Беседа 20. О смиренномудрии

Oh, that man would remain in glory before God, and would have a height that was not counterfeit, but true, exalted by God’s power, enlightened by God’s wisdom, delighted with eternal life and its blessings! But he changed his desire for Divine glory, and, hoping for more, hastening to what he did not receive, he lost what he could have. And since then, the greatest salvation for him, a cure for illness and a means to return to the primitive state, has been modesty, that is, not to imagine being endowed with some kind of glory from oneself, but to seek glory from God. This will only correct the mistake; this will cure the disease; through this he will return to the sacred commandment that he left. Meanwhile, the devil, having overthrown man with the hope of false glory, does not cease to encourage him with the same motives and invent thousands of intrigues for this. It seems to him something important if he invests himself in money, so that he can be proud of it and take care of it, which in no way leads to glory, but brings great dangers; because the acquisition of money is the beginning of covetousness, and the possession of it does not lead to good fame, but in vain it blinds, in vain it puffs up and produces in the soul a disease like a tumor. The thickness of swollen bodies is neither healthy nor beneficial, but on the contrary, painful and harmful; in it is the beginning of danger, the hidden cause of death. The same is true for pride in the soul. And it is not just money that gives rise to exaltation in a person: people are exalted not only by the splendor of food and clothes purchased for money, not by the fact that they arrange expensive and luxurious tables beyond their needs, clothe themselves in unnecessary clothes, build huge houses, adorned with decorations, lead a multitude of accompanying servants and countless crowds of caresses - but they, forgetting their nature, exalt themselves ranks to which they are promoted by election. If the people have been elevated to a rank, if they have been honored with some kind of chairmanship, or have been sentenced to be honored with a high rank, then, as if they have become higher than human nature, they think of themselves that they are almost sitting on the clouds, and consider the people lower than themselves to be their footstool, exalting themselves before those who gave them rank, proud against those through whom they began to mean something in their own opinion! Continuing a work full of madness, having a glory that is more fickle than a dream, clothed in a splendor that is emptier than the ghosts of the night, at the wave of the people it appears and at the wave of the people it disappears. Such was this foolish son of Solomon, young in age and even younger in mind, who threatened the people, who asked for a more lenient government, with an even more burdensome government, and for this threat lost his kingdom. Because he hoped to appear more powerful, through this he lost the dignity that he had. What also makes a person daring is the strength of his arms, the speed of his legs, the beauty of his body, although all this is destroyed by illness and wastes time. And he does not understand that “all flesh is hay, and all the glory of man is like the flower of grass: the grass is gone, and the flower is gone” (Is. 40:6-7). Such was the pride of the giants in power, the favorable opinion of the mad Goliath about himself; such were Adonijah, who thought highly of beauty, and Absalom, who exalted himself with long hair. And what, apparently, is much more important and lasting than other blessings that a person has are wisdom and prudence, and this leads to vain exaltation, provides false heights, because these blessings are counted as nothing, since there is no wisdom, which is from God. For the devil himself does not succeed in plotting against a person - what he devised against a person, he, without knowing it, plotted against himself, not so much harming the one whom he hoped to alienate from God and from eternal life, but rather betraying himself by falling away from God and condemned to eternal death. And having laid a net for the Lord, he himself was caught in it, crucified on the cross on which he thought to crucify Him, and died the death with which he hoped to kill the Lord. If the prince of the world, the first, greatest and invisible expert in worldly wisdom, is caught by his own tricks, falling into extreme foolishness, then much more his disciples and zealots, although they managed a thousand times, “while they say they are wise, they are fools” (Rom. 1:22). Pharaoh plots the destruction of Israel, but his plot is unexpectedly destroyed in a way he did not expect. The baby, who was put to death by his command, was secretly raised in his own house, crushed the power of him and the whole people and delivered the Israelites. The murderer Abimelech, the illegitimate son of Gideon, who killed seventy legitimate sons and thought that he had found a wise means - to firmly take possession of the kingdom, crushes, however, his accomplices in the murder, but he himself is crushed by them and finally dies from a woman’s hand and from a blow with a stone. And all the Jews came up with a destructive intention against the Lord, reasoning with themselves: “If we leave Him like this, everyone will believe in Him: and the Romans will come and take our place and language” (John 11:48). From this intention, having reached the point of murder of Christ, in the same thought that they were saving the people and the country, they died from what they had planned, being expelled from the country, and deprived of laws and worship. And in general, from a thousand examples one can understand that the advantage of human wisdom is not durable and is rather unimportant and low than great and high. Therefore, no well-minded person will think highly of his wisdom and the rest of the above, but will believe the wonderful admonition of Blessed Anna (1 Sam. 2:10) and the prophet Jeremiah: “Let not the wise boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast in his strength, and let not the rich boast in his wealth” (Jer. 9:23). But what is true praise? And why is a person great? “About this, it is said, let him boast; understand and know that I am the Lord” (Jer. 9:24). This is the height of man, this is his glory and greatness - to know what is truly great, to cleave to it and seek glory from the Lord of glory. The Apostle expresses himself: “Let him boast, let him boast in the Lord,” saying that Christ “has given us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and deliverance; yea, as it is written, let him boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:30-31). For this is perfect and complete praise in God, when a person is not exalted in his own righteousness, but knows that he has need of true righteousness, and is justified by faith in Christ alone. And Paul boasts that he has despised his own righteousness, and seeks righteousness through Christ, seeking “the righteousness that is from God in faith, as you understand Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the communication of His passion, being conformed to His death, if it attains to the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:9-11). Here every height of pride falls. There is nothing left for you to be arrogant, O man, whose praise and hope is to mortify all that is yours and to seek the future life in Christ, of which we have the first fruits in ourselves and now live entirely by the grace and gift of God. And just as “God works in us to will and to do good will” (Phil. 2:13), so God by His own Spirit reveals His “wisdom, set forth for our glory” (1 Cor. 2:7); and God also gives strength in labor: “I have labored more than all... says Paul, not I, but the grace of God which is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). God also delivers from dangers, beyond all human aspirations. It is said: “We have within ourselves the condemnation of death, so that we should not put our trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead, who has delivered us from so much death, and is delivering us: even though we trusted, He will also deliver us again” (2 Cor. 1:9-10). So, tell me, why do you exalt yourself with good things, as if they were property, instead of confessing gratitude to the Giver for gifts? “Why did you just accept him? Even if you have accepted that you boasted, you did not accept it” (1 Cor. 4:7)? You did not know God through righteousness, but God knew you through goodness. It is said: “having known God, rather than having been known from God” (Gal. 4:9). It was not you who comprehended Christ through virtue, but Christ who comprehended you by coming. It is said: “I persecute, even if I comprehend, the same thing was comprehended by Christ” (Phil. 3:12). “You did not choose Me, says the Lord, but I chose you” (John 15:16). But you think highly of yourself because you are honorable, and you take mercy as an excuse for pride. Finally, know who you are, like Adam, cast out from paradise, like Saul, abandoned by the Spirit of God, like Israel, cut off from the holy root. It is said: “Stand by faith: do not be arrogant, but be afraid” (Rom. 11:20). Mercy is followed by judgment, and the Judge examines how you took advantage of what was given to you by mercy. If you do not understand the very fact that you have been honored with grace, but in an excess of insensibility you turn grace into your own merit, then you are no more worthy than the blessed Apostle Peter, because you cannot surpass in love for the Lord the one who loved so much that he wanted to die for Him. But because he expressed himself in an arrogant manner, he said: “Even though all are offended because of You, I will never be offended” (Matt. 26, 33), he was given over to human fear, and even fell to the point of renunciation, admonished by the fall to be careful and taught to spare the weak by the consciousness of his own weakness and the clear understanding that, just as he was drowned in the sea, he was supported by the right hand of Christ, so, overwhelmed by temptation, exposed to the danger of perishing from unbelief, he was protected by the power of Christ, Who foretold him what would happen to him, saying: “Simone, Simone, behold, Satan asks you to sow like wheat. I have prayed for you, so that your faith will not fail, and you may once again be converted and strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31-32). And Peter, thus convicted, rightly received help, being admonished to put aside arrogance and have mercy on the weak. But this Pharisee, intolerable and excessively proud, not only boldly relying on himself, but also slandering the publican before God as guilty of pride, lost praise for his righteousness. And the publican was “from below... justified... more than” him (Luke 18:14), because he glorified the Holy God and did not dare to look up, but asked for mercy alone, blaming himself, which he showed both by his outward appearance and by beating his chest, and by the fact that he did not seek anything other than mercy. Therefore, look and keep in mind this example of how serious the harm of pride is, and learn from it. He who was proud has lost his righteousness, he who has boldly relied on himself has ruined his reward, he who has exalted himself before him and has exalted himself before the humble and sinner has been humiliated and has not waited for God’s judgment, but has pronounced judgment on him. And you should never be proud of anyone, even great sinners. Humility often saves those who have committed many and great sins. Do not justify yourself more than another, so that, having been justified by your own verdict, you will not be condemned by the verdict of God. “I do not vindicate myself, says Paul, for nothing in myself, but I am justified in this: but tribune with me, the Lord is” 74 (1 Cor. 4:3-4). Do you think that you have done something good? Thank God, do not be proud of your neighbor. It is said: “Let everyone test his own work, and then let him have his praise only in himself, and not in others” (Gal. 6:4). For what benefit have you done to your neighbor by confessing the faith, or patiently bearing the labors of fasting, or suffering exile for the name of Christ? It is not someone else who benefits from this, but you. Beware of becoming like the devil in your fall, who, having risen before men, fell, overthrown by man, and was trampled underfoot. Similar to this is the fall of the Israelites. Having exalted themselves before the pagans as before the unclean, they truly became unclean. And their truth became “like an unclean port” 75 (Isa. 64:6), and the lawlessness and wickedness of the pagans were atone for by faith. In general, remember the true parable: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5; Proverbs 3:34). Always have the saying of the Lord: “Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and he who is exalted will humble himself” (Luke 14:11). Do not be an unjust judge of yourself, test yourself, without flattering yourself, and if you think that there is something good in you, not only by showing it off, but deliberately forgetting your failures, not boasting about the merit that you did today, but excusing yourself for doing something bad that day and a long time ago. On the contrary, when the present puffs you up, bring to mind the past, and you will get rid of stupid pout. And if you see your neighbor in sin, do not look at this alone, but think about what good he has done or is doing, and often, having experienced it in general, and not judging in particular, you will find that he is better than you. And God does not test man in particular. “I am, He says, the works... and their thoughts... I am coming to gather together” (Is. 66:18). And having once reprimanded Jehoshaphat for a real sin, he also made up for his merits, saying: “But only good words were found in you” (2 Chronicles 19:3). By this and the like, we will always protect ourselves from pride, humbling ourselves in order to rise, imitating the Lord, who descended from heaven to extreme humiliation, and again from humiliation ascended to the appropriate height. For we find that everything in the Lord teaches humility. Being a baby, first of all He is in a den, and not on a bed, but in a manger; in the house of tecton 76 and the poor Mother, he obeys the Mother and the betrothed to Her; learns, listens to what he did not need, together, asks and in questions surprises with wisdom, obeys John, and the Master accepts baptism from a slave; does not resist any of those who rebel against Him and does not bring into action that ineffable power that He had, but yields to them, as if to the strongest, and gives the firmness that belongs to the temporary power; stands before the high priests in the form of a defendant, is brought before the hegemon, and accepts condemnation; when he could expose the slanderers, he endures slander in silence; sometimes he is spat upon by slaves and the most despicable servants, he is given over to death and death among people in the most blasphemous way. This is how He went through the entire human life from birth to the end, and after such humility He finally reveals glory, glorifying with Him those who were dishonored with Him. And these, firstly, are the blessed Apostles, who flow around the world in poverty and nakedness, not in the wisdom of speech, not with many accompanying, but alone, wandering, lonely, passing through land and sea, scourged, stoned, persecuted, and finally killed. These are the fatherly Divine lessons for us! Let us learn to imitate them, so that from humility of mind eternal glory may shine forth for us - this perfect and true gift of Christ. But how can we descend to saving humility, leaving behind the destructive arrogance of pride? So, if we do the same in everything and neglect nothing, as if there is no harm from it. For the soul is likened to its occupations; what she does is what she imprints on, and that’s why she takes on her appearance. Let your outward appearance, and clothing, and gait, and seat, and the composition of food, and the preparation of the bed, and the house, and all household vessels be brought to the point that there is no excess in this; Let the word, the song, and the treatment of one’s neighbor be directed more toward modesty than toward arrogance. May you not have sophistical embellishments in speech, excessive sweetness in singing, proud and arrogant speeches, but cut off majesty in everything. Be kind to a friend, meek to a servant, unmindful of malice towards the impudent, humane to the humble, comfort the unfortunate, visit the sick, do not despise anyone at all, greet with pleasantness, answer with a bright face, be favorable to everyone, approachable, do not indulge in praise of yourself, do not force others to talk about you, do not accept indecent things words, cover up your advantages as much as possible, and accuse yourself of sins and do not wait for reproof from others, so that, following the example of the righteous, you can be “yourself a leader in words” (Proverbs 18:18); in order to become like Job, who was not ashamed of “the multitude of people, so that he could not tell before them” his fall (Job 31:34). Do not be heavy in reprimands, do not denounce quickly and not with a passionate movement, for this is a sign of arrogance; do not judge for unimportant things, as if you yourself were a strict righteous person. Receive those who have fallen into error, correct them spiritually, as the Apostle advises: “Take care that you also are not tempted” (Gal. 6:1). Make as much effort not to be glorified by people as others try to be glorified, if only you remember that Christ calls the detriment of the reward received from God, arbitrarily showing oneself before people and doing good so that people see it. For about such it is said: “They will accept their reward” (Matthew 6:2). Therefore, do not harm yourself by wanting to be seen by people, since God is the great spectator: seek glory with God, because He gives a glorious reward. But you are awarded primacy, people pay attention to you and glorify you? Be equal to your subordinates, as it is said: not “as if you had rank” (1 Pet. 5:3); do not imitate worldly leaders, for whoever wants to be first, the Lord commanded him to be a slave to all (Mark 10:44). Let me say briefly: strive for humility as a lover of it; love humility, and it will glorify you. In this way you will rise beautifully to true glory - to glory with the Angels, to glory before God; Christ will recognize you before the Angels as His disciple, and will glorify you if you are an imitator of His humility. For He says: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. I don’t judge myself either. For although I do not know anything about myself, I am not justified by this: the Lord is my judge. You might be interested in: