escape, did not run away, and was kept from committing suicide. “He demanded fire, ran into the prison and fell in trepidation to Paul and Silas, and, leading them out, said: my lords! What should I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:29–30). Do you see how the miracle struck him? “They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved. And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house” (Acts 16:31–32). By immediately entering into a conversation with him, they showed their love for him. “And taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and immediately was baptized himself and all his household. And when he brought them into his house, he offered a meal and rejoiced with all his house because he had believed in God” (Acts 16:33-34). He washed them, giving thanks and honoring them. “When the day had come, the commanders sent the city servants, saying: Let those people go” (Acts 16:35). The bosses, perhaps, found out about what had happened and did not dare to (come) let them go. “The prison guard announced this to Paul: the commanders have sent to release you; therefore come out now and go in peace. But Paul said to them: We, Roman citizens, were publicly beaten without trial and thrown into prison, and now we are being secretly released? no, let them come and take us out themselves. The city servants recounted these words to the governors, and they were frightened when they heard that these were Roman citizens. And, having arrived, they apologized to them and, taking them out, asked them to leave the city. They came out of prison and came to Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they taught them and departed” (Acts 16:36–40). And after the leaders announced, Paul does not come out, perhaps for the sake of Lydia and other brothers, or wanting to intimidate the leaders, so that no one would think that they were released at their own request, and in order to inspire courage in others (Christians). Threefold, beloved, was their guilt, namely: they put Roman citizens in prison, without trial, and publicly. You see how the apostles did many things in a human way. Let us compare with this night our nights, which are spent in feasting, drunkenness and disorder, during which there is sleep no different from death, or wakefulness worse than sleep. Some sleep insensitively, others remain awake in regret and misfortune, plotting, worrying about money, devising how to take revenge on those who have offended them, nurturing enmity, remembering offensive words spoken during the day, and thus ignite the fire of anger and commit unforgivable deeds. Look how Peter slept; with him it was according to God’s will, because an angel should have come and no one should have seen what happened (Acts 12:6). It’s also good that the watchman was not allowed to commit suicide. Why was this and not some other sign? Because it could especially enlighten and convince him, and if this had not happened, he would have been in danger, since it is not so much miracles that instruct us as what relates to our salvation. And so that it would not seem that the earthquake happened by itself, the next one happened as evidence of a miracle. It takes place at night, because (the apostles) did nothing out of vanity, but everything for salvation. The jailer was not evil; he imprisoned them in the inner prison because he received such an order, and not from himself. Why didn't Paul suddenly call on him? Because he was filled with fear and confusion and would not listen. Therefore, when Paul saw that he intended to kill himself, he warned and loudly said to him: “We are all here.” After this, he “demanded fire, ran into the prison and fell in trepidation to Paul and Silas.” The watchman fell at the feet of the prisoner! He drives them out and says: “My lords! What should I do to be saved?” What did they say? Note: he loved them not because he himself got rid of danger, but because he was struck by the power (of God). 2. Do you see what was there and what is here? There the girl was delivered from the spirit - and they threw (the apostles) into prison because they had delivered her from the demon; here they only showed the doors open - and (at the watchman) the doors of the heart were opened, the strict bonds were resolved and the light shone; after all, the light shone in his heart. “Runned in” and “crouched down”, and did not ask: what happened, how did it happen? - but immediately says: “What should I do to be saved?” What about Pavel? “Believe,” he says, “in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved.” The fact that their house will be saved has a great effect on people. “And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house.” He washed them, and washed himself; He washed them from their wounds, and he himself was washed from his sins; fed them, and was fed himself. “And he rejoiced,” says (the writer), although he received nothing but an interview and good hope. The proof of his faith is that he left everything (bad). What's worse than a jailer? What is crueler, what is harsher than him? But he accepted them with great honor. “I rejoiced,” not because I was freed from danger, but because I “believed in God.” “Believe,” said Paul, “in the Lord”; That’s why he added (the writer): “I believed in God,” so that it would not seem that a condemned and sinful person was being saved. “They beat them publicly without trial and threw them into prison,” so that this matter would not only be an act of grace, but also of them. See how grace works in various ways, how (Peter) came out and how (Paul), although they were both apostles. “They were scared,” says (the writer). They are afraid because they are “Roman citizens”, and not because they were unjustly imprisoned. “They asked to leave the city.” They asked for this as a favor. They, having come to Lydia and consoled her, then “went off.” The hospitable wife should not have been left in grief and bewilderment. “They set off,” not because they obeyed the leaders, but in haste to preach, since this city had already benefited greatly from the miracle. There was no point in staying here any longer; a miracle is great when those who performed it leave; then it itself cries out louder. The jailer's faith was here instead of a sermon. What can compare to this? He is bound (Paul) and the bound one looses, looses the strict bonds, looses the one who binds through the very thing that was bound. Truly this is a work of grace. “So,” he says, “come out now and go in peace,” i.e. safe, without fear of anything. On the other hand, they want him to remain safe, so that he will not be accused after that. They do not say: “they beat and threw into prison” those who performed miracles, since they would not pay attention to this, but, what could especially affect their souls, they say: “we, Roman citizens, without trial in public.” Let us always remember this prisoner, and not (only) the miracle. What is it, the Greeks will say, that he, being a prisoner, brought the prison guard to his senses? Who, they will say, could be convinced if not a rude, pitiful man, not distinguished by his intelligence, full of vices, easily convinced? To this they add: in general, who believed except the tanner, the porphyry seller, the eunuch, the jailer, slaves and women? But what will they say if we point to the dignitaries, to the centurion, the proconsul and others from that time until now, even to rulers and kings? However, I will say something else, more than this; Let's look at the same ordinary people. What, they will say, is surprising here? This is surprising; if someone were convinced of ordinary objects, then this would not be at all surprising; but when they speak about the resurrection, about the kingdom of heaven, about the wise life to simple people and convince them, this is much more amazing than convincing the wise. If there is no danger and someone convinces, then they point to the foolishness (of believers); but when they say, for example, to a slave: if you believe me, you will be in danger, everyone will be your enemies, you will have to die and endure many troubles, and with all this they capture his soul, then this is no longer from madness. If the (Christian) teaching were for pleasure, then this could rightly be said; if a slave learns something that philosophers would not accept, then this is the highest miracle. Let us imagine, if you like, that tanner and see what Peter talked to him about, or, if you like, that same prison guard. What did Paul tell him? He spoke about the fact that Christ has risen, that there is a resurrection of the dead, that there is a kingdom (of heaven), and he soon convinced this persuasive man. So what? Didn’t he also tell him about life, about the need to be chaste, refrain from covetousness, not be cruel, and give to others from his property? To be convinced of this, truly, is characteristic not of an insane, but of a great soul. Let us assume that they accepted the teaching more foolishly; but to adopt such a wise life for oneself - can this be due to unreason? Thus, the more unreasonably the person who is convinced and yet is convinced of what philosophers could not convince philosophers, the greater the miracle here, especially when women and slaves are convinced, and by deeds show what Plato and all the others (philosophers) could not convince anyone of. What am I saying: no one? Even themselves. Plato inspired that one should not despise wealth, he inspired by the fact that he collected so much property, so much money, gold rings and cups. Socrates himself instilled that one should not despise worldly glory, although he philosophized a lot about it - he instilled the idea that he did everything out of vanity. If you were familiar with his teaching, then I would expand on this more and show how much hypocrisy there is in them, and like Socrates himself, if you believe what his student says, all his teaching is permeated with vanity. 3. But let’s leave them and turn the conversation to ourselves. To the above we can add that they were convinced of this amidst dangers. So, let’s not be shameless, but let’s think about that night, about the shackles, about the chants, and let’s try to do the same ourselves; then we will open for ourselves not a prison, but heaven. If we pray, we can open the very sky. Elijah closed and opened heaven with prayer. And there is a prison in heaven. “Whatever you bind on earth,” says (Christ), “will be bound in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). Let us pray during the night and resolve these ties. And that prayer resolves sins, a widow can convince us of this (Luke 18:3), a friend who stood at the door at midnight and pushed (Luke 11:5) can convince us, Cornelius, to whom (the angel) said: “your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4), can convince us, who says: “a true widow and a lonely one trusts in God and continues in prayers and supplications.” day and night" (1 Timothy 5:5). If he says this about a widow, a weak wife, then even more so (one can say) about husbands. I have already told you about this, and now I will say: we will get up during the night; if you don’t read many prayers, then read one with attention, and that’s enough; I don’t demand anything more; if not in the middle of the night, then at least around the morning. Show that night is not only for the body, but also for the soul; do not let it pass in inaction, but give this reward to the Lord, or better yet, it will return to you again. Tell me: when we fall into a difficult situation, then whom do we not ask? And if we quickly receive what we ask for, we feel relieved. Where will you find that the one you ask is ready to thank you for what you ask? Where will you find it so that you don’t have to go and look for someone to ask, but always have it ready? Or not need others to ask through them? What could be more than this? He then especially fulfills (our requests) when we do not resort to others, just as a sincere friend then especially reproaches us for being distrustful of his friendship when we ask him through others. This is what we do to those who ask us; then we are especially favorable to them when they themselves turn to us, and not through others. But what do you say if I insulted Him? Stop insulting, approach Him with tears, and He will soon have mercy on you for your previous deeds. Just say that you offended Him, say it from the soul and from the depths of your heart, and you will receive forgiveness in everything. It is not so much that you desire that your sins be forgiven, but that He desires to forgive your sins. And that you have little desire for this, understand from the fact that you do not want to either stay awake or give away from your property; but He, in order to forgive us our sins, did not spare His only begotten, true and co-throne Son. Do you see that He desires to forgive your sins much more than you? Let us not be careless and let us not put off this matter. He is philanthropic and good; Let us only give Him a reason; and even this (He demands) only so that we do not remain obscene; otherwise He would have had mercy on us even without this. Just as we invent and use thousands of means for the good of our servants, so He cares about our salvation. “Let us stand before Him in confession” that He is good and merciful (Ps. 94:2). If you do not call on Him in truth, and do not cry out from your heart: forgive me, but only with your lips, then what will He do? What does it mean to call in truth? With good will, with zeal, from a pure heart. Just as they say about the world that it is true when nothing is mixed into it, so it is exactly the same here. He who truly calls Him and truly asks Him asks unceasingly and does not leave until he receives; and whoever does this hypocritically and wants only to fulfill the law does not call on Him in truth. Anyone, whoever it is, do not just say: I am a sinner, but also try to rid yourself of this glory; don’t just talk, but also lament. If you are distressed, then make an effort; if you don’t try, then you don’t grieve; if you do not lament, then you mock. Who, realizing that he is sick, does not do everything to get rid of the disease? Prayer is a great weapon. “If you,” says (Christ), “know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall the Heavenly Father” (Luke 11:13). Why don't you want to resort to Him? He loves you; can do more than anyone; both willing and able: what is stopping you? Nothing. So, let us approach Him with faith, approaching Him with gifts pleasing to Him: unforgettable malice, forbearance, meekness. Even if you were a sinner, boldly ask Him for forgiveness of sins, if you can imagine this good deed on your part; and even if you were a righteous person, if you do not have remembrance of malice, you will not receive any benefit. A person who has forgiven his neighbor cannot fail to receive perfect forgiveness (from God), because God is incomparably more loving than us; everyone knows this. What are you saying? If you can say (before God): I was offended, but I curbed my anger and overcame its violent outburst according to Your commandment, then will He not also forgive you? Without a doubt, he will forgive. Let us cleanse our souls from memory of malice; this will be enough for us to be heard; Let us pray with attention and great zeal so that we, having been rewarded with His great love for mankind, may be worthy of the promised blessings, grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Constantinople in 400 or 401. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: