The Month of September
Day 30
31. Do Not Destroy the Defenseless
(From the Life of the Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, Bishop of Greater Armenia, and with him the thirty-seven maidens)
Day 30
31. Do Not Destroy the Defenseless
(From the Life of the Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, Bishop of Greater Armenia, and with him the thirty-seven maidens)
Although, fortunately, such people are rare, there are nevertheless those who, whether for the sake of gain, out of malice, or for some other vile purpose, consider it nothing not only to deceive or rob the defenseless, but even to destroy them completely. One man has a child in his care for instruction; he beats him and beats him, and by his beatings finally brings him to the grave. Another seduces a maiden and then spares no means by which he might be rid of her, and the maiden perishes forever, both in soul and in body. Another, in order to make use of the money and property of an orphan, sends her to the other world before her time. What do you think, brethren? Will such people's cruelty and inhumanity go unpunished, or not? Know that they will never go unpunished, and the Lord will strictly call such evildoers to account. “You shall not afflict the orphan,” He says; “if you afflict them at all... My wrath will be kindled” (Exodus 22:22–24), and the Lord confirms His words by deeds themselves.
Once, the Armenian King Tiridates, for no reason whatsoever, subjected thirty-seven completely innocent maidens to the most terrible tortures and then to death; moreover, he even left their bodies unburied. What came of this? The wrath of God immediately struck Tiridates for his terrible crime. For several days he went about restless and pensive; but on the sixth day after the maidens had been killed, he arranged a great hunt for diversion and set out to hunt wild animals with his soldiers and courtiers. Suddenly, a punishment befell him like that which had once struck Nebuchadnezzar, the proud king of Babylon. He lost his reason; in his madness he lost the appearance of a human being and became like a beast. All those who had participated in his crime suffered the same punishment: like beasts, they all wandered through the mountains and forests, tore their clothes from themselves, and in their frenzy attacked one another. Such a terrible punishment struck them all with indescribable horror.
Another case. A pious Israelite named Naboth had a vineyard. Ahab, the king of Israel, envied the owner of the vineyard and, wishing to acquire it, allowed his wicked wife Jezebel to have Naboth killed and, after his death, took possession of the vineyard. The Prophet Elijah denounced them for their outrageous injustice and threatened them with punishment from God, and his threat was fulfilled. Ahab, mortally wounded in battle with the Syrians, was brought dead to his capital, Samaria; Jezebel was thrown from a window, and her entire body was devoured by dogs.
From these examples, you hard-hearted people, convince yourselves of this truth: the Lord will also strictly call you to account if you do not cease oppressing and killing the defenseless. Do you see how terrible His wrath is toward people like you? Know, then, that you too will not escape this wrath if you do not change your cruelty into compassion for the defenseless, your anger into mercy, your malice into meekness, and your schemes against the defenseless into goodwill and protection toward them. And how can you escape the wrath of God when the Lord sees and knows everything? How can you escape it when the Lord cannot be mocked? How can you escape it, finally, when He is just and repays each person according to his deeds? Therefore, we ask and entreat you once again: do not wrong the defenseless and do not destroy them. Otherwise, take care lest at the judgment of God you too be made to stand together with the murderers. And then what? Oh, what terrible woe will await you then; for the murderers have “their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
Questions for Discussion 31
1. What did Tiridates and those who participated in his crime lose when they wandered through the mountains and forests, tore their clothes from themselves, and in their frenzy attacked one another?
2. Into what should cruelty toward the defenseless be changed?
3. Into what should anger toward the defenseless be changed?
4. Into what should malice toward the defenseless be changed?
5. Into what should schemes against the defenseless be changed?
Once, the Armenian King Tiridates, for no reason whatsoever, subjected thirty-seven completely innocent maidens to the most terrible tortures and then to death; moreover, he even left their bodies unburied. What came of this? The wrath of God immediately struck Tiridates for his terrible crime. For several days he went about restless and pensive; but on the sixth day after the maidens had been killed, he arranged a great hunt for diversion and set out to hunt wild animals with his soldiers and courtiers. Suddenly, a punishment befell him like that which had once struck Nebuchadnezzar, the proud king of Babylon. He lost his reason; in his madness he lost the appearance of a human being and became like a beast. All those who had participated in his crime suffered the same punishment: like beasts, they all wandered through the mountains and forests, tore their clothes from themselves, and in their frenzy attacked one another. Such a terrible punishment struck them all with indescribable horror.
Another case. A pious Israelite named Naboth had a vineyard. Ahab, the king of Israel, envied the owner of the vineyard and, wishing to acquire it, allowed his wicked wife Jezebel to have Naboth killed and, after his death, took possession of the vineyard. The Prophet Elijah denounced them for their outrageous injustice and threatened them with punishment from God, and his threat was fulfilled. Ahab, mortally wounded in battle with the Syrians, was brought dead to his capital, Samaria; Jezebel was thrown from a window, and her entire body was devoured by dogs.
From these examples, you hard-hearted people, convince yourselves of this truth: the Lord will also strictly call you to account if you do not cease oppressing and killing the defenseless. Do you see how terrible His wrath is toward people like you? Know, then, that you too will not escape this wrath if you do not change your cruelty into compassion for the defenseless, your anger into mercy, your malice into meekness, and your schemes against the defenseless into goodwill and protection toward them. And how can you escape the wrath of God when the Lord sees and knows everything? How can you escape it when the Lord cannot be mocked? How can you escape it, finally, when He is just and repays each person according to his deeds? Therefore, we ask and entreat you once again: do not wrong the defenseless and do not destroy them. Otherwise, take care lest at the judgment of God you too be made to stand together with the murderers. And then what? Oh, what terrible woe will await you then; for the murderers have “their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
Questions for Discussion 31
1. What did Tiridates and those who participated in his crime lose when they wandered through the mountains and forests, tore their clothes from themselves, and in their frenzy attacked one another?
2. Into what should cruelty toward the defenseless be changed?
3. Into what should anger toward the defenseless be changed?
4. Into what should malice toward the defenseless be changed?
5. Into what should schemes against the defenseless be changed?
Source: The Cheti-Minei: Homilies for Every Day of the Year (Book 1: September, October, November) by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. Publication of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, 1896. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
