Further, do you believe that there are good people? If there are no good ones, then where did you get this very name? Where do your praises come from? If there are good ones, then it is obvious that they can blame the evil. But if the evil one does not become evil voluntarily, and not by himself, then the good will act unjustly, reproaching the evil, and through this they themselves will become evil. Indeed, what could be worse than to accuse an innocent person? If, however, the good, while rebuking the wicked, remain good, and this is the strongest proof of their goodness even to foolish people, then it is evident that no one has ever been evil out of necessity. If you continue to ask whence comes evil, I will tell you: from carelessness, from idleness, from dealing with the wicked, and from contempt for virtue. Hence both evil and the fact that some ask where evil comes from. Of the virtuous people, who have loved a humble and chaste life, no one asks about this; Only those who dare to do evil and wish to introduce a certain pernicious carelessness by means of this teaching weave webs. But we will tear these webs not only with words, but also with deeds themselves. Evil does not exist out of necessity. If it were necessary, then Christ would not have said: "Woe to the man through whom temptation comes." He calls unhappy only those who do evil of their own free will. And what he says, "Through whom stumbling comes," do not be surprised. These words of His do not mean that by means of this man there is another who introduces temptation, but that he himself produces everything. In Scripture, instead of the preposition from, the preposition is often used through, for example: "I have gained a man from the Lord (δια του Θεου)" (Gen. 4:1), i.e. the first cause is placed instead of the second. Also: "Is it not from God (δια του Θεου) of interpretation" (40:8)? And again: "God is faithful, by whom (δι ου) you were called into the fellowship of His Son" (1 Cor. 1:9).

4. And in order for you to be convinced that evil does not depend on necessity, listen to what the Lord says next. Having expressed pity for those who introduce temptations, He continues: "But if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life without a hand or without a foot, than to be cast into everlasting fire with two hands and two feet; and if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than with two eyes to be cast into hell fire" (Matt. 18:8-9). The Saviour speaks here not about the members of the body, but about our friends and relatives, who are, as it were, the members necessary for us. He spoke about this before, and He speaks now. Indeed, nothing is so harmful as communication with vicious and depraved people. What necessity cannot produce, friendship often produces, both for harm and for good. That is why the Saviour, with special power, commands us to shun harmful people, meaning by them those who introduce temptations. Do you see how Christ prevented the harm that could come from temptations? First, He predicted that temptations would certainly occur, so that no one would give himself over to carelessness, but all, waiting for them, would be awake; secondly, he showed that temptations are a great evil (he said, "Woe to the world from temptations," not without reason, but in order to show the great harm that comes from them); thirdly, and even more, He showed this by calling unhappy the one who introduces temptations (with the words: "woe to that man" the Saviour means that this person will be subjected to a severe punishment). And not only with these words, but also with the simile attached to them, increases fear. But not content with this, He also shows the way by which temptations can be avoided. What is this path? Cease, says He, the friendship of wicked people, even though they be very kind to you, and presents you with irrefutable proof of this. If, he says, they remain your friends, then you will not benefit them either, and you will destroy yourself. If you cease to be friends with them, then at least you yourself will gain salvation. Therefore, if friendship with someone is harmful to you, depart from him. If we often cut off the members of our body, when they are incurably sick and harmful to the other members, how much more should we do the same with friends. If evil depended on nature, then all this exhortation and all advice would be superfluous, and the warning contained in the above would be superfluous; but if it is not superfluous, as indeed it is, then it is evident that evil depends on the will. "Take heed, despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father which is in heaven" (v. 10). The Lord here does not call small those who are really small; but those whom many esteem as such, that is, the poor, the despised, and the ignoble. How, indeed, can one be called small who is dearer than the whole world? The one who is God's friend? The Saviour calls those who were so in the opinion of people small. He does not say many, but "one," preventing harm from many temptations through this. Both the shunning of the evil and the reverence of the good are of great benefit; And the attentive man protects himself from evil in two ways: by withdrawing from fellowship with people who seduce, and by giving respect and honor to holy men. Then there are other motives for us to honor these men, saying: "That their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father which is in heaven." From this it is evident that all the saints have angels in heaven. And the Apostle says of the woman that she "shall have on her head [the sign of] authority [over] [her], for the angels" (1 Cor. 11:10); and Moses says: "He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God" (Deuteronomy 32:8). Here we speak not only of angels, but also of the higher ranks of angels. And when they say that they "see the face of My Father which is in heaven," it means nothing else than their great boldness and great honor. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Matt. 18:11). After this, he presents a new proof, stronger than the first, and adds a parable in which he shows that the Father himself desires that we should not despise our younger brethren. "What do you think? – He says, – If a man had a hundred sheep, and one of them went astray, would he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go to look for the one that was lost? and if it happens to be found, then, verily, I say to you, he rejoices over her more than over the ninety-nine who are not lost. Thus it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish" (vv. 12-14). Do you see how many motives the Lord presents to us, forcing us to care for our lowly brothers? Do not, therefore, say that such and such a blacksmith, shoemaker, or farmer is a foolish man, and therefore worthy of contempt. In order that you may not be subjected to this evil, see how Christ exhorts you by many proofs to moderate yourself, and to take care of those people. He set the child in the midst and said, "Ye shall be as little children," and "Whosoever receiveth one such child in my name receiveth me" (v. 3, 5). And whoever offends will be subjected to the most severe punishment; and when he said, "It would have been better for him if a millstone had been hung around his neck, and he had been drowned in the depths of the sea" (v. 6), he was not satisfied with this, but added, "Woe to the man through whom the offense comes" (v. 7), and commanded them to depart, though they be for us instead of hands and eyes. Then, for the sake of the angels to whom these lesser brethren are entrusted, he compels us to honor them, and by his own will and suffering he urges us to do so (for when he says: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost," he thereby points to the cross, as Paul says of his brother: "Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died" - Romans 14:15), and by the will of the Father, for it is not pleasing to Him that any of the little ones should perish. And finally, he uses the general proof that the shepherd, having left the sheep he has preserved, seeks the lost one, and when he finds her, he rejoices greatly in finding and saving her.

5. If, then, God rejoices so much in the acquisition of a younger brother, how then do you despise those for whom God cares so much, then how should you lay down your life for one of these little ones? "But he is weak and poor!" Wherefore thou shalt especially do all things to save him. And the Lord Himself, having left ninety-nine sheep, went after one, and the salvation of such a multitude of sheep could not hide from Him the destruction of one. The Evangelist Luke says that He took it even on His shoulders, and that in heaven there is more joy over a single sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous men. Leaving the sheep that had not gone astray for the one that had gone astray, and rejoicing in finding her more than in preserving them, He showed by this great care for her. Let us not, therefore, despise such souls. For this is why all this has been told to us. Threatening those who will not be like children with complete excommunication from the kingdom of heaven and mentioning the millstone, the Saviour thereby destroys the pride of arrogant people, since nothing is so contrary to love as pride. Saying: "Temptations must come," he stirs us up to watchfulness; adding to these words: "Woe to the man through whom temptation comes," He warns each of us not to commit temptation; commanding us to distance ourselves from those who seduce, He makes the path to salvation more convenient for us; and forbidding them to despise the least of their brethren, and not merely forbidding them, but with special force, saying, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones," and again, "That their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father which is in heaven," also, "For this I also have come, and My Father willeth this," He makes more zealous of those who ought to take care of them.

Do you see with what a bulwark He has protected them, and what care He takes for people who are despised and perishing, threatening them with grievous calamities, and promising great blessings to those who serve them and care for them? This is confirmed both by his own example and by the example of the Father. Let us also imitate Him, and let us not renounce for our brethren any apparently humiliating and difficult deeds. But even if we were to serve a man of humble rank and poverty, even if it was associated with great labor, even if it was necessary to cross mountains and rapids for this purpose, we must endure all this for the salvation of our brother. God cares so much about the soul that He did not spare His Son. Therefore, I beseech you, let us strive for this one goal from the very morning, as soon as we leave our home, and above all, let us take care to save our brother from danger. I am not speaking here so much of the bodily danger, which can hardly be called a danger, as of the spiritual danger to which the devil exposes people. A merchant crosses the sea to increase his wealth, and an artist does everything to increase his possessions. In the same way, we must be concerned not only for our own salvation (but also for the salvation of our neighbors); otherwise we ourselves will not receive salvation. A warrior who in battle tries only to save himself by fleeing destroys others with him; on the contrary, the courageous, fighting for the defense of others, saves himself together with others. And since our life is also a war, and moreover the fiercest of all wars, a time of battle and battle, let us enter into battle as our King has commanded, with readiness to smite, kill and shed the blood of our enemies, taking care for the salvation of all, strengthening those who stand and raising up the fallen. Many of our brethren in this battle lie in wounds, bleeding, and there is no man to help them; neither the people, nor the priests, nor anyone else, nor the protector, nor the friend, nor the brother, care for them, but each cares only for himself. It is through this that we humiliate the dignity of our podvigs, because the greatest boldness (to God) and praise belongs to him who does not care about his own benefit.

But the opposite is happening to us. Sometimes we are more willing to enter into friendship with Jews and Greeks than with the sons of the Church.

6. But one, you say, is evil, and the other is kind and gentle. What are you saying? You call your brother evil, the one to whom you are forbidden to say, "Raka"

But that is why you must become his friend, so that he ceases to be so, changes and turns to virtue. But you say: he does not obey and does not accept advice. How do you know that? Did you exhort him, and did you try to correct him? You will say, I have admonished him many times. And how much? Twice? And that means a lot! If you had done this all your life, then you should not weaken and give up this work. Do you not see how God constantly exhorts us through the prophets, apostles, and evangelists? Well, do we do everything, obey everything? No. But has He ceased to admonish us? Did he fall silent? On the contrary, does he not say every day: "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13), and, meanwhile, the passion for wealth and cruelty increases in many? Does He not call upon us every day: "Let go, and it shall be forgiven you" (Matt. 6:14), and we become even more hardened? Does He not exhort us to constantly rule over lust and conquer evil pleasures, and yet many, worse than pigs, wallow in this sin? And yet He does not cease to exhort us. Why, then, do we not ponder and say to ourselves that God also exhorts us, and ceases to exhort us, though we often disobey his exhortations? For this reason He said that there are few who are saved (Luke 13:23). If our own virtue alone is not enough for us to be saved, but we must abandon this life, turning others to virtue, then what will we have to endure when we do not lead ourselves or others to salvation? For what can we hope to be saved? But what do I blame for our negligence for the salvation of our neighbors, when we do not care in the least for those who live with us, that is, for wife, children, and slaves, but, like drunkards, do not do what we ought to do, that we may have more slaves, and that they serve us with great zeal, that we may leave a rich inheritance to our children, that the wife should wear gold ornaments and precious garments, and never care for them, but only for their possessions.

And so do we. While our soul suffers from a cruel disease, gives itself over to anger, backbiting, reckless desires, vanity, indignation, clings to the earth and is tormented by so many beasts, we, not caring about deliverance from passions, take care of the house and the slaves. If a bear secretly escapes from somewhere, we lock up our houses, hide so as not to meet her; and here, despite the fact that not one beast, but a multitude of them, i.e. impure thoughts, torment our soul, we do not even feel them. Living in the city, we watch very strictly over the beasts, imprison them in deserted places and in caves, and keep them chained not in the city square, or near the judgment seat and the royal palaces, but somewhere in the distance. And into the soul - this place of council, these royal palaces, this judgment seat - the beasts invade and make a cry and noise around the very mind and the throne of the king. From this everything comes into disorder, everywhere there is indignation, both within and without us, and each of us is very much like a city that was disturbed by the barbarians who came upon it. The same thing happens to us as it happens to birds, when a serpent occupies their nest. Uttering a pitiful squeak, they fly everywhere in fear and confusion, not knowing how to free themselves from danger.

7. Therefore, I beseech you, let us destroy the serpent, let us imprison the beasts, let us kill them, and cut off evil thoughts with the sword of the Spirit, so that the prophet will not threaten us in the same way as he threatened the land of Judah: "But the beasts of the desert will dwell in it, the houses will be filled with owls; the ostriches will settle, and the shaggy ones will jump there. Jackals will howl in their palaces, and hyenas in houses of pleasure" (the onocentaurs will dwell there, and hedgehogs and serpents) (Isaiah 13:22, 21 Isaiah 14:23 – "And I will make it a dominion of hedgehogs and a swamp, and I will sweep it away with a broom of destruction"). Truly, people are worse than jackals (onocentaurs). They are unrestrained like wilderness beasts. Such are for the most part young men. Given over to fierce passions, they jump and jump, rushing unrestrainedly everywhere and not caring in the least about what is due. And their fathers are to blame for this.

Fornication and adultery arise from the fact that young men are given freedom. If he had a sensible wife, he would have taken care of the house, fame and honor. But you will say: he is still young. And I know it. But if Isaac entered into marriage in the fortieth year from birth, and until that time he preserved virginity (Gen. 25:20), then how much more should young men have this virtue in a state of grace. But what should I do? Not only do you not want to take care of their chastity, but you look on with indifference when they dishonor, defile themselves, and indulge in various vices, not knowing that the benefit of marriage depends on the preservation of purity of the body, without which there is no benefit from marriage. And you can have the opposite. When your children have already defiled themselves with innumerable vices, then unite them in the bonds of marriage; but already in vain and in vain. But you say: it is necessary to wait for the time when the son will become famous and glorify himself by the deeds of state, but you do not care about the soul in the least, but look indifferently at its fall; For this reason we have such confusion, disorder and disorder in everything, that we do not care about the soul, neglect what is necessary, and turn all our care to matters of little importance. Do you not know that you can do no better than by preserving him from the impurity of fornication? For there is nothing more precious than the soul: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul" (Matt. 16:26)? But the love of wealth has transformed and overthrown everything, and has destroyed the true fear of God. As a tyrant destroys a fortress, so it has overthrown the souls of men. Wherefore we care neither for the salvation of our children, nor for our own, but only for becoming rich, and leaving wealth to our heirs, and they to theirs, and so on; and in this way we only transfer our property to others, and do not possess it ourselves. This is where madness comes from; this is why free people become worse than slaves. For we punish the slaves, if not for them, at least for ourselves; but the free do not enjoy even such care, and turn out to be worse even than slaves. And what do I say about slaves? The lot of our children is worse even than cattle; we care more about donkeys and horses than about children. If someone has a hinny, he tries in every possible way to find the best groom, who would be honest, not a thief, not a drunkard, and who would know his business. If we need to give a mentor to our son, then we simply, without any choice, take whoever happens. And yet there is nothing more difficult than the art of education. Indeed, what art can be compared with the art of educating the soul and enlightening the mind of a young man? A person who knows this art must be more attentive than any painter and sculptor. But we do not care about this at all, but pay attention only to the fact that the student learns to speak. And we care about this only for the sake of wealth. He learns to speak not in order to be able to speak well, but in order to enrich himself, so that even if it were possible to acquire wealth without knowing how to speak, we would not care about this either. Do you see what power the passion for money has over us? How has she subdued all things under her power, and bound us like slaves and beasts, and draws us whither she wills? But what is the use of such reproofs to us? We arm ourselves against this passion with words, and it conquers us with deeds. However, let us not cease to strike her with the words of our lips. If there is any benefit from this, then it will extend to us and to you. If you do not abandon your former vices, at least we have done everything on our part. May God deliver you from this illness, and may He give us the opportunity to acquire praise through you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

[1] In the Synodal translation, "the sons of Israel."

DISCOURSE 60

"But if your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him between you and him alone; if he hearkens to thee, thou hast gained thy brother" (Matt. 18:15).

1. Since the Saviour pronounced a stern rebuke against the seducers and struck them with fear, so that, in view of this rebuke, those who are tempted in their turn should not fall into carelessness, and, considering everything, considering it not to concern them, out of false hope that everything should serve them, fall into insane pride, see how He restrains them also. He commands them to be rebuked, but to be rebuked only in private, so that the rebuke in the presence of many witnesses does not seem too heavy, and the rebuked, instead of reforming, does not become even more impudent. Therefore he says: "Rebuke him between you and him alone; if he hearkens to thee, thou hast gained thy brother." What does it mean, "if he listens"? If he condemns himself, if he confesses his sin. "That thou hast gained thy brother." He did not say, "Thou hast sufficiently avenged him," but, "Thou hast gained thy brother," showing that from enmity comes harm to both. He did not say: he received benefit only for himself; but: And you, on your part, have acquired it. And by this he showed that both had lost much before, one losing his brother, and the other his own salvation. He taught the same thing when He sat on the mountain; then He sent the offender to the offended, and said: If you, standing before the altar, "there remember that your brother has something against you, ... go first and be reconciled to your brother" (Matt. 5:23,24); then He commanded the offended to forgive his neighbor: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12) – thus He taught to speak in prayer. Here He also uses another method: He does not send the offender to the offended, but the latter to the first. Since the offender, out of shame, would reluctantly go to ask forgiveness, he sends the offended person to him, and sends him with the very intention of correcting the disorder that has occurred between them, and does not say: accuse, or reproach, or demand judgment and punishment against him; but only - rebuke. He who has offended you, out of anger and shame, is as if in slumber; but you, who are healthy, must come to the sick, and in order that your healing may be accepted more quickly, you must not judge in public. The word "rebuke" means nothing else here: remind him of his sin, and tell him what you have suffered from it. If this is done as it should be, then you will do two things: you will justify yourself, and you will persuade others to reconcile. But what if he doesn't listen and persists? "Take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed" (Matt. 18:16). The more shameless and bold he is, the more we should have recourse to medicine, and not to anger and indignation. And the doctor, seeing that the illness does not cease, does not leave the sick person and does not become angry with him, but all the more does he take care of him. The Saviour commands us to do the same here. You were weak when you were alone; Be stronger with the help of others. Two can rebuke the sinner. Do you see how the Saviour seeks the benefit not only of the offended, but also of the offended? Offended is the one who is seized by passion; he is sick, weak, and infirm. That is why the Saviour sends to him the offended, now alone, sometimes with others. And if he persists even then, he sends with the church, saying, "Speak," he says, "to the church," v. 17. If He had sought only the benefit of the offended, He would not have commanded the penitent to be forgiven up to seventy times seventy times, nor would He have indicated so many physicians for his illness, but since he remained obstinate after the first rebuke, He would have ordered him to be abandoned; on the contrary, He commands him to be healed once, and twice, and three times, and now to one, then to two, then finally to many. When it came to those who were outward, He did not command anything of the sort, but said: "But whosoever smites thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other" (Matt. 5:39), but here it is not so. Paul teaches the same thing, saying: "Why should I judge also those who are outside" (1 Cor. 5:12)? And the same Paul commands both to rebuke and convert the brethren, and to cut off the disobedient, so that they may be ashamed. And the Saviour does the same here, when He prescribes such a rule concerning the brethren; He gives three to the offender teachers and judges, who would admonish him in what he did during His drunkenness. Though he himself has spoken and done all the obscenities, yet he has need of outside admonition, just like a drunken man. Anger and sin lead a person into a stronger frenzy than any drunkenness. Who was wiser than David? But he, too, when he sinned, felt nothing, lust took possession of his whole mind and, like smoke, filled his soul. For this reason he had need of a prophetic lamp and of those words that would bring to his memory what he had done. That is why here too the Saviour brings to the sinner such people who would tell him about his action.