One of the Best Means of Making Unbelievers Believers
February 14
(Commemoration of our Venerable Father Abraham)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
February 14
(Commemoration of our Venerable Father Abraham)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Why is it, brethren, that so few pagans are converted to our faith, and why do so few from the schism enter Orthodoxy? It is because we often forget that evil cannot be stopped or overcome by evil, and that evil can be halted — and cut off — only by good.
Venerable Abraham lived among pagans. Some mocked him and forced him to leave them; others constantly troubled him with requests for help. Abraham shared with them what he received from the Orthodox, and by this, it is said, he was delivered from abusive torment. And how did it end? The pagans, struck by the Venerable one’s love for mankind, built a Christian church and themselves all became Christians, and they entreated Abraham to be their priest.
Thus meekness and freedom from malice conquered evil and hatred and increased the flock of Christ!
Another example: once Venerable Makarios was going with a disciple to Mount Nitria. When they were nearing it, Makarios said to the disciple, “Go on ahead of me, and I will follow.” The disciple went ahead and, meeting on the road an idolatrous priest carrying a load of firewood, shouted to him: “Hey, hey, you demon, where are you going?” The priest became angry and beat the monk so severely that he left him on the road half-dead.
Shortly afterward, the same priest met Venerable Makarios, who said to him: “Greetings, hardworking one, greetings!” The priest asked, “What good did you see in me that you greet me so?” The elder replied, “I greet you so because I see you laboring.” The priest said, “Father, I was moved by your words and realized that you are a man of God. Another monk met me and insulted me, and for that I beat him nearly to death.” And with these words the priest fell at the Venerable one’s feet and exclaimed: “I will not leave you until you make me a Christian, and afterward a monk.” And he followed Makarios.
They both came to the beaten disciple, lifted him up, and carried him to the church. When the monks of Nitria saw the idolatrous priest with Makarios, they were greatly astonished. Later they baptized him and made him a monk. Soon after his baptism, following his example, many pagans were also baptized. After this, the Venerable one said: “Know that an evil word makes even good people evil; but a good word, on the contrary, makes even the evil good.” (Menaion, Jan. 19).
From these two accounts it becomes clear that evil truly cannot be stopped or overcome by evil, and that it can be halted and cut off only by good. Yes, so it is in reality. Let us take, for example, the schismatics. How do discussions about the faith between them and the Orthodox usually end? Not merely in mutual irreconcilability, but in even greater hostility and bitterness toward one another. Why? Because schismatics, in discussions about faith, are almost always filled with pride, self-conceit, and an inexplicable malice toward us. What reconciliation or clarification of the truth can there be in such a case? There is only triumph for the enemy of our salvation.
Yes, let us repeat: truly, evil cannot be stopped or overcome by evil; it can be stopped and overcome only by good. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
