A Christian Cannot Be Without His Cross: On the Inevitability of Suffering
New Hieromartyr John,Archbishop of Riga and Latvia
Who, For His Unyielding Witness to the Truth
Suffered Many Persecutions And Was Burned Alive By Communist Assassins In the Night of October 12, 1934.
Suffered Many Persecutions And Was Burned Alive By Communist Assassins In the Night of October 12, 1934.
"21From
that time, Jesus began to show to His disciples that it is necessary for Him to
go away to Jerusalem, and to suffer many things from the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised the third day.
22And Peter took Him to himself and began to rebuke Him, saying,
'May God be gracious to Thee, Lord; this in no wise shall be to Thee.'
23But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get thee behind Me, Satan; thou
art an offense to Me, for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of
men.'" (Mt.
16:21-23)
This revelation of the Lord concerning the sufferings
which awaited Him, struck His disciples like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Earlier, He had told them that His path was also their path: The servant is not
greater than his master. "He who does not
take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me"
[Mt. 10:38]. And in
the lives of Christ's true disciples there is a time of suffering passion when
each must enter his own Jerusalem, ascend his Golgotha and the fateful cross,
and take up the fateful cup - even unto death.
Even the sons of this world each have their own Golgotha.
Unforeseen and uninvited, suffering enters the house. You must suffer whether
you like it or not. The bitter "must." This "must" is bitter even for the
faithful disciple of Christ. And the cross of suffering frightens even him. In
his soul is heard the voice of Peter: 'have mercy on yourself, do not let this
happen, protect yourself.'
And this is not surprising, for after all, the Great
Sufferer Himself prayed: "If it be
possible, take this cup from Me" [cf. Mt. 26:39; Mk. 14:36; Lk.
22:42]. This "must" is altogether necessary and we are powerless to
stand against it. "From that time, Jesus
began to show to His disciples that it is necessary for Him to go away to
Jerusalem, and to suffer many things...." [Mt. 16:21].
If the way of the Lord leads to Jerusalem, if His fate is
to be decided by the scribes, the Pharisees, the elders, then it is natural
that He must suffer and be killed. This Jerusalem towards which Christ directed
His steps is not the Heavenly Jerusalem, but an earthly city filled with the
spirit of this world, which had fallen away from its God, not recognizing, not
comprehending the visitation of the Lord.
This is the same Jerusalem which, at the altar of the
Lord, killed the prophets and stoned those who were sent to it [cf. Mt. 23:37; Lk. 11:47-51]. And
the world, my brothers, even unto this day stands on that same foundation.
Perhaps it does not have the same outward appearance. Nowadays they do not
crucify people on crosses as they did Peter, nor are people stoned like
Stephen. People have become too indifferent towards faith to suffer for its
sake.
Our path is less rocky and whoever murmurs at the
harshness and the evil of this world should know that he is far from suffering
unto blood. Nevertheless, now as never before, the words of the Lord contain a
sacred truth:
"If ye were of the world, the world would
love its own; but because ye are not of the world–but I chose you for
Myself out of the world–therefore the world hateth you"
[Jn. 15:19].
It cannot do otherwise.
The natural desire of man's heart is to live at peace with
everyone. Many a youthful heart has decided to follow the path of reliance on
oneself: 'I want to get along with everyone; I must not antagonize anyone.' But
even the best-intentioned soon realize that this is impossible. Even the
meekest lamb is sure to meet on his way a ferocious wolf that says: 'You are a
thorn in my side.'
He who believes must confess his faith. He who desires to
serve God in this world must act according to his faith. But every confession
inevitably arouses antagonism and every action is sure to meet with hostility.
To see that his honest persuasion and striving are not recognized by the world;
that his good deeds are everywhere met with opposition; that there where he
sows only love, he must reap evil - this is obviously very grievous to the
follower of Christ. And he is often ready to ask, together with his Master:
'What evil has been done to you? Or how have I offended thee?'[1]
The truth which you proclaim and which you confess and
which the world cannot gainsay, or the righteousness manifest in your life
which silently reproaches the world, or the peace of the Lord written on your
face which the world cannot forgive, or the heavenly other-worldliness of your
behavior which shames and accuses their earthly way of life - this is how you
have offended the world. And the world would sooner pardon you of ten vices and
crimes which get you on a level with others, than forgive one good deed which
elevates you above the rest.
Why did Cain murder Abel? Because Cain's actions were evil
and the actions of Abel were good and righteous [cf. 1 Jn. 3:12].
Why did the scribes and Pharisees condemn the Savior?
Because He was Light and darkness cannot abide the light [cf. Jn 3:16-21].
Do not be astonished then, my dear brothers, if the world
hates you. It is to be expected. This is nothing unusual.
Do not let evil mockings and the vicious hatred of evil
doers lead you astray. Go along the straight road with the name of the Lord,
through the world which lies in evil and think in yourself : "I must..."
and the world cannot do otherwise. It would not be the world if it did not
prefer the lies of its errors to truth; egoism to love; its laziness to zeal
for God; worldly vanity to righteousness. I am not a disciple of Christ, not
His soldier, if I do what is pleasing to everyone, if I go along the broad path
together with the crowd instead of keeping to the narrow path where there are
few travelers.
And so let us step forward in the name of the Lord with
the conscious awareness that "I must."
There is another aspect to this "I must." When the
Son of Man told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and there to suffer
much and to die, He was aware that this was necessary even for Himself.
Because He was obedient unto death, even
death on the cross, God raised Him up and gave Him a name above every
name [Phil.
2:8-9].
If the Heavenly Father so willed that even His
only-begotten Son would drink from the cup of suffering, is it for us sinners
who are so imperfect to shun this cup of suffering, this school of suffering,
when we are such a long way from perfection and still have so much to learn in
order to become worthy disciples of the Great Sufferer?
Some think: 'How much more fervently and willingly I would
serve my Lord if only my life's path were easier, if it were not so thickly
strewn with sharp rocks.' In saying this, you yourself obviously do not know
who and what you are, what is beneficial for you and what is harmful, what you
need and what you do not need. It is true when they say that a man tolerates
least of all his own well-being. Days of happiness, days of success, when
everything goes according to one's own wishes - how many times have such days
woven a fatal net which captures the soul? What dissoluteness grows on man's
heart, like rust on the blade of an unused battle-sword, or like a garden which
becomes overgrown if not tended by the gardener's shears.
Tell me, O Christian, what preserves you from haughtiness
which so easily penetrates even the strongest hearts, even the hearts of
Christ's disciples? Is it not the cross of suffering?
What humbles the passionate inclinations of the flesh
which so quickly and easily spread in times of well being and prosperity, like
insects in a swamp on a sunny day?
What teaches you to shun this uncleanness? Is it not the
rod of misfortunes and sorrows?
What arouses you from the sleep of self-assurance, lulled
to sleep as we so easily are by times of happiness: Or what is more conducive
to a routine of laziness than cloudless, carefree days of prosperity?
At such times a storm can only be regarded as a
blessing.
What will draw you out of the dangerous state of
insensibility? Will not sorrows? Will not illness?
What tears us away from our worldly attachments, the love
for the world and all that is in it? Is it not necessity and misfortunes?
Do not trials teach us to take life more seriously? Do not
sorrows teach us to be prepared for death?
Wild brambles of the heart cannot be uprooted without the
pruning shears of the Heavenly Gardener and the good fruit of truth and
righteousness will not grow without the rain of tears and sorrows.
Nowhere can true obedience be better tested than in the
bearing of the bitter cup of sorrows, when one can only say:
"...not my will, but Thine be done,
Father" [cf. Mt.
26:39; Mk. 14:36; Lk. 22:42].
And submission to God's will is never manifested so
clearly as in days and hours of storm when in the midst of menacing and
frightful waves the Christian gives himself totally into the hands of Him Whose
very hand holds these waves and tempests.
When can the steadfastness, courage, and strength of a
soldier of Christ be better demonstrated than when trials and obstacles must be
turned into deeds, than in the war against evil, or in times of danger? All the
noble strength of the Christian soul, of the Christian character shines forth
most brightly in times of distress, misfortunes and sufferings. All the
miracles of God's grace are most evident in times when the waters of grief and
misfortunes flood our souls and we are forced to recognize our helplessness,
our weakness and draw all strength and understanding from Almighty God.
Or, when God Himself chastises you and calls you to
account, are you going to ask "what for" and "why"? Or when the Lords sends you
to the school of the cross, will you say: "I have not need of its teachings"?
Rather you must say: "I need this; I must go to this school of the cross; I
must suffer with Christ in order to be raised with Him" [cf. Rom. 6:3-8; 2 Tim. 2:11-12].
When the Lord chastens me I must think and feel like a child chastened by the
loving right hand of the Lord, like a grapevine under the pruning shears of the
gardener, like iron beneath the smith's hammer, like gold in the purifying
fire.
This "I must" is of God and I must not shrink from
it.
If you, my friends, agree to what I say, here in the house
of God, then hold onto this principle when you are visited by grief, and yours
becomes the way of the cross. These are basic truths which must be repeated
before each bed of sickness and with each student entering the school of
sorrows. Pastors know this. He who preached these truths a thousand times to
others must repeat them for himself in every situation. Thou, Lord, help us to
understand more fully and to plant deep within ourselves this lesson of the
divine "I must."
Even the ancient Greeks and other people bowed before the
divine will, before sacred duty, before immutable destiny, man's dependence
upon Providence. The submission of one's will before this divine "I must," the
exact fulfillment of divine decrees - in the wise this was called wisdom, in
heroes, it was courage, in the righteous, sanctity.
How much more willingly must we Christians fulfill our
duty when we know that we are not being led by blind faith, but by the good
will of the Father which led even Christ to Golgotha and the Cross, but through
Golgotha and the Cross to the glorious Resurrection. And so we must put our
faith and trust in Him even when we cannot comprehend the meaning of the
guidance. Mankind would have been deprived of so much goodness, such glory and
blessedness, if the Savior had harkened to the voice of Peter: 'defend
yourself'.
Let each soul bow before the divine "I must;" for
the will of God is good, perfect, guiding all men to salvation.
And you, O son of dust and corruption, bend your neck
under His almighty hand before which your strength is as nothing.
Trust to divine wisdom before which your light is but a
dark shadow.
Give yourself over to the fatherly guidance of Him who
desires not enmity and sorrows, but peace and blessedness for all mankind.
When you submit your thoughts and your will to His thought
and will, then no cup will be for you too bitter, and no cross too heavy. You
will be able to withstand it. Such is the will of God.
If your spouse, children, friends, and everyone you love
surround you; if they try to persuade you to have pity on yourself, not to
destroy yourself - do not look at their tears, do not listen to their
pleadings. Point to the Heavens and say: "Do not burden my heart; thus it is
pleasing to God and I must. You are reasoning according to man's wisdom and not
God's." And if from your own heart there cries out the voice of flesh and
blood, and begins to persuade you: "...this cannot happen to you; defend
yourself..." - turn away from this counsel of your own heart and follow after
that which glorifies God.
We can more easily bear our afflictions if we keep in mind
the example of the Savior. See with what peaceful and holy determination He
goes to His Passion. And then follow Him along the path of the cross until with
His last breath you hear from His lips the divine words: "It is finished"[Jn. 19:30]. And then ask
yourself: are not you inspired by this example? Do you not understand now the
commandment: "...he who wishes to follow
Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow after Me"
[Mt. 16:24; Mk. 8:34; Lk.
9:23]? Do you not share the
conviction of that disciple who said: "I cannot wear a crown of roses when
my Savior is wearing a crown of thorns"? At the cross of Christ even the
most suffering souls among us can find consolation. I have endured, and even
now endure much, but my Divine Savior endures still more.
And if you find this example too lofty, read what the holy
Apostle Paul says:
"Thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I
stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils in
the city in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among
false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness" [2 Cor. 11:23-30].
See what he endured for Christ's sake, how many times he
was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and then understand how far we are from
him.
Everywhere the cross is
the sign of Christianity. A Christian cannot be without his cross. Amen.
Source- orthodox.net
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