Leo Tolstoy Archive


The Teaching of Christ Narrated for Children
Chapter 7


Written: 1908
Source: From RevoltLib.com
Transcription/Markup: Andy Carloff
Online Source: RevoltLib.com; 2021


Leo Tolstoy

And Jesus told all the listeners about what will happen when they will follow his commandments. – “Do not think,” he said, “that if you won’t get angry at the people, if you will put up with everybody, will live with one woman, will not swear an oath or an allegiance to anyone, will fight against those who offend you, will give everything that will be asked of you, will love your enemies, - do not think that if you will live like that, then your life will be difficult or worse than you are living now. Don't think that way - your life will not be worse but will become a lot better than now. Our heavenly father gave us his law not to make our life worse, but so that we could have true life. Live by this teaching, and the kingdom of God will come, and you will have all that you need. God gave his law to birds and animals, and when they live by this law, they are well. And you'll be well if you will be fulfilling the law of God. I'm saying this not from myself, but this is the law of God, and this law is written in hearts of all people. If this law would not be giving people the well-being, God would not give it to them. The law, in brief, is to love God to love neighbor as yourself. And he fulfills this law who does to others as he wants others to do to him. And therefore whosoever hears these words of mine and fulfills them, he does the same thing as does a man who builds a house on the rock: this man is afraid of neither rain nor rivers nor storms, because his house is built on stone. But anyone who listens to my words and does not fulfill them, acts as a reckless person who builds his house on sand. Such house shall withstand neither water nor storms; it will fall and will get destroyed. And when Jesus finished saying these words, people were amazed at his teaching. (Matthew 6, 26-33; 7, 24-28)

Questions:
1) That will happen if you will be following the 5 commandments?
2) Why you should not be afraid that your life will get worse from the following of these commandments?
3) What is the law of animals, and what is the law of people?
4) What is the entire law, in short, and what is its fulfillment?