Indication of the Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven

By St. Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of America

Part 2

How Jesus Christ Lived on Earth, and What He Suffered For Us

Everyone must obey the law of God. That law is contained in two commandments:
1)Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength; and 2) Love thy neighbour as thyself.

According to how you fulfil this law you will receive rewards. But there is no one, and never has been, and never will be a man who could fulfil these two commandments perfectly. Only Jesus Christ fulfilled them perfectly and without any deficiency.

In this respect all the Saints, and even the greatest Saints, are only like lamps; while Jesus Christ is like the sun in all its brilliance and splendour.

And just as it is impossible for a human being to gaze at the sun and describe it, so it is impossible to describe all the virtuous works (deeds) of Jesus Christ. Therefore I shall only tell you briefly about his life and virtues, and only what can be seen from the Gospel.

No human being and even no Angel loved God so much as Jesus Christ loved and loves Him.

Jesus Christ always prayed to God His Father, and especially He often prayed at night and in solitude.

On every feast, especially at the Passover, Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem, which was not near the place where He lived. Every Sabbath He went to the place where the people gathered for prayer and instruction.

In all His works (deeds) Jesus Christ always glorified the name of God, and both in secret and in public gave praise to God.

All through His life Jesus Christ truly respected, obeyed, honoured and loved His Mother and Joseph His foster-father, and even respected the chiefs and elders, and paid tribute to the earthly emperor.

Jesus Christ carried out the service and work for which He came into the world with full willingness, unmurmuring, conscientiously, with all fervour and love.

Jesus Christ loved everyone, wished everyone well, and did good to all: and, for the true happiness of men, He did not spare His life.

Jesus Christ bore every kind of offence or insult with unspeakable meekness and love. He did not complain of His offenders, and even did not get angry with His most open enemies, who slandered Him, mocked Him and wanted to kill Him. He could have killed and destroyed with one word all His enemies and opponents; but He did not want to do that. On the contrary He wished them all good, did good to them, prayed for them and wept over their perdition.

To speak briefly, from His birth till His very death Jesus Christ did not commit the smallest sin, either in word, or deed, or thought; but He did all kinds of good at all times and to all people.

Now let us look and see how Jesus Christ suffered for us here on earth. Being the Son of God and Himself God, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the body and soul of a man, and became a perfect man, without sin. Being Almighty, He took the form of a slave. Being King of heaven and earth, He was born in poverty of a poor mother, in a cave, and lay in a manger. His foster-father was a poor carpenter.

Jesus Christ, the Supreme Lawgiver, in order to fulfil what the law required, on the eighth day after His birth shed His most precious blood through circumcision. After that His Most Pure Mother took Him into the Temple and for Him, the Redeemer of the world, paid the redemption. While Jesus Christ was still in His cradle, Herod tried to kill Him, and He fled from him into Egypt, a foreign country.

But do not think that Jesus Christ in His infancy could not understand what was done and what happened to Him. No! Although Jesus Christ is perfect man, yet at the same time He is also perfect God; and the refore He saw and k new everything that was done to Him.

Jesus Christ, being God and the Almighty Whom heaven and earth and myriads of Angels obey, Himself throughout His earthly life obeyed His mother Who is His Own creation.

Jesus Christ Who has in His right hand all the treasures of the worlds, during His earthly life had no place on earth to lay His head.

Jesus Christ, the King of the whole universe, paid tribute to an earthly king.

Jesus Christ Whom all Angels and all creatures serve, Himself served men and washed the feet of His disciples who were chosen from the most uneducated and simplest of the people.

Jesus Christ suffered during His preaching a countless multitude of insults of every kind from His enemies. They called Him a sinner and a transgressor of the Law of Moses, and an idle fellow, and a carpenter

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