March: Day 9: Holy Forty Great Martyrs of Sebaste

March: Day 9:
Holy Forty Great Martyrs of Sebaste
 
(A True Christian Should Not Fear Death)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. During the persecution of Licinius in the 4th century, in the Armenian city of Sebaste, forty soldiers of one regiment professed the Christian faith. They were respected for their bravery and zeal for military service. One day, the city governor, obeying the decree of Licinius, called the soldiers to him and demanded that they worship idols. The soldiers refused, not deceived by the honors and not afraid of threats. Imprisoned, they became even more confirmed in the faith, since the Lord Himself appeared to them and promised to help them. While in prison, they encouraged each other to feats of suffering. When the royal nobleman arrived and called the soldiers to trial, one of them, Kirion, said to his companions: “Let us not fear, brothers! Did not the Lord help us when we called on Him in battle? We prayed to God and remained victors. Let us pray to Him now and not be afraid of suffering.” Singing the Psalm: "O God, in Thy name save me..." they went to trial, endured severe scourging, but did not yield to flatteries, were not afraid of threats, were not afraid of death for Christ, and were finally placed, on a cold night, in a lake located near the city.

A bathhouse was heated on the shore so that anyone wishing to be freed from death and renounce God could find refuge. At night the cold intensified, the lake became covered with ice and one of the martyrs, unable to bear it, left the lake and went to the bathhouse, but fell dead on the threshold. The rest steadfastly endured their suffering. In the middle of the night a light shone upon them. The prison guard, seeing bright crowns over the martyrs, believed in the true God and, exclaiming: "I am a Christian too!" threw himself into the lake and made up the number that was short of forty. The next day the torturer ordered the martyrs' heads to be cut off, their bodies to be burned, and their bones to be thrown into the river. Three days later the martyrs appeared to the Bishop of Sebaste Peter, and he, at their direction, found their bones, shining like stars, in the water and buried them. In the year 436, Empress Pulcheria arranged a precious reliquary for their remains. Glorifying the martyrs, the Church lightens the strictness of the fast on the day of their memory.

II. What do the Holy Martyrs now being glorified preach to us? They preach by the living example of their sufferings, which ended in a painful death, the truth that a true Christian should not fear death.

Death can seem terrible to a person from three sides. It frightens a person, first of all, by the uncertainty of the continuation of human existence beyond the grave; secondly, by the knowledge that if our existence continues beyond the grave, then we must fall into the hands of God's justice; finally, death can frighten a person by depriving him of the enjoyment of the blessings inherent in this life.

a) Death frightens man with the uncertainty of the continuation of his existence beyond the grave. A Christian is completely free from this fear, being absolutely sure that the grave is not the end of his existence. Is it possible not to be sure of this truth, being a Christian? What does the whole set of Christian truths mean if not a single and at the same time diverse proof of immortality, proof as firm as the foundation of Christianity?

Christians should not fear the tormentors who cast them into prison, give them over to torture, to death itself. Why? Because they kill only the body, and they cannot do more than that (Luke 12:4). This presupposes immortality. Christians are not the most wretched of all men. Why? Because they trust in Christ not only in this life.

And with what a strong seal is the truth of the Christian teaching on immortality sealed? Knowing that teaching, not combined with example, even a little touches the crude hearts of men. The Author of our faith Himself deigned to enter the tomb in order to bring out from it the assurance of immortality. Is it possible not to believe the testimony of a resurrected man about immortality? How convincing must be the testimony of the immortality of the resurrected Jesus! Jesus told us that we are immortal, therefore this is enough for my peace. The God of Jesus cannot be the God of the dead.

b) Being free from the fear of destruction, man, left to himself, falls into an even greater fear of the justice of God, to whom death delivers him. This fear is so natural to man the sinner, and so strong in him, that all nations, not knowing the God of Israel, like Israel, brought sacrifices for the living and the dead.

But for the true Christian, who believes in the redemptive merits of the Son of God, for the Christian who has washed away original sin in the Mysteries of Baptism and Repentance and who has sincerely partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ – the pledge of eternal life – the fear of divine justice does not exist; the death of Jesus Christ, taken to propitiate the truth of God, irritated by human sins, destroys this fear.

"Jesus died for my sins," reflects the true Christian, "therefore I fear no more the arrows of heavenly justice. Let the destroying angel raise his avenging right hand against me; he will not find a single place in me that is not covered with the blood of the divine Lamb. Let the prince of darkness stand at my right hand and point out the vile garments of my natural uncleanness; I already hear the consoling voice of the Heavenly Father: 'Take away the filthy garments from him' (Zech. 3:4), and clothe him in white raiment."

c) Finally, death may seem terrible to a person because it deprives him of the enjoyment of the blessings of this life. Indeed, no matter how imperfect these blessings may be, it is nevertheless very sad to be separated from them for someone who is not sure that after the grave he will enjoy, if not better, then at least similar blessings.

But for a true Christian even this fear does not exist; he is absolutely certain that, losing through death earthly blessings, he receives heavenly blessings, incomparably higher. The death of Jesus Christ, being a sacrifice for sins, also serves as a seal of that blessed covenant, by which this Mediator of God and men confirmed the treasure of God's love acquired by Him for those who believe in His name. What treasures? They so greatly exceed all earthly blessings that the most holy writers, who spoke by the Spirit of God, do not know the words in human language to describe all the wondrous and varied delights of the heavenly dwellings in heaven. "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man, the things God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).

And we, having the promise of such blessings in the world to come, still do not want to part with the present world, which lies entirely in evil; and the angel of death must still, so to speak, forcibly lift us up from the midst of vanities, in order to transport us to the abode of eternal rest!

III. But in vain, my listeners, shall we stir up the spirit to despise death, if we have not in us the seed of eternal life. Death is not terrible for a true Christian; but for a false one, such as all sham Christians, it is more terrible than for a pagan. Therefore let us strive to become true Christians, that is, to be Christians not only in name, but in fact, and to prove by our lives, by active love for God and our neighbors, that we are true disciples of Christ. But most of all let us love Jesus Christ; love for Him will do in us everything that is necessary for conquering the fear of death. Now we have many comforters, interlocutors, friends; but at the hour of death there will be one comforter, interlocutor, and friend - Jesus. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.