Christ visiting a man
Nikolay Semyonovich Leskov

“... The real story about how Christ himself came to visit a peasant on Christmas Day and what he learned from him, I heard from an old Siberian who knew this event intimately. What he told me, I will convey in his own words ... "

Nikolai Semenovich Leskov

Christ visiting a man

Christmas Story

Dedicated to Christian children

A real story about how Christ himself came to visit a peasant at Christmas and what he learned from him, I heard from an old Siberian who knew this event intimately. What he told me, I will convey in his own words.

Our place is settled, but a good trading place. My father arrived in our direction during the time of serfdom and Russia, and I was born here. We were well-to-do according to our position, and now we are not in poverty. We keep the faith simple, Russian. My father was well-read and encouraged me to read. The man who loved science was my first friend, and I was ready to go through fire and water for him. And once the Lord sent me a friend, Timofey Osipovich, as a consolation, about whom I want to tell you how a miracle happened to him.

Timofey Osipov came to us at a young age. I was then eighteen years old, and he, perhaps, with something over twenty. Timosh's behavior was the most shameless. Why he arrived at the settlement in court - according to our position, sparing a person, they don’t ask, but it was heard that his uncle offended him. During his orphanhood, he was his guardian, and he squandered, or took, almost all of his inheritance. And Timothy; Osipov at that time was impatient for his young years, he had a quarrel with his uncle, and he hit his uncle with a weapon. By the mercy of the creator, the sin of this madness was not completely committed - Timothy only wounded his uncle in the arm through and through. Due to Timothy's youth, there was no greater punishment for him, as he was exiled from the first guild merchants to our settlement.

Although nine parts of the Timoshino estate were plundered, it was still possible to live with a tenth part. He built a house with us and began to live, but resentment boiled in his soul, and for a long time he shunned everyone. He always sat at home, and the farmhand and the farmhand only saw him, and at home he read all the books, and the most divine ones. Finally, we got to know him, precisely because of the books, and I began to go to him, and he received me with pleasure. We came to each other's hearts.

At first my parents didn't let me see him very much. He seemed wise to them. They said: “It is not known what he is like and why he is hiding from everyone. No matter how bad he taught me." But I, being submissive to my parental will, told the truth to them, to my father and mother, that I didn’t hear anything bad from Timothy, but we are engaged in reading books together and talking about faith, how one must live according to the holy will of God, so that the image of the creator in oneself do not drop and do not dishonor. They began to let me sit with Timofey as long as they wanted, and my father himself went to him, and then Timofey Osipov came to us. My old people saw that he was a good man, and fell in love with him, and began to regret very much that he was often gloomy. He will remember his offense, or especially if he says at least one word about his uncle, he will turn pale all over and after that he walks vague and lowers his hands. Then he does not want to read, and in his eyes instead of the usual caress - anger burns. He was exemplary and clever in honesty, but he did not take up his affairs for his longing. But the Lord soon helped his boredom: my sister came to his heart, he married her and stopped missing her, but began to live and live and make good, and at the age of ten he became everyone’s mind as the most capital person. The house brought out how good the mansions are; everyone is full, there is plenty of everything and from everyone in respect, and the wife is kind, and the children are healthy. What else do you need? It seems that all past grief can be forgotten, but he, however, still remembered his insult, and once, when we were traveling together in a cart and talking in every complacency, I asked him:

- How, brother Timosha, are you satisfied with everything now?

“In what way,” he asks, “does this mean?”

Do you have everything that you lost in your place?

And now he was all pale and did not answer a word, only silently led the horse. Then I apologized.

- You, - I say, - brother, forgive me for asking like that ... I thought that the dashing long ago ... passed and was forgotten.

- There is no need, - he answers, - that it has long ... passed - it has passed, but still I remember ...

I felt sorry for him, only not from the side that he had ever had more, but that he was in such darkness: he knows the Holy Scripture and knows how to speak well about faith, but he keeps such a strong memory to offend. It means that his holy word does not work.

I thought about it, because in everything I considered myself smarter than him and from him I thought to use good reasoning, but he remembers evil ... He noticed this and said:

– What do you think now?

- And so, - I say, - I think that horrible.

No, you are thinking of me.

“I think about you too.

- What do you know about me?

“Don’t be angry, that’s what I thought about you.” You know the Scriptures, but your heart is angry and does not obey God. Is it of any use to you in Scripture through this?

Timothy did not become angry, but only sadly darkened his face and answered:

- You are not versed in carrying out the holy word.

- This, - I say, - is your truth, I am not versed.

“I’m not versed,” he says, “and you are in what grievances there are in the world.

I agreed to his betrayal in this, and he began to say that there are such insults that cannot be tolerated - and told me that he was not so angry with his uncle for money, but for something else that cannot be forgotten.

“I would like to keep silent about this for a century, but now,” he says, “I will open up to you as my friend.

I say:

“If it can do you any good, open up.

And he revealed to me that his uncle mortally grieved his father, brought his mother to the grave with grief, slandered him and, in his old age, flattered and threatened some people to marry him, to an old man, a young girl whom Timosha loved from childhood and always disposed to marry himself.

- Is it possible, - he says, - can all this be forgiven? I will never forgive him.

“Well, yes,” I answer, “your resentment is great, it’s true, and that Holy Scripture doesn’t benefit you, and that’s not a lie.

And he again reminds me that I am weaker than him in Scripture, and begins to bring, as in Old Testament the holy men themselves did not spare the transgressors and even slaughtered them with their own hands. He, the poor man, wanted to justify his conscience before me.

And I, in my simplicity, answered him simply.

“Timosha,” I say, “you are a clever man, you are well-read and know everything, and I cannot answer against you according to the Scriptures. What I read, I will open to you, I do not understand everything, since I am a sinful person and have a small mind. However, I will tell you: in the Old Testament everything is old and somehow ripples in the mind in a dual way, but in the New it stands clearer. Everything should shine there. “Love, but forgive,” and this is the most precious thing, like a golden key that opens any lock. And what is to forgive, is it really in some small fault, and not in the biggest fault?

He is silent.

Then I put in my mind: “Lord! Wouldn't it please Your will to speak a word through me to the soul of my brother? And I say how Christ was beaten, offended, spat on, and established in such a way that there was no place for Him alone anywhere, but He forgave everyone.

“Follow,” I say, “better to this, and not to a vengeful custom.

And he went on to give great interpretations, as someone wrote that to forgive otherwise would be the same as to increase evil.

I couldn't deny it, but I just said:

- I'm afraid that "many books make you crazy." You, I say, take up arms against yourself. As long as you remember evil, evil is alive, and let it die, then your soul will live in the hay.

Timothy listened to me and strongly squeezed my hand, but he did not speak extensively, but said briefly:

- I can't, leave it - it's hard for me.

I left. I knew that he was in pain, and was silent, but time passed, and six more years subsided, and during all this time I watched him and saw that he was suffering all the time, and that if he was allowed to be free and if he reached somewhere some uncle, he will forget all Scripture and work for vengeful Satan. But in my heart I was calm, because I saw the finger of God here. Little by little he began to show himself, well, that's right, and we'll see the whole hand. The Lord will save my friend from the sin of wrath. But it happened quite surprisingly.

Now Timothy has been in exile for the sixteenth year, and fifteen years have already passed since he was married. He was, therefore, thirty-seven or eight years old, and he had three children and lived wonderfully. He was especially fond of rosana flowers and had a lot of them in his windows and in the front garden. The whole place in front of the house was covered with roses, and through their smell the whole house was incense.

And Timothy had such a habit that, as the sun was approaching sunset, he would certainly go out into his garden and decorate his roses himself and read a book on a bench. More, as far as I know, and that was that he often prayed here.

In such exact order he once came here and took the Gospel with him. He glanced at the roses, and then sat down, opened the book and began to read. He reads how Christ came to visit the Pharisee and they did not even give Him water to wash his feet. And Timothy became unbearably offended for the Lord and sorry for Him. So sorry that he wept over the way this rich host had treated the holy guest. It was here at that very moment that the beginning of the miracle happened, about which Timosha spoke to me like this:

“I look,” he says, “around me and think: what abundance and contentment I have, and my Lord walked in such value and humiliation ... And all my eyes were filled with tears and I can’t blink them away; and everything around me became rosy, even my very tears. So, like oblivion or fainting, and I exclaimed: “Lord! If you had come to me, I would have given you myself.”

And suddenly, in response, from somewhere, as in a breeze in pink, he breathed:

- I'll come!

Timothy ran up to me with trepidation and asked:

– How do you understand this: can the Lord really come to visit me?

I answer:

“That, brother, is beyond my comprehension. How about that, can you see anything in Scripture?

And Timothy says:

There is in Scripture: "The same Christ now and forever" - I dare not disbelieve.

- Well, - I say, - and believe.

- I order that the day on the table he put the device. I shrugged my shoulders and replied:

“Don’t ask me, see for yourself the best that may be pleasing to his will, and by the way, I don’t consider him insulting in the device, but isn’t it proud?

- It is said, - he says, - "this one accepts sinners and eats with tax collectors."

- And even then, - I answer, - it is said: “Lord! I am not worthy for you to enter my house.” I like it too.

Timothy says: “You don't know.

- Okay, have it your way.

Timothy ordered his wife from the next day to put an extra place at the table. As they sit down at the table five people - he, and his wife, and three children - they always have the sixth place and the end of the table is honorary, and in front of him is a large chair.

The wife was curious: what is it, to what and for whom? But Timothy did not reveal everything to her. He only told his wife and others that it was necessary according to his spiritual promise “for the first guest”, but no one knew the real one except him and me.

Timothy waited for the Savior the next day after the word in the rose garden, waited on the third day, then on the first Sunday - but these expectations were not fulfilled. Long-day and still were his expectations: on every holiday, Timothy was still waiting for Christ to visit and was exhausted by anxiety, but did not weaken in the hope that the Lord would keep his promise - he would come. Timothy opened it to me in such a way that “every day, he says, I pray: “Yes, come, Lord!” - and I expect, but I don’t hear the desired answer: “Yes, I’m coming soon!”

My mind was at a loss as to what to answer Timothy, and often I thought that my friend had become proud and was now entangled in vain seduction. However, God's view was different.

Christmas has come. It was a bitter winter. Timofey comes to me on Christmas Eve and says:

Dear brother, tomorrow I will wait for the Lord.

I have long been unanswered to these speeches, and then I only asked:

What assurance do you have of this?

“Now,” he answers, “only I prayed: “Yes, come, Lord!” - how my whole soul stirred in me and it sounded like a trumpet in it: “Yes, I’m coming soon!” Tomorrow is his holy Christmas - and will he not come this day? Come to me with all your relatives, otherwise my soul trembles with fear.

I say:

- Timosha! You know that I can’t judge anything about this and I don’t expect to see the Lord, because I’m a sinner, but you are your own person to us - we will come to you. And if you hopefully wait for such a great guest, do not call your friends, but make him a pleasing companionship.

- I understand, - he answers, - and now I will send those who serve me and my son to go around the village and call all the exiles - who are in need and in distress. The Lord will show wondrous mercy - he will grant, so he will meet everything according to the commandment.

I didn't like that word either.

“Timothy,” I say, “who can establish everything according to the commandment? One you do not understand, another you forget, and the third you cannot fulfill. However, if all this "trumpets" so strongly in your soul, then let it be as it is revealed to you. If the Lord comes, he will replenish everything that is lacking, and if you forget whom he needs, he himself will bring the missing one.

We came on Christmas to Timothy with the whole family, later, as they go to the dinner table. So he called to wait for everyone. They found his large mansions full of people of all our, Siberian, exiled families. Men and women and the children's generation, of all ranks and from different places - both Russian and Poles, and the Chukhonian faith. Timothy gathered all the poor settlers who had not yet recovered on their farm since their arrival. The tables are large, covered with tablecloths and everything you need. Laborers run around, kvass and bowls of pies are arranged. And it was already getting dark in the yard, and there was no one else to wait: all the ambassadors returned home and the guests had nowhere else to be, because a blizzard and a blizzard had risen in the yard, like the doomsday.

Only one guest is not and is not - who is dearer than all.

It was already necessary to light the fires and sit down at the table, because it was quite dark, and we are all waiting in the dusk with one small light from the lamps in front of the icons.

Timothy walked and sat, and was evidently in grave anxiety. All his hope was shaken: it is now evident that there will not be a "great guest."

Another minute passed, and Timothy sighed, looked at me with dejection and said:

“Well, dear brother, I see that either the Lord wants to leave me in mockery, or you are right: I did not know how to gather everyone I needed to meet him. Be God's will about everything: let's pray and sit down at the table.

I answer:

- Read a prayer.

He stood in front of the icon and read aloud: “Our Father, who art in heaven,” and then: “Christ is born, praise, Christ from heaven, hide, Christ on earth ...”

And as soon as he uttered this word, suddenly something so terribly hit the wall from the courtyard that everything even shook, and then immediately there was a noise in the wide passage, and suddenly the doors to the upper room were flung wide open of their own accord.

All the people, how many there were, shied away in indescribable fear into one corner, and many fell, and only some of them looked at the door more boldly. And in the door on the threshold stood an old, aged old man, all in thin rags, trembling and, in order not to fall, was holding on to the lintels with both hands; and because of him, from the passage, where it was dark, an indescribable pink light shines, and over the old man’s shoulder, a white hand, as if from snow, comes out into the mansion, and in it is a long clay bowl with fire - such as in the conversation of Nicodemus it is written ... The wind with a blizzard tears from the courtyard, but the fire does not stir ... And this fire shines on the old man's face and on his hand, and on his hand an overgrown old scar catches his eye, all turned white from the cold.

Timothy, as he saw this, exclaimed:

- God! I see and accept him in your name, but you yourself do not come in to me: I am an evil and sinful person. - Yes, with this, and bowed his face to the ground. And with him, I fell to the ground for joy, which touched him with real Christian humility; and exclaimed aloud to all:

Let's hear: Christ is among us!

And everyone answered:

“Amen,” that is, true.

Here they brought in the fire; I and Timothy rose from the floor, but the white hand was no longer visible - only one old man remained.

Timothy stood up, took him by both hands and put him in the first place. And who he was, this old man, maybe you can guess for yourself: it was the enemy of Timothy - the uncle who ruined him all. AT short words he said that everything had gone to waste for him: he had lost both his family and wealth, and he had been walking for a long time to find his nephew and ask his forgiveness. And he longed for this, and was afraid of Timofeev's wrath, and in this snowstorm he lost his way and, freezing, looked forward to a single death.

“But suddenly,” he says, “someone unknown shone on me and said: “Go, get warm in my place and eat from my bowl,” took me by both hands, and I stood here, I don’t know where.

And Timothy answered in front of everyone:

- I, uncle, know your guide: this is the Lord, who said: "If your enemy is hungry - eat him, if he is thirsty - give him a drink")