Excerpt from the work of St.John Maximovich , Archbishop of Chernigov (1697–1712) and Metropolitan of Tobolsk and All Siberia (1712–1715), who died on June 10, 1715, and was canonized in 1916. The work itself, first written by the saint in Latin for students of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy and later translated by him into Slavonic-Russian, bears the following title: “ Heliotropion , that is, a sunflower representing the conformity of human will with the Divine will.”
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Chapter I. There is nothing accidental in the world
What is Providence ? It is one of the fundamental qualities of God—to see everything that is, has been, and will be in the future as present, and to have an omnipotent care for the preservation of creation and the rational control of the phenomena they produce. St. John of Damascus puts it this way: "Providence is the Divine will by which all things are contained and all things are rationally governed."
What seems random to us actually happens by the will of God.
If we examine any events or phenomena without delving into their causes and consequences, much seems random. However, if we look at them from a true perspective, that is, if we judge the phenomena that occur in the world by the mind of God, we will see that nothing in the world is random, nothing that occurs without the will and providence of God. The mind of God (Providence, God's care) is limitless and encompasses everything within our comprehension. Almighty God penetrates and sees all places in an instant: the heights of heaven and the breadth of the earth, the depths of the sea and the unfathomable depths of hell.
In all the works of Divine government, His Providence and care shine forth wondrously, not only disposing of all creatures by His power, but also being present and present within them. We, blind as we are, think that much in the world happens by chance, whereas everything without exception occurs according to God's eternal counsel, His good pleasure, and His Providence.
Augustine rightly said: "Everything that, without understanding, we consider to happen by chance, irrationally, and without any divine decree, actually occurs by divine dispensation." Let's explain this with an example: a master sends two servants to the same place, but by different routes, without telling either one. Their meeting there is accidental in relation to the servants—they had no intention of meeting each other—but not accidental in relation to the master. Similarly, a beggar finds a treasure (buried treasure, money) by chance, but for God, who willed that the treasure be buried there, that the beggar might find it and become rich, this is no longer an accident, but God's paternal Providence enriching the poor man. With God, there are no accidents.
We are often deceived by calling that which reveals the highest Wisdom and Providence of God an accident.
Biblical examples
It was no accident that the robbers, in their terror, threw the corpse of the man they had killed into Elisha's tomb, where, touching Elisha's bones, it immediately came to life. It was no accident that Moses was placed in a tarred reed basket and cast adrift, where Pharaoh's daughter found him and adopted him. It was no accident that Ahab, King of Israel, was struck by an arrow that flew between the seams of his armor, and this truly happened through the ignorance of the warrior who shot the arrow ( 2 Chronicles 18:33 ). Truly, this arrow was directed by the hand of God, like the one that struck Julian the Apostate; only for the one who shot it, it was an accident. It was no accident that swallows flew into the house of Tobit and deprived the virtuous man of sight, dropping droppings on his eyes ( Tob. 2:10 ). This followed God's decree, to demonstrate his patience as an example to future generations, as is evident from the words of the angel who accompanied Tobias. Nothing happens by chance. It was no accident that Caesar Augustus commanded a census of the people at the time of Christ's birth ( Luke 2 , etc.). It was no accident that Christ met the Samaritan woman at the spring of Sychar and conversed with her. All this was foreseen and recorded in the books of Divine Providence before all ages.
David's "Accidental" Deliverance from Saul's Hands
King Saul continually pursued David, seeking to take away his health and life; but the search was in vain: for God protected David . While David was hiding in the wilderness of Maon, Saul arrived there with a multitude of his warriors; they surrounded David on all sides, taking away all hope of deliverance. It seemed to everyone that David, like a beast, was surrounded on all sides by nets and dogs, and everyone thought that he was in a desperate situation. Saul, already almost victorious (when he surrounded David with his army), seemed to everyone like a lion with the prey already in his teeth. But in vain: God concealed and protected David, for suddenly a messenger rode to Saul with news of the invasion of the Philistines, saying: “Hurry, flee to save your country; for the strangers have already entered your land; "Repel your enemies without delay and drive them out of your land" ( 1 Samuel 23:27 ). This "chance," arranged by God, saved David's life and freedom; the evil plans of his enemies were destroyed by God's miraculous Providence.
God's unceasing providence for each of us
Often , God , wisely providing for us, leads us along life's perilous, barely passable roads, but He knows well the path He takes to the heavenly gardens of paradise. Why then should we raise pitiful cries against the wisest and most reliable Guide in our lives? Why say, if we are following the path God has determined for us, "Where are You leading us? It seems we have long since strayed from the right path." "Do not grieve, my friend!" God mysteriously tells us. "Trust only in Me. I will guide you safely; you will not grieve at all when you complete your journey." Thus, each of us is accompanied by Divine Providence on life's journey from the day of birth until the day of our departure into eternal life, if only we remain faithful to God's guidance, indicated by our Savior in His holy Gospel.
The circumstances of Saul's appointment as king
When speaking of God's Providence, one cannot help but recall the story of the Israeli king Saul, who, having been sent by his father to find his lost donkeys, found himself a kingdom. Let us consider here God's Providence concerning this man. God said to the prophet Samuel: "Tomorrow about this time (it was at noon) I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you anoint him king over my people Israel" ( 1 Samuel 9:16 ). God sent Saul to Samuel in this way: Saul's father's donkeys had run away somewhere, and he sent his son to look for them. Saul, taking one of his servants with him, set out to look for the donkeys. They passed through Mount Ephraim and the land of Shalisha, but did not find the donkeys. They also passed through the land of Shaalim and the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. And when they arrived in the land of Zuph, Saul said to his companion, "Let us return, lest our father, forgetting the donkeys, become anxious about us and be forced to look for us." To this the servant replied, "Here in this city is a man of God, a man of honor; everything he says comes true. Should we not inquire of him about the donkeys?" Saul found the servant's advice wise and helpful. This is how God sent Saul to Samuel ( 1 Samuel 9:1-7 ). But before they saw each other and began to converse, the Lord revealed to Samuel that Saul, who had come to him, was the one who was to be anointed king to rule the Jewish people. Everything happened according to God's inscrutable decree, in an apparently ordinary manner: Saul found the donkeys and at the same time received the kingdom, which he had never thought of. O, what an incomprehensible abyss of God's providence! What a profound mystery! How different are God's destinies from human thoughts: Saul had no thought of the royal crown or scepter, but by God's grace he was elevated to the throne. So it was no accident that the donkeys ran away, nor was it by chance that Saul was sent to find them, nor was it by chance that he took so long to find them, nor was it by chance that the servant advised his master to go to the seer Samuel: all this occurred by God's providence and the secret inspiration of those who carried out His will, so that Saul might be installed as king of Israel.
Confusion about Saul
At the same time, the question naturally arises: why was it pleasing to God to anoint Saul to the kingdom, about whom God foresaw that he would subsequently fall into wickedness and end his life in disaster?
Instead of a direct answer, I will offer my own questions: Why did God, in His grace, create angels, knowing in advance that they would rebel against Him, be forever rejected by Him for sin, and suffer torment in Gehenna? Why did God place Adam in Paradise, knowing that Adam would not live long in Paradise and would be expelled from it? Why did Christ canonize Judas Iscariot, knowing in advance that he would betray Him? Why did Christ send His Apostles ahead to the Samaritan village, knowing in advance that they would not be received there? What is the reason for such changes in God's decrees? But you will find thousands of such cases.
Explanation of Blessed Jerome
Blessed Jerome answers such questions thus: "Do you wish to know the reason for such changes? Here it is: God judges not future deeds, but present ones, and condemns no one by His foreknowledge, although He knows that a good man in the present will later change into a wicked and evil one. At the same time, in His mercy, He places him in the position he deserves at the present time, and thus gives him the strength, in the event of his fall, to return to the true path through repentance. Adam did not sin because God foresaw his sin, but God foresaw it because Adam , of his own free will, would sin."
The Reasoning of St. Ambrose
St. Ambrose reasons similarly. “It was not because Adam received the commandment that he sinned, nor Judas because he was chosen as an apostle, for God did not impose upon them the necessity of one transgressing the commandment, and the other becoming a traitor. Both, had they faithfully observed their duties, could have refrained from sin. Those whom God knows will lead a virtuous life are often initially wicked; and those whom He knows will sin and become wicked are initially good. You stand now; beware lest you fall. The holy Apostle Peter fell; be careful; Judas fell to warn you against falling.”
God's help and man's desire must coincide
No amount of effort or zeal on our part can preserve us without God's help; but even God's help without human desire (will) will be of no avail: we see examples of this in Peter and Jude. We must avoid one-sidedness: we must not remain lazy, placing everything on God, nor must we think that we can accomplish anything good on our own, without God's help and His favor. For God Himself does not do everything, lest He leave us idle, and He has not left us to do everything, lest we become vainly exalted. God leads us away from everything that could harm us, and He encourages and helps us to do what is beneficial for us.
No one can hide from God
Again I recall Saul: how marvelous was God's providence in all things concerning him! For he who, in malice, repeatedly sought to destroy David with the sword of the Philistines, was himself surrounded by their numerous army, was rejected by God, and turned to a sorceress, contrary to God's commandment. She summoned the soul of the already dead prophet Samuel (in his living image), who announced to Saul his quick and inevitable destruction. Lacking the courage either to avoid or to endure it, Saul thrust the hilt of his sword into the ground, fell on its point, and thus took his own life (see the details of these events in ( 1 Samuel 18:31 )). Punishment and vengeance for those who violate God's law are inevitable. Saul gave himself up to death to avoid the mockery, dishonor, insult, and reproach of the enemy; but he did not escape even this. For the Philistines cut off the head of his dead body, threw the body to the beasts and birds to eat, and carried the head throughout Palestine with mockery and ridicule! O God! No one can hide from Your providence or escape Your judgments. As in a faithful scale all things are measured by balance and balance, so with God all things are measured by righteousness ( Prov. 16:11 ).
The wise judgments of God
God's providence reveals itself with the greatest wisdom: usually, not every crime is punished immediately, but, on the other hand, it is not left unpunished. If God did not punish even one crime, many would think there was no Providence. If, however, every crime were immediately followed by punishment, then they would believe that after death there are neither rewards nor punishments. Therefore, God , by punishing only some, reveals His providence; when He does not punish others immediately after their crime, He threatens them with punishment after death in the next life if they do not repent in this life.
God turns everything to good - even our sins
God turns all of life's misfortunes to our benefit and good; He allows even falls into sin to achieve and bring to completion the highest, incomprehensible, and mysterious works of His Divine Rule. For both the performance of good deeds and the permissiveness of evil are qualities that belong exclusively to Divine Providence. Truly, God would never have permitted evil if He were not so powerful and good as to produce a good consequence from every evil deed. Tell me honestly: when has a greater and more grievous evil appeared in the world than the transgression of Adam and the murder of Christ the Savior, the new Adam? Yet original sin brought God down from heaven to earth to assume a human body; the death of Christ opened heaven to us and restored all we had lost in Adam. The Supreme God is also the wisest artist, transforming every evil action into a cause for the production of the best consequences, just as gold is extracted from crude material. "All things work together for good to them that love God" ( Rom. 8:28 ): the sins of Magdalene served as a reason for many to correct themselves; the fall of Peter served as an example of true repentance for countless multitudes; the unbelief of Thomas confirmed many in the truth of Christ's resurrection. Hence is revealed the greatest divine glory: "You reap where you have not sowed" ( Luke 19:22 ). God did not sow sins, yet from them He reaps a rich harvest of virtues. Truly, God "flows honey from a rock, and oil from a firm rock" ( Deut. 32:13 ), when He produces the most beneficial consequences from the greatest evil deeds.
How to think about illnesses and misfortunes
In the same way, God's Providence watches over us, and watches constantly, so much so that even the slightest bodily discomfort does not go unnoticed. Therefore, each of us, when faced with a bodily affliction, should reason thus: this illness or other misfortune—whether it arose from my carelessness, or from human malice, or from something else—in any case, did not occur without God's Providence, which determined it according to my strength, so that its onset, its severity (weakening or intensification) depend on Him. Likewise, the method of treatment and healing depends on God's Providence. It instructs the physician and indicates the means, or it counteracts everything, for "both good and bad, life and death, poverty and riches are from the Lord" ( Sir. 11:14 ). Likewise, in all the misfortunes that befall us, we must consider that they are foreseen and permitted by God. If an enemy slanders and curses you, know that all his blasphemies and words, uttered by malicious lips, have been weighed from eternity in the scales of God's Providence: as much as he is permitted, so much he will utter, and not a single word more. Why then do you resist in vain and become futilely angry? Reflect in the same way on all your other misfortunes, whose origin, number, severity, continuation, and end are foreseen by God. Therefore, submit to God's Providence, saying with the Psalmist: "I... am speechless—I open not my mouth" ( Psalm 39:10 ). Thy will be done, my God! By Thy Providence and permission all this has been arranged. And since You have done this, I would be a wicked transgressor if I were to rebel against You. Therefore, I submit to Your holy will, my God, in everything, and I gratefully accept all that You send me, and I will endure it patiently.
Confusion about the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous
Augustine says: “The sea of the world is agitated, and You, Lord, see the wicked prospering, but the good oppressed: behold, a tempest, behold, a storm. Lord God! Is this Your justice, that the wicked should prosper and the good should suffer? – And God answers you: is this your faith? Is this what I promised you (i.e., a flourishing state)? Or do you call yourself a Christian because you enjoy worldly successes?” (See Augustine. Commentary on the 55th Psalm). Let us humble ourselves before God and calm our hearts with faith in God's Providence when we see the wicked ruling, the pious embittered and oppressed, piety uprooted, and righteousness destroyed. None of this would have happened if God had not permitted it, and He truly would not have permitted it if He had not had sufficient reasons for it, for which He deemed it better to permit than to forbid. You will say: from this permission arise many different disasters and the greatest unrest. One can regret this, but regret it judiciously: for for very just reasons it pleased God, Who can produce wondrous good from the greatest evil, as easily as drawing a sword from its sheath.
Everything will become clear in the future life.
Do not be surprised that God's judgments are mysterious and incomprehensible: at the Second Coming of Christ, on the dread Day of Judgment, the entire life of every person will be revealed as in a mirror; every reason why God's Providence orchestrated this or that event, and for what purpose, will be revealed everywhere: in every kingdom, city, family, and with every person. All will be revealed. It will be revealed how merciful the Lord was to those who sin, and each of them will be more or less blameless; and it will also be revealed to what extent God's way of governing the world was consonant with His glory and righteousness, and how fitting and beneficial it was for all creatures.
God creates good out of evil
Let us not forget that God creates some good out of every evil. What could be more grievous than the fall of Adam and Eve, along with the entire human race? Yet God has so restored them that the present state of a Christian is higher than Adam's state in Paradise. Christ's death on the cross was "unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness" ( 1 Cor. 1:23 ); yet it became the salvation of the whole world, honor and glory for all who were called, and the attainment of eternal blessed life.
Chapter II. God's Providence for Our Needs
God is the most caring Master. He holds in His hands all the great and rich treasures of life, and from Him alone must we ask for them with fervent prayer. Mark the Hermit used to say: "Whoever does not trust in God to receive from Him what is temporarily needed, can even less hope in God to receive from Him that which leads a person to eternal life, for example, faith, hope, and love." If God gave a body, will He not clothe it? " Is not life (i.e., the soul) more than food, and the body than clothing?" ( Matt. 6:25 ). Since He has given us (without our merits, when we did not yet exist) life, which is more precious than food, and a body, which is more important than clothing, He will undoubtedly also give us everything that contributes to the preservation of life and the nourishment of the flesh. All the more will He not refuse us all this, since He Himself, in His great goodness, desired to grant us existence and life. And if He has willingly given us what is most important for free, then He can and desires to give, and always sends, what is less important. But He will send it on the condition that we do not remain idle: for He created and called us to the earth to cultivate it and keep it in order ( Gen. 2:15 ), and not for idleness, and to trust in Him alone, the Almighty and All-Generous, and not in ourselves. Job, inquiring about the preparer of food for the ravens who do not care for themselves, says: "Who prepares the raven's food, when his young ones cry to God, wandering for lack of food?" ( Job 38:41 ).
The Teachings of Jesus Christ
And Christ Himself, taking the likeness of the birds, teaches us, saying: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them” ( Matt. 6:26 ). The same Heavenly Teacher says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s will . But even the hairs of your head… are numbered. Therefore do not fear: you are of more value than many sparrows” ( Matt. 10:29-31 ). This first argument against our lack of faith is presented to us by animals, feeding themselves without any care for themselves, so that at least from them we may understand and learn to recognize the omnipotence of God’s Providence, in Whom alone we can find rest and peace of mind.
The second argument is provided by wild flowers, lilies of the field. Christ the Lord, having pointed out God's Providence regarding little birds and the hair on the head, says: "Consider the lilies of the field ('lilies of the field'), how do they grow? They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" ( Matt. 6:28, 29 ). And from this Christ draws the conclusion: "If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?" ( Matt. 6:30 ). To this our Lord and Savior adds a third instruction about the futility of our self-care, saying: "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature ? " ( Matt. 6:27 ). Any concern we have for ourselves that is not combined with trust in God is futile, useless, as the Lord says: “Which of you by worrying can add to his stature?... If you cannot do the least thing, why do you worry about the rest?” ( Luke 12:25, 26 ). All your labor is futile, idle, and useless unless God hastens and blesses it. In every undertaking and activity, place all your trust in God, and He (without your efforts) will arrange everything for the best by His ineffable mercy: “He opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing” ( Psalm 145:16 ).
Why are there so many poor people among us?
So, if the Lord God cares for the needs of all— "for He has created both the small and the great, and cares for all alike" ( Wisdom of the Apostles 6:7 )—then why are there so many poor and impoverished people everywhere? Wondrous, brethren, is God's providence for the poor. Saint Chrysostom truly said this: not only do the poor need the rich, but the rich have even more need of the poor. Everything good and pleasing to God in the world has been and is created through the diligence and activity of poor, but hardworking and God-fearing people. Deprived of comfort and money, they toiled by the sweat of their brows, selling their labors to the rich; they did not forget God, but prayed to their Creator and Provider, Who protected them even in their poverty. Many holy saints of God, living in extreme poverty, loved it more than all riches, and had the greatest providence for them. Having nothing, yet seemingly possessing everything, they freely, with great spiritual joy, cried out: "Our Father, who art in heaven..." bearing on their lips and hearts the words of the Psalmist: "Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will sustain you" ( Psalm 54:23 ).
God's care for those who have surrendered themselves to Him with all their hearts
Truly, the Heavenly Father has such great providence and care for those who surrender themselves wholeheartedly to Him that when they are deprived of human assistance, He sends them His heavenly aid. For example, God provided such assistance to the prophet Elijah. First, He commanded the ravens to bring him food; and the ravens brought him bread and meat morning and evening, and he drank water from a stream. Second, when this stream dried up, God commanded Elijah to go to Zarephath in Sidon to feed a poor widow. This widow's entire possession consisted of a handful of flour in a barrel and a small amount of oil in a jug, but by God's providence, during the prophet's entire stay in her house, the flour in the barrel never ran out, nor did the oil in the jug diminish. Thirdly, while Elijah was relieving his poverty with sleep, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him from heaven and awakened him with a touch, saying, "Arise, eat and drink" ( 1 Kings 19:5 ). Elijah awoke and saw a baked loaf of bread and a pitcher of water at his head. He ate and drank, and fell asleep again. The Angel of God repeated the same thing a second time. The all-generous God showed the same glorious grace to many other saints when they were in need.
Our lack of faith
Although we often receive the same grace from God in our needs and shortcomings, we nevertheless encounter great lack of faith among many of us, fearing lest we lose what is fitting and necessary for the maintenance of this life. Even now we say with the Jews: "Can God prepare a table (food) in the wilderness?" ( Psalm 78:19 ), and with the apostles Philip and Andrew: "Two hundred denarii worth of bread will not suffice for them, that each one may have a little bread ... five loaves and two fish... what is this among so many?" ( John 6:7-9 ). O, we people of little faith! The Heavenly Father knows that we need all this: is God's goodness now less abundant than in former times?
Examples from Church History
For sixty years, a raven brought St. Paul, the first hermit, half a loaf of bread; but when Anthony the Great came to him , the raven brought him a whole loaf. John the Hermit, during fourteen years, during which he saw no one, subsisted on the milk of a doe. Many of the hermits received both food and clothing from the date tree: it served them both as a tailor and as a baker. In the year 653 AD, Judocus, son of the king of the Britons, abdicated the royal throne, became a monk and became a hermit. He built a church on an island surrounded by water and founded a monastery. He was so generous to the poor that one day, when the monastery had only one loaf of bread left for the working brethren, he ordered that this loaf be divided into four parts and the first part given to the beggar who asked for it. This beggar, changing his clothes, came four times in one day to beg for alms and received all four portions, leaving nothing left to feed the brethren. One of them began to grumble and reproach the abbot for his excessive generosity. Judocus, comforting him, told him to await help from above. A few hours later, four boats arrived at the monastery, fully laden with provisions, which abundantly satisfied the starving brethren. Augustine rightly said: "Do you think that he who feeds Christ (i.e., the poor) will not himself be fed by Christ?" The abbot of one monastery dismissed two brethren on monastery business. When evening overtook the travelers, exhausted by their labor, worn out by hunger, and sad, they began to lament that they would arrive at a poor village and, having no acquaintances there, would find neither rest nor refreshment. A stranger met them and asked the cause of their sorrow, and when they revealed their misfortune, he said to them: "You have forsaken everything for God, with the greatest trust in Him, but now you grieve, as if deprived of all hope: God feeds the beasts; will He leave His sons to languish from hunger?" Having said this, he became invisible. When they entered the city and prayed in the church, the mayor invited them to his home for supper; but another of the townspeople approached them, desiring and asking them to come to his house; The third, approaching and seeing the two inviters arguing, settled the dispute by saying that the first man, respected and honored by all, had the advantage. Everyone was satisfied with this decision, went to his house, and he treated them all generously. However, such examples do not eradicate our lack of faith: despite all that God sends us, we are terrified of scarcity, and if we do not abound to the point of superfluity in everything, we are always sad.
They tell of a beggar who, upon examining his bag, saw that it was full of pieces of bread he had collected from many donors, and said, "Now I am secure." We ourselves are very similar to this beggar: we only truly trust in God when our storehouses are filled with all kinds of good things, enough to last us for many years.
The instructive example of St. John the Merciful
Not so was St. John, Patriarch of Alexandria. Having suffered enormous losses—when a sea storm destroyed thirteen church ships carrying ten thousand measures of wheat each—he placed all his trust in the one God, and in Him alone found his greatest consolation. Nearly half of the Alexandrian citizens suffered a similar loss at the same time, and so all the shipwrecked sailors and all the surviving passengers gathered in Alexandria, as if to a safe haven. St. John immediately sent a letter to them all for their consolation, in which he wrote the only consolation for all: “ The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; [as the Lord willed, so it happened;] blessed be the name of the Lord!” ( Job 1:21 ). Be patient, my children, and fear nothing!” The next day, many of his most distinguished citizens gathered to console him in his sorrow. But he, forestalling them, placed the entire blame on himself, saying, "God has preserved me from a great sin. Had this not happened, I would have become arrogant, proud of giving so much alms to the poor, and would have thought highly of myself as a generous person. Therefore, a justly loving Father punished his vain son, lest he become arrogant. God mercifully admonishes us, inflicting several wounds on us, so that we may come to our senses and quickly turn to Him. But He is the same God who was in the time of Job, just as omnipotent and just as merciful—He will not abandon us." With these words, the patriarch cheered those who had come to his consolation. Soon, the Lord God compensated John's loss greatly, and he gave the poor the most abundant alms. To have doubts or cowardice in such cases is the same as asserting that God is either stingy or forgetful; but such judgments belong to the impious, the atheists; they must be rejected by us.
The Hermit Amatius's Trust in God
Amatius the Desert Dweller, a holy man, was in his time a living mirror. All who misunderstand, deny, and secretly blaspheme God's Providence must gaze into him. Amatius, having toiled for thirty years in a monastery, withdrew to the desert, where he lived in great abstinence on a chosen rock. One of the monastery's brethren brought him a piece of bread and a mug of water every three days—this was his only sustenance. Such abstinence was not pleasing to the devil: so a raven flew in, kicked the mug of water, snatched the piece of bread in its beak, and carried off. Thus, the laborer was deprived of three days' sustenance. How did the virtuous man react to this? Perhaps he cursed the raven, or uttered absurd words about God's Providence, or began to censure the demonic machinations? He did none of these things. We act thus in such cases, but he, raising his hands and lifting his mind to heaven, exclaimed: "I thank Thee, O Lord my God, that Thou hast been pleased to grant me a longer fast, according to Thy holy will. I know that this will be of great benefit to me in the future, for nothing happens in this world without Thy Providence; without It not a single leaf falls from a tree." But we sinners think that the destruction of houses by fire, the sinking of ships, the confiscation of property, and personal insults occur when God's Providence sleeps or is unseen—in a word, we do not believe in God's Providence. Even the idolaters (pagans) understood this better than we; for the sensible among them reasoned that everything in the world happens neither by human will nor by blind chance. Truly, everything happens from God, according to His righteous Providence: why then are we indignant and often even grumble?
Countless Facts of Divine Help
Countless examples and images prompt us to reflect on God's Providence. A certain devout man, having walked nine miles from the city but not yet completing the journey, exhausted by heat, hunger, and thirst, became exhausted and fell groaning under a pear tree. Lying there, he began to recite prayers , and while he was doing so, he saw a single fruit at the top of the tree. At that very moment, a stranger passed by the tree, approached the exhausted man lying under the pear tree, and, learning the reason for his exhaustion from hunger and fatigue, took out a clean loaf of bread and gave some to the weary man to strengthen him. This is true, and thousands of similar examples and actions are recounted, and we ourselves have witnessed them. Despite this, we have so little hope in God's Providence! If our vessels, boxes, chests, and granaries are not filled to the brim with all kinds of good things, then we lose heart; But when our sack is full, our pockets stuffed with money, then we have hope. O blind we are! True trust in God is when, finding ourselves in great hardship, in the greatest need and poverty, we do not lose heart, but with patience conquer all our adversities: for the more we endure suffering, the more glory and crowns are prepared for us. The ancients had a memorable saying: "If we did what we ought, God would do for us what we want." Blessed Jerome, teaching on this, said: "Let a man be what he should be, and He by whom all things were accomplished will immediately send him everything." Blessed Augustine rightly exclaims : "O my God! You have as much care for every man as if You cared for him alone: and so for all, as for each one." Saint Gregory says: "God cares for each as for all, and provides for all as if for one." Thus, reader, God cares for you and has providence over you, as if He had no other concern. The large number of people for whom God cares neither disturbs nor burdens God's providence: for Him, concern for one person is the same as for countless thousands. Just as before for Noah and his seven family members, or for Adam alone in Paradise, so now God has equal care and providence over all.
Chapter III. All misfortunes and calamities happen by the will of God
Everything in the world, even seemingly evil (except sin), occurs by the will of God. Theologians explain this in this way. The origin of evil (in the proper sense) is sin . Every sin contains: 1) the cause that produces it, and 2) its inevitable consequences—correction through punishment. The cause of sin is the deceitfulness or self-will of the proud sinner; punishments in general (both corrective and execution), being the bitter consequences of their cause, occur by the will of God, as the cause not of sin, but of its correction or destruction. Thus: if we discard from the concept of sin its cause—deceitfulness and self-will—then there is not a single bitter or evil consequence that does not occur by the will of God or that is displeasing to Him. Both the sinful sorrows of an individual and worldly calamities, commonly called natural disasters, such as famines, droughts, pestilences, and the like, often unrelated to the individual's sin, occur by the will of God. Therefore, all human calamities and sorrows are positively caused by the will of God, for the sake of achieving the righteous goals of God's Providence. Only sin is contrary to God (just as evil is contrary to good, or falsehood is contrary to truth), but it is permitted by God for the sake of not violating the individual's will, or freedom.
The evil that people do to us is not outside the will of God.
Many are deceived, in their extreme ignorance thinking that only evil arising from natural causes (namely, floods, earthquakes, crop failures, adverse weather conditions, epidemics, sudden death , etc.) occurs by the will of God; for, for the most part, such misfortunes have no direct relation to sin. But malicious acts resulting from unlawful human intent, from untruth (such as: abusive words, ridicule, deception, forgery, theft, insults by action, robbery, burglary, murder, etc.), occur, in the opinion of the above-mentioned people, independently of the will of God and His Providence, but solely due to human malice and depraved human will, which itself inflicts and inflicts all evil on its neighbors. And so, not only in the past, long ago, but also in the present, we often hear complaints: "The scarcity of food and the necessities of life is not from God, but from the extortionists." These complaints are the complaints of people who do not know God: they are unworthy of a Christian.
We will illustrate the subject we have just discussed with an example. Someone, intending to deprive a neighbor of all his property and wishing to carry out his evil intention secretly, creeps unnoticed into his house, places flammable substances under the building, and leaves just as quietly. Soon after, a fire breaks out; the flames grow, and the wind spreads the fire to other buildings; people rush from all directions to extinguish the fire and protect adjacent houses from the flames. The arsonist also runs with others, ostensibly to extinguish the fire, but he has a different intention: taking advantage of the confusion, he carries things from the burning building, ostensibly to save it from the flames; in fact, he steals them for his own use and hides them. Although all these actions of the arsonist serve as the immediate cause of the owner's ruin and loss of all property, considered solely in themselves, that is, Without their connection to the arsonist's malicious intent, they would be no different from so-called physical disasters. They are from God: just as, by God's will, thunder kills a person, lightning sets fire to a house or a growing tree, or a hurricane scatters mown hay, so too an arsonist: he cannot enter or leave a house, nor set a fire, without God's permission. Indeed, these actions themselves are indifferent—neither evil nor good, for they can serve for evil as well as for good. But the will is evil, the intent by which the arsonist was guided is wicked, and the cause of which is no longer God, but the arsonist's free will. This is his sin , even though God permitted him to carry out his evil intent; for God could have forbidden its execution, had it pleased Him. But the Lord did not forbid the execution of the evil intent, but permitted it to be carried out in accordance with His righteous judgment. The reasons for this indulgence will be discussed later.
If God is not the beginning of our moral fall (which alone is true evil) and cannot be: " His eye is pure , to see no evil" ( Hab. 1:13 ), and "he loveth righteousness and hateth lawlessness" ( Ps. 45:8 ), then it is quite true that all calamities arising from secondary causes, rational or irrational, no matter how they occur, all occur according to the will of God, are sent down by His strong right hand, according to His providence and Providence. Beloved! God directed His hand to strike you; God moved the tongue of the offender or slanderer to insult or slander you; God gave the wicked power to overthrow you. God Himself, through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, confirms this, saying: "I am the Lord, and there is none else; there is no God besides Me; "I girded you, though you did not know Me... I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil: I, the Lord, do all these things" ( Is. 45:5, 7 ). The prophet Amos confirms this more clearly: "Is there any evil in a city which the Lord has not permitted?" ( Amos 3:6 ), as if saying: there is not a single evil that is not by the will of God, who permits evil intent, but indicates the means and provides the power to carry it out.
Thus, God, intending to punish King David for the sin of his adultery with Uriah's wife and for the murder of Uriah himself, with the sin of incest of his own son with his wife, speaks to David through the prophet Nathan: "Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor (Absalom) , and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You did it secretly (i.e., adultery and murder) , but I will do this (i.e., Absalom's incest) before all Israel and before the sun" ( 2 Samuel 12:11, 12 ). Blessed Augustine expressed this thought very well, saying: "Thus God corrects good people through evil."
Wicked kings as instruments of God
God's justice also often uses wicked kings and evil princes as instruments to teach the righteous patience and to punish the wicked for their crimes and misdeeds. Here are some examples: God, through the prophet Isaiah, threatens the corrupt people of Israel with their destruction and the devastation of Palestine through the Assyrians, saying: "Woe to the Assyrian! The rod of My wrath and the scourge of My indignation, which I will loose upon this wicked nation, upon the people who have provoked Me to anger! I have given them a command to plunder them, to take all their wealth and themselves captive, to destroy their cities and tread them down like mire in the streets. But the Assyrian does not mean so, neither does his heart think so: it is in his heart to destroy and to destroy not a few nations" ( Isaiah 10:5-7 ). Here God clearly shows that it is not the will of the Assyrian king, but His holy will, that is being carried out by the Assyrians. He calls them the instrument of His wrath and the scourge of His indignation at the iniquities of the Israelites, and therefore ascribes their punishment to Himself. "I sent them," He seems to say, "to take their spoils and to humble those who are disobedient to Me and greatly puffed up in their minds: they have rejected faith in the One God and honored pagan idols with senseless and cruel rites and sacrifices. The Assyrian king himself (carrying out the will of God) will think differently, namely, that he is doing this of his own free will, and will not come to his senses, but will rush to murder and ultimately destroy the peoples; nevertheless, he will serve My will. When I punish My people with war against the Assyrians, I will correct them, O! Then woe to that rod, woe to the Assyrians, I will throw them all, like useless weapons, into the fire to be burned.” We must likewise look at other righteous punishments allowed upon us by God for our iniquities.
The Roman Emperor Titus, during the siege of Jerusalem, personally walking around its walls and seeing the ditches filled with the corpses of dead people, the flowing blood of mutilated and torn bodies, sighed heavily, and raising his eyes and hands to heaven, said, “Merciful God! This is not my business!”
Why is it possible to “resist” God in times of adversity?
Someone will ask us: If it is true that all disasters befall us by the will of God, then is it in vain for us to resist His holy will? Is it futile to use medicines for illness? Why lead armed regiments against an attacking enemy? Why do we not voluntarily offer him the keys to our fortresses and willingly allow him into our homeland for our destruction? Why do we not imitate the most blessed Bishop Luppus, who greeted Attila with these words: "I greet you, Attila, scourge of God!"? I answer those who ask: That devastating wars and other calamities occur not without the will of God is clear (as we have pointed out earlier); but it does not follow from this that we should neither arm ourselves against enemies nor resort to healing our ailments, considering this to be contrary to the will of God. Let's explain this using the example of illness: no matter the immediate cause of its onset, there is no doubt (as noted above) that it was God's will. However, the sick person does not know God's intention regarding the duration of their illness, and therefore is not prohibited from resorting to various means of healing themselves. And when, after trying many remedies, they fail to recover, they can be confident that it is God's will that they endure a prolonged and severe illness. Therefore, each sick brother should humbly consider that God is pleased to continue you in your illness. But since you do not know whether God intends for you to suffer until death, you can sinlessly resort to healing to regain your health or at least to alleviate your illness. The sinlessness of healing is further demonstrated by the fact that if God is not pleased to restore your health, He can deprive any remedy of its healing power. One should reason similarly with regard to enemies and wars. God repeatedly allowed enemies to enslave the people of Israel so that they would not commit outrage or forget their God. And the Israelites, until they recognized God's will, resisted their enemies. But they acted differently when the prophet Jeremiah announced God's will to submit to King Nebuchadnezzar. Likewise, if a fire that had started could not be extinguished, despite the best efforts of the people and the fire brigade, then it is clear that God's judgment decreed that the house not only be set ablaze but also completely burned, to test the patience of God's friends and punish their enemies. We should reason similarly in all other events in our lives.
Instructions of Blessed Augustine
“See, dear brothers,” teaches Blessed Augustine, “never say: this is what the devil did to me (this misfortune was inflicted by the insidious enemy), but attribute everything that happens to you, both good and evil, to your God, knowing that the devil can do nothing to you unless the Most High God, who has power over life and death , allows him to do something to you for your punishment or your correction. God allows punishment for the wicked, who consciously act against their conscience, openly reject the truth, etc., but He allows correction for sons who have sinned in something: “He scourges every son whom He receives” ( Heb. 12:6 ). And you do not hope to remain without punishment, unless you think of being alienated from the heavenly inheritance: “He scourges every son whom He receives” (recognizes him as an heir). Is this so? Every one? "Where did you want to hide from punishment? He beats everyone without fail; no one is exempt from punishment: let it be known to you that the Only-Begotten Son of God Himself, who committed no sin, was not exempt from punishment." This instruction is excellent, truly worthy of Blessed Augustine.
The Story of Joseph
Let us recall Joseph the Fair, the first nobleman after the king in Egypt. What misfortunes and evil adventures he endured before attaining the highest honor and power! His adventures began with brotherly envy; it was the cause of his family's hostility toward him, which grew and intensified to such an extent that he was sold as a captive to the Ishmaelites and carried off to Egypt. No better fortune befell him there either: his mistress's love for him proved more harmful and ruinous than his brother's hatred. For when this handsome youth, who loved moral purity and chastity, refused his mistress's tempting offers of adultery, he was slandered by her to her husband and innocently imprisoned, where he remained for three years. Indeed, he was not immediately seated with honor on a triumphal chariot after his arrival in Egypt, but ascended it through the thorny steps of the greatest sorrows and adversities. Yet this was by the inscrutable Providence of God, as Joseph himself attests to us, later saying to his brothers: "It was not you who sent me here (to Egypt), but God" ( Gen. 45:8 ). "Fear not (God's will cannot be resisted)... behold, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring about what is this day: to preserve the lives of many people" ( Gen. 50:20 ). St. Chrysostom reasons about this: "It is not enough merely to hear about this, but we must also act in the same way. So, let us reassure and console those who have done us evil, not imputing it to them as a fault, but bearing everything patiently and good-naturedly. For the wise, provident God transforms the calamitous adventures of His friends into joyful events. Often, an offense inflicted on us brings us great prosperity; many have fallen, and through their fall, have risen to better things. God's providence, to accomplish His predetermined purposes, uses not only good deeds but also falls into sin. Have you learned the fate of Joseph? Destroy the malice of his brothers, remove their envy, destroy the conspiracy they formed to kill him—and you will destroy everything that contributed to the preservation of all Egypt. Do you wish to trace the incomprehensible mystery of Christ's redemption of all mankind? Destroy the love of money in the heart of Judas Iscariot, and the envy of Christ the Savior among the Jews: at the same time, you will have removed the salvation of the whole world, the blood and death of Christ. Root out the devils, and pious deeds, victories, and the rewards they bring will immediately diminish greatly. Destroy the tormentors, and where will the holy martyrs come from? Such are the decrees of God's Providence: to achieve good not only through the virtuous, but also through the wicked, and even through the devils themselves. The sale of Joseph by his brothers was, indeed, arranged by God, but the very execution, concealed by the malice of the brethren, was the work of their evil will."
David's attitude towards his offender Semey
When King David was fleeing from his rebellious son Absalom, who had risen up against him, a certain Shimei, a descendant of the house of Saul, ran ahead of David and began to revile him with the harshest words: "Go away, go away, you murderer... you wicked one! The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you reigned, and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. And behold, you are in trouble, for you are a bloodsucker" ( 2 Samuel 16:5-8 ). This is a striking example of human malice! Abishai, the brother of Joab the commander-in-chief, seeing such abuse directed at David, said: "Why does this dead dog revile my lord the king? Let me go and take his head off . " But the king, seeing in this reproach the will of God, defends his persecutor, saying to his companions: "Let him alone, let him curse, for the Lord has commanded him to curse David. Who then can say, 'Why do you do this ?'" ( 2 Samuel 16:9-10 ). Shimei sinned gravely in cursing David, because, although God used him as an instrument to reproach the king, He was not the cause of his evil will: He only wisely used it to punish David.
Like David, each of us must look at the attacks and malice inflicted upon us by evil people, whom the all-merciful God, by his own will, uses either to admonish the innocent or to punish the guilty.
The meekness of the elder
Saint Dorotheus relates that a certain elder, a man of pious life, was unable to eat for several days due to a stomach ailment. A servant, wishing to strengthen the elder with food, conceived the idea of preparing a more pleasant and nutritious meal for him. Of two similar vessels, he mistakenly chose the one containing old, rancid butter for cooking. Thus, despite his good intentions to please the old man, he generously poured not honey, but almost death itself, into his food, preparing a meal that even a starving dog would not eat. The sick man barely tasted the food brought to him, immediately recognized the error of the cook, but remained silent and ate with difficulty. Then, when his stomach would not allow him to take any more of the food, he put down the spoonful, without saying a word about the unsuitability of the food. But the servant began to entreat him to partake of this delicious dish, saying, "I prepared it with care and diligence; it will strengthen your health." The good old man not only refrained from uttering an angry word against the servant, but did not even mentally lash out at him, and only excused himself from eating by saying that he was already full and could eat no more. Then the servant, having barely tasted the dish himself, immediately threw himself at the elder's feet and said to him with sorrow, "Have I killed you, venerable father? Why have you concealed my irreparable error with your silence?" "Do not be disturbed, my son; if God had willed that I should partake of sweets, you would have brought me sweets." Saint Dorotheus further remarks: the old man spoke the truth: if God had willed that the sick old man should partake of delicious food, He would not have permitted the servant's error or would have turned the rancid butter into fresh. Thus, like the old man, does he who acknowledges God's Providence in everything: he does not want to see malice in anyone, does not suspect anyone, but truly acknowledges that everything that happens to him happens according to Providence and the will of God.
Queen Irene's Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Greek queen Irene in Constantinople, dethroned by a despised slave, turned to God with these words: "I thank Thee, O Lord, for elevating me, an unworthy orphan, to the royal throne. But since Thou didst allow me to be deprived of the throne, I consider this a consequence of my sins. Thy will be done with me! In all good and evil, blessed be the name of the Lord." It is true that no one can harm us except in that which we harm ourselves. Therefore, Blessed Augustine rightly said: "Believe in the Lord God without any doubt, and entrust yourself entirely to Him, as much as your strength allows. Then He will not reject you, will not cease to exalt you to Himself, and will not allow anything evil to happen to you, even though you be poor and obscure." Everyone should know this instruction perfectly and firmly keep the following in mind: nothing harmful can happen to us without the will or permission of God: neither the devil nor any other person can harm us unless God allows it. We must firmly believe that although the most grievous calamities befall us by the command of God, as the Supreme King, they are sent upon us by the most merciful Father for our own benefit, for our edification and correction, for our iniquities and sins. Consequently, no one else but ourselves can harm us.
Chapter IV. God allows disasters and sins for the good of people
Since neither the devil nor any of the people can inflict any harm on another without God’s permission, let us consider: what does God allow, how does He allow it, and for what purpose, for what reason does God’s permission occur?
What does God allow?
It is necessary to distinguish two kinds of permitted evils. The first kind of evil, encompassing various sorrows, hardships, illnesses, insults or dishonor (impoverishment, imprisonment, exile, banishment), and death—none of these can even be called evil in the strict sense, but only a bitter medicine sent to us by God for the healing of our souls. The second kind of evil, properly called evil, consists of our sins, our transgressions against God's commandments. God permits the first kind of evil at His pleasure, either as a punishment for the wicked or as a measure of correction for sons and daughters. Of the second kind of evil, that is, of sins, it cannot be said that God desires their commission, but merely permits them. Everything that really exists in the world exists in it by the will and word of the Lord, by whose will “all things exist and came into being, and without Him nothing received being or real existence” ( John 1:3 ).
The nature of sin
But sin is not something real, but only an illusory opposition to true existence. Sin exists because of the imperfection, falsehood, and deceit of rationally free beings created by God who disobey Him. Therefore, sin originally arose and continues to occur against God's will, not from God, but by His permission. The reason for the permission of sin is hidden for a time in the mystery of God's perfect and infallible government of the world, or His Providence. God knows the future perfectly, and He could easily prevent the sin He hates, but He allows it, desiring to bring good out of evil, right out of wrong, for the edification and correction of people, so that they may see the consequences of sin, both for the sinner and for their neighbors and for society. This is the difference between God's permission and human permission, which cannot prevent or stop evil from occurring by human means, even if the commission of the permitted act is undesirable. On the contrary, in God we see both His power to prevent and suppress the fulfillment of evil intentions, and at the same time His will, which permits this or that evil to occur. This begs the question: why does God deign to permit the commission of sin, or what is God's motive for allowing people to sin?
Why does God allow sin?
God's infinite goodness would never have permitted such evil iniquities to exist on earth if it had not produced the greatest blessings from them and turned what was done out of malice into salvation. God permitted brotherly envy to increase against the innocent Joseph, but for what good did He permit it? Was it not to save not only his parents, brothers, and relatives, but also all of Egypt, from starvation? God permitted the wicked Saul to antagonize the meek and kindhearted David in every way, but was it not for the benefit of David himself and the entire Hebrew kingdom? Yes, for the greatest benefit not only of them, but of the entire human race, through David's descendant, Christ our Savior. God permitted the innocently slandered prophet Daniel to be thrown into a den of enraged lions; but for what? To elevate him and his friends to the highest degree of greatness and glory. But why should I recount the numerous facts of Old Testament history, when, through God's permission, the envious high priests, Pharisees, and Jewish elders, out of envy, handed over the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, to be crucified, and this permission resulted in the salvation of all mankind? Thus, from each permission arises and is revealed to us the greatest riches of God's glory and His blessings to each person and to all mankind. From here are revealed to us: God's goodness and mercy, His compassion, omnipotence and majesty, His foreknowledge and providence. From here, His supreme wisdom and truth, through ways unknown to us, illumine us, and thereby inspire many attentive people to return to virtue and to multiply their arduous but glorious deeds.
Turning evil into good
Oh, how wondrous and majestic is the manifestation of Divine Providence in its daily acts! It's no wonder to produce good from good, but it's quite a remarkable thing to turn evil into good. There's a saying: "On a calm sea, anyone can be a helmsman." It's no great wisdom when the wind is favorable, the ship is strong, the sea is calm, and the sailors know their business, and the harbor is in sight—to steer the ship toward it. But it's quite another matter when a storm rages at sea, the ship is damaged, the waves crash noisily onto the deck and inside the vessel, or when the night is dark, nothing is visible, pirates have surrounded the ship, the crew is small and poorly armed, and yet the ship's captain has managed so skillfully that he safely escaped danger—now that's a remarkable thing: the ship's captain has demonstrated his wisdom and his experience in guiding a ship. We notice something similar in God's worldly governance: what is permitted by God's will and seems to us unprofitable, God brings to a favorable end in His ineffable wisdom and truth. By allowing unlawful acts and sorrowful adventures, God sometimes transforms the wicked into His most honorable friends. By Divine Providence, which directs all things toward the best possible end, malicious designs against someone often turn to their advantage and honor; attacks and insults committed against someone often increase their strength. The greatest iniquities of the wicked confirm many in piety and virtue and protect them from destruction. Many people, apparently already completely plunged into the abyss of destruction, turn out to be saved through this very act.
Evidence from the Bible
For Joseph, chains and imprisonment served to honor and bring him the greatest glory; his brother's envy brought him more benefit than the goodwill of the whole world; Saul's malice earned David a royal crown; the lions' den brought Daniel honor and glory such as not even earthly kings have attained; Christ entered Paradise from the cross with the repentant thief, and from the Mount of Olives ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father.
In God's permission, both good and evil will work for God, and no matter with what intention they work, in the end everything is done to achieve the best goals.
Indeed, all the saints attributed everything they encountered in life, whether pleasant or unpleasant, to the will and action of God, because they paid no attention to the sins of others, but viewed all human actions as God's gift or God's permission for their own sins. The saints reasoned thus: the all-good God would never have permitted anything evil if He had not known that He would produce numerous and great benefits from it.
Testimonies of the Fathers
Blessed Augustine expressed a similar thought: "God considered it better to turn evil into good than to not allow evil at all, because, being all-good, He would in no way have allowed evil in His works, if He were not so omnipotent and good that He could not produce good from evil." And again, the teacher Theophilus rightly said: "God incomprehensibly intervenes in our errors and our sins, not to praise them or accept participation in them, but abhorring them, hating and correcting them; God produces much good from evil, just as He would turn fire into water." Here we must mention another of his teachings: "All who offend us in any way – each of them combines within themselves, as it were, two persons, acting – one consciously, the other unconsciously. "Firstly, he desires, out of an evil disposition towards us, to act against us in a hostile manner: with the intention of insulting our person, depriving us of property, etc., although he does not always succeed in this intention; but if he succeeds, through God's permission, he unconsciously becomes a second person, acting as an instrument in the hands of God, punishing or correcting our behavior, and thereby he unconsciously serves God."
Examples of history
Such unconscious servants of God were those known in history: Nebuchadnezzar, Attila, the leader of the Huns, Totila, the king of the Italian Ostrogoths, Tamerlane, and other scourges of God; such were Vespasian and his son Titus, who, for the glory and expansion of the Roman Empire, tried to destroy the Jews, but were deceived in this.
Only desire depends on a person, but not action.
Let me ask you, beloved Christian brother, who so often fills heaven and earth with your sorrowful complaints. Tell me: what offends you so much—the will and intent of the offender, or merely his power, the ability to carry out his intent, or both? You answer: "Both offend me." In response, I will tell you that neither malicious will nor its execution (power) can offend you: evil intent (will) without power is insignificant and does you no harm, while the execution of intent depends on permission, that is, on the will of God, which is just and holy. You know that all power comes from God ( Rom. 13:1 )—why then do you grieve and complain against the offender because he has done nothing to you other than what God has permitted him to do? Otherwise, without God's permission, he could not have offended you. You will say: "My adversary has inflicted upon me the greatest offense." "Tell me: what offense?" "Is God punishing you for your sins, or teaching you patience, or multiplying your reward for an innocent insult to you—and you consider yourself offended?" "I hate this wicked man," you will say, "and his evil will." "But you always turn your attention to the deeds of others, while I advise you to rather turn your gaze to God and to your conscience. Human will, although it is evil and wicked, what could it have done to you? What is its success? You regret not so much that your adversary wanted to harm you, as that he did harm you and that he could have harmed you! From whom did this happen, and why was he able to harm you? Was it not by the power and will of God?" and if by the power and will of God, then always according to righteous, praiseworthy and holy destinies.
Therefore, you either keep silent or turn your complaints to Divine permission, and firmly imprint in your soul that God will never allow another's evil will to cause you any harm that would not serve you for your benefit, unless you harm yourself.
Instructions of Blessed Augustine
And who can harm us if we are zealous for all that is good? Blessed Augustine said it beautifully: “Do not fear the enemy: he is as powerful as he can harm, in proportion to the authority he has received from God. But fear Him Who is powerful enough to do as much as He wishes, and Who does nothing unjust, but whatever He does, everything is just; and if something, in our opinion, seems unjust, then, if it is undoubtedly due to the will of God, believe that it is just and true.” You ask: “If someone killed an innocent person, did he act justly or unjustly?” – “There is no doubt that this is unjust and worthy of execution.” – “Why then,” you ask again, “did God allow such injustice?” – “You want to argue with God before you have become worthy of asking God: for what reason, God, did You allow this? "I cannot, my dear, directly explain to you God's intentions in this matter, or the reasons for His permission, for the wisdom of God is beyond the grasp of the human mind. I can only affirm that, on the one hand, the one who killed the innocent man acted unjustly; on the other, this murder would not have occurred if God had not permitted it for a just reason, unknown to us. In other words, the murderer committed an unjust act, requiring execution; but God's permission is just and wise, for a just reason, hidden from us for the time being."
Blessed Augustine similarly examines the case of the murder of Christ, our Savior. "Judas, the lawless betrayer of Christ," says Augustine, "and Christ's persecutors—all lawless, all impious, all unjust, all lost; yet the Father did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up (allowed Him to be killed) for the salvation of us all." This is the mysterious reason for God's permission to murder His Only Begotten Son by lawbreakers—a reason that was inexplicable at the time. Do not be surprised, then, that God allows evil to be committed: He allows it according to His most righteous judgment, He allows it by measure, number, and weight. He has no unrighteousness; only surrender yourself entirely to Him.
Attitude to grievances
There is only one sure way to find peace when we are offended: when someone has offended or insulted you, pay no attention to the offender's malice, but turn to the just God who has permitted your adversary to offend you, and do not repay him with evil for the evil done to you. For it is permitted by God to achieve good and just ends, though unknown to you at the time. All the holy saints of God adhered to this custom: they did not seek out who had offended them or why, but always turned their hearts to God, humbly acknowledging the justice of God's allowance. Therefore, they considered the insults inflicted upon them as blessings for themselves, and their adversaries as benefactors, saying: "Here are our true benefactors, for they do not flatter us;" but those who praise and exalt us to our faces flatter us and harm our inner perfection. Therefore, the saints always turned their mental gaze to God, in every matter they relied on God’s Providence and expected all good things from God.
A sin against one's neighbor remains a sin, even if good comes from it.
On the other hand, it is clear from what has been said above that a sin committed against a neighbor through God's permission does not thereby merit the slightest mitigation of the sinner's guilt, simply because his unlawful act gave God the opportunity to produce greater good from evil. For the latter was only given the opportunity by the sinner, and not by himself, but by the riches of Divine goodness; the sinner's intention, however, was evil and remained evil. Thus, for example, if a malefactor, out of malice toward a poor man, set fire to his hut and burned it, but another kind and well-off man, out of pity for the poor man, built him a much better house in place of the hut destroyed by the fire, then even in this case neither the low value of the hut set on fire nor the good done to the poor man in exchange for the arson and his loss of it would serve to diminish the guilt of the arsonist.
Chapter V. The Incomprehensibility of God's Judgments
Throughout our lives, we must often repeat the saying of the royal Prophet: "Thy righteousness, O Lord, is as the mountains of God: thy judgments are a great deep" ( Psalm 35:7 ). Two of the biblical honored servants of the Egyptian Pharaoh, the cupbearer and the baker, point to this abyss, as if with a finger. Both were servants of the same king, both fell into his disfavor, both were arrested and imprisoned for grave offenses, both drew the king's wrath, and both were remembered by him during a court banquet. He could have pardoned both, if it had pleased God's justice, or he would have condemned both to death for their equal guilt; However, he condemned one to a dishonorable execution, while he restored his favor to another and restored him to his former position of service: he ordered the baker to be hanged and given as food to the ravening ravens, while he ordered the cupbearer to remain in his former position—to stand before the royal table. Such are the judgments of God: some He removes from His presence according to His righteous judgment, while others He grants His presence according to His great mercy. “And who can search out His great works? Who can measure the power of His majesty? And who can... utter His mercy?” says the son of Sirach ( Sirach 18:3, 4 ).
How hidden and inscrutable are God's judgments on Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and on Pharaoh, "who knew not Joseph" ( Exodus 1:8 )! Blessed Augustine rightly said of them: "One (Nebuchadnezzar) was punished by God for his countless iniquities, and through this was brought to a saving and very beneficial repentance (self-correction). Pharaoh, on the contrary, became hardened despite God's punishments, disregarded them, and perished in the Red Sea with his entire army. Both were men: both were pagan kings, both were punished." Why did they meet such different ends? One understood God's punishing hand, repented, and corrected his behavior; the other disobeyed God's revealed will, remained in his sinful obstinacy—and perished.
Here's another example of the incomprehensibility of God's judgment: one of the best kings of Judah was Asa, who did good before God and strengthened his kingdom, overthrew idols throughout the land of Judah, eradicated idolatry—the filth of the first kings of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin—and abolished the worship of high places and groves. However, this glorious king, who reigned praiseworthy for a long time, serving for thirty years as an example of a pious king, lost his early glory at the end of his reign, changing for the worse. He imprisoned the prophet Ananias, who had accused him of evil deeds, executed many innocent citizens, and finally, suffering terrible pain in his legs, he did not turn to God in repentance for his sins or with a prayer for healing, but resorted solely to doctors. Oh, how he changed for the worse, how unlike his last deeds were his first! Originally a king of righteousness, he became a presumptuous disobedient to the will of God, revealed to him through the prophet ( 2 Chronicles 15:16 ). On the contrary, Manasseh, who was most lawless and wicked throughout his life, having brought the Jewish people to such a degree of wickedness that they became worse than those nations whom God destroyed before the sons of Israel, recognized in his misfortune the hand of God weighing upon him, turned to God, repented of his wickedness, and received forgiveness and mercy from God ( 2 Chronicles 33:9 ). O God! Your judgments are a great abyss, an abyss without measure deep!
Saul and David (the first kings of the people of Israel)—how wondrous they are to us in the contrasting judgments of God! Both were initially worthy of praise, both sinned gravely, bringing scandal to the entire kingdom, both were subjected to severe punishments, yet how these punishments affected them in stark contrast! Saul hardened in his wickedness and died a disastrous death; David turned his punishment into a remedy and proved himself to be God's beloved chosen one. The questions of why and wherefore are out of place here. Such questions are prompted by the spirit of malice, and have led to the disastrous destruction of many. "Did God really say, 'You shall not eat the fruit of any tree in the Garden of Eden?'" —the most cunning of all the beasts once asked the woman (Eve) ( Gen. 3:1 ). To this question, Eve should have answered the crafty beast: “We know that God commanded us not to eat from only one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but why and for what purpose He commanded this, we must not ask God.” His holy will was so pleasing, but we must not test the reasons for His will: “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, that He should repay? For all things are from Him, and through Him, and to Him” ( Rom. 11:34-36 ). I believe there are those who claim that it is not forbidden to sometimes inquire about the reason for this or that commandment. “Who? God, Who alone knows what is good and what is merely permissible?” If a servant demands an explanation for some order or instruction from his master, or a subordinate from his superior, the former will consider it an insult, and the latter will consider it rebellion and disobedience. Do you dare to commit such insolence against God? There is no other reason for Divine Providence than His holy will.
St. Anthony the Great
St. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, describes the following incident in the Acts of Anthony the Great : Two monks undertook a journey to visit St. Anthony in his desert. But, walking through the waterless, hot desert, they became completely exhausted from thirst, and one of them had already died, while the other was at death's door. St. Anthony was several miles away. Sitting on a rock in his monastery, he quickly summoned two of his monks and said to them: "Run as quickly as possible to such and such a place, into the desert, taking a vessel of water with you, for one of the two brethren coming to us has already died of thirst, and the other is still breathing, but is suffering greatly and has weakened. If you delay, you will not find the other alive either: God revealed this to me as I stood in prayer." Having received the order, the messengers immediately and eagerly set out. Having found the travelers, they committed the body of the deceased to the earth, and the other, having refreshed him with water and strengthened him with food, they brought him back to St. Anthony. In this description, Athanasius wisely notes that someone might ask: "Why didn't St. Anthony send his monks earlier to save the travelers, even before the death of one of them?" Such a question is truly inappropriate for a Christian, for this was not St. Anthony's doing, but God's judgment: God Himself pronounced His righteous judgment on the dying man and on the thirsty one—on the living; He also revealed His will to St. Anthony for the salvation of the traveler.
Anthony the Great, reflecting within himself, marveled at the hidden and unknowable mysteries of God, and he cried out humbly to God: "O Lord, my God! It pleases You sometimes to grant long life to people who are apparently useless and immersed in the abyss of iniquity, and sometimes You prematurely deprive of this life those who are very useful for the good of society. Some, having sinned little, are severely punished by You; others, on the contrary, live without any sorrows, happily, and through this they gain the audacity to commit crimes: "Their iniquity comes as from fatness" ( Psalm 72:7 )?" During this meditation, Anthony hears a voice: "Pay attention to yourself: that which you are pondering is the judgment of God, and you do not investigate or test it."
“Oh, how great are Your works, O Lord! How deep are Your thoughts! The foolish man does not know them, and the simple man does not understand them” ( Psalm 91:6, 7 ). Truly, You are the hidden God.
Miraculous rescue during the earthquake
In the year 1117, when an earthquake shook all of Italy, some residents of the city of Madiolan gathered (as Rogerius relates) in a house to attend to public needs. Suddenly, a voice was heard from the courtyard calling one of those present to come out. The one being summoned was perplexed as to who was calling and for whom, and so he lingered, awaiting the call's repetition. Suddenly, a stranger approached the door and begged the summoned one to come out quickly. The latter had barely taken a few steps from the house when the house collapsed, crushing all those inside. The question arises: why was only one of those present saved from death, while all the others perished? The judgments of the Lord are a great abyss! Who does not clearly see in this event a repetition of ancient miracles? Thus did the Angel of the Lord lead Lot and his children out of Sodom, but left all the rest to be sacrificed to the fire. In the same miraculous way, many other people who were together with many people who died from some cause that produced a common disaster, a common destruction, were also preserved unharmed.
The Unexpected Correction of the Lawbreaker
In the year 1597, a man lived in Sicily, at a place called "The King's Mountain," who persistently led a dissolute life. A pious monk he knew repeatedly admonished him to reform and abandon his vile, ungodly life of debauchery with unholy women, but he persisted in his hardened spirit (and perhaps even in his freethinking and unbelief) and remained incorrigible. A few days passed after his final admonition, and he perished in the arms of an unholy woman, in her bed, accidentally pierced with a bayonet. There, another lawless man, like the first, who had lived for many years in debauchery with a dishonest woman, heard of his friend's death and abandoned his lawless life. Having become chaste through the punishment and destruction of the first transgressor, he spent the remaining sixty years of his life in heartfelt repentance for his sins. What can one say about all this except the just saying: Thy judgments, O Lord, are a great and immeasurable abyss!
God's wondrous decree concerning the children of Isaac.
The Divine Apostle Paul found God's determination regarding Rebekah's twins—Esau and Jacob—to be truly marvelous. "For when they were not yet born, nor had they done any good or bad ," why would one prefer one to the other? God had already said beforehand: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What then shall we say of this? Is there injustice with God? God forbid... O man, who are you, that you talk back to God? Shall the workmanship say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Has not the potter power over the clay, to make of the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?" ( Rom. 9:11–13, 14, 20, 21 ).
Is there really less of a difference between the potter and the clay than between God and man, a mere worm? Who would dare to say to God: Why, Lord, do You this?
Abba Dorotheus's story about two girls
Saint Dorotheus relates: “A ship with slaves arrived in a certain city, and in that city there lived a certain holy virgin. When she heard that the ship had arrived, she rejoiced greatly, for she desired to buy herself a little girl, and thought: I will take her and raise her as I wish, so that she will not know the vices of this world at all. She sent for the owner of the ship and, having called him to her, learned that he had two little girls, exactly such as she desired, and immediately with joy she paid the price (for one of them) and took her to her. When the owner of the ship left the place where the saint was staying, and had barely gone a little distance, a very dissolute harlot met him, and, seeing another girl with him, wanted to take her; having agreed with him, she paid the price, took (the girl) and left with her. Do you see the mystery of God? Do you see the judgment (of God)? Who can explain this? Indeed, the holy virgin took that little one and raised her in the fear of God, instructing her in every good deed, teaching her the monastic life and, in short, in every fragrance of the holy commandments. The harlot, having taken that unfortunate woman, made her an instrument of the devil. For what could that infection teach her but the destruction of her soul? So, what can we say about this terrible fate? Both were little, both were sold, not knowing where they were going, and one ended up in the hands of God, while the other fell into the hands of the devil." 3 Who in this event will explore the depth and mystery of God's judgments? Thy judgments, O God, are a great abyss!
The different fates of the aunts of St. Gregory the Great
Gregory the Great discovered and learned something similar among his relatives. This most holy man had three aunts: Emeliana, Tarsina, and Gordiana, all three of whom dedicated their lives to Christ by entering a convent. Two of them, steadfastly keeping their vows, honorably remained virgins until the end of their lives. The third, Gordiana, heedless of any instructions and disobeying monastic authority, broke off her communion with the holy sisters and withdrew from them, devoting herself to secular life: "Thy judgments, O God, are a great abyss!"
Confessions of Job and the Prophet David
"God is exalted in His power ; He upholds all things by His strength. And who is found like Him, strong? Who is able to search out His works and say to Him, 'You have done wrong?'" ( Job 36:22, 23 ). The royal Prophet expressed himself wisely and very cautiously in this regard, saying of himself to God: "I was foolish and did not understand; I was like a beast before You" ( Psalm 83:22 ). In other words: "I do not examine Your judgments, O God, I, who am insignificant before You, like creatures: my task is to listen to Your voice and obey my Lord, but not to examine Your works and decrees."
The Humility of the Seraphim
It is not surprising that David, who had tended a flock of cattle since childhood and had not studied the higher sciences, understood himself and judged himself so modestly, out of the kindness of his heart and the inspiration of God. But the Seraphim themselves, the highest spirits—the servants of God—act in the same way before God; For when the Word of the Lord announced to the heavens and the earth the rejection (by God) of the Jews, then the Seraphim (each of them had six wings) covered their faces with two wings, covered their feet with two, and flew with two, revealing thereby that they could not, with their own minds, soar to that height at which the wondrous and incomprehensible works of God are accomplished, because no mind of creation comprehends the Divine judgments of its Almighty Creator: it is enough for them to know and be convinced that the Thrice-holy God is Holy, and to confess before one another His ineffable Divine perfections, calling out to Him: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: the heavens and the earth are full of His boundless glory!” ( Is. 6:3 ). If the heavenly intelligent spirits humble themselves so much and confess the incomprehensibility of the Divine mystery, how much more is it fitting for us, the weak dust of the earth, although we have received by the gift of God “the breath of life and the word of understanding” ( Gen. 2:7 ), to confess before God, crying out: “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works” ( Ps. 144:17 ).
The uncertainty for us is not only about the future, but also about the present
We often see wondrous upheavals and changes in the universe, unexpected events. We have many things about each of which we can ask questioningly, "We'll see how this ends." At times, something happens to us that surprises us with its unexpectedness, and we futilely grumble and say, "I never thought or guessed that this would happen." Poor ignoramuses we are at foreseeing future events! And even in events occurring now, we cannot easily discern their true causes, except for one that operates in all events, and, moreover, a true and indubitable cause. This or that happened because it pleased God to arrange it or allow it so, according to His all-wise, unknown to us, but always righteous and good Providence. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” ( Is. 55:8, 9 ). St. Gregory said: “To investigate the hidden reasons for God’s judgments means to contrast our sinful pride with His advice, or decrees. Our duty, our work, is to repeat the words of St. Paul at every unusual event: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and past tracing out His ways!” ( Rom. 11:33 ).
Much will be revealed only in the future life.
There are many things in our earthly lives that we will never comprehend with our minds. It is enough for us to know, to be convinced, and to believe without question that God is not unjust, and that on the last Day of Judgment no one will be found among the accused who will say anything other than, "Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and just are Thy judgments" ( Psalm 119:137 ). Once, King David, seeing the wicked and fortunate of the world, who by their example drew some of God's people after them, desired to understand God's judgments concerning them. After pondering this long and fruitlessly, he humbly confessed, "It is hard for me to understand this until I enter into the sanctuary of God" ( Psalm 72:16, 17 ). We must reserve until the future life a fuller understanding of the incomprehensible destinies and purposes of God's supreme wisdom!
So, let us cease to expand the wings of our curious judgment about matters unknown to us. The waves of the boundless ocean of the Supreme Mind, ceaselessly ebb and flow, ascending and descending, surpass the quickness of all wisdom, not only human but also angelic. And how could we comprehend the ultimate causes of the most profound divine destinies? Who can fathom God's predestination: why was this person born into paganism, another into Christianity? Why did the Gospel preaching come rather late in many countries, while spreading early in others? Why is one state filled with heretics, while another is free from all the vices of unorthodoxy, and in it piety is deeply rooted? Why does God's punishment for the sins of some pass prematurely, while it befalls others? Why are those innocent of crime sometimes brought to trial, accused, and destroyed, while the sins of others are visited upon their children and their descendants? Why does one die in infancy, while another lives to a ripe old age? Why does one, having sinned a little, perish without repentance, while another, having long remained mired in grave iniquities, finally reforms and receives a death worthy of a Christian? Why does one drown in wealth and luxury, while another has neither a crust of bread nor a penny of money?
Restless and overly curious mind! Why do you seek this out? God permitted, God willed, God created everything. For us, the most perfect truth must be God's will—the highest wisdom, a willing and calm adherence to it.