We see that in this world, a person, wherever he lives and wherever he is, is called a resident or citizen of the city in which he has his home, for example, a Moscow resident is a Muscovite, a Novgorod resident is a Novgorodian, and so on. In the same way, true Christians, although they are in this world, nevertheless have a city in the heavenly Fatherland, which God is the Artist and Builder (Hebrews 11:10). And they are called citizens of this city. This city is the heavenly Jerusalem, which the holy Apostle John saw in his revelation: the city was pure gold, like pure glass; the street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass; and the city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has shone upon it, and the Lamb is its lamp (Rev. 21:18, 21, 23). In its streets the sweet song is constantly sung: Hallelujah! (See Rev. 19:1, 3, 4, 6). Nothing unclean will enter into this city, and no one who is given over to abomination and falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev. 21:27). And outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and does unrighteousness (Rev. 22:15).

True Christians are called citizens of this beautiful and radiant city, although they wander on earth. There they have their abodes, prepared for them by Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. There they raise their spiritual eyes and sighs from their pilgrimage. Since nothing unclean will enter this city, as we have seen above, let us cleanse ourselves, beloved Christian, from all defilement of flesh and spirit, making holy things in the fear of God, according to the admonition of the apostles (2 Corinthians 7:1). And may we be citizens of this most radiant city, and, having departed from this world, may we be vouchsafed to enter it, by the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

28. Lunch or Supper

As we see, it happens in this world that some noble and rich person gathers a rich and noble supper or dinner and invites many people to that dinner. In the same way, God, the King of Heaven, created a great supper of eternal bliss, filled with every ineffable consolation, delight, joy and gladness, and called and calls everyone according to His love for mankind. All, I say: glorious and inglorious, noble and poor, rich and poor, wise and foolish, and people of every sex, rank and rank. He called through the prophets, He called through His Only-begotten Son, He called through the holy apostles. Even now He calls through preachers of His word, pastors and teachers: "Go, for all things are ready" (Luke 14:17).

Beloved Christian! Thanks be to God, and we, the unworthy, are called by the Lover of Mankind God to that great supper. Let us gratefully accept this mercy of the Heavenly King to us and hasten with joy to this holy and all-sweet supper. There we will see the King of Heaven face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). Let us see His flaming servants, Angels and Archangels. Let us see the face of the patriarchs, the face of the prophets, the face of the apostles, the saints, the face of the martyrs, the face of the venerable fathers, and all who pleased God, and with all of them we will have loving friendship.

We see that many, as before, renounced, and now refuse to go to this most glorious supper. And instead of eternal and heavenly blessings, temporal and earthly ones choose, and thereby prefer a shadow to the truth. And so they make themselves unworthy of eternal bliss and ungrateful to the Heavenly King, their Great Benefactor, and therefore they provoke His righteous wrath. For I say unto you, saith the Lord, that none of those who are invited shall partake of my supper, for many are called, but few are chosen" (Luke 14:24).

Christians! Let us put this word of God in our ears and fix it in our memory: None of those who are invited will taste of My supper. Here we see how angry the Lord is with those ungrateful people who have been called to eternal bliss, to the most glorious and sweet supper by His word, but, despising His great grace, have turned to the attainment of temporal honor, glory, riches, pleasure, and other treasures of this world. None of those invited will eat My supper.

We read in the Mosaic Book of Numbers that when the children of Israel, having come out of Egypt, murmured: "Who will feed us with meat?" We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nothing, cucumbers and melons, and onions, and onions, and garlic – the Lord heard their murmuring, and was angry with anger, and fire was kindled in them from the Lord (Num. 11:4, 5, 10, 3).

Christians! The murmuring Israelites signify those Christians who prefer temporal blessings to eternal and heavenly ones, since the Israelites prefer Egyptian meat and other food to heavenly manna, and therefore they raise up the wrath of God against themselves, and not temporary, but eternal fire, will burn against them. I say unto you, None of those who are invited shall partake of my supper. This word is terrible, Christians, but it is true. So it will be with those who despise the call of God.

Let us Christians be afraid, and having listened to the Lord Who calls us, let us set our minds on things above, and not on earthly things (Col. 3:2). When an earthly king calls, as you know, it is shameless and terrible not to go to his supper. Much less to go to the supper, which God, the King of Heaven, has prepared and constantly calls through His servants. Let us listen to His salvific voice and go with thanksgiving and haste to this sweet feast. The Supper is prepared, the Most Glorious, Eternal, and Sweet Supper. The servants of God, sent from God to us, call us: go, for everything is already ready. The doors are open, the King of Heaven, Loving to mankind and Most Good, calls everyone and waits. Those who have listened to His voice enter with thanksgiving and partake of that heavenly sweetness. Christians! Let us also join this holy retinue and follow them, and the King will lead us into His palace. Amen!

About the same

In this world, it happens that the glorious and rich invite to their supper for the most part the glorious and rich, like themselves. It is not so with the King of Heaven, the Loving God. In His love for mankind, He does not despise anyone, but He calls to His heavenly supper, regardless of persons, alike: rich and poor, glorious and lowly, in a word, every person, male and female, and opens the doors to everyone. However, for the most part, the poor, the poor, the poor and the lowly listen to His salvific call and go to His most glorious supper, while the rich and glorious for the most part refuse, because they do not want to abandon their pride, pomp and luxury. They want to rejoice and reign here in this world, and therefore they despise that great supper; they see the blessings of this world, but they do not see the eternal blessings.