There is No Sin That Can Overcome the Mercy of God
September 6
(The Story of our Venerable Father David, Who Was Formerly a Robber)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
September 6
(The Story of our Venerable Father David, Who Was Formerly a Robber)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Although, fortunately, it is rare, there are still people who, knowing the multitude of sins behind them, think that God will not forgive them, and, thinking so, they fall deeper and deeper into the depths of evil and do not care about their salvation. Brethren! This sin, called the sin of despair, is the most serious of all sins and inevitably leads a person to final destruction. No matter how sinful someone is, no one ought to ever despair of his salvation and ought to rather quickly resort to God with repentance. Your sinful wounds are grievous, but the Lord Jesus Christ is strong to heal the wounds of the whole world. Your sins are countless, but God's mercy to repentant sinners is endless. Believe me, many of the wicked who turned to God became servants of God and were honored with the gift of miracles during their lifetime. Many of the harlots and other great but repentant sinners are now blessed there, in the abodes of the Heavenly Father! Not wishing to tire your attention, from the many examples that could confirm the truth of my words, I will point out to you the one that our Venerable Father David represents to us.
He was a robber. He did much evil: he killed many. He was such, says the writer of his life, "as no one else was evil." One day, while resting on a mountain with his companions and reflecting on his life, he was horrified by his deeds, repented and decided to devote the rest of his days to serving God. Having abandoned his accomplices, he came to the monastery and asked the gatekeeper to report to the abbot, saying that he wanted to be a monk. The abbot did not hesitate to come to him and, thinking that due to his advanced age he would not endure the monastic feat, refused to accept him into the monastery. David began to ask more earnestly, the abbot did not accept. Upset by the refusal, he finally exclaimed: "Do you know, father, who I am? I am David, the chieftain of robbers. If you do not accept me, I swear to you that I will take up my affairs again, bring my companions here, destroy the monastery and leave none of you alive." Hearing this, the abbot decided to accept him and, having tonsured him, gave him the angelic schema. What then? Then, it is said in his life, "David began to struggle with abstinence, to restrain himself with humility. And he exceeded all who were in the monastery, seventy monks. And he taught them and they became successful. And once, while he was sitting in his cell, an Angel stood before him, saying to him: 'David, David, the Lord has forgiven you, from now on you will work miracles.' And then David worked many miracles through God: he gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and healed the demonic." So great, brethren, and inexpressible is God’s mercy towards repentant sinners!
Let us learn from here not to weaken in the hope of God's mercy, but in sorrow, after sins, to turn to God with tears, sincere repentance and with a firm appeal to correct our lives. And He, the All-Good One, will cleanse our iniquities and wash away our unrighteousness, no matter how grave they may be. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
