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“In everything you want,” He says, “for people to do to you, do so to them” (Matthew 7:12). Do you see that He did not prescribe anything strange, but the same as nature had previously required? As you want, He says, for your neighbors to do to you, do so yourself. Do you want to be praised? Praise yourself. Do you want to avoid being kidnapped? Don't kidnap yourself. Do you want to be honored? Honor others yourself. Do you want to receive mercy? Show mercy yourself. Do you want to be loved? Love yourself. Do you want to avoid hearing bad things about yourself? Don't say anything like that yourself. And notice how precise the expressions are. He did not say: in everything, as you do not want them to do to you, but: in everything, as you want. Since there are two paths to virtue, one of which consists in avoiding vices, and the other in practicing virtues, He offers the latter, clearly pointing through it to the first. God opened the first way when He said: what you hate, do not do to another (see Tob. 4:15), and He clearly indicated the last, saying: in everything, as you want people to do to you, do so to them (2). The Prophet [David] says: “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways” (Ps. 127:1). Lest you think that fear is enough for you, he added: those who walk in His ways, pointing to both: those who fear and those who walk. Many, having the right faith, but leading a depraved life, became the most miserable of all. Therefore, so that his words would not seem unfair in this regard, he added: those who walk And what are these ways of God, if not a virtuous life? Some of the people shine with virginity, others are glorified by marriage, others are adorned with widowhood; some have rejected everything, others have rejected half; those ascend with a righteous life, these are for this reason God has created so many paths so that it is convenient for you to walk. Couldn't you keep your body clean after the Baptism bath? You can cleanse yourself with repentance, you can with wealth and alms. Don't you have wealth? You can look after the sick, visit a prisoner, give a cup of cold water, take a stranger under your roof, donate two mites like a widow, and weep with those who weep; and this is alms. But you have nothing, are completely poor, weak in body and can’t even walk? Endure all this with gratitude and you will receive a great reward. Such was the virtue of Lazarus. He did not help anyone with money: how could he do this without having the necessary food himself? He did not go to prison: how could he do this, not being able to get up himself? He did not visit the sick: how could he do this, being himself licked by dogs? But even without this, he acquired the reward for virtue by courageously enduring everything - by the fact that, seeing the cruel and inhuman in honor and luxury, and himself in such disasters, he did not utter a single obscene word. That is why he inherited Abraham’s bosom, although he was no better than a dead man, lying inactively before the rich man’s gate; crowned with the patriarch, who had accomplished so many good deeds, glorified and placed in his bosom was the one who did not give alms, did not shake hands with the offended, did not receive strangers, could not do anything else like that, but only thanked God for everything and received the bright crown of patience. Truly, gratitude, wisdom, patience amid such suffering are a great thing; this is the highest virtue. For this reason Job was crowned. That’s why the devil said: “skin for skin, but for his life a man will give all that he has” (Job 2:4). It is no small matter to curb a suffering soul so that it does not sin in anything. This is tantamount to martyrdom; this is the height of goodness (2). If some consider the path leading to life difficult, then this opinion stems only from their own laziness. See how the Savior makes this path convenient when he forbids interfering between dogs, giving oneself over to swine, and commands us to beware of false prophets—in every possible way instructs us to be careful. Even the very name in a close way contributes a lot to making it convenient - because it forces us to stay awake. Just as Paul does not say: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12), in order to dishearten, but in order to stir up the hearts of the soldiers, so exactly the Lord called the path of life difficult in order, so to speak, to awaken travelers from sleep. Not only that: He also encourages one to stay awake by further indicating that on this path there are many who puncture and - what is even more dangerous - the latter attack not openly, but covertly. This is exactly the kind of false prophets. But look not at this, says Christ, that this path is difficult and narrow, but at where it ends; and again, look not at the fact that the opposite path is wide and spacious, but at where it leads. Yet He says this in order to arouse courage in us. For the same purpose, He said in another place that “those who make effort delight him” (Matthew 11:12). An ascetic becomes more zealous when he clearly sees that the ascetic honors his difficult deeds. So, let us not grieve if many misfortunes happen to us along the way of life. The path may be sad and the gates may be narrow, but such is not the city to which they lead. That is why one should not expect peace here, nor should one assume anything sad there (6). [You] will say, virtue is difficult and difficult, and vice is accompanied by many pleasures; the latter path is wide and spacious, but the first is cramped and sad. But tell me, has it always been like this? Was it like this in the beginning? And you yourself, against your will, say what you say about virtue: the truth is so convincing! If there were two paths before you, one leading to the cave, and the other to heaven, and the one leading to the cave was wide, and the one leading to heaven was narrow, which path would you rather choose? No matter how much you try to object, you cannot contradict the undoubted truth, no matter how shameless you are. However, I will try to prove from the objects at hand that the path that has a difficult beginning, rather than the end, is more worthy of being chosen. Let's take for example, if you like, art; in them the beginning is full of labor, and the end is full of benefit. But, you say, no one will take up art without coercion; a young man who has become master of himself would rather choose to indulge in pleasures in the beginning, and endure countless misfortunes in the end, than to work in the beginning, and then reap the fruits of his labors. This means that such a choice is a matter of lonely thinking and childish carelessness, and the opposite choice is a matter of prudence and manly maturity. Likewise, if we were not children in mind, we would not be like a reckless orphan, but like a son guided by his father. Therefore, we must abandon childish judgment, and not place the blame on the objects themselves, and assign a charioteer to our conscience, who would not allow us to indulge in gluttony, but would force us to stretch forward and strive. Isn’t it absurd to force children to study subjects that have a difficult beginning and a rewarding end, while we ourselves behave in the opposite way in relation to spiritual subjects? Meanwhile, in everyday affairs it is completely unknown whether they will still have a good ending. Premature death, poverty, slander, change of circumstances and many other similar things are often left without fruit after many labors; and even if the workers do not lose everything, they do not reap much fruit, because in real life everything is subject to destruction. And here, too, we do not strive for empty and fleeting things and are not afraid of the end, but an even greater and most undoubted hope remains for us after leaving this life. Therefore, what forgiveness, what justification can those who do not want to work for virtue have? But, you may also ask, why is the path of virtue narrow? How? You do not allow any of the adulterers, drunkards and debauchees to enter the earthly royal palaces, but do you want to open the way to heaven for people devoted to debauchery, luxury, drunkenness, greed and all vices? Is this worthy of any forgiveness? That’s not what I’m saying, you say, but why isn’t the path of virtue broad? No, if we want, it’s very convenient. What is really more convenient, tell me, to dig up a wall and, having stolen someone else’s property, then sit in prison, or, being content with your own property, to be free from all fear? But I haven't said everything yet. What is more convenient, tell me, to take away everyone’s property and, having enjoyed this little for a short time, suffer and torment forever, or, having lived for a short time in righteous poverty, then enjoy unceasing bliss (12)? You might be interested in: