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Verse 4
Theosis · English Bible
Tobit

Tobit 10

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1Now Tobit his father counted every day: and when the days of the journey were expired, and they came not, 2then Tobit said, Are they detained? or is Gabael dead, and there is no man to give him the money? 3Therefore he was very sorry. 4Then his wife said unto him, My son is dead, seeing he stayeth long; and she began to bewail him, and said, 5Now I care for nothing, my son, since I have let thee go, the light of mine eyes. 6To whom Tobit said, Hold thy peace, take no care, for he is safe. 7But she said, Hold thy peace, and deceive me not; my son is dead. And she went out every day into the way which they went, and did eat no meat in the daytime, and ceased not whole nights to bewail her son Tobias, until the fourteen days of the wedding were expired, which Raguel had sworn that he should spend there. Then Tobias said to Raguel, 8Let me go, for my father and my mother look no more to see me. 9But his father in law said unto him, Tarry with me, and I will send to thy father, and they shall declare unto him how things go with thee. 10But Tobias said, No; but let me go to my father. 11Then Raguel arose, and gave him Sara his wife, and half his goods, servants, and cattle, and money: 12and he blessed them, and sent them away, saying, The God of heaven give you a prosperous journey, my children. 13And he said to his daughter, Honour thy father and thy mother in law, which are now thy parents, that I may hear good report of thee. And he kissed her. Edna also said to Tobias, The Lord of heaven restore thee, my dear brother, and grant that I may see thy children of my daughter Sara before I die, that I may rejoice before the Lord: behold, I commit my daughter unto thee, of special trust; wherefore do not entreat her evil.

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Tobit 10:4

Dimitri of Rostov

Dimitri of Rostov17th century

Tobit once sent his son Tobiah, the younger, to the Midian city of Ragi to collect the silver he had lent to Gawael. When Tobiah did not return on the expected day, Tobit was filled with deep sorrow. Anna, his wife, as Scripture recounts, cried inconsolably, lamenting, “Alas for me, my son, why did we send you on such a distant journey? O light of our eyes and the support of our old age, the joy of our lives and the hope of our inheritance! In you alone do we hold all things; we should never have let you go!" Finding no solace, she wandered each day, searching every path for a glimpse of her son's return. This profound and heart-wrenching grief, though not eternal, lasted a long time for the loving mother during her separation from her son.

Such sorrow arises from any separation between loved ones, particularly at the hands of death, which represents the ultimate separation of the soul from the body, friends, and all with whom one shares a bond. Oh, the pain that mortal separation inflicts upon those in love! Indeed, the parting of the beloved from the lover—especially when it is a final parting—brings immense sorrow: the division of friends, brothers, and children from their parents is always accompanied by tears and deep mourning. But should this be the case? I will seek to understand this with grace anew and uncover the comfort offered to those in mourning through the Divine Scriptures, revealed by our Saviour Himself.

Beloved Saviour, is it truly fitting to mourn excessively when someone we cherish is taken from us by Your divine plan through temporary death? Our Saviour provides the same reassurance that He extended to His grieving apostles: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). "Let not your heart be troubled, nor be afraid," O parents who lose their young children! If you truly love them, find joy in the knowledge that, by God’s will, they are being taken from this painful existence to the embrace of the Father in heaven. While your parental love longs for an eternal togetherness, remember that such unity cannot occur here. Yearn for it where it is possible to remain united forever, but on earth, this is at the discretion of God.

You do not lose or destroy those who have passed; rather, you are transferring your child from exile to their homeland, from captivity and bondage to liberation, from earthly life to heavenly life—may the All-Merciful God grant them this ultimate blessing, and may you, after your own journey in this life, attain a place beside them, together with the angels and all the saints, eternally glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, unto ages of ages. Amen.