February: Day 9:
Holy Martyr Nikephoros
(On the Need To Make Peace With Enemies)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Holy Martyr Nikephoros
(On the Need To Make Peace With Enemies)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. The Holy Martyr Nikephoros, whose memory is celebrated today, was a layman and was in great friendship with one priest, Saprikios, but due to some circumstances this friendship subsequently not only cooled, but also turned into enmity.
Nikephoros, however, gradually softened and tried to make peace with Saprikios. Saprikios, on the contrary, did not want to hear about reconciliation.
Meanwhile, at this time, a persecution of Christians began. The priest Saprikios was one of the first to be tortured. He endured them with fortitude, and was finally condemned to death. Having learned of this, Nikephoros hastened to ask forgiveness from the martyr. But although Saprikios had enough spiritual strength to accomplish the feat, at the same time he did not have enough love or humility in his heart to make peace with his enemy. He did not pity or forgive his former friend, who tearfully begged him for reconciliation, who now suffered for him, for Saprikios the martyr, who was depriving himself of the crown of victory through his vindictiveness.
Those who accompanied Saprikios to the place of execution were surprised by the grief of Nikephoros and said to him: "We have never seen such a madman: what business is it of yours to deal with the condemned? He is going to his death, and you ask his forgiveness. Can he harm you in any way after death? What need do you have to make peace with someone who will soon die?" "You do not know what I ask of the confessor of Christ, but God knows!" - answered Nikephoros.
And so, to the very place of execution he followed Saprikios and did not stop begging him: "Martyr of Christ, forgive me!" But he remained insensitive, and responded to the fervent prayers of the humble Nikephoros only with proud silence; in his malice towards his brother he remained unshakable. And for this God's patience wavered: the Lord rejected him, did not want to accept the feat from a man who had not been purified by reconciliation with his brother, although he already stood, as it were, on the threshold of blessed eternity. The Lord deprived the soul in which there was so much hatred and pride of His grace-filled help. Left to itself, this soul lost all strength. Approaching the place of execution, Saprikios became confused and trembled after he had already endured fierce tortures, and, cowardly afraid of death, he renounced Christ.
“Don’t kill me,” he said to the executioners, “I will fulfill the emperor’s command: I will make a sacrifice to the gods.”
Hearing this, Nikephoros was horrified and began to beg Saprikios not to destroy himself, not to turn away from Christ. But Saprikios, blinded by malice, did not listen to him.
Then Nikephoros declared himself a Christian and asked for death instead of Saprikios. Thus the humble Nikephoros was granted the happiness of a victorious martyr's feat, while the hard-hearted and unyielding in hostility Saprikios was arbitrarily deprived of it.
Saint Nikephoros was executed by sword in Antioch in 260.
II. The above story from the life of the Holy Martyr Nikephoros shows how destructive enmity is and how necessary it is to reconcile with each other.
a) "Make peace with your neighbor quickly," teaches Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. "Death follows us invisibly and snatches us away unexpectedly. What will become of a man if it snatches him away in enmity with his neighbor? With what will he appear before the judgment seat of Christ? You, beloved, knew how to offend your neighbor: know how to make peace with him. Do not delay in such an important matter, do not put it off until the morning: after all, you do not know whether you will live to see tomorrow. God has promised His mercy to those who repent, but He has not promised tomorrow. Break yourself, crush the idol of pride in your heart and bow with humility to your neighbor whom you have offended. And when you bow to him with your body, then bow with your heart too; you will ask for forgiveness with your lips, ask with your heart too; you repent with your tongue, repent and pity with your heart too; kiss with your lips, kiss with your heart. Remember that God looks not at the appearance, but at the disposition of the heart.
b) You will say: 'It is impossible to love your enemies and do good to them.' Not true. But it was possible for David, who wept over his fallen enemies - Saul and Absalom. And tears over the death of enemies are a clear sign of love for enemies. It was also possible for the Holy First Martyr Stephen to pray for his enemies who stoned him: 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them' (Acts 7:60). It was possible for all the saints, which means it is possible for you too. You are a man, and they were all the same as you, men; you are weak, and they had the same weakness. If an earthly king commanded you either to forgive your neighbor his offenses, and even serve him, or to be executed, which would you choose as the better - to die or to forgive and serve him? I think that you would rather agree to the latter. But the Heavenly King commands you not only to forgive those who offend you, but also to love your enemies and do good to those who hate you: otherwise eternal death threatens those who do not want to listen to the commands of the Heavenly King. True virtue consists in victory over yourself: to do not what your sinful nature wants, but what the holy will of God wants, to submit your will to the will of God, to conquer evil with good, pride with humility, anger with patience and meekness, hatred with love. This is what the victory of a Christian consists in, and it is more glorious than any victory over the nations. God requires this of us: 'Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good' (Rom. 12:21).
c) The Savior says: 'If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses' (Matthew 6:14, 15). You see, Christian, how terrible it is not to forgive the sins of your neighbor. If you forgive, God forgives you; if you do not forgive, God does not forgive you. But what are you yourself before God, and what is your prayer?
You pray to God: 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' When you forgive your neighbor from the heart, then you pray from the heart, and truly, sincerely pronounce the words of this prayer to God... But when you do not forgive your neighbor from the heart, then you pray only with words and lips, and therefore hypocritically. Hence, your prayer does not benefit you at all, but even turns into sin. You see where a person's anger and enmity lead him!
III. Therefore, conquer yourself, beloved, and, putting aside your anger, forgive everything in your neighbor: then your prayer will be sincere, and remission of your debts will be given to you. The word of God is faithful, true, and immutable. What God says is in fact as He says; what He promises is fulfilled; what He threatens us with will come to pass, if we do not repent. If we forgive our neighbors their sins against us, then God forgives us by His mercy; and if we do not forgive, then God does not forgive us."
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Nikephoros, however, gradually softened and tried to make peace with Saprikios. Saprikios, on the contrary, did not want to hear about reconciliation.
Meanwhile, at this time, a persecution of Christians began. The priest Saprikios was one of the first to be tortured. He endured them with fortitude, and was finally condemned to death. Having learned of this, Nikephoros hastened to ask forgiveness from the martyr. But although Saprikios had enough spiritual strength to accomplish the feat, at the same time he did not have enough love or humility in his heart to make peace with his enemy. He did not pity or forgive his former friend, who tearfully begged him for reconciliation, who now suffered for him, for Saprikios the martyr, who was depriving himself of the crown of victory through his vindictiveness.
Those who accompanied Saprikios to the place of execution were surprised by the grief of Nikephoros and said to him: "We have never seen such a madman: what business is it of yours to deal with the condemned? He is going to his death, and you ask his forgiveness. Can he harm you in any way after death? What need do you have to make peace with someone who will soon die?" "You do not know what I ask of the confessor of Christ, but God knows!" - answered Nikephoros.
And so, to the very place of execution he followed Saprikios and did not stop begging him: "Martyr of Christ, forgive me!" But he remained insensitive, and responded to the fervent prayers of the humble Nikephoros only with proud silence; in his malice towards his brother he remained unshakable. And for this God's patience wavered: the Lord rejected him, did not want to accept the feat from a man who had not been purified by reconciliation with his brother, although he already stood, as it were, on the threshold of blessed eternity. The Lord deprived the soul in which there was so much hatred and pride of His grace-filled help. Left to itself, this soul lost all strength. Approaching the place of execution, Saprikios became confused and trembled after he had already endured fierce tortures, and, cowardly afraid of death, he renounced Christ.
“Don’t kill me,” he said to the executioners, “I will fulfill the emperor’s command: I will make a sacrifice to the gods.”
Hearing this, Nikephoros was horrified and began to beg Saprikios not to destroy himself, not to turn away from Christ. But Saprikios, blinded by malice, did not listen to him.
Then Nikephoros declared himself a Christian and asked for death instead of Saprikios. Thus the humble Nikephoros was granted the happiness of a victorious martyr's feat, while the hard-hearted and unyielding in hostility Saprikios was arbitrarily deprived of it.
Saint Nikephoros was executed by sword in Antioch in 260.
II. The above story from the life of the Holy Martyr Nikephoros shows how destructive enmity is and how necessary it is to reconcile with each other.
a) "Make peace with your neighbor quickly," teaches Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. "Death follows us invisibly and snatches us away unexpectedly. What will become of a man if it snatches him away in enmity with his neighbor? With what will he appear before the judgment seat of Christ? You, beloved, knew how to offend your neighbor: know how to make peace with him. Do not delay in such an important matter, do not put it off until the morning: after all, you do not know whether you will live to see tomorrow. God has promised His mercy to those who repent, but He has not promised tomorrow. Break yourself, crush the idol of pride in your heart and bow with humility to your neighbor whom you have offended. And when you bow to him with your body, then bow with your heart too; you will ask for forgiveness with your lips, ask with your heart too; you repent with your tongue, repent and pity with your heart too; kiss with your lips, kiss with your heart. Remember that God looks not at the appearance, but at the disposition of the heart.
b) You will say: 'It is impossible to love your enemies and do good to them.' Not true. But it was possible for David, who wept over his fallen enemies - Saul and Absalom. And tears over the death of enemies are a clear sign of love for enemies. It was also possible for the Holy First Martyr Stephen to pray for his enemies who stoned him: 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them' (Acts 7:60). It was possible for all the saints, which means it is possible for you too. You are a man, and they were all the same as you, men; you are weak, and they had the same weakness. If an earthly king commanded you either to forgive your neighbor his offenses, and even serve him, or to be executed, which would you choose as the better - to die or to forgive and serve him? I think that you would rather agree to the latter. But the Heavenly King commands you not only to forgive those who offend you, but also to love your enemies and do good to those who hate you: otherwise eternal death threatens those who do not want to listen to the commands of the Heavenly King. True virtue consists in victory over yourself: to do not what your sinful nature wants, but what the holy will of God wants, to submit your will to the will of God, to conquer evil with good, pride with humility, anger with patience and meekness, hatred with love. This is what the victory of a Christian consists in, and it is more glorious than any victory over the nations. God requires this of us: 'Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good' (Rom. 12:21).
c) The Savior says: 'If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses' (Matthew 6:14, 15). You see, Christian, how terrible it is not to forgive the sins of your neighbor. If you forgive, God forgives you; if you do not forgive, God does not forgive you. But what are you yourself before God, and what is your prayer?
You pray to God: 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' When you forgive your neighbor from the heart, then you pray from the heart, and truly, sincerely pronounce the words of this prayer to God... But when you do not forgive your neighbor from the heart, then you pray only with words and lips, and therefore hypocritically. Hence, your prayer does not benefit you at all, but even turns into sin. You see where a person's anger and enmity lead him!
III. Therefore, conquer yourself, beloved, and, putting aside your anger, forgive everything in your neighbor: then your prayer will be sincere, and remission of your debts will be given to you. The word of God is faithful, true, and immutable. What God says is in fact as He says; what He promises is fulfilled; what He threatens us with will come to pass, if we do not repent. If we forgive our neighbors their sins against us, then God forgives us by His mercy; and if we do not forgive, then God does not forgive us."
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
