by Pastor Brian Phillips
When Augustine was 16 years old, his father sent him away to Carthage to be trained by the best tutors there, the largest city in north Africa. There, he became a committed sinner and rejected the Christianity his mother sought to instill in him.
During this time, his mother Monica devoutly prayed for him, even seeking out the advice of her bishop and asking him to visit Augustine. The bishop refused, saying that Augustine was not ready to hear correction. But, the bishop said something that stuck with her, and Augustine later – “It is impossible that the son of these tears should perish.”
Augustine grew in brilliance and eventually became a well respected teacher in Milan. His father had died, so he brought his mother to live with him. At that same time, Ambrose was the bishop of Milan – one of the greatest preachers of the 4th century. Augustine had heard of Ambrose’s wonderful preaching and brilliant mind, so he went to hear him preach. When the two met, Augustine told Ambrose that he did not believe in Christ and he was shocked to find that Ambrose didn’t really react. Augustine said, he “welcomed me as a father. I began to love him first not as a teacher of the truth but simply as a man who was kind and generous to me.”
Eventually, Augustine started to read the Bible and that, along with his growing friendship with Ambrose, led Augustine to the point of conversion. Augustine was in a garden, thinking over the condition of his soul and he began to weep. As he was weeping, he heard children playing and singing on the other side of the bushes where he was – “Take and read. Take and read.” Augustine took that as a sign that he was supposed to pick up his Bible and read, so he did. He just let it fall open and read the first verse he saw, Romans 13:14 – “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Augustine trusted in Christ and was baptized by Ambrose. Augustine’s mother was overjoyed. Before she died, she said God had granted her everything “beyond my hopes.” After her death, Augustine moved back to northern Africa and was eventually made the Bishop of Hippo. He was particularly faithful in battling the false teachers of his day. His works, The City of God and Confessions are still widely read today and considered classics of Western literature.
Ambrose teaches us to love our neighbor. Non-Christians are people, not just evangelistic prospects. Augustine reminds us to love God with heart, soul, strength, and mind. Coming to Christ meant using his brilliance for God too. Monica reminds us to pray. Be relentless. God hears you. There is no need (or good) for worry. The bishop was right – “It is impossible that the son of these tears should perish.”