XIV. Смирение и гордость

“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). “Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15). “When you have done everything commanded you, say: We are worthless servants, because we did what we had to do” (Luke 17:10). “The publican, standing at a distance, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but, striking himself on the chest, he said: God! be merciful to me, a sinner! (Luke 18:13). “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5). “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6). “The Lord is near to those who are broken in heart, and will save those who are humble in spirit” (Ps. 33:19). “The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19). “He respected the prayer of the humble and did not despise their prayers” (Ps. 101:18). “Who is like the Lord our God... who lives on high and looks upon the humble in heaven and on earth” (Ps. 112:5–6). “The Lord is high, and He looks upon the humble, and He knows from afar what is exalted” (Ps. 137:6). “I saw the wicked exalting himself and being tall as the cedars of Lebanon: and I passed by, and behold he was not; and he sought him and his place was not found” (Ps. 37:35–36). “You brought them down when they became proud. How... did they fall into ruin? Suddenly they disappeared, they perished for their iniquity” (Ps. 73:18–19). “You, Lord, will save the humble people and humble the eyes of the proud” (Ps. 17:28). “You have humbled the proud as if he were wounded” (Ps. 89:11). “No one who acts proudly lived in the midst of my house” (Ps. 100:7). Pride is the root and source of all lawlessness (Conversation 15 on the Evangelist Matthew, chapter 5). The great evil that shakes the whole world came from pride (Conversation 15 on the Evangelist Matthew, chapter 5). There is nothing baser than pride, nothing higher than humility (Conversation 65 on the Evangelist Matthew). Pride destroys all spiritual virtue (Conversation 16 on the Evangelist John, chapter 1). Pride makes our entire life unclean, even if we practice purity, virginity, fasting, prayer, almsgiving and other virtues (Discourse 9 on the Evangelist John, Chapter 1). There is nothing so alien to the Christian soul as pride (Conversation 5 on the Epistle to the Philippians, chapter 1). Pride is evidence of poverty of mind (Conversation 1 on the Epistle to the Thessalonians). The more someone humbles himself, the higher he exalts himself (Conversation 11 on the Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 4). Humility is the cause of all good things (Conversation 5 Philippians, chapter 2). Humility is to be reproached, reproached and slandered (Conversation 7 on the Epistle to the Philippines, chapter 2). Discussion on humility and pride You see how God loves humility and hates pride in the passages cited from Holy Scripture. Here only some signs of humility and pride are relied upon. 1. Who considers himself more sinful than others. 2. Do not despise anyone, do not condemn at all, but always pay attention to yourself. 3. Avoid glory and honor, and, if it is impossible to avoid, grieve about it. 4. Endure contempt with courage. 5. Treat low people kindly. 6. It is good to be obedient, not only to superiors, but also to inferiors. 7. Consider all your deeds obscene. 9. Do not speak unless necessary, and speak only peacefully and meekly, and so on. This path is low, but it leads to the high Fatherland, to heaven. If you want to reach this Fatherland, follow this path. 1. Seek glory, honor and praise in every way. 2. Starting things is beyond your strength. 3. To interfere in any matter without permission. 4. Elevate yourself without shame. 6. Having lost your honor, become indignant, murmur and complain. 7. Be disobedient to the superior. 8. Attribute good to yourself, and not to attribute to God. 9. Try to show yourself in everything. 10. Judgment on the affairs of others. 11. Exaggerate the mistakes of others and minimize praise. 12. Show some arrogance in word and deed. 13. Corrections and exhortations not to love, not to accept advice. 14. Do not tolerate humiliation, etc. The end of humility and pride Christ declares, saying: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). A guide to overcoming pride and gaining humility There is no need for a person to ascend. Are you proud for the sake of honor and glory, which, like smoke or like a bubble on water, disappears? Are you proud of wealth? But it, like money, passes from hand to hand, and if it is also collected by untruth, then it is disastrous for you, because someone else, whom you do not expect and do not want, will get it, but the harm will remain for you. Are you proud for the sake of reason? God gives understanding and wisdom; if He takes away what is his, then you will be the craziest of all. Are you proud of beauty and strength? But she, like a grass flower, withers and dries up from the heat of disease. Are you proud for the sake of nobility? It is your ancestors’, not yours; they deserve it, not you: it is as crazy to boast about someone else’s as it is to show off someone else’s dress. Are you proud for the sake of virtue? If it truly is in you, it is God’s business, not yours: “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7)? When God takes away His own, only your sins will remain. What else? Why will you boast? Look at your birth, arrogant soul: who is born with great difficulty and illness if not a man? Look at upbringing: what animal requires more attention, care, cleansing, nutrition, care until it grows up, if not a human? Many animals immediately after birth get their own food; And how much time does a person run around with someone else’s hands, dress himself, eat with someone else’s labor, keep warm, and survive! Look at the content of your life: who is more careful about food and drink if not man? Look at the clothes: where did you get them from? A sheep, a hare, a fox, a wolf, a lynx, a bear dresses you: you are so wretched that you don’t even have your own clothes. Look at your condition: who is subject to great troubles, passions, corruption, illnesses, infirmities, if not a person? Who is more subject to fear, sadness, sorrow, and vanity than man? Surrounded by disasters everywhere: sins behind, death ahead, God’s judgment above, hell below, the temptations of the world and the machinations of demons on the sides, passions inside, is it possible to be proud in such a disaster? Look at your beginning and end: “you are earth... and to earth you will go” (Gen. 3:19). Enter the tombs and discern there the king from the warrior, the glorious from the dishonorable, the rich from the poor, the strong from the weak, the noble from the ill-born. Here boast of your nobility, here exalt yourself with your intelligence, here magnify your beauty, here flaunt your wealth, here inflate yourself with honor, here count your ranks, here count your titles. Oh, poor creature, poor in the beginning, poor in life, poor in the end! Remember again, who are you? A creature created in the image of God, but the image of God destroyed, fallen, corrupted, “made equal to foolish beasts” (Ps. 49:13), but restored by the mercy of God, the Son of God redeemed by suffering and death. The Son of God humbled himself for your sake: should you be proud? The Son of God took on the form of a slave for your sake: should you seek dominion? The Son of God became poor for your sake: should you chase after wealth? The Son of God accepted dishonor: is it honor for you to covet? The Son of God did not have where to lay his head: should you expand the magnificent buildings? The Son of God washed the feet of His disciples: are you ashamed to serve your brethren? The Son of God endured slander, reproach, mockery, ridicule, and spitting: can’t you endure an annoying word? He endured innocently, and for you: shouldn’t you endure something guilty? Didn't you deserve it because of your sins? The Son of God prayed for His crucifiers: “Father! leave it to them” (Luke 23:34) – Should you be angry with those who insulted you, be angry, seek revenge? But who are you that your ears cannot tolerate even the slightest insult? A poor creature, weak, naked, passionate, lost, subject to all sorts of misfortunes, surrounded by all sorts of troubles; grass, hay, “vapor that appears for a little while and then disappears” (James 4:14). But if you accept the Son of God as your Savior and Redeemer, your Mentor and Teacher, then accept His teaching; if you accept His teaching, then follow His teaching; if you follow His teaching, follow His humility, which He first of all taught you in word and deed. Here is His sweet voice to us: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Are you not ashamed, servant, to be proud when your Lord humbles himself? How dare you call yourself His servant when you disobey Him? How can you call yourself His disciple when you do not listen to His teaching? “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” He will not recognize you as His own if He does not see His character in you; He will not recognize you as His servant if he does not see obedience in you; does not recognize Him as His disciple unless He sees His teaching. You are ashamed of His humility, and He will be ashamed of you and deny you as if you were a stranger. For He says: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels” (Mark 8:38). He who did not want to be a participant in His humility will not have a share with Him in His glory. You might be interested in: