Слово о злоязычии и страстях

All kinds of coolness are scattered throughout humanity, so that man constantly struggles with his mind. Others enjoy a disordered life, but turn away from fornication. And another is devoted to arrogance, but avoids theft. Another is enslaved by the love of money, but neglects clothes and pleases his belly. Some people love wine, but hate pride. Another abstains from adultery, but mockery is hidden in his soul. The other is slanderous, but runs around in finery. One is higher than one fall, but completely drowned in another. Some are impeccable in one thing, but completely mired in another. Another got rid of one snare, but was buried in another uncleanness, because the greatness of sins is immense, but is achieved in a short time; The power of every great sin is known from a small taste. When the enemy wants to bind a person with wishes, he binds him with those with which the person delights, so that, while enjoying the bonds, he would not ever want to untie himself, because the one who binds us is cunning, he knows well how and how to bind us. If it binds someone with involuntary bonds, the mind will immediately break the bonds and will soon run away. Therefore, he binds everyone with what he enjoys and cools down, for it is in the power of our mind to remove these bonds from ourselves. And now we, bound, rejoice in this; and, caught, we boast of it; because he who is bound by envy, just as he is not bound by adultery, considers himself to be unbound by anything; and bound by sneaking, just as he is not bound by theft, he thinks of himself that he has never been bound. Each one does not know his own bonds and does not know the nets laid out for him. Such people suffer from the ignorance of those who are drunk. He who is tied up, as if intoxicated, does not know that he is tied up. From the wine he forgets about his bonds, and in his rapture he does not see the nets around him. The Lord, who loves mankind, wants the yoke to be placed on everyone differently, as if with intent, because He assigned to each a burden, proportionate to his own strength. Therefore, even then, when the tabernacle was being prepared among the Jews, He commanded both the rich and the poor to take part in the saving work, so that everyone would bear fruit according to their strength. If someone brought gold, and another brought beads and other precious stones, then the poor brought hair, and another brought tanned skins. The rich woman gave silk, and the widow gave dyed wool. So the rich and the poor supplied the tabernacle with everything they needed, and, adorned by everyone, it adorned everyone. For the Lord accepted the vows of each from the rich and the poor, wanting to show that just as for the construction of the tabernacle he accepted what everyone brought according to his strength, so he impartially accepts the vows of everyone, in accordance with his own deeds. So, the Lord is pleased to guide us to salvation by various means, because the enemy also contrives to put us to death with various pretexts. And just as a robber became a citizen of Paradise for a single word of confession, so another, perishing for a single blasphemous word, becomes guilty of Gehenna. “Mariam was covered with leprosy like snow” (Num. 12:10), having been condemned for one slanderous word. And if Mariam the prophetess was punished for slander, then what kind of punishment will befall those who indiscriminately use blasphemous words, when the truth of Mariam, who said what really happened, was not approved only because she expressed herself slanderously. Even if someone justly uses slander, then his truth is filled with untruth. Either reprove justly, or do not slander secretly; Either reprimand openly, or do not plot evil in secret. For truth is degraded when low deceit is mixed with it, since holiness is not respected if uncleanness is combined with it, integrity is destroyed if lust touches it; Faith is also destroyed if it listens to prophecies; Charity is destroyed if it takes pride; unanimity is destroyed if mockery appears in it; Fasting is also destroyed if there is a place for judging others; love is also destroyed if it is outraged by jealousy. Delve into natural things and learn from them what is offered in Scripture. The beauty of truth becomes ugly when it covers up depravity. Food becomes deadly if hell is hidden in it. With us, clean meat becomes unclean as soon as it is defiled by sacrifices. Therefore, it is necessary for us to understand the invisible from the visible. In the picture of Miriam, Scripture taught us a lesson of truth. Her body visibly became leprous, because she invisibly sinned with all her soul. From the visible harm I recognized the harm that I had suffered unnoticed. The disgusting leprosy taught how evil and hateful slander is, and the visible body became a mirror of the invisible soul contained in it. Through the corruption of the body, she was introduced to the knowledge of how the heart, which loves slander, is corrupted, and by the outer man she understood the inner man. Just as she separated from her brother, so her own body was separated from her, so that from her own example she could learn love. Through her, we too will learn to be like-minded and realize that just as it was unpleasant for her to look at her changed body, so God is indignant at a man’s discord with his own brother. And therefore the human body is changed by various sufferings. Its members become hostile to each other, because the person himself is in conflict with friends; and this resistance teaches him to acquire like-mindedness and peace with his neighbors. A strong rumor occurred in the camp. Mariam suddenly appeared covered with leprosy, and soon she sharpened her tongue against the meek man who was praying for her; The righteous avenger demanded an account from the prophetess for slander, because the righteous does not delight in slander, in which foolish people like to spend their time. Moses, having performed many signs and wonders, did not enter the Promised Land only because his tongue slid a little. The great and terrible sea was not strong enough to put an obstacle on his way, but a short unrighteous word became a wall for him, not allowing him to cross. If Moses, who became (like) God, was deprived of the promised land by the word, much more will our sophisticated and tense language deprive us of the Kingdom. The holy fire burned the righteous priests who were in the shrine, because, being holy in deeds, they were defiled with words. If such men suffered such punishments, why does our language neglect this? Therefore, let us stop slandering our brothers. The earth, without touching the bad and unclean, swallowed up the evil-tongued. The sea swallowed up the Egyptians, and the land swallowed up the unyielding ones. During a famine, a military leader spoke a word, and accepted a worthy execution for the word: “and the people trampled him in the gates” (2 Kings 7:2, 17). May this instantaneous judgment serve you as a confirmation of the future Judgment, according to the word of the Savior, which He spoke, “that for every idle word” a person will suffer punishment “on the day of Judgment” (Matthew 12:36). So, under various pretexts, our poor family is kept in the power of the enemy. One is kept as a debtor, another is carried away as a guarantor. For nature itself teaches us that one dies for another, and he himself, not owing anything, gets bogged down no less than the debtor. And this serves as an indication of the duty of the righteous and the unrighteous. The righteous is innocent in his own deeds, but turns out to be guilty in the deeds of others. For example, in the presence of a righteous man, a true story is read, and if someone laughs and begins to refute it, but the righteous man remains silent, then his silence makes him liable for slander, because, having listened to what was said badly and leaving it without comment, he thereby testified that what was said was good. The power of strong nobles will not assure you of this. If someone happens to rightly speak ill of the king who has made a mistake, then those present will not tolerate hearing what is said against the king. And if anyone has the patience to stop and listen, then the same punishment is due to both: one is put to death for the guilt of the tongue, and the other for the guilt of hearing. A thief talks about someone, and you bow your ear to him; then the depths of your hearing receive into itself the death that he brings out with his lips. Having accepted the bitter leaven of lies, you allowed it to ferment within yourself. When the serpent spoke to Eve, how did death find its way into her? Is it not through hearing, by which this murderer usually enters? For the evil one can put to death a silent person through another speaker, and he who cannot die from the lips kills him through his hearing, and kills an innocent person with his thoughts through deeds. When the demons spoke the truth, the Savior did not allow them to speak. For it pleased the True One that they should not believe in Him through them, but that the true sermon should be preached by true preachers. Why couldn’t the apostles hear when the demon praised them? So that bitter speech does not fall into pure ears. And if the saints avoided the praises of the devil as the greatest harm, who would love slander? He who takes on all sorts of disguises has the custom of leading those who listen patiently to him even with the truth into deception. That is why the Savior did not accept speech from demons that contained truth. Both good and bad herbs will be watered with moisture alone. Rain, which in itself may be beneficial, contributes to the harmfulness of herbs. A snake, eating something sweet, immediately turns it into bitterness. And if he pours poison into someone, then woe to the one who took it into himself. So lies extract the most deadly poison from truth, which is why unbearable bitterness is hidden in its sweet words. So, let the serpent, who sweetened his tongue for the simple-minded, be an example in this. May the story about Iscariot convince you of this, how he, under the kiss of his lips and under the greeting of the world, hid his cunning and prepared betrayal to the Master of the Heart. And if such a liar turned out to be before the Creator, then what will he be like before you, crazy? Who is more vile than a liar? Is it the one who willingly listens to what the liar said? The Savior gave Himself up to death, but did not give up His ears to the voice of a liar; Having opened His mouth, He received the sound with gall, but His hearing did not receive the foul speech. He gave His mouth to kiss the traitor, but gave no answer to the deceiver. And you allow a liar to kiss your lips, but do not give him your ear. And if you give him your mouth, then a kiss will serve as his condemnation. And if you give him ear, then eating his words will kill you. You will do better if you avoid smelling and tasting poison. You run away from the smoke with haste, but listen to the liar with pleasure. You avoid the stench, but sit with the slanderer. You are obliged to protect each member in a decent manner from harmful things. If your body is clean from fornication, guard your lips from judging others. The mouth cannot commit adultery, but it can lie and slander. If one of your members is innocent and the other is guilty, with the condemnation of one member you will be condemned as a whole. Take the example of a warrior whose body is protected by an iron shell. And it happens to him that he is wounded if the weapon is not strong. And if the tip of an arrow brings death to a brave man through small holes in the shell, then the sooner death will be brought through the open door of the ear. For the door of the ear is so great that through it death entered the world, which, consuming all generations, remains insatiable. Therefore, close your ears with shutters and bars, so that slander does not enter. Do not neglect condemnation as something small from which death cannot befall you. From the example of those who are the prey of hunters, learn not to neglect even the smallest things. For it happens that a bird is caught in a net because of a small claw; and so, because of the tip of a worthless claw, she humbles herself, and it overcomes the power of her wings; and although the bird is completely outside the net, the whole thing is caught. And the divine apostle pronounced the same sentence on murderers, slanderers and intemperate people, as well as on adulterers (1 Cor. 6:9-10). For none of these, as he says, can inherit the Heavenly Kingdom, and he assigned to all of them an equal fate during the righteous Judgment - deprivation of the heavenly inheritance. And to know that such people are worthy of punishment equal to others, look for what guilt did Canaan fall under an eternal oath? Was it because he laughed at the righteous? For he was not condemned for any bad deed, but for one laugh he was subjected to terrible punishment, and for the insolence of his tongue he suffered bitter torment. His thoughts were pure, but his lips killed him. If he mistook such grief for a small laugh, then who would not run in fear from the jokes that acquired the curse? For the righteous man, having deprived Canaan of blessings, condemned it to a curse and in it vividly depicted the judgment that would befall those who love to laugh. If the devil inspires you to have fun and laugh under the guise of love, then Canaan, having fun, laughed and became under an oath. Listen to the wise Solomon, who cries out and announces to you the harm hidden in laughter. “Curate the poor,” he says, “irritates the Creator” (Proverbs 17:5), because laughter at a person turns against the Creator. You look indifferently at what seems funny to you, but you don’t know what flattery is hidden in it. Righteous Noah, having learned the deceit and not revealing this to those who did not know it, decisively deprived him of blessings, so that you, as a reasonable person, having learned what the vile effect of laughter is, would stop laughing at your brother. Shimei pronounced a curse, and the apostle uttered a terrible word against those who cursed. Let us look carefully at what benefits those who uttered curses received for themselves. By what fall did Shimei fall? He did not turn out to be an adulterer, he was not caught in theft, but he uttered curses in which slander was visible. What happened is also revealed by slander; something that did not happen is also revealed to her. When irritability is overcome by birth diseases, then every evil word is born. In this irritation, Shimei slandered the gentle king; and the one who repeatedly saved Saul from death was charged with Saul’s death. Since, contrary to the truth, judgment was pronounced on him, the truthful judge justly condemned him: he set a limit for him, which he should not have crossed. And he promised to keep it, but he transgressed, and the promise turned into a lie. Thus, this lie proved his slander against the righteous, so that for his deeds he would receive a just punishment, so that, just as he himself, having sharpened his tongue like a sword, killed an innocent person with it, so against the one who sharpened his tongue unrighteously, a sharp sword came out, and just as in this century his death befell him, so in the future he would be tormented. Therefore, who will amuse himself with slander in order to suffer double punishment for it? The apostle condemned the intemperate and slanderous to the same condemnation as murderers and fornicators. Know that intemperance excluded Esau from the firstborn. And you, through intemperance, can lose your birthright. A great man is humiliated for the sake of something that was not worth any respect, he suffers dishonor for a small thing. If you also lose the truth, you will be young, like Esau. Listen to the miracle that took place, how words prevailed over deeds, and faith overcame the rights of nature and birth. The rising word stole the unstealthy birthright, and what belonged to Esau by nature, Jacob, having striven, achieved by faith. Faith and oath in agreement proved the power of birth and birthright, given in the flesh, and received it spiritually. What the oath exposed, faith took upon itself. What a miracle followed between the exposed one and the one who acquired it through purchase! He who was exposed suffered it without feeling it, and he who was clothed remained innocent. How the irrevocable rights of birthright were stripped from Esau! How Jacob took on a garment that was not permitted to him! How these young men entered into a supernatural transaction! The purchase of young men escapes our understanding and cannot be properly explained. Who will dare to answer questions about the ineffable birth of the Only Begotten? Tell me also how Jacob removed the birthright from Manasseh and placed it on Ephraim, so that the birthright would become a monument of glory for him. So the birthright is filled with wonderful instructions and countless, all-surpassing mysteries. Baptism was depicted in it, faith was imprinted in it, and virginity was marked by it (virginity was overshadowed by the sign of the Cross). Jacob himself bought it for a price, and gave it to Ephraim freely. Neither Manasseh deserves blame in this matter, nor Ephraim is surprising, but the irreproachable power of the giver is wonderful. Therefore, who would attempt to complain about the birthright of the pagans? If the Jews wanted to complain, then let them first complain that the birthright of Manasseh was taken away. But he who took it away from him did not sin in order to show his power. The Lord took away their birthright from them in order to reveal His truth, because they sinned. No one can blame Jacob for taking away the birthright of the sinless Manasseh. Who dares to blame God for taking away the birthright from the murderers of the Lord? If the oath turned out to be so strong that it could overcome the birthright of Esau, because, having sworn once and not breaking the oath, he suffered such a great punishment, then to what darkness will the one who swears and breaks the oath be betrayed? If Esau, suffering an insult, did not want to lie because he promised with an oath, then how do you turn into nothing your conditions concluded for your salvation? If Herod kept the promise that caused his death, then you should not deviate from the conditions you agreed to for the sake of eternal life. And just as the coming word had the force of the birthright conferred by birth, so the coming slander can produce the same thing as murder. The tongue alone is enough to cause as much harm as a sword; an unclean thought can have the power of adultery; Hidden mockery, like a snare, can be malicious, and bad advice, for those who receive it, can be worse than poison. If Esau lost his birthright and took it away with a word, then how much easier is it for a weak person to lose his chastity? Whoever, putting on a lie, violates the truth of the promise and denies faith in words, becomes darkness, stripping himself of faith, just as the faithful, in words accepting faith, puts on it. A word that is intermediary in a deed can replace the deed itself. Consultation can be as bad as a crafty act; an unkind look can produce a sly effect; unreasonable envy can sting as much as an arrow; slander can dig up the abysses of destruction. Let us avoid evil thoughts, because thoughts are judged equally with actions. Let us begin with a good thought, which receives a reward from the One who tests the advice of the heart along with deeds. Intention is already a deed, because in it, as something that produces everything, the foundation of our freedom is erected. Every thing has its opposite. Darkness is opposed to light, bitter is opposed to sweet, sleep is opposed to wakefulness. The One who created all this did not allow any of the things to exist without connecting with it the one that opposed it. For if mortal man has the art of preparing aids against what is disgusting to him, rest in sorrows, ointments for healing, taking into account the sea, as well as the land, and for each, according to time and suffering, he reasonably determines decent medicines, then all the more the Creator combined things, proportioning them to each other, arranging the creatures in order and, having proportioned them, gave aids and, having collected them, combined them so that man could have both to counteract one another. Therefore, you, man, have a weapon against every enemy. If, when all this is given to you to help, you, being careless, find yourself defeated, then at the Judgment you will not have any justification, because you have various weapons against the machinations of the enemy. If the enemy fires his kindled arrows at us, then we also have an invincible shield - prayer. If the battle of voluptuousness raises against us, let us equip love against it, the champion (victorious defender) of the soul. If we intend to captivate through untruth, let us resort to truth and we will be saved. If he intends to hurt you with misanthropy, meet him with the power of philanthropy. If he fights you with pride, fight him with humility. If carnal lust arouses against you, quickly put on the armor of chastity. If the sling of intemperance is thrown at us, let us put on ourselves the helmet of purity. If wealth is offered, we know how poverty is blessed. If we are attacked by gluttony, let us make wings for ourselves - fasting. If envy is the cause of our brokenness, then we have love, which, when it wants, can correct and recreate. Since our enemies have arrows, our weakness also has arrows. If the enemy chases us like Pharaoh, there is a sea that can drown him. If he hides snares on earth, then there is one who delivers us in heaven. If he rushes at us like Goliath, then there is David who can humble him. If he boasts like Sisera, he will be defeated by the Church. If he fights like Sennacherib, he will be destroyed with sackcloth and ashes. If he imitates the Babylonians, then there are saints like Daniel. If he ascends like Naaman, then there are fasting people who can kill him. If the fire of lust is kindled, then there are chaste imitators of Joseph. What action of his will not be upset by us? What kind of passion can be aroused for which there is no ready remedy? What kind of forgery will be prepared, for the exposure of which there would be no crucible? What harm is in his power that we do not have a counteracting remedy for? What networks will it hide that we would not have information about? What kind of loophole can be built that would not be destroyed even by those who did not study? What stronghold does he have that even his wives cannot take possession of? What furnace will be prepared that the faithful young men will not quench? What pit can be found that Daniel would not neglect? What poison will he prepare that will not turn Ananias into nothing? The enemy sowed pride, and Moses’ humility trampled it under foot. Naaman tempted with gold, but Elisha despised and rejected him. Simeon brought the money, but Peter pronounced a just sentence on him in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. You might be interested in: