Friday, October 8, 2004
The Venerable Pelagia the Penitent
Kellia: Jeremiah 38:14-28 Epistle: Philippians 1:27-2:4 Gospel: St. Luke 6:17-23
Jeremiah 38:14-28, especially vs. 24:
"Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no one know of these words and you shall not die."
Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov speaks of the soul's learning "the secret of the ways of
salvation: "She fears everything that is contrary to humility." Notice in today's reading the fears
which King Zedekiah admitted were haunting his soul: "I am afraid of the Jews who have
deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they abuse me" (vs. 19). It is also
quite evident that he was afraid even of his own "court officials" (in Hebrew, "saris," which the
RSV translates as "princes"), for he swore Jeremiah to silence regarding their secret meeting lest
what he had said should be revealed (vss. 24-26). This king was afraid of his own officials and
haunted by the prospect of an exile in which he would be "abused" by those who earlier had
deserted to the Babylonians. He does not seem to have feared any things "contrary to humility."
In fact, Zedekiah is a study of one controlled by a wholly secular perspective. Everything he
feared was on the plane of the "world," of men and their immediate relationships and
interactions. Yes, he was intrigued to have a "word" from the Prophet: "I want to ask you for a
word" (vs. 14, NJB, following the Hebrew literally), yet Jeremiah's "word" from the Lord (vss.
17,18) brought no fear into his heart, except the fear of disclosure before men (cf. vss. 14,26).
The spiritual plane or dimension of life, which dominated the consciousness of Jeremiah, was
only a fascinating but shadowy side issue for Zedekiah. He might really have thought that
Jeremiah had a point about surrendering - that the Prophet was correct; but what really counted
for the king was the political world of men, their views, actions, and coalitions.
How the world changes when one's purview includes God within the events of life and history!
Arrest a Prophet of God and beat him up (Jer. 37:13,15), throw him in a cistern, as Josephus
reports - up to his neck in the mire - and he bears these assaults on his life (Jer. 38:1-13), yet he
never varies in speaking of the single reality that consumes his life. Archimandrite Sophrony
characterizes Jeremiah well: "Mind and heart are not attracted to anything extraneous, are
desirous of naught save God." Such is the mark of a genuinely humble man, of a man who fears
only to lose his relationship with God, to have the word of the Lord cease flowing into him.
Jeremiah is a solemn example for every Orthodox Christian. He stands in marked contrast to
King Zedekiah, providing a living embodiment of what it means to know and pursue "the secret
of the ways of salvation." God placed Jeremiah under a weak-willed king whose whole life was
controlled by what others were saying and doing around him. Still, when this king begged him
not to divulge the content of their conversation, he obeyed his monarch as "God's servant" for
good, not bearing "the sword in vain" (Rom. 13:4). He limited his reply to the state officials,
violating neither the truth nor the King's command, for he was accountable above all to God, and
to obey the one whom God allowed to rule over His chosen People.
What a vision of life! How sterile is the secular perspective of human existence! It leaves out
the One Who ordained the mystery of our salvation "before the ages for our glory" (1 Cor. 2:7).
Beloved of the Lord, let us struggle to be free from the dominating secular view of the world
which controlled Zedekiah. Come what may in this life, let us remember that God is involved
and active; and therefore, let us beg Him:
"teach us to treat all that comes to us throughout the day with peace of soul and with the firm
conviction that Thy will governs all. In all our deeds and words, guide our thoughts and
feelings. In unforeseen events, let us not forget that all are sent by Thee."