The Parable "Everything is in Your Hands" in a Christian narrative

We call a small parable story, which reveals the meaning of life for us, mentions and usually makes us think about the correctness of the choice in this or that situation. All parables are called to teach good. True parables are distinguished by wisdom.

"Everything is in your hands" - the best oriental parables

To the eastern parables, it is equally possible to include both works of Arabic literature, and biblical parables, as well as Christian parables, of which many can be found about the ascetics-deserts.

There is such a wonderful parable - "Everything is in your hands." It is retold in different ways, and the meaning may vary depending on some subtleties of the narrative. Let's get acquainted with one of the options, namely, in the Christian exposition.

Christian parable "Everything is in your hands"

He lived in solitude, in the desert there was an old man. Through his virtuous life he acquired the grace of God, and people came to him from all sides for help: for advice, for wise words, for consolation. Having received the petition, they left and spread around the world a rumor about the kindness, wisdom and insight of the elder. The old man did not consider himself to be so, but in humility he regarded himself as a sinner.

In the same desert lived a monk, who also led a hermit's life, but no one came to him for advice. And the brother was jealous of the elder and his glory among the people. He decided to undermine his authority and came up with how to catch an old man.

The monk caught a butterfly in a meadow. He came to the old man and, clutching it in his hands, asked:

"Father, answer me, is the butterfly alive or dead in my hands?"

The monk's calculation was that if the old man says: "Alive," he will squeeze his palms and show the dead butterfly. If he answers: "Dead", then, letting go of the living butterfly, the monk will also show the wrongness of the old man.

However, the plan failed. Having understood the craftiness, the Starets sincerely prayed for the erring monk and sadly replied:

- All in your hands.

Differences in presentation

The above parable in the Christian narrative has some subtlety. This feature is not in the common presentation of the parable "Everything is in your hands", when the disciples come to the teacher to just test his wisdom. Here there is a moment of the elder's prayer about the lost monk, which very well characterizes the Christian understanding of the meaning of life.

If in the usual exposition of the parable "Everything is in your hands" we are dealing with the wisdom of the teacher who did not let himself be deceived by the disciples and taught them the lesson of life, then here we are presented with perfect wisdom. Neither glory, nor experience, nor foresight in themselves are needed for the elder. He knew the true meaning of life and helps people not for the glory that the monk has dreamed of. The true meaning is in the creation of good. Praying for the soul of a monk, the elder, as one would like to think, drew him to the true path.

The Christian parable "Everything in Your Hands" not only shows that we are building our lives, choosing between good and evil, but also teaches us what this good is. We ourselves choose the path of life or death, the path of a wise old man or the path of a lost monk. And it's good, if we are aware of this on the path of life.

Perhaps the parable "Everything is in your hands" will become for us the prayer of the old man, which will turn our hearts from vanity, envy and vanity to Truth?