Беседа 21

Eph.6:1–3. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is what justice requires. Honor your father and mother, this is the first commandment with a promise: May it be good for you and you will live long on earth. Vices at the royal court. - Praise of the monk Julian. – Under what conditions is wealth harmful? 1. Just as artists, when depicting bodies, begin with the head, then move on to the neck, and finally to the feet - this is exactly what Blessed Paul does in his speeches. Having spoken first about the husband, then about the wife, the second power, he finally proceeds successively to the third - he talks about children - because the husband rules over the wife, and husband and wife rule over the children. So listen to what he says: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord... this is the first commandment with a promise.” Here he does not talk about Christ or about (other) sublime subjects, because the minds to which he addresses his speech are still tender; That’s why the exhortation is short, since children cannot follow a long word. For the same reason, he doesn’t talk about the kingdom (of God) - he’s not at that age to hear about it - but what the infant soul most and especially wants to hear, that’s what he says, namely, that it will live long. If anyone begins to inquire why (the apostle) does not speak to the children about the kingdom, but offers a commandment from the law (of Moses), we will say that (he did this to them because) they were still very young, and also because he understood very well that if the husband and wife were faithful to the law that he set out for them, then it would not cost them any more effort to subject the children to the same law. When a business gets a good start and has a true and solid foundation, then it goes and is directed very easily. But laying a foundation and placing a support - this is where the important difficulty lies. “Children,” he says, “obey your parents in the Lord,” that is, according to the will of the Lord, God, he says, commanded this. But what to do if the orders were indecent? True, it is unlikely that any father, even the most dishonest, would order his children anything indecent. However, for such a case (the apostle) gives instructions, saying: “in the Lord,” i.e., so that (by fulfilling the will of your parents) you will not offend God. For example, if the father is a pagan or a heretic, then one should no longer obey him, because this is not “in the Lord.” But in what sense is it said: “this is the first commandment”? The first should be called: “Do not kill, do not commit adultery.” (The Apostle) calls this commandment the first, not in relation to order, but in relation to promise. Some commandments, as directed against evil and to avert evil, are not connected with reward, but to others, as leading to the doing of good, a promise is attached. Notice what an amazing foundation for virtue (the apostle) believes - and rightly so - in the honor and respect of parents! Having forbidden bad deeds and intending to begin (the teaching) about good deeds, he commands, first of all, respect for parents, since for us, after God, they are the main culprits of life; therefore, it is fair that they are the first to have the right to taste good (fruits) from us, and then all other people. If someone is disrespectful to their parents, will they ever be disrespectful towards third parties? Having made the necessary admonition to the children, (the apostle) goes to the fathers, saying: “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). He did not say: love them; Nature itself draws them to this, even if they did not want it, and therefore it was unnecessary to lay down a law regarding this subject. But what does he say? “Do not provoke your children,” as many parents do, depriving their children of their inheritance, leaving them without care, treating them cruelly, like slaves, and not like freemen. Therefore he says: “Do not provoke your children.” Then, most importantly, he points out how to make them obedient, and says that this depends entirely on the head and boss. Just as he pointed out the reason for the wife’s obedience in her husband, with whom he therefore speaks about many things, begging him, among other things, to attract his wife to himself through the power of love, so in the present case he also puts the reason (for the children’s obedience) in him when he says: “but bring them up in the teaching and admonition of the Lord.” Do you see that when there is spiritual (good), carnal things will follow? Do you want your son to be obedient? From childhood, bring him up “in the teaching and admonition of the Lord.” Do not think that listening to the Divine Scriptures is unnecessary for him. There he will hear first of all: “Honor your father and mother” - words aimed at your benefit. Do not say: this (listening to the Scriptures) is the work of monks; Should I really make him a monk? There is no need for him to be a monk! What kind of fear is this in you - are you afraid of something that is full of many benefits? Make him a Christian. And it is very necessary for the laity to heed the teaching contained here (in Scripture), and especially for children. Children at this age do not know much, and what is added to their ignorance is that they learn something from pagan writings, studying in them the lives of wondrous, according to their concepts, heroes who served passions and feared death, such as Achilles, inconsolable and dying for his concubine, or another who indulges in drunkenness, and so on. So, he (your son) needs these medicines. 2. Isn’t it reckless to teach children the arts, send them to school for this, spare nothing for this, and not take care of raising them “in the teaching and admonition of the Lord”? We ourselves are the first to reap the fruits of such upbringing of our children, seeing them as impudent, intemperate, disobedient, and depraved. Let us not do this and listen to the admonitions of the blessed one (Paul): let us raise them “in the teaching and admonition of the Lord,” let us set an example for them, and let us make them practice reading the Scriptures from an early age. Alas! I say this all the time, but I think it’s in vain. But, despite all this, I will not stop fulfilling my duty. Why, tell me, don’t you imitate the ancients? Especially you women should be jealous of the wondrous ancient wives. You have a child, imitate Anna. Listen to what she did: she immediately brought him to the church. Who among you would not wish that his son should be Samuel once, rather than king of the whole universe a thousand times? You say: how is this possible? Why is it impossible? Because it is only impossible that you do not desire and do not entrust it to the One who can make it so. Who, you ask, can do this? God. That is why she (Anna) entrusted (her son) to Him (1 Samuel 1). Eli himself was not very capable of forming it; and how could he do this when he was unable to (manage) his own children? But the woman’s faith and her diligence achieved everything. Having given birth to her first child, one, and not yet knowing whether she would have other children, she did not say: I’ll wait; the child will grow up; let him enjoy life; I’ll let him spend his teenage years with me. Without thinking about it at all, she thinks about one thing, how to dedicate this spiritual image to God from the first fruits. We, men, are ashamed of such a woman’s wisdom: she presented him to God and left him there. This also glorified her marital union, because, having brought the first fruit (to God, she showed by this that) she was looking, first of all, for the spiritual; That’s why her womb became fertile, and she later had other children; That’s why she saw how much honor (her son) enjoyed in the world. If people pay for respect with respect, then isn’t it much more so for God, who, however, often does this without being himself honored? How long will we remain carnal? How long will we crawl on the earth? Everything we do should be secondary to caring for our children and raising them “in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.” Whoever, first of all, learns to be wise, will thereby acquire wealth that surpasses all wealth and the greatest glory. It is not so useful to educate a son by teaching him the art and external knowledge by which he will acquire money, as to teach him the art of despising money. If you want to make him rich, do this. Rich is not the one who needs a lot of property and owns a lot, but the one who needs nothing. Instill this in your son, teach him this; This is the greatest wealth. Do not worry about making him known by external learning and giving him glory, but try to teach him to despise the glory of this life; this will make him more famous and famous. It is possible for both rich and poor to do this; This is learned not from teachers and not from the teachings of science, but from the Divine Scriptures. Do not worry that your son will live here for a long time, but that there he will be rewarded with a boundless and endless life. Give him great things, not small things. Heed the words of Paul: “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Don’t try to make him a rhetorician, but teach him to be wise. If he is not a rhetorician, no harm will come from this; and in the absence of wisdom, the most abundant rhetoric will not bring any benefit. What is needed is good behavior, not wit, morality, not power of speech, deeds, not words: this is what the kingdom delivers, which bestows real benefits. Do not refine your tongue, but cleanse your soul. I say this not to ban education, but so that people do not become exclusively attached to it. Do not think that monks alone need instruction from the Scriptures; very many of these instructions are also needed for those children who must enter this (worldly) life. Just as when outfitting a ship, a helmsman and a full number of swimmers are needed, not for the one who always stands on the pier, but for the one who is constantly engaged in navigation, exactly the same (I must say) applies to the monk and the layman. The first, as if being on a storm-proof pier, spends his life carefree and protected from any excitement; and the latter is constantly overwhelmed and floats in the middle of the sea, fighting with many worries. Even though he himself (a worldly person) did not need (instruction), he may need it so that, if it happens, he will be able to stop the mouths of others. 3. Therefore, the more someone is honored in this life, the more such education is needed for him. Whether anyone moves in the royal palace - there are many Hellenes, philosophers, people inflated with temporary glory - here is exactly a place filled with those suffering from dropsy. This is exactly what the royal court is like. Everyone there is pompous and inflated, and those who are not try to become like that. What is it like, think about it, if your son, having entered there, enters like the best doctor, with instruments that are able to tame the arrogance of everyone, approaches everyone and talks, heals a sick body, applies medicine from the Scriptures, lavishes wise speeches. Who will the monk talk to? With the wall (of your cell) or with the roof? With the desert or wilds? With mountains or trees? So, such a teaching is not very necessary for him; despite the fact that he tries to improve himself in it, not in order to instruct others, but himself. As for people living in this (worldly) life, they really need such a teaching, because a worldly person is more tempted to sin than a monk. And, if you wish, know that he (with such an education) will be the most pleasant person in the world. Everyone will respect him for such speeches when they see that he is not hot-tempered and does not seek power; however, he will receive power without asking for it, and the king will be in great esteem. After all, such a thing cannot be hidden: a healthy person among many healthy ones can go unnoticed; but if among many sick people there is one healthy one, then rumors about him will soon reach the royal ears, and he will be entrusted with leadership over many nations. Knowing this, “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” What if someone is poor? Let him remain poor. That he will not be at court, this will not make him in any way inferior to the one who serves at court; on the contrary, he can become the subject of surprise, and soon receive the power he wants, and not the one he gets according to his intended purpose. If the Hellenes, people worth no more than three obols, the cynics (κύνες - dogs), having adopted the same philosophy, worth no more than three obols (this is truly Hellenic philosophy), or rather, not the philosophy itself, but only its name, putting on a mantle and growing hair, put many to shame, then isn’t a true philosopher capable of more? If a false guise, only the apparent shadow of philosophy, elevates so much, then what when will we fall in love with the true, bright philosophy? Won't everyone respect her? Should we not entrust to such (philosophers), without any fear, houses, wives, and children? But no, there are no such philosophers today! And therefore it is impossible to find an example. There is, however, between monks, but not between laymen. That there are such examples among monks, many can be cited as proof; but I will point out one of many. You probably know, you have heard, and some, of course, have seen the person about whom I intend to talk now: I mean the marvelous Julian. He was a man of simple rank, humble; He was born in an ignorant place and was completely ignorant of secular wisdom, but full of true wisdom. When he appeared in the city - which happened rarely - so many people flocked around him that neither rhetoricians, nor sophists, nor anyone else had such a crowd. What can we say about this? Is not his name more glorified to this day than all kings? So, if there are so many (exalted true wise men) in this world, where the Lord has not promised us any good - in a world in which, according to Him, we are strangers - then let us think about what good things are prepared for them in heaven? If here, where they are strangers, they have such honor, then what kind of glory will they enjoy where they are citizens? If here, where sorrow is promised, such is their honor, then what will be their peace of mind there, where real honors are shared? Do you want us to point out the (philosophical) laity too? But now we don't have them. True, among the laity there are reverent people, but they do not rise to the heights of wisdom. Therefore, I will present you with examples from the ancient saints. How many of those who had wives and raised children were no worse, I repeat, no worse than those we mentioned! But now they are no longer there, due to the need that has arisen, as this blessed one says. Who do you want me to tell you about? About Noah or Abraham? About the son of the latter, or the son of the first? Or about Joseph? Or do you want to hear about the prophets - Moses or Isaiah? 4. But, if you wish, let’s stop the word with Abraham, to whom everyone especially constantly points out to us. Didn't he have a wife? Didn't he have children? I will tell you the same thing that you tell us. He had a wife, but that's not what made him famous, that he had a wife. He had wealth, but it was not through wealth that he became pleasing to God. He gave birth to children, but he was not pleased because he had children. He acquired three hundred and eighteen household members, but that is not why he became a subject of surprise. Do you want to know what (made him famous)? That he loved strangers, despised wealth, and was modest. Tell me, what is the quality of a philosopher? Shouldn't we despise wealth and fame? Shouldn't we stand above envy and all passion? Now let's put Abraham in the middle, expose him and see what kind of philosopher he was? Firstly, he did not value his fatherland: “Go,” (the Lord) told him, “from your land, from your kindred” (Gen. 12:1), - and he immediately left. In this case, neither his parental home, nor the ties of friendship, nor anything else restrained him, otherwise he would not have left. Then, he did not value fame or wealth at all; Thus, when in war he put the enemies to flight, and he was offered to take the booty, he rejected it with contempt. In the same way, his son became worthy of admiration not because of his wealth, but because of his love of hobbies, not because he had children, but because he was obedient, and not because he had a wife, but because his wife was barren. (Both of them, Abraham and Isaac) considered real life as nothing, did not seek wealth and neglected everything. Tell me which plants are the best? Is it not those who contain strength within themselves, and do not suffer harm from rain, nor from hail, nor from the rush of winds, nor from any other similar causes, but stand openly, and having no need for either a roof or a fence, as if they despise everything? Such is the true philosopher, such is his wealth! He has nothing and has everything; has everything and has nothing. The wall is not from within, but from without, and the fence is not erected from nature, but from without. Also, tell me also, which body is especially strong? Is it the one that is healthy, that comfortably endures hunger, does not require satiety, does not suffer from cold, as well as heat, or the one that is unable to tolerate all this, and, in addition, for its health needs cooks, weavers, hunters and doctors? Truly, only a true philosopher, who does not need anything like that, is a rich man. That is why blessed (Paul) said: “educate them in the teaching and admonition of the Lord.” So, do not look for protection (for your children) in external goods: in this is wealth, in this is glory. When (temporary fame and wealth) pass - and they are impermanent - then (the people who possessed them) are like a helpless, damaged plant, which not only did not bring any profit in the past, but also produced a loss. So the protection that was supposed to protect against the rush of the winds now suddenly caused a fall. This means that wealth is more likely to harm if it makes us unprepared to endure the vicissitudes of life. So, let us educate our children so that they can endure everything and know how to act in the midst of adversity; we raise them “in the teaching and admonition of the Lord,” and we will be given a great reward. Indeed, if people who make statues of kings and paint their portraits enjoy great honor, then we, who adorn the image of the King of Heaven (because man is the image of God), will not enjoy much greater benefits for the fact that we restore God’s likeness? It is with this that the virtue of the soul can be compared when we teach children to be kind, not irritable, unmindful of malice, ready for good deeds, loving people (which is all characteristic of God), and when we instruct them not to value earthly goods. So, to educate and organize ourselves and them is our duty! Otherwise, how can we dare to appear before the throne of Christ? If one whose children are unbridled is unworthy of the episcopate, then much less (he is unworthy) of the kingdom of heaven. But what are you saying? Is it really possible that if our wives and children are disorderly, we will be held accountable for them? Yes, if (this happens) due to our failure to take strict measures, because our own virtue is not enough for salvation. If someone who does not use one talent not only does not receive any reward, but is also punished in a certain way, then it is clear that one’s own virtue is not enough for salvation, but the (virtue) of another is also required. So, let's take care of our wives, let's be especially prudent in relation to children, households and ourselves; When we begin to put both ourselves and them in order, we will begin to pray to God to help us in our labors. And He will help when He sees that we are trying to do this, that we are applying our concerns to this; if we are not busy with anything, then He will not give us His help. After all, God does not give us help when we sleep, but when we ourselves work. An assistant does not help the idle, but the one who himself works. However, the good God is able to accomplish the work by Himself, so that we will all be worthy to inherit the promised blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: