The Vanity of Earthly Acquisitions
October 25*
(On John the Gardner)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
October 25*
(On John the Gardner)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
We all know very well that hope for earthly blessings is futile and that we should be more concerned with acquiring heavenly and eternal blessings than temporal and perishable ones. Yet, many of us are not free from a passion for the latter and place all our hope in them alone. Thus, without even mentioning the notorious money-lovers, how many people we see in this world, even those who are kind at heart, who say: "When illness and old age come, what will I do without money? Who will need me?" and so on. Many say this, and it turns out that only money can alleviate our illness or old age. But in reality, it turns out quite differently. It is not money, brethren, but something else that we need and benefit from during illness and old age.
A certain gardener named John was very kind to the poor. Of everything he acquired, he kept only a small portion for himself, and gave the rest to the needy. Some time passed, and suddenly John began to be troubled by the thought: “What will I do when I grow old and sick? Who will need me? Who will provide for me?” John began to ponder this and began saving money, amassing a considerable amount of silver. Then, as if to justify his worries, illness befell him. His leg became rotten and covered in wounds, and he began to seek treatment. But the treatment was very slow. He called many doctors, showered them with money, but still to no avail. What to do? Finally, he called a physician, the most skilled of all. This physician examined John’s leg and told him that there was only one remedy for his illness — to amputate it; “otherwise,” he added, “your whole body will rot.” Having no choice, John agreed, and the doctor promised to come to him the next day. The night before the terrible day, John wept. "Lord," he said, "remember my first deeds, when I was generous with alms, and heal me!" He had barely finished speaking when an Angel of God suddenly stood before him and said, "Well, where is your silver that you have collected?" "I have sinned, Lord," John replied, "forgive me, and from now on I will not do such a thing!" Then the Angel touched his leg, and it immediately became healthy. And rising, John went to work. In the morning, a doctor came to him to cut his leg and, not seeing him, asked where John was. "Yes," they said, "he went off early to work in the garden." The doctor was horrified and went to see for himself the truth of what he had heard. He arrived and, indeed, saw John digging the earth. He glorified God and said: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.”
Thus, brethren, it is not money, but our good deeds that can ease our lot in times of illness, in old age, and at all times. Therefore, accumulate these for a rainy day, not money (1 Samuel 12:21). Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Notes:
* In the original text, there is no entry for October 25th. There this is the second entry for November 8th.
