BIBLE STORIES.
PARABLE OF THE SOWER - THE WAY TO SALVATION.
The world we live in
Over the past two centuries, humanity has made a tremendous breakthrough in the development of the material world. New types of energy were discovered and began to be used, machines were invented that made it possible to transport a person over vast distances or to facilitate labor when creating material wealth.Material wealth, unprecedented for previous generations, has become the everyday norm for a large number of people. Many dangerous diseases that caused horror and devastated entire settlements in previous centuries have been defeated. Computer technologies, radio, television seem to have opened up the opportunity for people to obtain knowledge and information easily and in huge volumes.
But surprisingly, most people did not feel happier! As authoritative authors of scientific and statistical studies note, the number of suicides, neuroses, depression, and people’s uncertainty about the future is increasing. The birth rate is decliningin developed and rich countries. In “prosperous” Europe, the average birth rate, equal to the average number of children born to one woman, is 1.4 (for population reproduction it is necessary that this level be at least 2.1). The indigenous population of Europe is dying out! By the way, in Russia this level below - 1.35. Viktor Frankl, outstanding psychologist XX century notes that suffering from the meaninglessness of life has become a widespread norm for people in Western culture. The man has lost the meaning of his life.
At the same time, humanity is faced with new formidable challenges. Economic crises regularly shake the world economy and instill fear in millions of people for tomorrow's material well-being.
Man-made disasters likeSwords of Damocles hang over people's heads. And if the Chernobyl disaster could be attributed to the “backwardness and carelessness of the Russians,” then Fukushima demonstrated that advanced American technology and Japanese accuracycannot serve as a guarantee of safety if a person lights an “atomic fire”.
Capable of destroying all life on the planet, nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, created by the human mind and accumulated in huge quantities, like the gun on the wall, threaten to fire someday. And the arms race, the development of new, more advanced and destructive types of weapons continues. Huge resources are spent on this. Human, material, financial.
Morality in society has fallen to the lowest level, perhaps in the entire history of mankind. The Ten Commandments given by God to Moses are overthrown. If in the West, under the slogan of the fight for human rights, laws are passed legalizing same-sex marriage (adultery), then in Russia corruption (theft) has become the norm of power.
The flaunted wealth and luxury of some and the extreme poverty of a significant part of the Russian population give rise to envy and hatred of the poor towards the rich, contempt and a sense of superiority of the rich over the poor, which equally brings evil.
Perhaps the main and most important problem threatening the very existence of humanity has become the problem of unbridled exploitation of nature and the associated deterioration of ecology and climate change on Earth. There is a crazy, unbridled exploitation of the Earth's natural resources. Oil and gas are pumped out through tens of thousands of wells - wounds inflicted on the body of the Earth. Powerful machines are digging deeper into the body of the Earth to take coal and ore from it. Forests are being cut down, dozens of species of animals and plants are being exterminated. Growing Citiesand the expanding network of highways are encasing the Earth in asphalt and concrete, destroying all life in its path. What do we give to the Earth in exchange? Poisonous sewage runoff, radioactive and chemical waste, flooded in the seas and buried in the Earth; stinking, festering landfills and plastic scattered across the entire surface of the Earth; poisoned exhausts from cars and factories. It seems that there are no clean rivers or even seas left where a person can swim without fear of getting dirty or getting any kind of infection.
Humanity has become like a drug addict plunderingyour home and your children’s to get pleasure from another dose of the drug. The robbed and desecrated nature will take revenge on man: with diseases of animals, plants, and man himself; decreased yield; deteriorating air, water and food quality; climate change and general deterioration of the human environment. Everyone understands this, but the authorities of most countries, including Russia, do not think about this problem or only pretend that they are trying to change something. Huge funds are spent on organizing crazy spectacles, demonstrations of force, they are simply stolen, but are not directed to the construction of treatment facilities, deep processing of waste, reforestation, and the creation of effective saving technologies.
As Spengler notes, the spiritual life of people is replaced by the cult of spectacle, sports competitions and shows. Enormous amounts of money are spent on organizing and staging them. From TV screens, newspaper pages, fashion magazine coversThe cult of violence, debauchery, illusory success and material splendor flows into the human soul. At the same time, a person is taught that he cannot change anything in this world, cannot make it better. It is suggested that a person is powerless. “The only thing a person can change is himself,” sounds almost every hour on television. Lies! Not true! Don’t believe it!
Every person, no matter how poor and weak he may be, no matter where he isneither was, can and should change this world for the better. The path to salvation is open to people, it was shown to us by the Savior - Jesus Christ.
Parable of the Sower
In the four Gospels, describing the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ, we will find thirty parables told by him. One of the parables of the sower is especially significant. This is indicated by two facts: it is one of the few parables that are fully set out in three Gospels at once (Matthew, Luke, Mark); The explanation of the parable of the sower was given by Jesus Christ himself. I am sure that it is in this parable that the path to improving our world is open to us and the opportunity is shown for each of us to participate in this great process - the path to salvation. To save ourselves, our descendants, all people and all life on Earth!
Narration O sower
Coming out on that dayfrom home, Jesus sat down by the sea. And a great multitude gathered unto him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat down; and all the people stood on the shore. And he taught them many in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured it. Some fell on rocky places where there was little earth; and it soon sprang up, because the ground was shallow. When the sun rose, it withered and, as if it had no root, withered away. Others fell among thorns, and grew into thorns, and choked them. Some fell on good soil and bore fruit: one a hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew, 13.1-3)
Why parables?
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered them: because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them. For whoever has, to him will be given and he will have abundance; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand.And the prophecy of Isaiah comes true over them, which says:
“You hear by ear and do not understand;
and you will look with your eyes and will not see.
For the hearts of these people have become hardened,
and my ears can hardly hear,
and closed their eyes,
let them not see with their eyes,
and their ears will not hear,
and they will not understand in their hearts,and let them not turn back,
so that I can heal them.”
Blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears that hear. (Matthew 13.10-16)
Explanation of the Parable of the Sower
Listen to the meaning of the parable of the sower. To everyone who hears the word about the Kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart: this is what is sown along the way. And what is sown on rocky places means one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; but it has no root in itself and is fickle: when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, it is immediately offended.And what was sown among thorns means one who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. What is sown on good soil means one who hears the word and understands it, and who bears fruit, so that some bear fruit a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. (Matthew 13.18-23)
A magical little story full of mysterious meanings!It certainly ranks among the best masterpieces that belong to humanity.
The path to salvation
Let's try to figure it outin the hidden meanings of this parable. It is generally accepted that the “seeds” that the “sower” sowed are the words of the Bible, and, in particular, the Gospel. This point of view is correct and has already proven its historical validity.Sowing "the words of God"and faith in the hearts of people brings and has already brought many good fruits. The Holy Apostles walked this way, sowing faith in the Savior in the hearts of the people. Almost all of them suffered martyrdom, but their work was not in vain. It has risen in hundreds of millions of hearts. Christianity, one of the greatest religions in the world, was born and strengthened.
But is this the only meaning of the parable? Todd Michael, exploring the hidden meanings of the parable, writes: “What is usually translated as “he sowed” or “what he sowed” is expressed (in the original texts) in Greek words speiro and autos . According to Strong's Complete Bible Symphony, speiro means “scatter”, “sow” in the literal or figurative sense, - or “receive seeds”. The word autos , which is part of many modern words (for example, auto-training), means “himself.” Therefore, a more accurate translation of the first verse would be: “Behold, a sower went out to sow, and as he sowed himself.” In the Gospel of Luke this text is expressed as follows: “...a sower went out to sow his seed...” (Luke 8.5)
This clarification is very important, since a person can only sow “his seed,” “himself,” what he has. He has faith, love, kindness, joy of life, compassion for others, happiness - he can sow this, and there is a chance that it will sprout - the world around will become a little better. And, perhaps, it is much better, because once it lands on good land, on fertile soil, the “seed” can bear fruit a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
Let’s try to understand what “seeds” that the sower can sow are spoken of in the parable. In Jesus’ explanation given to us in the three Gospels, they are called differently: “the word of the Kingdom” (Matthew), “the word” (Mark), “by the word of God” (Luke). What all three texts have in common is the concept of “word”, expressed in the Greek originals by the term logos.
Logos is one of the most profound and amazing concepts in the Greek language. It evolved over many centuries and was used by the wisest people of the past. In 600 BC. Greek philosopher Heraclitus using the concept logos designated the entire creative process that created the Universe and maintains its existence.The most famous text in which the word “logos” appears is the first verse of the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word ( logos ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “Logos is the source of everything that exists, the undifferentiated pure potential by which every creation is activated,” explains the meaning of the term logos Todd Michael. It is necessary to answer that in Christianity the word Logos denotes God the Son. Logos is the Words, Thoughts and Will of God embodied in reality, materializing.
It is the Logos that is the Word of life, that generates and maintains the existence of all life on Earth.
In a broad understanding of the meaning of the word Logos, the sower from the parable sows the Will of God, life, supports and preserves life.And the fruits that have sprouted from the “seeds” are new life, goodness and goodness. And man, having become a sower of life, goodness and goodness, fulfills the Will of God. The sower embodies the Will of God into reality!
What else can a person sow? That he has? Jesus himself answers this question: “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17.21). It is in each of us, in every person: in a slave and a ruler, in a Christian and a Jew. In each of us there is a piece of the Kingdom of God, which The Lord gifted us with the creation of man, passing on His breath to us, creating us in His image and likeness.
We can sow it - a better world - a kingdom of truth, justice, love and goodness. And, as the parable says, it will sprout, once in fertile soil, it will grow.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which, although smaller than all the seeds, when it grows, it is larger than all the grains and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and take refuge in its branches.” (Matthew 13.31-32). This is another parable of “The Mustard Seed” told by Jesus, it directly speaks about the opportunity to sow the Kingdom of Heaven and the success that awaits the sower.
Just have faith, strength and patience. Sow! Let not all of your seeds sprout, let some of them be drowned out by thorns, let some fall on rocky soil and dry up, let the temptations and passions of the age prevent many of them from sprouting. Sow! There is a lot of fertile soil around and people who want to improve this world. And if there are many sowers, the Earth will bloom and be transformed. Human society will become fairer and better. Sow!
Man is designed in such a way that one of his natural desires is the desire to change his environment for the better. He acutely feels injustice and falsehood. The desire to fight injustice and improve the world around us is inherent in human nature itself. Almost all psychologists note this. These human qualities have been the driving forces behind many uprisings, revolutions and wars throughout history. Much blood was shed, many lives were given to this struggle for a better world. The heads of monarchs, tyrants and nobles fell, palaces, prisons and temples collapsed, old unworthy orders and foundations were overthrown. But it was extremely rare that new rulers turned out to be better than the previous ones, and new orders brought benefit to the people. No, you cannot build a bright future on blood and evil - this has been proven by the entire history of mankind.
There were others - peaceful revolutions. Their leaders were Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandella, Martin Luther King. They followed the path indicated by Jesus - they sowed faith in justice in the souls of people.
Their cause won without shedding much blood, without much destruction and casualties - God helped them. The goals set by these great people and their associates were achieved. The Indian people gained independence, the apartheid regime collapsed in South Africa, black Americans received equal rights with whites, and one of them was even elected president of the United States. These great changes, these victories of people in the fight against injustice show the truth and power of the path opened to us by the Savior.
So why shouldn’t man, people, humanity set themselves the most difficult, but also the most beautiful goal - to build the Kingdom of God on Earth. Is it not for this high purpose that the Lord created people in his own image and likeness, endowing them with intelligence and creative abilities? Isn’t that why he gave the whole Earth under the rule of man? Isn’t that why the Holy Bible, on its first pages, tells us about the Garden of Eden, so that we are required to recreate and revive it? Isn’t this the purpose and meaning of life for every person and all humanity? Isn't that what the seeds of the Kingdom are within each of us for?
Start sowing them!
If you want people to be happier, give them a small piece of happiness, a smile to a passerby or a toy to a neighbor’s child.
If you want the world to have more greenery, flowers, parks, plant trees and flowers or take care of those that are already growing.
If you want birds to fly in the sky and delight people with their singing and appearance, feed them.
If you want your surroundings to be clean and beautiful, remove the trash around you.
If you want the world to have more love, kindness and compassion for each other, show these feelings to people.
If you want people to be honest and not rob each other, set an example of decency and honesty. You never know what else can be done, what can and should be sown. Of course, building the Kingdom of God on Earth requires the work and effort of many people. Take a “small step” in this direction. I am sure God will help people in this great matter!
But what to do with the evil and injustice that is so abundant in this world? Mahatma (translated as great soul) Gandhi developed tacticsnon-violent resistance to evil, it is based on disobedience to the “evil will”, non-execution of orders that bring evil, peaceful protests against evil and its exposure.
At the same time, Gandhi negotiated with people who were carriers of evil will and often achieved more through persuasion than could be achieved through bloodshed. This corresponds to the teaching of Christ “love evil.” The bearers of evil will are also people, and they have a conscience, shame, the ability to distinguish “good” from “evil” (often severely suppressed) and even a particle of the Kingdom of God.
To understand what the process of “sowing” gives to the “sower” himself, I will quote from Michael Berg’s book, “The Secret,” popular in the West, in which he outlined the fundamentals of the teachings of Kabbalah. Berg believes that all the wisdom of Kabbalah can be reduced to one great truth: “The only way to achieve true joy and fullness of life is to become one who shares.”
On the shore of Lake Galilee, Jesus taught the people who surrounded Him. People approached Him, crowding and jostling, and then Jesus entered the boat, and the disciples pushed it away from the shore so that everyone who wanted could see Him.
Some grains fell on the road, and the flying birds pecked them.
Others found themselves in a rocky place and soon sprang up, but were unable to take deep roots because the soil was not deep. When the sun rose, they withered and withered.
Others were among the weeds; the weeds grew and choked them out.
And the next ones fell on good fertile soil, and brought a harvest many times greater than what was sown.
There was silence, and then Jesus said:
He who has ears, let him hear!
“We don’t know what the meaning of this parable is,” the disciples admitted. - We cannot understand what we heard.
I speak in parables, said Jesus, so that the mysteries of the Kingdom of God may be revealed to everyone who really wants to learn from Me. But for those who come to Me out of curiosity and do not want to listen and obey, the word of God will remain hidden.
I will interpret this parable for you. The sower sows the word of God. This seed is fertile, but it falls into the ears of different people.
What was sown along the way means those whose hearts and souls are hard, who do not accept the word of God. Satan soon makes them forget everything they heard.
Those sown on rocky ground signify those who, having heard the word, at first receive it with joy. But having learned what hardships and suffering must be overcome in order to fulfill it, he immediately retreats.
Those sown among weeds signify those whose own cares and desires quickly choke the word, and it remains fruitless.
Jesus Christ, while in Capernaum, came to the shore of Lake Galilee. Many people gathered to Him. He entered the boat and sat down, and the people stood on the shore, and from the boat he began to teach the people in parables.
Jesus Christ said: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell by the road and was trampled, and the birds devoured it.
Another seed fell on a rocky place where there was little soil; it sprouted, but soon dried up, because it had no root and moisture.
Some fell among the thorns (wild, weedy grass), and the thorns choked it.
Others fell into good good soil, they grew and bore abundant fruit.
Then, when the disciples asked Jesus Christ: “What does this parable mean?” - He explained to them:
Seed is the word of God (Gospel).
Sower- the one who sows (preaches) the word of God.
Earth- human heart.
Land next to the road where the seed fell means inattentive and absent-minded people, to whose hearts the word of God does not have access. The devil easily kidnaps him and takes him away from them, so that they do not believe and are saved.
rocky place means people who are fickle and cowardly. They willingly listen to the word of God, but it is not established in their soul, and at the first temptation, tribulation or persecution of the word of God, they fall away from the faith.
Thorn means people whose worldly worries, wealth and various vices drown out the word of God in their souls.
Good, fertile land means people with good hearts. They are attentive to the word of God, preserve it in their good souls and patiently try to fulfill everything that it teaches. Their fruits are good deeds, for which they are rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven.
The meaning of the parable was interpreted by Christ himself:
...to everyone who hears the word about the Kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart - this is who is meant by what was sown along the way. (Matt. 13:19-23) |
Thus, the parable of the sower sets out the foundations of the spiritual life and spiritual agronomy of man,
the importance of an active and zealous faith for one’s salvation, comparable to the daily worries of a plowman,
who takes care of the quality of the soil, plows, fertilizes and irrigates it, clears it of chaff and stones, protects seeds from birds...
Saint Basil of Kineshemsky in “Conversations on the Gospel of Mark” writes:
One can also add to the Gospel explanation,
that the Sower is the Lord himself,
seed - the Word of God,
the field - all of humanity, the whole world, receiving into its depths the miraculous seed of the gospel word.
Like a seed, the word of the Gospel carries within itself the beginning of life, true, spiritual life...
B.I. Gladkov:
But who is this sower?
In another parable about the tares, Jesus Christ, by the name of the sower, meant Himself, the Son of Man, as can be seen from the explanation He gave to His disciples of that parable: He who sows good seed is the Son of Man(Matt. 13 :37);
in explaining this parable, He did not say who should be considered the sower.
Therefore, we must admit that the sower here is considered first of all Jesus Christ Himself, and then all the Apostles, their successors and all preachers who sow the word of God orally or in writing.
This is the method of sowing we are talking about.
When there were a lot of seeds, when huge spaces needed to be sown, the sower went and simply scattered the seeds on the ground, and then it was harrowed and loosened with a plow. And with this method of sowing, some grains, of course, disappeared.
Christ means that the sower has vast spaces to sow, and he has a lot of grain.What is the grain here? This is the Word of God, the Word of the preaching of Jesus Christ.
But is it only word, as something pronounced with the lips, lips?
In the Old Testament, especially in the prophets, we often encounter the expression The Word of God.
The prophets meant in a word not just a sermon, but the active actions of the Lord in our world.
This is what the prophet Isaiah writes:
“Just as rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth and make it capable of giving birth and growth, so that it gives seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats - so is my word that comes out of the mouth Mine - it does not return to Me empty, but fulfills what I please, and accomplishes what I sent it for...” (Is. 55: 10-11).And Christ means by in a word not only the sermon, but also His works, all the amazing things that He will do.
That is, Christ, by His activity, reveals God to people, reveals the will and power of God.
This is what this amazing sowing means, the sowing of Jesus Christ.And the task of people is to become that good soil that will accept the actions, the preaching of Christ, see what Christ proclaims, understand and follow Christ.
St. Vasily Kineshemsky gives examples of spiritual and psychological types of people, similar to soils that did not bear fruit from seeds thrown into them:
- The saint likens the roadside land to rough, animalistic natures: eating tasty, drinking sweetly, sleeping a lot, dressing well, but knowing nothing beyond this.
He includes people in the same category whose essence of psyche is the search for entertainment and idle curiosity.
It makes no difference to them to listen to watch a religious procession or English boxing.Finally, people of the “travelling road” are scattered natures, in whom there is nothing basic, permanent, central, “slaves of the momentary whim.”
What they all have in common is that the seed of the word of God does not penetrate their soul at all.
- A rocky place where there was little land - people who have a desire for good, and the word of God finds a living and quick response in them, but it does not capture them so strongly that for the sake of implementing it in life they find enough strength and determination to work on themselves , fight obstacles and defeat hostile currents.
- Thorns are people who, wanting to live according to the laws of God, at the same time do not want to give up the worldly vanity that absorbs them without a trace.
Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria:
Three categories of people who are not saved according to this parable.
The first includes those who are like a seed that fell along the way, that is, they did not accept the teaching at all, for just as a trampled and beaten road does not accept the seed, because it is hard, so the hard-hearted do not accept the teaching at all, because although they listen , but without attention.The other category includes those who are like a seed that fell on a stone, that is, those who, although they accepted the teaching, but then, due to human weakness, found themselves powerless against temptations.
The third category are those who know the teaching and, however, are suppressed by the worries of everyday life.
So, three parts are perishing, and one part are being saved.
Reflecting on people who gave fruit, he writes:
There are three categories of those who received and preserved the seed:
some bear fruit of a hundred - these are people of perfect and high life; others - at sixty, these are average; others - thirty, which, although not much, still bring according to their strength.Thus, some are virgins and hermits, others live together in community, others in peace and in marriage.
But the Lord accepts all of them as bearing fruit.
And thanks be to His love for mankind!
Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko:
Most often they comment that the difference in the harvest: 30-60-100 is an indication that in some the Word of God is more abundant, in others less abundant, this Grace has sprouted. The main thing is that it germinates.
It is clear that not everyone has such zeal for God as John of Kronstadt or St. Seraphim of Sarov.
But that we are all called and must strive to follow this path is beyond doubt.But perhaps the difference in yield is due to the fact that we are talking about different varieties or even types of seeds.
Or maybe we are talking about different types of plants: rye, wheat, spelt... - they all bear different fruits.
And the meaning of the last part is that we are all different, unique in our own way and in our own way we bear God’s fruit.
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PARABLES OF THE LORD
About the parables of the Lord
Our Lord Jesus Christ, during His earthly life, often taught the people with words and deeds that were filled with love and mercy; and out of His love for us He Himself accepted suffering and death for us. He said that offenses must be forgiven, and He Himself prayed for those on the cross. who crucified Him. He explained God's commandments to those who listened to Him, taught them to pray, and promised eternal life to those who would believe in Him and follow Him. The people followed Jesus; there were men, women, and children, people of all ages, of all conditions, rich and poor, learned and unlearned.
Jesus Christ wanted everyone to understand His teaching, and for this purpose He often presented His teaching in parables, that is, in allegorical stories and
similarities borrowed from ordinary life - from the most simple and well-known objects. You will easily understand this by reading a few parables.
Here is the first one, told by the Evangelist Matthew.
PARABLE
about the house built on stone and about the house built on sand
Matthew 7:24-27
Jesus Christ once said; “Not everyone who says to me: Lord! God! He who does the will of My Father in heaven will enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Then He spoke the following parable:
“Everyone who hears My words and does them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, because it was founded on rock.”
“But everyone who hears My words and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”
“And the rain fell, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and its fall was great.” Anyone who has seen how a house is built knows that the firmer and deeper its foundation, the stronger it will be, the better it will withstand storms, winds and floods. The same thing happens to a person: in life he has to fight temptations, disasters and dangers; and only then will he stand against them, and will he establish his life on a solid and unshakable foundation. This foundation is faith in God and obedience to His commandments.
A person who is a true believer always keeps in mind the commandments of the Lord, and this helps him to stand firmly on the path of truth; in all his affairs he acts in accordance with them and subjugates his own will to them. If he is rich, then, loving his neighbor, as the Lord commanded, he uses his wealth for good and useful deeds, and does not live only to please himself; if he is poor, then he tries to support himself and his family with honest work and will more willingly endure a lack than agree to act dishonestly, remembering that every dishonest deed, lie and deception is disgusting to God. He is not easily tempted by frivolous advice and bad example, because he is accustomed to following the commandments of the Lord. Whether misfortune or suffering befalls him, he does not fall into despondency and does not complain, but with good spirits tries to overcome disasters or endures them with patience, being confident that God Himself sends suffering and sorrows for the benefit of the soul. In a moment of danger, he does not give in to despair, knowing that a person’s life and death are in the hands of God. Finally, at the very hour of death, faith strengthens him, pointing him to a future life. He knows that God will not abandon His mercy to those who tried to do His will on earth.
But this is not a person who does not live in accordance with the commandments of God, but is accustomed to following his own will. He does not know how to resist temptations. A bad example and bad advice often lead him astray from the good path. If such a person is rich, he lives more for himself, spends his time in idleness and vain pleasures, without thinking about his duties. If he has fallen into poverty, then, out of habit of work, he often decides to do dishonest things in order to get money and, having obtained it, spend it on trifles and for his own pleasure instead of helping his family with it. In distress, he becomes despondent and is not far from despair. Such a person is pitiful; his acquaintances and comrades despise him for his frivolity, because, as they say, he goes where the wind blows; his word cannot be trusted, his promise cannot be relied upon. He brings no benefit to his family; on the contrary, sometimes it becomes a burden to himself. He feels in his heart that he is not living as he should, but does not have enough strength and courage to repent from the fullness of his heart and start a new life. He is happy if he meets a pious person who will encourage him with kind words and advice and assure him that the Lord helps every sincerely repentant sinner when he turns to the path of virtue.
All of us, of course, would like to become honest, straightforward people and firm believers. To do this, from an early age one must acquire the habit of following the Lord’s commandments in everything, before each task asking oneself whether it is good and pleasing to God, and in general doing not as one wants, but as one should. We must try to have power over our own will in order to control it; if it controls a person, then sometimes it carries him away where he should not.
Let us ask God for strength and strength, repeating the song that is sung in church during the first week of Lent:
“On the immovable, Christ, the stone of Your commandments, establish my thoughts!”
“Set my heart, O Lord, on the rock of Your commandments, for the Lord alone is holy!”
PARABLE
about the sower
Matthew 13:8 - 23; Mark 4:1 - 20; Luke 8:4–15
Jesus Christ was on the shore of Lake Gennesaret; a multitude of people surrounded Him. He entered the boat and from there began to speak the following parable.
“The sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and birds came and devoured it.” “Some fell on a rocky place where there was little soil, and soon sprang up, because it was not deep in the ground, but it burned from the heat of the sun and, having no roots, withered.”
“Some fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew and choked the seed.”
“Some fell on good soil and brought forth fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred.”
When the apostles asked Jesus Christ about the meaning of this parable, He explained it to them this way:
“The seed is the word of God.”
“Those sown by the wayside signify those in whom the word of God is sown, but to whom the devil immediately comes and snatches away the word sown in their hearts.”
The Word of the Lord must bear fruit in our hearts, that is, arouse faith and zeal for the fulfillment of all Christian duties; but just as a seed that falls along the road does not grow, so a word taken without attention does not bring any benefit, it is immediately forgotten; Jesus Christ said that the devil takes him away, but the evil one has power only over those who themselves allow him to come to them through their sins, laziness and inattention to prayer and the word of the Lord. If we begin to fight against evil, listen carefully to the teaching of Christ and try to fulfill it, the good seed will take root in our hearts, and the devil will not be able to steal it.
“Those sown on rocky ground,” Jesus continued, “mean those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but the word of God takes no root in them; At times they believe, but at times of temptation they fall away.”
For the most part, we all listen to the word of the Lord with joy. But this is not enough: one must be ready to fulfill God’s law even if this would mean being subjected to hardship, labor and suffering.
In former times, when the Christian faith was not yet established, Jews and pagans cruelly persecuted Christians. They were imprisoned and imprisoned, separated from their families, tortured and killed. But even at the same time, they did not agree to renounce Christ, endured suffering with patience and went to death, rejoicing that they could thereby prove their loyalty to God. We honor the memory of these sufferers and honor them as saints. Now there are no longer obvious persecutions of Christians, but every day there are cases when we can prove whether we are faithful to God. We are faithful to Him if we prefer the fulfillment of His commandments to any benefit, to any pleasure. We are faithful to Him if we endure disasters and suffering with patience, knowing that they are sent to us by His will. If, on the contrary, we act against His commandments in order to obtain some benefit or pleasure, or in order to avoid danger and labor, then we become one of those who believe at times, but fall away when tempted.
Not only adults, but also every small child can prove whether he is faithful to God, because everyone has his own responsibilities according to his strength. About those children who study lazily, who do not follow the orders of their parents or, out of fear of punishment, tell lies and hide their guilt, about those children it cannot be said that they love God and are faithful to Him.
“And the seed that fell among the thorns,” says Christ, “means those who hear the word, but then it is drowned out in them by worries, wealth and worldly pleasures and does not bear fruit.”
These are those for whom earthly worries, vain affairs and pleasures of life are more important than the word of Christ. In church they listen to the word of the Lord, but then indulge in a vain life and empty amusements, not trying to overcome their sinful inclinations. That is why everything bad takes root in their hearts and drowns out everything good, just as bad grass drowns out good grass. “And what was sown on good soil,” the Lord finally said, explaining the parable, “means those in whose hearts the word sown is kept pure and bears abundant fruit.”
This is how it should be with the word of God sown in our hearts. If we try to drive away all bad thoughts from ourselves, if we earnestly ask God to help our good intentions, then the word of God will bear rich fruits in us. The habit of goodness will take root and strengthen. Every day we will be more and more corrected from our sins, become better, patiently endure the suffering and hardships sent to us by the will of God, and actively and lovingly fulfill the commandments of the Lord.
PARABLE
about seed and tares
Matthew 13: 24 – 30, 36 – 43
After the parable of the sower, Jesus Christ offered the people a parable about the seed and the tares. “The kingdom of heaven,” He said, “is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.”
“The man’s enemy came at night, sowed tares among the wheat, and left. When the greenery sprang up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared. Seeing this, the servants said to the owner: “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the tares come from?”
He answered them. “The enemy man did it.” “Would you like to order,” said the servants, “we will go and pull out the tares?”
“But the owner objected: no, by pulling out the tares, you can also pull out the wheat. Leave both to grow until the harvest; And at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares and bind them and the sheaves to burn them, and put the wheat into my barn.”
Jesus Christ Himself explained this parable. He said that this will happen at the end of the age, when evil and good people (tares and wheat) will gather at the Last Judgment; the wicked will be condemned and the good will be rewarded. The master did not allow his slaves to pull out the tares. This indicates the long-suffering and mercy of the Lord, who does not want to destroy the sinner, but gives him time for repentance and correction.. It is not always in this life that the sinner is punished and the righteous rewarded; We often see that an evil person succeeds in his undertakings, and that a good person, on the contrary, suffers suffering and misfortune. But a believer will never be embarrassed by this, because faith helps to endure disasters with patience and with hope in the mercy of God, who in the future life will reward everyone according to their deeds.
In this parable, the Lord again speaks of a sower who sowed seed in his field. The good seed is sown in all of us; we are all Christians, and the Gospel has been preached to us. Why are we not all good, but sometimes we are evil, ungrateful, and disobedient to the will of the Lord? Jesus Christ explained this by saying that the devil sowed his seed of evil right where the seed of good was sown. But we should not forget that the devil has power only over those who willingly indulge in evil and do not try to fight against it.
Here we can again repeat the comparison used by the Lord. Look at a field that belongs to a hardworking peasant who cultivates his land well. For him, the sown seed grows well, while for a careless and negligent owner, the seed grows poorly and the field is overgrown with grass. This happens with us too: if we try to become better, eradicate bad habits in ourselves and accustom ourselves to everything good, then the word of God will take root in us and grow well; but if we lazily look after ourselves, then the devil will take advantage of our laziness and carelessness to sow his tares on us too, and they will take root, drowning out the disposition to good. Let us try to fight against evil, against our own evil will, to move away from bad examples and to be more with good people, who, by doing good themselves, can teach us good.
Let us also try not to set a bad example for others: this is a great sin. Our sinful deeds, and sometimes even an idle word, can seduce our neighbor, and then we will be like the evil one who sows tares in the field. On the contrary, he who gives good advice and teaches good things helps Christ, who sows good seed.
PARABLE
about mustard seed
Matthew 13:31 – 32
Jesus Christ once compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed that a man sowed in his field. It is smaller than all the seeds, but a large and tall plant comes out of it, so that the birds of the air fly and take refuge in its branches. With this parable, Jesus Christ pointed out the power of the gospel teaching. At first it was preached to a small number of people, but it soon spread throughout the whole earth and destroyed the false teachings that had existed until then. Just as a tree gives protection and shelter to the birds of the air, so the Christian faith gives strength and consolation to all who accept it.
What has happened throughout the whole earth is happening in our hearts. Having established themselves in them, the Christian teaching destroys with its power bad thoughts, evil and vices. Just as a small grain has the power to produce a tall and fruitful tree, so the word of the Lord, accepted by a pure heart, takes root in it and bears fruit, that is, Christian virtues: faith, love for God and neighbor, patience and mercy. At first, goodness begins in us in a barely noticeable way; but if we constantly pray to God for help and at the same time begin to carefully monitor ourselves so that we do not transgress the law of God either in word or deed, then the good beginning will take root and grow in us.
PARABLE
about a treasure hidden in a field
Matthew 13:44
And Jesus Christ compared the kingdom of heaven with a treasure hidden in the field. The man, having found this treasure, joyfully sold all his property and bought that field.
And for all of us there is a treasure that is more precious than all the riches, all the blessings in the world. We could not achieve it by any effort if Jesus Christ Himself, out of His love, did not help us. He delivers it to us at the dear price of His suffering. This treasure is eternal life. Jesus Christ Himself suffered and died to give eternal life to those who believe in Him.
This is the treasure - faith in God. Faith is more precious and necessary than all possible earthly blessings; it is joy and consolation in this life and the path to eternal life.
Life is eternal! - this is what awaits us after our difficult and short-lived earthly life! This is the reward prepared by the all-good Lord! How short is earthly life! Meanwhile, don’t we all willingly work to arrange and decorate it? How many people in their youth work and labor in order to achieve a calm and comfortable old age! But the earthly future is very uncertain; none of us knows whether he will live to see tomorrow. The future beyond the grave, the eternal, is certain; she is either eternal joy or eternal torment; Let's take care of her. Let us try to live as the Lord commanded, and let us continually pray to God that He will arrange our afterlife according to His goodness.
PARABLE
about the seine
Matthew 13: 47 – 50
“The kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said, “is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of all kinds.” He was pulled ashore; The good fish were collected in vessels, and the small ones were thrown out. So it will be at the end of the age: angels will appear, separate the wicked from the righteous, and cast the wicked into the fiery furnace.”
PARABLE
about the merciless debtor
Matthew 18:21 – 35
The “Our Father” prayer, which each of us repeats daily morning and evening, was given to us, as we know, by Jesus Christ Himself. In it, by the way, we ask God to forgive us our sins. “And forgive us our debts (sins), we say and add: “Just as we forgive our debtors.” If we do not forgive those who have sinned against us, then we cannot expect the Lord to forgive us our sins. So, we should beware of anger, make peace with our comrades, our own, if we happen to have a quarrel with them, forgive their offenses and remember that God will not hear the prayers of someone who, coming to church, retains anger or rancor against his neighbor. To explain this truth, Jesus once told the following parable: “A servant was brought to a certain king who owed him ten thousand talents (a talent means an amount of more than one thousand two hundred silver rubles). Since that servant had nothing with which to pay the debt, the king ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything he had to be sold to pay the debt. But that slave threw himself on his knees and said: “Sovereign! Be patient with me, I’ll pay you everything.” The Emperor, having mercy, released him and forgave him the entire debt. After this, the servant met his comrade, who owed him one hundred denarii, that is, much less than what he himself owed the king. He grabbed his comrade and began to beat him, demanding payment of the debt. His comrade fell at his feet and, begging, said: “Be patient with me, I will give you everything.” But he didn’t want to listen and put him in prison.
The king was told about this incident. Then the king, calling a servant, says to him: “Evil servant! I forgave you the entire debt because you begged me; Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your comrade, just as I had mercy on you?” And, angry, the sovereign ordered him to be tortured until he repaid his debt. “So,” added Jesus, “my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother his sins from the heart.”
Of course, the king acted justly when he punished the one who, having received mercy and forgiveness, did not have mercy or forgive himself. Let us remember that no matter how much our neighbor may offend us, he is still not as sinful against us as we are all sinful against the Lord God. We are annoyed when someone offends us, and especially if a person to whom we have rendered a benefit or service offends us. Let us remember how many innumerable benefits God has shown us. He created the earth and everything on it for man; He gave us life with all its blessings; no matter how sinful we are, the Lord Jesus Christ, having loved us, came down to earth to teach us the will of the Lord, and finally accepted suffering and death in order to save us from eternal condemnation and give those who believe in Him eternal bliss. And, despite all these blessings, we constantly offend the Lord God with our sins.
Let us begin to pray to Him for our correction, and at the same time we will forgive those who have offended us, in order to ask God for mercy with greater hope. Jesus Christ said that captivity will be done to us as we do to others. “Forgive your neighbors,” He said, “and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.
PARABLES
about the good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37
One day a lawyer came to Jesus Christ and said: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him: “What is written in the law? What do you read in it? He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him “You answered correctly; do this and you will receive eternal life.” But the lawyer asked Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” To this Jesus said: “A certain man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and was caught by robbers, who took off his clothes, wounded him and left, leaving him barely alive. By chance, a priest was walking along that road and, seeing him, passed by. Likewise, the Levite, passing through the place, came up, looked, and passed by. Finally, a Samaritan rode up to him and took pity on him. He bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, put him on his donkey, brought him to the inn and took care of him. The next day, as he was leaving, he gave money to the innkeeper and said to him: “Take care of him, and if you spend anything on top of this, I will give it to you when I return.” “Which,” asked Jesus, “of the three, was the neighbor to the one who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “Of course, who helped him,” answered the lawyer. Then Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”
It should be noted that some Jews considered it their duty to love only their friends and provide help only to them, but they hated their enemies, as we often do. But Jesus Christ gave us a different law. He said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who insult you, and as you want people to do to you, do so to them.”
The Samaritans were at enmity with the Jews, but despite this, one Samaritan helped the unfortunate Jew. Let us learn from this parable that we must love all people, and let us ask God to help us maintain love even for those who themselves do not love us and are ready to do us harm. Let us remember the commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we have the opportunity to help someone, then there is no point in asking whether he is our friend or foe, good or evil, compatriot or stranger. No matter who he is, he is our neighbor, our brother, and we should gladly help him in any way we can: with money, if we have it, with good advice, labor or participation.
By giving help to our neighbor, we give to God Himself. Jesus Christ said: “Whatever you do to one of the least of My brothers, that you do to Me.” By the words “My least brothers” He meant all the unfortunate people in need of help.
PARABLE
about the barren fig tree
Luke 13:6-9
In many parables, Jesus Christ spoke about the long-suffering and mercy of God, about the fact that the Heavenly Father does not desire the death of the sinner, but his correction, and is always ready to accept the repentant. “One man,” He said, “had a fig tree in his garden (a fig tree is the name given to one fruit tree, which we do not have and which grows in Palestine). He came to look for fruit on it and did not find it. Then he said to the gardener: “This is the third year I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and have not found it; cut it down: what is its place for?” The gardener objected to him: “Sir, leave her for this year too; I will dig it up and cover it with manure; and if it bears fruit, then good, but if not, then we will cut it down.” A fig tree that does not bear fruit means people who live without faith in God, without love for Him and their neighbor, without repentance for their sins, in whose hearts, therefore, the word of the Lord does not bear fruit. But the Lord is long-suffering and merciful. He is in no hurry to condemn the sinner, loving all people and wanting their correction. He gave them His word. He Himself suffered and died for them. He constantly offers them various means of correction, sends them advice and example through good people, gives them the opportunity to learn goodness, and calls them to Himself in various ways. To others He gives many blessings and waits to see if these mercies will awaken in them love and gratitude; He tests others with suffering so that they turn to Him as their only comforter. But if all this does not produce an effect, and the sinner does not repent and does not correct himself, if he does not want to go to the call of the Savior, then, after his death, he will be brought to strict judgment and will accept punishment for his evil deeds.
PARABLE
about the rich man
Luke 12:16-21
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world, was born in poverty. He often said that one should not become attached to earthly wealth, but should be concerned about acquiring eternal wealth. After death, our wealth will not help us, but good deeds and good feelings will remain with us in eternal life. It often happens that a person, having become attached with all his heart to his wealth, forgets God and His commandments and lives only to please himself; this is a great sin. Jesus Christ warned His disciples against this, saying: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.” “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be (Matthew 6: 10-21). Once, to warn, Jesus Christ offered this parable: “A certain rich man had a good harvest in the field; and he reasoned with himself: I have nowhere to gather my fruits; I will tear down my barns and build a larger one, and I will gather there all my bread and all my goods, and I will say to my soul: “Soul! You have a lot of goods lying around for many years; rest, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him: “You fool! Death will come to you this very night, and then what will happen to your wealth? This is what happens to those who accumulate treasures for themselves, and not for God, and become rich. To be rich in God means to be rich in feelings and deeds pleasing to God. If the person described in the parable were rich in Christian virtues, then, having received a good income, he would not think only about himself, but would also remember about his neighbors who are in need. Faith and love for God and neighbor, this is the wealth that would follow him after his death and would help him “to give a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ,” which, as you know, we pray for daily, and more than once, in churches.
PARABLE
about the marriage of the Tsarev's son
Matthew 22:1 - 14
at another time, wanting to expose the stubbornness of the Jews, their disregard for the good deeds of God and attachment to earthly goods, Jesus Christ said the following parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who held a feast on the occasion of the marriage of his son. He sent his slaves to invite guests to the feast, but those invited did not want to come. Then the king sent other slaves to tell them that the feast was ready and that they should go. But they neglected the invitation and went, some to the field, and others to their trade, others even seized the slaves they sent and killed them. The king, hearing about this, became angry, sent an army, destroyed the murderers and burned their city.”
“After this the king said to his servants: The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy; Therefore, go to the crossroads and invite everyone whom you find to the wedding feast.”
“The slaves went out onto the road and gathered everyone they met, both evil and good, and the feast was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at his guests, he saw one man who was not wearing wedding clothes, and said to him; “My friend, how did you come here without wearing wedding clothes?” He was silent. Then the king ordered the servants, having tied his hands and feet, to drive him out, saying: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
The meaning of this parable is as follows. The king who made the feast is God the Father; the son of kings is the incarnate Son of God, whose bride is the Church. The wedding feast is the table of gospel teaching and saving sacraments offered through Christ. The Jews were invited to this feast through the prophets and apostles before all nations, but temporary blessings distracted them from accepting the law of Christ and from the promised bliss; they even often cursed at the messengers of God and killed them. Therefore God sent a Roman army against them, which destroyed them; and their city Jerusalem, together with its temple, turned into a heap of ashes and stones. When the Jews did not want to take advantage of the mercies of the Lord and only a few of them believed in Christ, then the Lord commanded the apostles to go to all the countries of the universe and preach the word of the Lord to all the pagans.
Through the Gospel, the Lord God calls us all to the feast, which is eternal life. He tells us: “Everything is ready, come!” Indeed, everything is ready: Jesus Christ, through suffering and death, prepared eternal life for us. We go to her if we believe in God and fulfill the commandments of the Lord. And how many of us are like those people who, instead of going to the king’s invitation, go to the field, or to their trade; that is, they prefer the vain pursuits of life to following Jesus Christ.
It may seem that the king, having called the poor and wretched from the crossroads to his feast, unfairly demands from them that they be clothed in festive clothes. But for a better understanding of this parable, you need to know that in the East, when the king invited guests to his feast, he also assigned festive attire for them; the one who did not agree to put on them offended the kind and hospitable host. This circumstance clarifies the meaning of the parable in relation to us. Where can we, the weak and the poor, on our own find the opportunity to appear in clothing worthy of the heavenly table? But the Lord, by His mercy, has prepared and offers us the means. Jesus Christ himself teaches us how and how to please the Father and King of heaven: he dies to redeem us; ascends to heaven, where he prepares a place for us; promises to all who believe in Him to give them the Holy Spirit, who will help them reject a life of sin and put on the new man. Only by putting on the new man, created according to God, in truth and in the honor of truth, and by being reborn again, can we enter the kingdom of heaven. Let us resort to the Lord with full faith that he will grant us the promised help; Let us ask Him to strengthen our faith, love, repentance for our sins, to give us strength to correct ourselves, so that we may not be expelled from the royal meal, but accepted as children of Christ.
In the first days of Holy Week, the Church reminds everyone of this parable in the following church song:
“I see your palace, my Savior, adorned, and I have no clothes, but let me enter into it, enlighten the robe of my soul, O Light-Giver, and save me.”
PARABLE
about evil winegrowers
Matthew 21: 33 - 44; Mark 12:1 - 12; Luke 20:9-19
The parable of the evil winegrowers is somewhat similar in content and meaning to the previous parable. Here it is: “One owner planted a vineyard, surrounded it with a fence, built a winepress in it, erected a tower, gave it to winegrowers, and went away. When the time for gathering fruit approached, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to get the fruit. The vinedressers, seizing his servants, beat some, killed others, and stoned others. Again he sent other servants to the former hospital, and the same was done with them. Finally, he sent his son to them, saying: “They will be ashamed of my son.” But the vinedressers, seeing their son, said to each other: “This is the heir; Let’s go, kill him and take possession of his inheritance.”
And they seized him, took him out of the vineyard and killed him.
So, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with those vinedressers?”
Some of the listeners said to this:
“He will put these evildoers to an evil death, and he will give the vineyard to other vinedressers, who will give him the fruit in due season.”
And, confirming the truth of this answer, the Lord said. “Therefore the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who bear the fruits thereof.” This parable also indicates the Lord's care for the Jewish people; after all the mercies that God showed him, of course, one should have expected good fruits from him, but the Jews tortured and killed the prophets sent to them, and finally crucified Christ Himself, the Son of God.
However, the threats expressed in this parable can apply to all wicked and careless Christians. Countless mercies have been shown to us all; We have all been entrusted with a vineyard, from which the Lord expects fruit, for the teaching of the Lord has been revealed to us; We have been given the ability and strength so that you can understand the will of the Lord and serve Him faithfully in the state in which the Lord was pleased to place us.
PARABLES
about slaves waiting for the master
Matthew 24: 41 - 51; Mark 13:33-37
Jesus Christ often spoke to those listening to Him about the need to live in such a way as to always be prepared for death. We all know that death is inevitable, but none of us knows at what time our heavenly Father will be pleased to call us to himself. Let us try at all times to be ready to appear before Him in bright clothes, that is, with faith, love, with kind and good thoughts. “Be like,” Jesus said, “like servants waiting for their master to open the door for him. It will be good for those slaves if the master finds them awake, no matter what hour of the night he returns.
“If the master of the house knew at what time the thief would come, he would not sleep and would not allow his house to be undermined. Be ready, too, because you do not know at what time the master of the house will come.
Jesus also said: “The master has appointed a ruler or steward over his servants, to rule over them and to distribute food to them as they ought. It is good if, upon his return, the master finds a steward fulfilling his duties; he will put him over all his property. But if the steward says in his heart: “My master will not come soon,” he begins to beat the servants and maidservants, eat, drink and get drunk; and suddenly the master will come on a day when the steward is not expecting him, he will severely punish the steward and subject him to the same fate as the evildoers.”
The Lord commanded us all, as this steward, to fulfill our duties, which we all have—the king and the subject, the master and the servant, the rich and the poor, the small and the great. So, we must work with all our might so as not to become like an evil manager. Let us hasten to correct ourselves from our sins, without saying as he did: “My master will not come soon, I still have time.”
Each of us, of course, knows how harmful laziness and carelessness are, even in everyday affairs.
“Tomorrow I will reap my rye, tomorrow I will harvest my hay,” says the lazy peasant. And tomorrow a storm or rain will interfere with him, and everything will perish, while his hardworking neighbor has everything already done and put away. But much more harmful is mental laziness, because of which many put off the matter of correction until the wrong tomorrow. “Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation,” says the Scripture. Let us begin, without delay, from today, to correct ourselves from our sins and let us do good with all our zeal. The more we hesitate, the more difficulties will arise. The habit of bad things grows in the soul, like bad weed in a garden, and drowns out the good. While the grass is still small, it is easy to weed; but the further you put it off, the thicker it grows and finally drowns out everything sown.
During Holy Week, the Church, calling us to spiritual deeds and to meeting the Lord, fills our ears with the following touching song:
“Behold, the bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant, for he will be found watching; if he is not worthy again, he will find him despondent. Take care, my soul, not to be burdened with sleep, so that you will not be given over to death, and the kingdom will be shut out, but rise up, calling: Holy, holy, holy art thou God, have mercy on us through the Mother of God.”
PARABLE
about persistent prayer
Luke 18:1-8, 11:5-13
The Lord Jesus Christ often spoke to His disciples about prayer and taught them to pray. He spoke to them about the love of the Heavenly Father, about His goodness and mercy, and convinced them to approach Him with full trust that He loves us like a father of his children, even at a time when he hesitates to fulfill our prayers. Let us not become discouraged if sometimes the Lord God does not fulfill what we pray to Him for; we can be sure that this is being done for our own benefit; We ourselves do not know what exactly is good and useful for us, but the Lord knows this and, like a loving father, distributes His gifts in accordance with our spiritual benefit. Therefore, let us pray without losing heart and with complete trust in the goodness of God.
Wanting to convince His disciples not to weaken in prayer, the Lord told them the following parable: “In one city there was a judge who was not afraid of God and was not ashamed of people. In the same city there was a widow who asked the judge to protect her from harassment. But, finally, she got bored with him, and he said to himself: “Although I am not afraid of God and I am not ashamed of people, I will still fulfill her wish so that she leaves me alone.” “Will not God protect His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night, although He is slow to protect them? - the Lord added. “I tell you that he will give them protection soon.” The Lord spoke another parable about that subject. “One day a man came to his friend at midnight and said to him, “Lend me three loaves of bread; A friend came to me, and I have nothing to treat him with.” “Don’t bother me,” he replied, “I already locked the door and went to bed with the children; I can’t get up and give it to you.” But he continued to beg him, and he finally stood up and gave him what he wanted.”
“Ask,” added the Lord, “and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it is opened. Which father of you, when his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? Or when he asks for fish, would you give him a snake? So if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”
What joy these words of the Lord should fill us with! The grace of the Holy Spirit is the highest and best gift we can receive, for it enlightens our souls and gives us strength to do good. We must pray for this highest good without ceasing. In general, we will be concerned not so much about temporary blessings as about eternal ones, for we do not know which temporary blessings are useful to us, and we will pray to the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of our sins, for a good answer at His Last Judgment. Let us pray for all our neighbors, for relatives, for friends and for enemies, if we have them, for the suffering and unfortunate, and, entrusting ourselves to the merciful Heavenly Father, let us add from our hearts: “Thy will be done in everything, Lord!” The will of the Lord, His love and mercy are our most reliable support both in this century and in the future.
PARABLE
about the publican and the pharisee
Luke 18:9-14
Among those who listened to Jesus Christ there were people who thought of themselves that they were righteous, were exalted and humiliated others. Jesus told them the following parable: “Two men came to the church to pray: one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing, prayed to himself like this: “God! I thank You that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, libertines, or like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of everything I receive to the church.” The publican, standing in the distance, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but, striking himself on the chest, he said: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” “I tell you,” Jesus added, “that the publican left the church and went to his house “justified more than he” (i.e., the Pharisee). For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Pride is disgusting to God; There is no vice that would be more harmful to us than pride. It prevents us from noticing our own weaknesses and shortcomings, and who doesn’t have them? Even the best person has them, and therefore we should all repeat with heartfelt contrition the words of the publican: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” The parable of the publican and the Pharisee is read in church several times before Lent to remind us of humility, without which there can be no repentance and correction. At the same time, the following church song or stichera is sung:
“Let us flee from the lofty words of the Pharisees, and let us learn from the high speeches of the publicans the high words of the humble, crying out in repentance: “Savior of the world, cleanse Thy servants.”
The Pharisee was not only proud of his own virtues, but also despised his neighbor. And this is a very big sin and disgusting to God. How can we despise a brother when the Lord Jesus Christ died for him? Moreover, we all have many of our own shortcomings, and we don’t know whether our brother is not atone for his shortcomings with virtues unknown to us? Let us be lenient in our judgments about our neighbor, remembering our own sins and how much we ourselves need leniency and mercy.
“Why do you look at the spoke in your brother’s eye,” Jesus once said, “but do not feel the beam in your own eye?” That is, that you condemn a small defect in your neighbor, while you do not notice your own great vice.
“Or,” Jesus continues, “whatever you can say to your brother; “Let me take the knitting needle out of your eye, while there is a log in your eye?”
“First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see the spoke taken out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).
PARABLES
about two sons
Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus Christ often denounced the Jewish teachers, who always spoke about the law and justice, but themselves did not act according to their words. About them He said, among other things, the following parable: “A certain man had two sons, and, approaching the first, he said: “Son! Go and work in my vineyard today.” He answered: “I don’t want to,” and then, having come to his senses, he left.
And, approaching the other son, the father said the same thing. This one said in response: “I’m going, father,” but he didn’t go. Which of the two fulfilled the will of his father?” The listeners said: “First.”
Indeed, the first, who did not want to fulfill his father’s orders at first, then, repenting, did so; and the second one only said that he would do it, but didn’t do it. His piety was only in words, and not in his heart; it was hypocrisy and a lie contrary to God. These were precisely the leaders of the Jews; who in words cared about faith and piety, but in reality were proud, envious and cruel people; they hated the Lord and put Him to death on the cross. A disobedient son who refused to fulfill the will of his father means those who for a long time did not fulfill the law of God, but then, having come to their senses, sincerely repented and became obedient and faithful servants of the Lord God.
PREPRICT
about ten virgins
Matthew 25:1 - 13
The parable of the ten virgins was told to teach listeners constant spiritual vigilance and readiness to meet the Lord when He comes to judge the living and the dead.
I must tell you that among the Jews, weddings were almost always celebrated in the evening; The bride and groom were escorted by girls holding lit lamps in their hands. This is what the Lord said:
“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight a cry was heard: “Here is the groom coming, come out to meet Him.” The virgins woke up and began to adjust their lamps. The wise virgins burned brightly because they contained oil; but among the foolish they went out. And they said to the wise virgins: “Give us your oil, because our lamps are going out. But they answered: “So that there is no shortage then for both us and you, it’s better to go buy yourself some oil.” They went to buy, and in the meantime the groom came; the wise virgins went in with him to the wedding feast, and the doors were shut. After a while those virgins came and began knocking and saying: “Lord! God! Open to us,” but the groom answered: “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” The Savior ended this story with the following words: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.”
What do these words mean? They point to the hour of our death, when we will have to give an account to the Lord about our entire life. We do not know when the Lord will call us, and we must expect death, as the wise virgins expected the groom, with lit lamps, that is, with hearts filled with love for God and warm faith. If we are absent-minded and lazy, if we do not meditate on God and do good, then the Lord will not accept us into the kingdom of heaven and will also say to us: “Get out of here. I don't know you."
During Holy Week, on Maundy Tuesday, a song is sung in church, the content of which is borrowed from this parable. Here it is: “Let us love the groom, brothers, and decorate our candles; shining in virtues and right faith, so that, like the wise virgins of the Lord, we are ready to go with him to marriage: the Bridegroom is a gift, like God, who gives an imperishable crown to everyone.”
Let us pray more often for this crown of incorruption, which the good and the faithful will receive in the kingdom of heaven.
PARABLE
about talents
Matthew 25:14— 30
The Son of Man, said the Lord, will act at the Last Judgment like one master, who, going to a distant country, entrusted his property to his servants. To one slave he gave five talents, to another slave he gave two talents, and to a third one. This master was wise and distributed his money to the slaves, taking into account their abilities. During his absence, the first worked, labored, traded with the money given to him and thus acquired five more talents; the one who received two talents did the same and worked out the other two; but the one who received one talent went and buried it in the ground. Finally, the master returned and demanded from his slaves an account of the money he had left them.
The first one who received five talents brought the other five talents and said: “Sir! You gave me five talents; I bought the other five with them.”
The master said to him: “Well done, good and faithful servant! In little things you were faithful; I will put you over many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
In the same way, the one who received two talents brought the other two acquired by his labor, and heard the same praise from the master.
The one who had received one talent came up and said: “Sir! I knew that you are a cruel man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter, and, being afraid, I went and hid your talent in the ground; here’s yours.” - “You wicked and lazy slave! - the gentleman told him. “If you were afraid of me, then why didn’t you trade, work, or bring me other talent?” Then I would receive my goods at a profit.” Then he turned to the other slaves and said: “Take his talent and give it to the one who has ten; and throw this evil slave to where there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth, for the one who has will always be given even more, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
In this parable, Jesus Christ compares Himself to the Lord. Who are the slaves? This is all of us. The money that the master distributed to his slaves is all those qualities and abilities that the Lord gives us: mind, memory, strength of soul and body, health, wealth. We must use all this for good deeds to fulfill the will of God. We should not bury our talent in the ground, that is, we should not destroy our abilities and strengths in laziness and sinful pleasures. And how many people do this? How many children who have all the means to learn, but are lazy and inattentive, who could be pious and kind, but behave badly! How many adults who could please God by helping their families, and who are ruining their minds, health, and time in sins! How many rich people use their wealth for evil! How scary to think about the punishment that awaits lazy and unfaithful slaves! But before the hour of our death has come, each of us can correct ourselves. Let us firmly decide to begin a virtuous life, let us ask God to help us make a good beginning, and let us stir our hearts with the words of a church song. “Having heard the condemnation of the one who hid his talent, do not hide the word of God about your soul, proclaim His wonders, so that by multiplying your talent, you may enter into the joy of Your Lord.”
PARABLE
about the employee
Luke 17:7-10
One day the Lord said to His disciples: “If any of you has a worker cultivating his field or tending his flock, will he say to him upon his return from the field: “Go quickly, sit down at the table?” On the contrary, will he not say to him: “Bring me supper and serve me while I eat and drink, and then eat and drink yourself?” Will he thank his servant for carrying out the order? Don't think. So you too, when you have fulfilled everything commanded to you, say: “We are slaves, worthless, because we only did what we had to do.”
But can the best of us say that he has fulfilled all that was due? Let us remember with what laziness, with what carelessness we perform even the easiest daily duties. And in relation to the Lord, can we even think that we have fulfilled everything we should? After all, everything we have belongs to Him. Our heart, our thoughts, our strength, our abilities, our time, everything belongs to Him. These are all means given to us to glorify His name and do His will. Is this how we use what has been entrusted to us? What about the good deeds of the Lord? Can we count and measure them? He created us, gave us all the blessings, loved us, sinners and unworthy. The only begotten Son of God died on the cross to save us. Can we ever think of deserving such favors? Of course not. But we must thank God every hour and try to prove our gratitude through our deeds, through our entire lives, by doing everything commanded to us with love and zeal.
PARABLE
about the lost sheep and the lost drachma
Luke 15:3-10
Jesus Christ in many parables spoke about God’s love for us, He said that the Heavenly Father desires correction for every sinner and provides the means for this. This same subject is the content of the parable of the lost sheep. Here are the words of the Savior:
“Which of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go looking for the lost one until he finds it? And having found it, he will bring it home with joy and say to his friends and neighbors: “Rejoice with me: I have found my lost sheep.”
“So in heaven there is more joy over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.”
A lost sheep is a sinner who has departed from God; but just as a shepherd goes to look for a lost sheep, so the Lord God wants to bring the sinner back to himself with the word of the Gospel, the promise of mercy and forgiveness. And if the sinner finally turns away from sin and with warm prayer and repentance runs back to God, firmly deciding to correct himself, then the Lord God Himself rejoices and all the holy angels rejoice.
So, you should never lose heart and doubt the mercy of the Lord. The Church offers us its help and its prayers so that we improve. When we fast and repent of all our sins in order to receive forgiveness, then we must make a firm intention to correct ourselves and start a new, better life. And the Lord God will gladly accept our repentance and help us fulfill our good intentions.
For the same purpose - to depict love and mercy for the repentant sinner - Jesus Christ told the following parable:
“What woman, having ten drachmas (a small coin), if she loses one drachma, does not light a candle, sweep the room and search carefully until she finds it?
And having found it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say: “Rejoice with me: I have found the lost drachma.”
Thus, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
PARABLE
about the good shepherd and the hired servant
John 10:1-16
In the parable of the good shepherd, the Lord again depicts His love for people. “I am the good shepherd,” He said. - The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep; but the hireling, who is not the shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs, and the wolf plunders them. But the hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I know Mine, and Mine know Me. As the Father knows Me, so I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep which are not of this fold; but these also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd.
In this parable, Jesus Christ called Himself a shepherd, and compared all people to sheep. He loved all people so much that he accepted death to save them and to give them eternal life. With the same parable He teaches us that we must obey the saving teaching of Christ and must listen to those shepherds and teachers who are elected by the Church to this dignity, and, on the contrary, must avoid such teachers who teach contrary to the true God-appointed shepherds of the Church.
“Truly, truly, I say to you,” said the Lord, “I am the door of the sheep; Whoever enters by Me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.”
By this, Jesus showed that only through faith in Him can a person enter the kingdom of heaven, that there is only one true faith - Christian faith, and one path to salvation - faith and love for God.
There are still peoples in distant countries who do not know the Christian faith; but pious people undertake journeys there to preach the Gospel to them and to enlighten them. The Church prays that everyone will join the one incorruptible Church; and we firmly hope that the time will come when everyone will hear the holy truth and there will be, in the words of the Lord, “one flock and one Shepherd.”
PARABLE
about the rich man and Lazarus
Luke 16:19 - 31
The rich must remember that wealth was given to them in order to make good use of it, to help the poor and do good. And if the rich forget this and live only to please themselves, a strict account will be required from them, if not in this life, then in the future. To explain this, the Savior told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
“Some man was rich. He dressed in expensive clothes and feasted luxuriously every day.
There was also a howl of a beggar named Lazarus, who, sick and wounded, lay at the rich man’s gate and wanted to be fed with the crumbs falling from the rich man’s table; and the dogs licked his wounds.
The beggar died, and the angels carried his soul to Abraham’s bosom, that is, to heaven. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his bosom and, crying out, said: “Father Abraham! Have mercy on me, send Lazarus so that he may dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in the fire.” But Abraham answered: “Child, remember that you prospered in your life, but Lazarus was poor; now he is consoled here, and you suffer. And besides this, a great gulf has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, nor can they cross from there to us.
Then the rich man said: “So I ask you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers: let him warn them so that they do not come to this place of torment.”
Abraham told him “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” But he objected: “No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead comes to them, they will repent.” Then Abraham said: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets; then even if someone has risen from the dead, they will not believe it.
We have more than Moses and the prophets, we have the word of Jesus Christ Himself, Who told us that in the future life everyone will be rewarded according to his deeds, that there will be strictly exacted punishment from those who did not use the means given to them properly, and those who They endured all kinds of hardships and suffering with faith and patience, did not grumble, did not envy, and lived honestly. The rich man spoken of in the parable is condemned not because he was rich, but because, having all the means to do good and help his neighbor, he did not do this, but lived only for himself.
PARABLE
about the prodigal son
Luke 15:11-32
You remember what Jesus said about the joy that comes in heaven when a sinner is reformed. He explained the same truth in the following parable, showing the love and mercy of our heavenly Father:
“A certain man had two sons; the youngest of them said to his father: “Father! Give me the next portion of the estate.” And the father divided the estate to his sons. Soon the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a distant country and there squandered his property, living dissolutely.
When he had lived through everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. He pestered one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent him into the field to graze pigs. And he was glad when he could eat pig feed, but no one gave it to him. Having come to his senses, he said: “How many of my father’s hired servants are content with bread in abundance, while I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father and tell him:
"Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son, accept me as one of your hired servants.”
He got up and went to his father. And when he was still far away, his father saw him and took pity on him, ran and, throwing himself on his neck, began to kiss him. The son told him: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” And the father said to his servants; “Bring the best clothes and dress him, put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring the fatted calf, and kill it; Let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.” And they started having fun.
The eldest son was in the field; returning home, he heard singing and rejoicing. Calling one of the servants, he asked what this meant. He answered him: “Your brother came, and your father killed the fatted calf, because he received it healthy.” The eldest son became angry and did not want to enter. Then his father came out and called him. But he said to his father: “I have served you for so many years and always followed your orders, but you never gave me even a kid so that I could have fun with my friends. And when that son of yours came, who had squandered his property and lived dissolutely, you killed the fatted calf for him.” The father said to him: “My son! You are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours. And in this you should rejoice and be glad, that your brother was dead and is alive again, that he was lost and is found.”
How kind this father is, who joyfully accepted his repentant son and went to meet him halfway! This Father is God Himself, Who joyfully accepts the repentant sinner. It seems that the greatest sinner, having read this parable, should be encouraged and go back to such a kind and tender-hearted Father.
But how many are there who, having received property from God: strength, abilities, health, wealth, intelligence, instead of using all this well, squander their property in a distant country, that is, they move away from God and forget about Him and about His commandments, living in sin, laziness and carelessness. But if, in the midst of this miserable and empty life, repentance and a sincere desire to return to the Father awaken in them, believe me, He Himself will help them in turning to the path of virtue, He Himself will, as it were, come out to meet them, strengthening their good intentions in their hearts. He will receive them not only with mercy, but also with joy and love, like a father to his children.
The Church reminds us of this parable in order to encourage us with the mercy of the Lord and turn us to repentance. On the week called the week of the Prodigal Son, before Maslenitsa, the following hymn or stichera is read and sometimes sung: “Good Father, I have departed from You; do not leave me and do not show me as indecent for Your kingdom; the all-evil enemy exposed me and took my wealth, I prodigally squandered Your gifts. But I turn to You and cry: create me as one from Your hired servants, You, for my sake, stretched out Your most pure hands on the cross to snatch me from the fierce beast, clothe me in the first garment, as one who is abundantly merciful.”
PARABLE
about a king going to war
Luke 14:31 - 33
Jesus once said to His disciples: “What king, going to war against another king, does not first sit down and consult whether he is able with ten thousand to withstand the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
Otherwise, when he is still far away, he will send to ask for peace.”
With this parable, Jesus wanted to say that anyone who wants to follow Him, that is, to become a real Christian, must gather all his strength, understand all the difficulties, so as not to weaken on the way and not return, afraid of the difficulties: he must turn to God for help , for he will face struggle, hardship and labor. He will have to fight against various temptations, against laziness, often against his own will, which is sometimes dangerous to follow. He must be ready to renounce all pleasure and all benefit, the achievement of which involves violating the law of Christ, and must often undergo suffering and labor in order to remain faithful to God. Therefore, he needs to arm himself with strength, patience and strong will; but all this will not be enough if he does not first ask for the Lord’s help. And God will hear his sincere prayer and help his weakness. Christ supported Peter in the midst of a stormy sea; He will also support those who trust in Him and sincerely desire to serve Him. In the midst of danger, He will support a Christian with faith and hope, in the midst of suffering and adversity He will give him peace of mind, and in return for earthly blessings He will give him eternal heavenly blessings.
How insignificant all hardships, labors and suffering will seem to us if we are worthy to be one of those whom the Lord calls blessed by the Father He will accept his own into the heavenly kingdom.
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