The Apostles believed in the Lord, but having come to the consciousness of their weakness, having understood that the Lord had spoken of something great, and having heard about the danger of temptations, they asked that the power of faith be multiplied in them, so that through it they might be able to fulfill what He had said, that is, regarding non-acquisitiveness. For nothing strengthens one's non-acquisitiveness so much as faith in God and firm hope in Him, just as nothing is more conducive to the accumulation of treasures than the unbelief that God is a great treasurer (treasurer), and His goodness is an inexhaustible treasury; moreover, with faith they can resist temptations. That is why the Apostles approach the Lord and say: "Increase faith in us," that is, show us to be the most perfect and firmer in the faith. The Lord, showing them that their request is good and that they need to firmly keep in mind that faith has great power, says: "If you had faith, you would transplant this fig tree as well." There are two great things here, namely, that what is rooted in the earth would, first, be moved from its place, and secondly, transplanted into the sea. And what can be planted in the water? Obviously, with these words the Lord shows the power of faith. Perhaps someone in the fig sense will understand the devil by "fig tree", since he invented for us the eternal worm and nourishes it with the thoughts he implants; for worms feed on fig leaves, from which silk threads come. In the same way, faith can uproot this fig tree from the human heart and cast it into the sea, that is, cast it into the abyss. - Having said this about faith, the Lord adds another very necessary teaching. What is it? The teaching that one should not be proud of perfections. Since faith accomplishes many things, and makes him who holds it a fulfiller of the commandments, adorning him with miracles, and because of this a person can easily fall into arrogance; therefore, the Lord warns the Apostles not to exalt themselves with perfections, setting a beautiful example. "Who," he says, "has a servant among you," and so on. This parable declares that one should not boast of any perfection, or even the fulfillment of all the commandments. For the slave has the necessary duty to carry out the commands of his master, yet the fulfillment of them should not be imputed to him perfectly. For if a servant does not work, he is worthy of wounds; and when he has done so, let him be content with the fact that he has escaped wounds, and should not demand payment for it. For to pay him, especially to give him something, depends on the generosity of the master. In the same way, he who works should not be exalted to God if he fulfills the commandments, for he has done nothing great. On the contrary, if he had not fulfilled, woe would have been to him, as the Apostle said: "Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16). In the same way, if he has received gifts, he should not boast of them, for the gifts were given to him by the mercy of God, and not because the Lord owed him anything. For it is the special duty of a slave to his master to do all his bidding. If we should not think anything great about ourselves even when we have kept all the commandments, then what happens to us when we do not fulfill even a small part of God's commandments, and even when we are proud? Pay attention also to the expression of the parable, which is first put "feeding", and then added "shepherding". For whoever needs to cultivate the land first, and only then take into his hands the pastoral office. He who has cultivated his flesh well, as if it were the earth, is worthy to be a shepherd for others. For whoever does not know how to govern his own house properly, how will he take care of the Church (1 Tim. 3:5)? Therefore, first cultivate yourself, and then shepherd others, as the Prophet Jeremiah said: "Plough for yourselves new fields" (Jeremiah 4:3), and then enlighten yourselves with the light of reason, by which the most important part of the pastoral office is signified.

Going to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. And when he was entering into a certain village, ten lepers met him, who stopped afar off, and said with a loud voice, "Jesus the Teacher! have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned, glorifying God with a loud voice, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him; and it was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, "Have not ten been cleansed?" Where are the nine? how did they not return to give glory to God, except for this foreigner? And he said to him, Arise, go; Your faith has saved you.

And from this everyone can know that nothing prevents anyone from pleasing God, even if he be of a cursed race, as long as he has a good will. Behold, ten lepers met Jesus when He was about to enter a certain city. They met Him outside the city, for they, since they were considered unclean, were not allowed to live inside the city (Lev. 13:46). They stopped "afar," as if ashamed of their imaginary impurity, and not daring to approach the thought that Jesus also abhorred them, as the others did, raising their voices and asking for mercy. In place they stood afar, but after prayer they stood near. For the Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth (Psalm 144:18). They ask for mercy not as from a simple person, but as from one who is higher than a person. For they call Jesus the Teacher, that is, the Master, the Guardian, the Overseer, which is very close to calling him God, He (Jesus) commands them (the lepers) to show themselves to the priests. For the priests examined them, and from them they decided whether they were clean from leprosy or not (Lev. 13). Priests had signs by which they noted incurable leprosy. And even then, when someone fell ill with leprosy and then recovered, the priests examined them, and they brought them a gift, which is prescribed in the Law. But here, when the lepers were indisputably such, what need was there for them to show themselves to the priests, if they had not been completely cleansed? The command to them to go to the priests indicated nothing else but that they would become clean. That is why it is said that they were purified as they walked the road. But look, as we said at first, out of ten people, nine, although they were Israelites, remained ungrateful. And the Samaritan, although he was of a strange generation, returned and expressed his gratitude (and the Samaritans were Assyrians), so that none of the pagans should despair, and none of those descended from holy ancestors should boast of this. - This miracle also hints at the general salvation that took place for the entire human race. The ten lepers signify the whole of human nature, leper with malice, bearing the ugliness of sin, living for its impurity outside the city of heaven and far from God. This very distance from God interceded for mercy. For for one who loves mankind and desires to save all and to do good to God, the strongest motive to mercy is to see that no one participates in goodness. For this very reason He bowed down to heal those who were in such a situation. And although He healed all leper nature, becoming incarnate and tasting death for every person, yet the Jews, despite the fact that on the part of the Lord they were cleansed from all the impurities of leper sin, turned out to be ungrateful and did not turn from their vain path in order to give glory to the Savior God, that is, to believe Him that He, the true God, was pleased to endure the most grievous sufferings. For the Flesh and the Cross are the glory of God. Thus, they did not recognize the Incarnate and Crucified Him as the Lord of glory. But the Gentiles, a strange people, recognized Him who purified them, and glorified Him by faith that God is so loving and powerful that for our sake He took upon Himself the utmost dishonor, which is the work of love for mankind, and having accepted it, He did not suffer any harm in His nature, which is the work of power.

And when he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God will not come in a visible way, and they will not say, 'Behold, it is here,' or, 'Behold, it is there.' For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. He also said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see even one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see; And they shall say unto you, Behold, here, or, behold, there, go not and pursue not: for as the lightning flashing from one end of heaven shineth to the other end of heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his day. But first He must suffer much and be rejected by this generation.

The Lord often mentioned the Kingdom of God in His teaching. But the Pharisees, hearing of it, laughed at the Lord, and therefore began to ask when it would come, in the form of a mockery of Him, as at an eccentric preaching about an unusual and strange subject. For none of the former teachers and prophets mentioned it (the Kingdom of God). Or, perhaps, having in mind their intention to kill Him for a short time, they approach Him with a question, in order to prick Him and ridicule Him, as if to say: Thou speakest of the Kingdom, when will this Thy Kingdom come? For in the morning Thou shalt be delivered up by us to death, Thou shalt ascend to the cross, and Thou shalt receive much other disgrace. What about Christ? He does not answer the foolish because of their foolish thought and folly (Proverbs 26:4), but leaves them to wander about the similarity of the name of the Kingdom, and does not reveal to them either what Kingdom He speaks of (for they would not have received), nor that this Kingdom is not like the kingdom of the world, but is the Kingdom of the world (John 18:36). Having kept silent about this, since they were unworthy to hear about it due to their arbitrary deafness, the Lord says about the time of the coming of the Kingdom that it is unknown and not subject to observation; for the Kingdom of God has no definite time, but is inherent in him who wills it at all times. For the Kingdom of God, without a doubt, constitutes life and self-arrangement in the image of the Angels. Then, it is said, truly God reigns when there is nothing worldly in our souls, but when we behave above the world in all things. And we have such a way of life within us, that is, when we want. For faith does not require either long time or travel, but faith, and after faith - a life pleasing to God, are close to us. Of this very thing the Apostle said: "The word is near to thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (Rom. 10:8). For to believe, and to walk worthy of the calling, and to believe, is within us. Thus, the Pharisees mocked the Lord for preaching a Kingdom that no one had preached. But the Lord declares that they do not understand such an object, which is within them and which it is very convenient for the wisher to attain. Now, when I am among you, you can surely receive the Kingdom of God if you believe in Me and decide to live according to My commandments. "He also said to the disciples, The days will come," and so on. That is, the Kingdom of God is inherent in you, as long as I am with you. It is inherent in you not only because you have believed in Me and followed Me, but also because you now live with complete carelessness, since I care and think about you. But when I am not with you, the days will come when you will be given over to dangers, you will be led to rulers and kings. Then you, as the Kingdom of God, will desire the present safe life, which you lead with Me, and will repeatedly desire to receive at least one of My days, that is, the days of My being with you, as the safest days. Though they (the disciples of the Lord), while they were with Him, did not lead a life without toil and danger, but endured flight with the fugitive and insult with the offended, yet if their former adventures are compared with future dangers, it turns out that they were then very safe. Therefore, even with such a way of life, that is, with small dangers and labors, the Kingdom of God was within the apostles; whereas after the Resurrection they were, as it were, captives and exiles. With these words the Lord prepares the hearts of the Apostles for labor and patience, and first tells them not to be offended (John 16:1). "And they will say to you," he says, "behold, here, or, behold, there, do not go and do not chase." Do not listen," he says, "to anyone's conviction that I have come here or there. For My second coming, most glorious and glorious, will not be confined to any place, and as lightning is not hidden, but appears from one end of the earth on the other, so will My second coming be bright and manifest, and will not be hidden from anyone. Therefore, do not give in to the temptations of false Christs. Formerly I appeared in a manger, and was in humiliation for thirty years, but then it will not be so: I will come in all glory, accompanied by angelic hosts, and in an instant. Then, since He predicted terrible calamities for them, comforting them and persuading them to endure them courageously, He sets Himself up for them as an example. Do not be amazed, he says, if such difficulties happen to you that they make you desire the return of My present presence with you. For I Myself, who am to appear as lightning, must first suffer much and be rejected, and then come in this glory. Let this be for you a conviction to virtue and an encouragement to patience, that is, look to Me and trust that glory will fall to you for enduring dangers and for rejection, just as I am.

And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, drank, married, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, built; but on the day that Lot came out of Sodom, a rain of fire and brimstone poured down from heaven, and destroyed them all; so it will be in the day when the Son of Man appears. And here the Lord points to the suddenness and unexpectedness of His coming. For as in the time of Noah the flood suddenly came and destroyed everyone, so will His coming be. These examples, that is, the example of the people of the antediluvians and the Sodomites (before the fire), also hint that at the coming of the Antichrist all indecent pleasures will increase among people, that people will be dissolute and given over to criminal pleasures, just as the Apostle said that "in the last days men will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:1-2, 4). And it is not surprising that under the kingdom of the seducer, evil will flourish. For it is a haven for the malice of all sin. What else would he try to instill in the miserable generation of people of that time, if not his own qualities? For from the unclean, what can be made clean? And so, people will then be immersed in all sensual pleasures, as in the days of Noah, and they will not expect any trouble, not even believe if anyone speaks to them about the adventure of any calamity, like the people who lived in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot.

On that day, whoever is on the housetop, and his belongings in the house, let him not go down to take them; and whoever is in the field, do not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever saves his life will destroy it; but whoever destroys it will revive it.

On that day of the coming of the Antichrist, whoever is "on the rooftop," that is, on the height of virtue, do not descend from it, do not descend for any worldly object. For all the things of life are called vessels for man, serving some for virtue, and others for evil. Therefore, you who stand on the height of virtue, do not go down for anything worldly and do not fall from your height, but resist malice and do not weaken. Likewise, let him who is in the field not turn back. For he who is in the field, that is, in this world, who cultivates virtue, should not turn back, but should stretch forward, as it is said in another place: "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back, is trustworthy for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). The Lord presents Lot's wife as an example. Turning back, it became a pillar of salt, that is, without departing from malice, it remained in its saltiness, becoming completely evil, and, sinking and remaining in evil, constitutes a monument to the defeat it suffered. Then the Lord adds what also applies to the above: "Whoever saves his life will destroy it." "No one," he says, "in the persecution of the Antichrist, try to save his soul, for such a one will destroy it. And whoever gives himself over to death and calamity in general will be saved, not bowing down before the tormentor for love of life. Above the Lord said that he who stands on the height of virtue should not go down with it for worldly things, should not be carried away by either acquisition or possessions, and because of them should weaken in the struggle. Likewise, now, stretching out further, he says: "And what do I say, do not go down for the vessels? No, do not abandon virtue, and do not dare to bow down before the seducer and persecutor for the sake of external goods, or even for the very preservation of the soul. - Evangelist Matthew (Matt. 24)

However, there is nothing surprising if this came true at the capture of Jerusalem and will come to pass again at the coming of the Antichrist, especially if the very time of the end (of the world) has unbearably heavy sorrow.

I say to you, In that night there will be two on the same bed: one will take it, and the other will be left; two will grind together: one will be taken, and the other will be left; Two will be on the field: one will take it, and the other will be left. And they said to him, Where is it, Lord? And he said to them, Where there is a carcass, there the eagles will be gathered. And from this we learn that the coming of the Lord will follow unexpectedly and suddenly. For the legend that two will be on the same bed shows the carelessness of people. In the same way, threshing denotes the unexpectedness of the coming. We also learn that the coming will follow at night. Thus, the Lord says that even of the rich who rest on the bed, some will be saved, while others will not. The Lord once said that the rich are saved with difficulty (Matt. 19:23-24). Now He shows that not all the rich perish, not all the poor are saved, but even of the rich one will be caught up to meet the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17), as light in spirit and heavenly, and the other will remain below, as condemned. In like manner, of the poor who are marked as grinding, one will be saved, and the other will not. For not all the poor are righteous: some of them are thieves and cut off purses. Threshing indicates the difficult life of the poor. When the disciples asked the Lord where these would be taken, He answered: "Where there is a carcass, there are the eagles; that is, where the Son of Man is, there are all holy, light and soaring, while sinners are heavy and therefore remain below. As when a dead body lies, all the carnivorous birds flock to it, so when the Son of Man appears from heaven, who died for us and is imputed to the corpse, all the saints and the angels themselves will be gathered. For He will come with them in the glory of the Father and in unspeakable splendour. Although He called this time night, He called it so because it is unexpected and that sinners will then be embraced by darkness. But light shall shine upon the righteous, and they themselves shall shine like the sun (Matt. 13:43).

Chapter Eighteen

He also told them a parable about always praying and not losing heart, saying, "There was a judge in a certain city who did not fear God and was not ashamed of people." In the same city there was a widow, and she came to him and said, "Protect me from my rival." But he didn't want to for a long time. And then he said to himself: although I do not fear God and am not ashamed of people, yet, since this widow does not give me peace, I will protect her, so that she will not come to trouble me any more. And the Lord said, Do you hear what the unrighteous judge says? Will not God protect His elect, who cry out to Him day and night, although He is slow to defend them? I tell you that He will give them protection soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? Since the Lord mentioned sorrows and dangers, He also offers a cure for them. This healing is prayer, and not just prayer, but constant and intensified prayer. All this, he says, has to happen to the people of that time, but against them great help is given by prayer, which we must constantly and patiently do, imagining how the widow's vexation bowed down the unjust judge. For if he, full of all malice and not ashamed of God or man, was softened by his constant request, how much more shall we not bow to the mercy of the Father of God's bounty, although He is at present delaying? See that not to be ashamed of people is a sign of great malice. For many do not fear God, but only people are ashamed, and therefore sin less. But whoever has ceased to be ashamed of people is already the height of malice. That is why the Lord afterwards decreed: "And he was not ashamed of men," saying, as it were, "The judge did not fear God either, and what do I say, did not fear God?" - he showed even greater malice, because he was not ashamed of people either. This parable teaches us, as we have said many times, that we should not lose heart in prayer, just as it is said in another place: "Which of you, having a friend, will send him away if he comes and knocks at night?" For if for nothing else, then according to perseverance He will reveal it to him (Luke 11:5, 8). And again: "Is there any man among you who, when his son asks him for bread," and so on? (Matt. 7:9). With all this, the Lord inspires us with constant exercise in prayer. "Some have tried to expound this parable as thoroughly as possible, and have dared to apply it to reality. A widow, they said, is a soul that has rejected its former husband, that is, the devil, who therefore became a rival, constantly attacking her. It comes to God, the Judge of unrighteousness, who, that is, condemns unrighteousness. This Judge does not fear God, for He alone is God, and has no other whom He could fear, and He is not ashamed of men, because God does not look at the face of man (Gal. 2:6). Over this widow, over the soul that constantly asks God for protection from her rival – the devil, God is propitiated, since her annoyance defeats Him. "Let anyone accept such a understanding. It is transmitted only so that it does not remain unknown. Only the Lord teaches us the necessity of praying and shows us that if this judge, lawless and full of all malice, has been moved with compassion because of his unceasing request, how much more will God, the author of all righteousness, soon give us protection, although He has long endured and apparently does not listen to those who ask Him day and night. Having taught us this, and having shown us that at the end of the world we must use prayer against the dangers that will then occur, the Lord adds: "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" For the son of lawlessness will then have such power that he would deceive even the elect, if it were possible (Matt. 24:24). About what is rare, the Lord usually uses an interrogative mode of speech. For example: "who is a faithful and prudent steward" (Luke 12:42). And here, denoting the same thing, namely, that there will then be a very small number of those who preserve faith in God and trust in each other, the Lord used the above-mentioned question. - In persuading to prayer, the Lord rightly added a word about faith, since faith is the beginning and foundation of all prayer. For it will be in vain for a man to pray if he does not believe that he will receive what he asks for good (James 1:6-7). That is why the Lord, teaching us to pray, also mentioned faith, secretly letting it be known that only a few would then be able to pray, since faith would not then be found in many. Thus, the Lord, having come in the clouds, will not find faith on earth, except for a few. But then He will produce faith. For, although unwittingly, everyone confesses that the Lord Jesus is to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11), and if it is necessary to call this faith, and not necessity, there will be no unbeliever who would not believe that the Saviour is the only one whom he had previously blasphemed.

He also said the following parable to some who were sure of themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee, standing up, prayed within himself thus: God! I thank Thee that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this publican: I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of all that I acquire. The publican, standing at a distance, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but, beating his breast, he said: God! Be merciful to me, a sinner! I say unto you, that this one went into his house justified more than that one: for whosoever exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. The Lord does not cease to destroy the passion of arrogance with powerful arguments. Inasmuch as it disturbs the minds of people more than all passions, the Lord teaches about it often and much. So now He heals the worst of it. For there are many branches of self-love. From it are born: self-conceit, boasting, vanity and the most pernicious of all arrogance. Arrogance is a rejection of God. For when someone ascribes perfection not to God, but to himself, what else does he do but deny God and rebel against Him? It is this ungodly passion, against which the Lord arms Himself as enemy against enemy, that the Lord promises to heal with this parable. For he speaks it to those who were sure of themselves, and did not attribute all things to God, and therefore despised others, and shows that righteousness, though it be admirable in other respects, and bring man nearer to God himself, yet if it allows itself to be arrogant, it brings man down to the lowest degree, and likens him to a demon, which sometimes assumes the appearance of being equal to God. The opening words of the Pharisee are similar to the words of a man of gratitude; for he says, I thank Thee, O God! But his subsequent speech is filled with decisive madness. For he did not say, "I thank Thee, that Thou hast removed me from iniquity, from robbery," but how? - that I am not like this. He ascribed perfection to himself and his own strength. And to condemn others, as it is characteristic of a person who knows that everything that is, he has from God? For if he were convinced that he by grace has the goods of others, he would certainly not despise others, imagining in his mind that he, too, in relation to his own strength, is equally naked, and by grace is clothed with a gift. Therefore the Pharisee, as one who attributes the deeds done to his own power, is arrogant, and from this he went so far as to condemn others. The Lord denotes arrogance and lack of humility in the Pharisee with the word: "became." For the humble man has a humble appearance, but the Pharisee showed vanity in his outward behavior. True, it is also said of the publican: "standing," but see what is added further: "he did not even dare to lift up his eyes to heaven." Therefore, his standing was at the same time a bow, and the Pharisee's eyes and heart were raised to heaven. Look also at the order that is presented in the prayer of the Pharisee. First he said what he was not, and then he enumerated what he was. Having said, I am not like other people, he also exposes various virtues: I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything that I acquire. For one must not only turn away from evil, but also do good (Psalm 33:15). And first you must shun evil, and then proceed to virtue, just as when you wish to draw pure water from a muddy spring, you must first cleanse the dirt, and then you can draw pure water. And what the Pharisee did not say in the singular: I am not a robber, not an adulterer, like the rest. He did not even allow the mere verbal application of a defamatory name to his own person, but used these names in the plural, about the rest. Having said, "I am not like the others," he contrasted with this: "I fast twice a week," that is, two days a week. The Pharisee's speech could have had a deep meaning. In spite of the passion of adultery, he boasts of fasting. For lust is born of sensual satiety. Thus, depressing his body with fasting, he was very far from such passions. And the Pharisees really fasted on the second day of the week and on the fifth. The Pharisee contrasted the name of robbers and offenders with the fact that he gives a tenth of all that he acquires. Robbery," he says, "and wronging are so repugnant to me that I give up even my own. In the opinion of some, the Law commands tithes in general and forever, and those who study it more deeply find that it prescribes a threefold kind of tithe. You will learn about this in detail from Deuteronomy (chapters 12 and 14), if you pay attention. This is how the Pharisee behaved. "And the publican behaved quite the opposite. He stood at a distance and was very far from the Pharisee, not only in the distance of the place, but also in his clothes, in his words, and in the contrition of his heart. He was ashamed to raise his eyes to heaven, considering them unworthy of the contemplation of heavenly objects, since they loved to look at earthly goods and make use of them. He struck his breast, as if striking the heart for evil counsels and awakening it from sleep to consciousness, and said nothing else but this: "O God! be merciful to me, a sinner." For all this, the publican went more justifiably than the Pharisee. For everyone who is high-hearted is unclean before the Lord, and the Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34). "Some may wonder why the Pharisee, although he spoke a few words with great wisdom, was nevertheless condemned, and Job said so many great things about himself, and yet received a crown?" This is because the Pharisee began to talk idly about praising himself, while no one forced him, and condemned others when no benefit prompted him to do so. And Job was compelled to count his perfections by the fact that his friends oppressed him, that they weighed upon him heavier than misfortune itself, that they said that he suffered for his sins, and that he numbered his good deeds for the glory of God and so that people would not weaken along the path of virtue. For if people had come to the conviction that the deeds that Job did were sinful deeds and he suffers for them, then they would have begun to distance themselves from doing these very deeds and thus, instead of lovers of strangers, they would have become inhospitable, instead of merciful and truthful, they would have become unmerciful and offenders. For such were the works of Job. Thus, Job counts his good deeds so that many will not suffer harm. Such were the reasons for Job. Not to mention the fact that in his very words, apparently eloquent, perfect humility shines through. For "if I had been," he says, "as in the months of old, as in the days when God kept me" (Job 29:2). You see, he puts everything on God and does not condemn others, but rather suffers the condemnation of his friends. But the Pharisee, who is all to himself, and not to God, and unnecessarily condemns others, is justly condemned. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, being condemned by God, but he who humbles himself through condemnation will be exalted, being justified by God. Thus it is said, "Remember me; let us sue; speak thou, that thou mayest be justified" (Isaiah 43:26).

They also brought infants to Him, that He might touch them; But Jesus called them and said, "Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will not enter into it. The example of children also leads to humility. The Lord teaches us to be humble, to accept everyone and not to despise anyone. The disciples considered it unworthy of such a Teacher to bring children to Him. And He shows them that they need to be so humble that they do not despise even the smallest ones. Thus, not rejecting infants, but gladly accepting them, the Lord "by deed" teaches humility. He also teaches "by word," saying that such are the Kingdom of Heaven, who have the disposition of a child. A child is not exalted, does not humiliate anyone, is not malicious, guileless, does not haughty in happiness, nor does he humble himself in sorrow, but always quite simply. Therefore, whoever lives humbly and without malice, and who accepts the Kingdom of God as a child, that is, without deceit and curiosity, but with faith, is acceptable before God. For who is excessively curious and always asks: How is it? - he will perish with his unbelief and will not enter the Kingdom, which he did not want to receive in simplicity, without curiosity and with humility. Therefore, all the apostles and all those who believe in Christ in simplicity of heart can be called children, just as the Lord Himself called the apostles: "children! Do you have any food?" (John 21:5). And the pagan sages, who seek wisdom in such a mystery as the Kingdom of God, and do not want to accept it without reasoning, are justly torn away from this Kingdom. The Lord did not say: "these" is the Kingdom, but "such," that is, those who have voluntarily acquired for themselves the kindness and humility that children have by nature. Thus, let us accept everything ecclesiastical that constitutes the Kingdom of God without curiosity, with faith and humility. For curiosity is characteristic of self-conceit and self-wisdom.