One famous theologian for many years diligently prayed to God that he was given a man who could show him the direct and shortest path to the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven.
One day, when he prayed about it in the church, he heard a voice:
"Go outside the doors of the church and find the person you are looking for."
The theologian goes out the door and finds a beggar covered in rags, with legs in scabs and pus flowing from his eyes. The theologian approaches and greets the beggar:
"I wish you a good and prosperous morning, elder." The old man answered this:
"I never had a bad and unhappy morning."
The theologian, wishing to correct his greetings, tells the beggar: "May God send you all the good."
Poor answered: "Nothing has ever come upon me that is not evil."
The theologian began to doubt whether the old man hears well, and repeated his wishes in another form: "I wish you every well-being."
The beggar replies: "I've never been in trouble."
Wanting to try the beggar again, the theologian told him: "I want all your wishes to be filled with God."
The old man replied: "I'm not looking for anything from what you want me, - everything happens according to my desire."
An interested theologian then asked the beggar: "Are you alone among the poor on earth blessed?" How can you alone be saved from all evil times and incidents? "The
wretched one answered:
" I am always satisfied with the gift of God; not seeking worldly success is for me the greatest prosperity.
Heavenly Father does everything for the better in every person's life, both pleasant and unpleasant for him. He knows perfectly, the first or the last for each person is truly saving.
That's why I say that I've never been in trouble, because everything in my life happens for my benefit. I suffer hunger - I thank the All-seeing God. The frost burns me like fire, or the rain pours down on me a shower - I also glorify God for that; if anyone mocks me, makes an attack on me or a resentment,I also thank God, for I am sure that this is done to me according to the will of God.
And all that God sends us, serves for our good, for our salvation.
And so everything that God sends to us or allows others to do to us, pleasant or unpleasant, sweet or bitter, I also consider everything, as by the hand of the Merciful Father, I willingly accept, and that only I wish what God wants and what He wants let others do to me.
Thus, everything happens to me and is done according to God's Will.
The will of the Lord is the fullness of perfection and kindness; outside it, there is no other will, better, more righteous.
With all my thoughts I strive to always want and wish the same as God wants from a rational being in general, and in particular from a wretched being like myself. "
Then the learned man asked the beggar:
- "But who are you?"
- "I am a king.
- "And where is your kingdom?"
- "It is in my soul, for I have learned to own my inner and outer feelings; and that this is royal authority, no one doubts, for there is no greater power on earth.
From the conversation with the beggar, the theologian really recognized the most reliable path to the Kingdom of Heaven, consisting of perfect submissiveness in all God's Providence.
Nikolay Evgrafovich Pestov
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