One day an angel disobeyed God, for which he appeared before the throne of the Judge. He prayed to be allowed to atone for his guilt, and God said:
“I won’t punish you, but for your disobedience you must go down to earth and bring me the greatest value from there.”
The angel flew to earth, circled over mountains and valleys, over seas and rivers - all looking for the greatest value in the world. Finally, several years later, flying over the battlefield, he saw a soldier die, wounded in the battles for his homeland.
- Water, water! - the warrior begged with dry lips.
Hearing his groans, another dying soldier crawled up to him, opened a flask and began to give water to his comrade, on whose face a smile appeared. When the flask was empty, the angel picked it up and brought it to the throne of the Most High.
“Almighty God,” he said, “is probably the greatest value in the world.”
Of course, God agreed, the value is considerable, but not the greatest in the world.
The angel returned to earth and, after a long search, reached the infirmary where the sister of mercy was dying. She was nursing the sick when she was struck by an incurable illness, and now she had only a few hours to live. When she breathed her last, the angel picked him up, brought him to the judge's throne and said:
“Almighty God, this is probably the greatest value in the world.”
God smiled at the angel and said:
“Self-sacrifice is a great value, but fly again and bring Me the greatest value in the world.”
The angel returned to earth and this time searched for a long, long time until he noticed a horseman making his way through the forest thicket. He was armed from head to toe, and from his fierce appearance it was clear that he was a villain. The horseman made his way to the hut of his enemy to kill him. The owners of the hut had no idea about anything; the light was on in their house. The attacker crept to the window, looked inside, and the following picture appeared to his eyes: putting her little son to bed, the mother taught him to pray and thank God for all the good deeds that He sends to people. This scene reminded the villain of his own mother, who put him to bed in the same way as a child and taught him to pray in the same way. The villain's heart softened, tears rolled down his cheeks, and he regretted his evil intentions. The angel picked up one tear and brought it to God.
“Merciful God, repentance is certainly the greatest value in the world.”
God smiled tenderly at the angel and said:
- Now you're right. In My eyes this is the highest value.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru