Tuesday, October 5, 2004
The Martyr Charitina
2nd at Vespers, Innocent: Proverbs 10:31-11:10 Epistle: Philippians 1:8-14
Gospel: St. Luke 5:12-16
Proverbs 10:31-11:10 LXX, especially vs. 1: "False balances
are an abomination before the Lord: but a just weight is acceptable unto Him." Even a cursory
reading of this collection of proverbs reveals their underlying form - the contrasting of opposite
types of persons. A great variety of descriptive terms are used for the opposing pairs, yet there is
a commonality that can be stated as "the righteous versus the ungodly." In calling attention to
this 'common denominator,' we note that this pairing of opposites implicitly assumes that
persons can either be acceptable or abominable "before the Lord" (vs. 1). In other words, God's
standards and judgment determines into which of these categories a given person falls.
Another truth concerning the righteous and the ungodly should be noted: by careful observation
of the speech and the actions of men as well as by the outcomes that result from their words and
deeds, one soon discerns what God's judgment is concerning them - whether they are deemed
righteous in His sight and acceptable or found unjust and abominable before Him. So then,
consider our human speech. One has only to listen carefully to what people say to learn soon
enough if a person is dropping wisdom from his mouth (vs. 31) or if perversion and pride
underlie his thinking and desires (vss. 10:32,11:2). The Holy Fathers of Orthodoxy give us a
powerful pair of exercises for monitoring our own speech and desires in this respect. Simply
said, they are watchfulness and prayer. Archimandrite Ioannikios Kotsonis observes: "the final,
ultimate mission of watchfulness and prayer is none other than the theosis of the faithful and the
indwelling of the Holy Trinity in the heart, cleansed of demons and passions. How, then, can
watchfulness not be one of the most fundamental bases of true spiritual life?"
Thus, if we pay close attention to our thoughts as well as to our spoken words, we swiftly find
how much corruption or grace indwells us. Furthermore, such attention to our inner and outer
verbal life quickly speeds the earnest disciple to the prayer of the heart: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, have mercy upon me, a sinner!
Returning to the verse quoted above (vs. 11:1), the same sort of attentiveness or personal
monitoring may be carried on with respect to one's actions. False balances do not happen in a
random manner; they are put onto scales by those who intend to deceive their customers. Just
weights, on the other hand, are the mark of honest merchants who desire to give a true measure in
return for a fair price. The godly man "traces out blameless paths" in this life (vs. 5); and, quite
the opposite, one senses ungodliness when he encounters unjust dealings in the actions of others
(vs. 5). Citizens of a city, after being snared by the manipulations of certain persons in the
community, often learn to escape from their smooth words and solicitous behavior.
The most instructive verses in this collection remind us that not only audible words and tangible
deeds are clues that disclose the inward spiritual state of ourselves and others, but also are the
outcomes of the words and deeds of just persons or of the basic lack of understanding of the
ungodly (vs. 12). If we are put on alert by certain slips-of-the-tongue and by random,
inappropriate actions, we certainly should not miss the point when we see earthly judges handing
habitual criminals over to the state's correctional facilities. Not that man's justice is perfect, but
criminal records help us understand why so many of the same people enter and leave prisons on a
revolving-door basis. After all, righteous men have a way, as civic leaders, in assisting their
communities to prosper while the boast of the unscrupulous often collapses under its own weight
(vss. 9,7). As our Lord Jesus says, "By their fruits you will know them" (Mt. 7:20).
I shall return to the compassionate Father crying with tears, Receive me as one of Thy servants,
as I kneel to Thy love to mankind, and save me.