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The Death-Bed Wager Between Saint Basil the Great and a Jewish Physician

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A Jew named Joseph lived in Caesarea. He was such an skilled physician that he knew for 3 or 5 days by the veins that somebody was going to die, and instructed the affected person the hour of their demise. And our God-bearing father Basil, foreseeing by the Spirit that Joseph would flip to Christ, cherished him very a lot. He typically invited him to his place to speak, and suggested him to depart the Jewish legislation and obtain holy baptism. But Joseph refused, saying: “In what religion I used to be born, in that I may even die.” And the Saint stated to him: “Believe me, neither I nor you’ll die, till you might be born of water and the Spirit. Because with out this grace it’s inconceivable to enter the dominion of God. Were not your fathers additionally baptized within the cloud and the ocean, and it’s written drank from the rock that was the prototype of the non secular rock, Christ (1 Cor. 10:2-4), who was born of the Virgin for our salvation, whom your fathers crucified, and who, being buried, rose once more on the third day and, ascending into heaven, sat down on the proper hand of the Father, whence shall He come to judge the dwelling and the dead?” And many different helpful phrases have been spoken to him by the Saint, however the Jew remained in his unbelief.And when the time of Basil’s departure to God approached, the Saint fell unwell and referred to as the Jew, ostensibly to ask him for medical assist, and stated to him: “What do you consider me, Joseph?” And he, after feeling the Saint’s veins, stated to the household: “Prepare all the pieces needed for the burial, as a result of he’ll die instantly.” Basil stated to him: “Hey, you do not know what you are speaking about.” And the Jew answered: “Trust me, Bishop, the solar won’t set at this time earlier than you’ll die.” Basil stated to him: “And if I keep alive till tomorrow at midday, what is going to you do then?” Joseph answered: “I’ll die.” The Saint stated: “Yes, you’ll die to sin, so as to reside to God.” The Jew answered him: “I do know what you might be saying, bishop. But right here, I swear to you, when you reside till tomorrow, then I’ll fulfill your will.”

And the divine father Basil prayed to God to extend his life till tomorrow for the sake of the Jew’s salvation. And the subsequent morning they went to name the Jew. And Joseph didn’t consider the servant, who referred to as him, that Basil was alive, however went to see the dead man himself. And when he noticed him alive, he was astounded. And he fell on the Saint’s ft, and stated with a honest coronary heart: “The Christian God is nice, and there’s no different God however Him. Therefore, I resign God-hating Judaism, and method the true Christian religion. Order subsequently, holy father, that they instantly give me holy baptism, and my complete family.” Saint Basil stated to him: “I’ll baptize you myself with my very own arms.” And the Jew approached, felt the Saint’s proper hand, and stated: “Your energy has dried up, Bishop, and your nature has fully weakened, so you can’t baptize me.” Basil answered: “We have a Creator who strengthens us.”

And he received up, went to the church, and baptized the Jew and his complete family in entrance of everybody. And they named him John. And Saint Basil himself served the divine liturgy on that day, and gave him communion with the Holy Mysteries, and taught him as a lot as he wanted about everlasting life, and he additionally spoke an instructive phrase to his flock. And he lived till three o’clock within the afternoon. Then he gave everybody a ultimate kiss and farewell; he gave due to God for all of the unspeakable mercy He had proven him. And whereas gratitude was nonetheless in his lips, he dedicated his soul into the arms of God. And the archbishop joined the archbishops, and the preachers – the good thunderers of phrases, on the primary day of the month of January within the 12 months 379.

Saint Basil the Great shepherded the Church of God for eight years, six months and sixteen days. He lived on earth for forty-nine years.

When the newly baptized Jew noticed the Saint the place he stood, he fell on his face and with tears stated: “Servant of God Basil, you wouldn’t have died even now when you had not wished to.” And many different archbishops gathered and sang funeral psalms. And within the church of the holy martyr Eupsichios, they buried the holy relics of the good comforter of God Basil, praising the One God in Trinity, to whom be glory ceaselessly, Amen.

From the Lives of the Saints of January by St. Justin Popovich. The story has its origins in THE PSEUDO-AMPHILOCHIAN VITA BASILII, an apocryphal lifetime of Basil the Great. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

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