George Maximov, Orthodox priest

About the Young Man and Leaving the Church

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The Gospel account of the young man is remarkable: seeing Jesus, "he ran and knelt before Him and asked Him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" Having received the answer about the necessity of keeping the commandments, the young man "said to Him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.' Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me, taking up the cross.' But he, disheartened by this saying, went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions" (Mark 10:17-22).

It is noteworthy that the young man, who had run so zealously to the Savior, upon receiving the answer, departs from Christ. No one drove him away, no one insulted him; moreover, the evangelist emphasizes that the Lord answered him with love. But the man departs. Of his own accord. Thus it is always: whoever encounters his own unwillingness to do the word of Christ can no longer remain near Christ and departs — with sorrow, with dismay, but departs. His own evil choice drives him away.

Some time ago, on an Orthodox website, the question was raised as to why people leave the Church. It seems to me, for the same reason that the young man departed from Christ. Having come with zeal and been met with love. I personally know several instances where people I knew departed from the Church. In all cases, there was a consciously committed sin, which these people did not want to abandon. They simply encountered the fact that they do not want to live according to the word of Christ. And such a person, over time, becomes bored in the Church. Constricted. Uncomfortable. And he departs. And to justify his action, he then invents some plausible reasons that would allow him to think highly of himself.

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Published by: Rodion Vlasov
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