Слово 42. О том, что не следует нам смущаться, видя, как добрые люди терпят несчастья, злые же имеют все в изобилии; и о том, что живущий в грехах ничем не отличается от смердящего мертвеца.

Let none of you, beloved, be embarrassed to see that evil people are happy: here there is no reward for either untruth or virtue. If somehow this happens to untruth or virtue, it will not be due to merit, but simply as a foretaste of the Judgment, so that those who do not believe in the resurrection will come to their senses at least from what is happening here. Therefore, when we see the wicked living in luxury, let us not lose heart; When we see that a good man suffers evil, we will not be embarrassed, because there are crowns, there are punishments. And besides, it does not happen that an evil person is entirely evil, but he also has something good; also, so that the good one is entirely good, but he has some sins. Therefore, when the wicked prosper, it is to his own detriment: receiving reward here for that little good, he enjoys it here, and there he will suffer the final punishment. And especially blessed is the one who is punished here so that, having laid aside all his sins, he can leave glorified, pure and innocent. Teaching us this, Paul says: “That is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying,” and again: “he delivered such a one to Satan” (1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Cor. 5:5). And the prophet says: “from the hand of the Lord he received double for all his sins” (“received from the hand of the Lord greater sins”) (Is. 40:2); again David: “Look at my enemies, how many there are -... more than the hairs of my head... and with what fierce hatred they hate me” (Ps. 24:19, 39:13); and: “forgive all my sins” (Ps. 24:18); and another: “Lord! You give us peace; for You also arrange all our affairs for us” (“Lord, give us peace, for You have rewarded us with everything”) (Is. 26:12). But this points to the good who receive punishment for their sins here; and where does it say that the wicked, who enjoy the benefits here, will suffer the final punishment there? Listen to what Abraham says to the rich man: “You have already received your good things in your life, but Lazarus your evil things” (“thou hast received your good things, and Lazarus your evil things”) (Luke 16:25). Saying here: “received” and not “received”, shows that both suffered what was due, when one was in prosperity and the other in misfortune, and continues: “therefore he is comforted here - because, as you see, he is clean from sins - and you suffer” (Luke 16:25). Let us not be upset when we see that sinners live here happily, but when we ourselves endure disasters, we will rejoice, because this is retribution for sins. Let us not seek peace, because Christ promised sorrow to His disciples. And Paul says: “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Not a single valiant warrior looks for a bath and a table filled with food and wine at the place of competition; This is not the work of a warrior, but of a sissy. The warrior fights in dust, in oil, in the hot rays of the sun, in great sweat, oppression and difficulty; this is a time of struggle and competition; Therefore, you even need to accept wounds, bleed, and endure pain. Listen to what Blessed Paul says: “I do not fight so as to beat the air” (1 Cor. 9:26). Let us consider our whole life to be a field, we will never seek peace, when we are burdened, we will not be annoyed: after all, even a fist fighter, being in the field, will not be annoyed. There is another time of peace; we need to improve ourselves through tribulations. Although there is no persecution, there is no anxiety, but there are other sorrows that happen every day; If we can’t stand the latter, we would hardly be able to stand the former either. “Temptation... has come upon you,” says the apostle, “nothing less than human” (1 Cor. 10:13). Let us pray to God so that we do not enter into temptation; if we enter, we will endure it courageously. The first - not to be exposed to dangers - is a characteristic of prudent people, and the last - of courageous people and philosophers. Let us therefore not rush into danger in vain, because this is a sign of insolence; and being carried away, when circumstances call, we will not give in, because this is a sign of cowardice; but if the sermon calls, we will not refuse; without a reason, when there is no reason, no custom, no need calling for reverence for God, let us not run together, because this is boasting and excessive vanity; If something happens that harms piety, then, even if we have to endure thousands of deaths, we will not shy away from anything. Do not invite temptation when what concerns piety goes according to your desire. Why incur unnecessary dangers without any benefit? I say this out of a desire for you to keep the commandments of Christ, who commands us to pray so that we will not enter into temptation, and also commands us to take up the cross and follow Him. There is no contradiction in this, but on the contrary – great agreement. You act exactly as a courageous warrior dressed in weapons does, be constantly sober, alert, always expect the enemy. However, do not make wars, because this is not the work of a warrior, but of a rebel. When the trumpet of piety calls, immediately go out, neglect your soul and rush into battle with great courage: break the ranks of your opponents, cut the face of the devil, erect a victory sign. If there is no danger to piety, no one damages our dogmas (I speak in relation to the soul) and does not force us to do anything displeasing to God - do not be overzealous. The life of a Christian should abound in blood, not in the sense of shedding the blood of others, but in the sense of being ready to shed one’s own. So, with the same determination we will shed our own blood, when it is for Christ, with which someone would shed water, because blood is the same water flowing through the body, and with the same ease we will part with the body as we would part with clothes. This will happen when we are not attached to money, or houses, or addictions, when we do not depend on everything. If those who spend this life in military rank renounce everything, go where war calls, and endure everything with cheerfulness, then all the more so should we, the soldiers of Christ, equip ourselves and line up in the same way for the war against the passions. Now there is no persecution - and let there never be! But there is another war, a war of greed for money, envy, passions. Describing this war, Paul says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12). This war is always coming; therefore he desires that we should always stand armed. “Therefore,” he says, “stand, having girded your loins” (Eph. 6:14), indicating by this that the time has come, and that you always need to be armed. Great indeed is the war over the eyes, great over the tongue, which therefore we must restrain, great over the lusts. That is why he begins here to arm the warrior of Christ: “Stand therefore,” he says, “having girded your loins,” and adds: “with the truth” (Eph. 6:14). Why truth? Because lust is a mockery and a lie, as a result of which the prophet says: “My loins are full of inflammation” (“my stomach is filled with reproaches”) (Ps. 37:8). There is no pleasure in this matter, but only a shadow of pleasure. “Gird up your loins with truth,” he says, i.e. true pleasure, chastity, decency. He exhorts this way because he knows the vileness of sin and wants all our members to be protected: “the wrath,” it is said, “of the unrighteous cannot be justified” (Sir. 1:22); wants us to put on both the armor and the shield. Fury is a beast, easy to attack, and we need thousands of fences and walls to overcome and contain it. That is why God made for us this part in particular from bones, as if from some kind of stones, placing a barrier around it so that, having torn and cut it, it would not easily cause damage to the entire living creature. This, they say, is fire and storm - another member could not withstand such force. Doctors say that the lungs also support the heart so that the heart itself, hitting a soft object, like some kind of sponge, rests and is not damaged by rapid blows against the hard chest lying opposite it. Therefore, we need a strong shell to constantly keep this beast at rest; We also need a helmet. Since the thinking power is there, and salvation from it is possible if everything is in order, but destruction is also possible, therefore he says: “and the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17). The brain is soft by nature; therefore, like some kind of tile, it is covered from above by the crown; for us he serves as the source of everything good and bad, depending on whether he thinks properly or vice versa. Our legs and arms also need weapons, not these external arms and legs, but the arms and legs of the soul: the first, to do what they should; the latter to go where they should. So, beloved, let us do everything for that future life, do everything with it in mind. Vice is darkness, beloved; he is death, he is night: we see nothing of what is proper, we do nothing of what is proper. Just as the dead are ugly and smelly, so the souls of the wicked are filled with great uncleanness; their eyes are closed, their lips are closed, they remain motionless on the bed of vice, or better yet, they are even more pitiful than those who endure it. They are dead in both respects; and they are insensitive to virtue and alive to vice. If someone hits a dead man, he will not feel it, will not take revenge, but will be like a dry tree; so the soul that has lost life truly dries up: it receives thousands of wounds every day, and does not feel, remains impervious to everything. It would not be a mistake for anyone to compare such people with frenzied people, with drunkards, with madmen. All this is inherent in vice and it is the heaviest of all. The frenzied man meets with great compassion from the audience, because his illness is not from free desire, but solely from nature; and who lives in vice, how will he receive leniency? Where does vice come from, where do so many vicious people come from? Tell me first, where do evil diseases come from, where does madness come from, where does heavy sleep come from? Is it due to inattention? If natural illnesses originate in a free mood, then even more so – those caused by the will. Where does the drunkenness come from? Is it not from mental intemperance? Doesn't madness come from an excess of ardor? Isn’t ardor due to excessive elements in us? Isn’t the excess of elements in us due to inattention? When we allow insufficiency or inappropriate excess in ourselves, we light this fire. Again, when the flames get busy and we remain careless, we create a fire against ourselves that we are unable to put out. This is what happens with vice: when we don’t stop it at the beginning, don’t cut it off, then we are no longer able to prevent it from ending, it becomes beyond our strength. Therefore, I convince you that we will do everything to never fall asleep. Do you not see how those who are placed on guard, because they often indulge in little sleep, do not derive any benefit from the great guard? And this is because with that little sleep they ruin everything and provide great convenience to those who want to steal. And just as we do not watch the thieves so much as they watch us, so in particular the devil watches everyone, lies in wait, gnashes his teeth. Let's not sleep; Let’s not say: “This won’t do anything, and that won’t do anything”; We are often robbed where we do not expect. We will inspect everything carefully. Let's not get drunk and fall asleep; Let us not indulge in voluptuousness, and let us not fall asleep; Let us not be mad in relation to external objects, and we will remain in a wakeful state; We will organize ourselves in every possible way. Just as those walking on a tightrope cannot allow the slightest negligence, because a small mistake produces a great disaster - the one who misses immediately collapses and dies - so in the same way, negligence is not permissible for us. We are walking along a narrow path, surrounded by abysses on both sides, which does not even allow the possibility of putting both feet on at once. Don't you see how careful we need? Do you not see how those who walk on such paths not only strain their legs, but also their eyes? After all, if attention is turned to the side, then at least the foot is standing firmly, but the eye, clouded by depth, overthrows everything. You should watch yourself during the journey; therefore, as they say, neither right nor left. Great is the abyss of vice, great are the rapids, great is the darkness below. Let us adhere to the narrow path with fear, let us walk along it with trembling. No one walking along this path burdens himself with anything extra, because it is desirable to be able to walk well belted. No one tangles his legs, but leaves them free. And we, having bound ourselves with countless worries, burdened ourselves with countless everyday burdens, suffocating and languishing, how do we hope to travel the narrow path? He didn’t just say that it was cramped, but with a tinge of surprise: “for strait is the gate and narrow is the way” (Matthew 7:14), i.e. very cramped. This is what we do about what we are greatly amazed at. “And narrow,” he says, “is the path that leads into life.” And he said well: “close,” because if we must give an account of words, thoughts and actions, then it is really close. And we make it even tighter, spreading ourselves, widening and spreading our legs. The narrow path is painful for everyone, especially for those who are fat; just as, on the contrary, whoever exhausts himself will not feel cramped; so that whoever takes the trouble to constrain himself will not fall into despair from constraint. So, let no one expect to see Heaven with mental relaxation, because this cannot be; Let no one, while being pampered, hope to walk the narrow path, because it is impossible; let no one who walks along the broad path hope for life. Therefore, when you see someone enjoying baths, rich meals, or crowds of bodyguards, do not consider yourself unhappy because you do not enjoy the same, but mourn him because he is walking along a disastrous path. What is really the use of such a path when it ends sadly? What is the harm from that tightness when it leads to peace? Tell me: if someone, being called to the royal palace, walked through narrow, cramped and rocky passages, and someone else, being led to death, was dragged through the middle of the square - who, tell me, would we consider blessed and whom would we mourn? Wouldn't they mourn the one who walked along the long path? So now we call blessed not those who indulge in effeminacy, but those who do not: the latter rush to Heaven, and the former to Gehenna. Perhaps many of them will laugh at what we have said, but this is why I especially mourn and grieve them because they do not know what to laugh at, what to especially cry about, but they confuse, confuse, and upset everything. That's why I mourn them. What are you saying, man? Having to rebel, give an account of your deeds and undergo the final Judgment, do you not pay any attention to this, indulge in gluttony and drunkenness, and laugh at that? But I mourn you because I know about the disasters ahead of you and the punishment awaiting you; That’s why I especially mourn that you laugh. Weep with me, mourn with me your misfortunes. Tell me: if one of your loved ones had departed in Christ, would you not have turned away from those who laughed at his death and considered them enemies, and would you not have loved those who cried and condoled? So, when your wife lies dead, you turn away from the one who is laughing, and when the soul is dead, you turn away from the one who is shedding tears, and laugh yourself? Do you see how the devil has set us up - that we have become enemies and enemies to ourselves? Let us finally wake up, look around, be alert, strive towards eternal life, shake off the great sleep. The Judgment is coming, the resurrection is coming, the investigation of what has been done; The Lord walks on clouds: “there is fire before Him, and a strong storm around Him” (Ps. 49:3); a river of fire flows before Him, an undying worm, an unquenchable fire, pitch darkness, gnashing of teeth. Even if you were dissatisfied with this a thousand times, I say and will not stop. If the prophets did not remain silent, even when stoned, then all the more should we endure hostility and not talk to you for your pleasure, so that, having deceived you, we ourselves would not be cut into two. There the punishment is eternal, inconsolable, and there is no intercessor. “Who,” it is said, “will regret the bite of a snake charmer” (Sir.12:13)? If we don’t feel sorry for ourselves, who, say, will feel sorry for us? If you see someone stabbing himself with a sword, will you be able to spare him? No way. Moreover, when it depends on us to do the right thing and we don’t do it, who will spare us? Nobody. Let's take pity on ourselves. If we pray to God, saying: “Have mercy on me, Lord,” then we will say this to ourselves and have mercy on ourselves. It depends on us that God will have mercy on us - He has given us this: if we do what is worthy of mercy, if we do what is worthy of His love for mankind, then God will have mercy on us; If we don’t feel sorry for ourselves, then who will spare us? Have pity on your neighbor, and God will have pity on you. How many people come every day and say, “Have mercy on me,” but you don’t pay attention? How many are naked, how many are crippled, and we do not bow down and reject their requests? How can you ask for mercy without doing anything worthy of mercy? Let us be compassionate, let us be merciful, in order to please God in this way and achieve the blessings promised to those who love Him by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, honor, power, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: