Wednesday, March 30, 2005 Lenten Fast
Ven. John of Sinai, Author of The Ladder
6th Hour: Isaiah 10:12-20 1st Vespers: Genesis 7:6-9 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 9:12-18
Genesis 7:6-9 LXX, especially vss. 8, 9: "...of all things that creep upon the
earth, pairs went in to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah." Holy Scripture records that "Noah
did all things whatever the Lord God commanded him" (Gen. 6:23), yet Noah never spoke in reply to God. Throughout the
entire account of the Great Flood, Noah acts, and that only as the Lord commands. On the other hand, the Lord's speech
takes many forms. He directs, commands, asks, and explains. Finally, long after the Flood, as we will read, Noah does
speak, but he speaks then only to his sons (vss. 9:25-27). Never at all does he speak to God, yet he obeys the Lord without
hesitation.
Noah's silent actions speak fluently. He "speaks" by preparing, by loading the ark, by entering it, and even by waiting
silently for God to tell him when he may leave the ark. Noah typifies obedience to God for any who would actualize the
Mystery of being "saved by water" (1 Pet. 3:20). True Christian obedience begins silently within the self - when we
choose to obey the Lord. The Faithful respond obediently because of truly believing in Christ as God and King. The
wordlessness of Noah's behavior clearly reveals that the habit of true obedience must begin within the silent spaces of the
soul. Listen to the Elder Joseph the Hesychast: "Obedience is not to carry out this or that order that you were given, while
you object on the inside. Obedience is to subordinate your soul's convictions so that you may be freed from your evil self.
Obedience is to become a slave in order to become free. Purchase your freedom for a small price....And don't listen to that
thought of yours which advises you...."
Here is a problem: our "listening" to thoughts that create struggles, raging storms of ideas and impulses within us. St.
Augustine of Hippo advises, "A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the
moment to awaken Christ and let Him remind you of those words: 'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey
Him.'"
Notice: when Christ awakens within, the choice of how we shall respond to Him remains ours. Consider Noah: despite
utter silence, he must not be disdained as an automaton, lacking the capacity to choose. Like us, he is created in the image
of God. Freedom was ingrained in his essential nature, even as a descendant of fallen Adam. Noah freely chose to obey.
Free choice is the ground of life for the Christian. In undertaking the life in Christ through the Baptismal Mystery, each
one is examined carefully so that he may manifest freedom fully: "Dost thou renounce Satan? Hast thou renounced Satan?"
Even as we are challenged to breathe and spit on him, the choice is ours. Over and over our freedom is exercised: "Dost
thou unite thyself unto Christ? Hast thou united thyself unto Christ? Dost thou believe in Him?" As the Elder Joseph
suggests, obedience is to subordinate the soul to Christ, but it is done in full freedom, in the freedom that was exhibited by
Noah, in the freedom that is ours as well.
Finally, notice the last question that is put to the Baptismal candidate: "Dost thou believe in Him?" We were not asked if
we "believed 'that' Jesus is Lord, but if we believe 'in' Jesus the Lord." Christian obedience is commitment to Christ as
King and our God. It is allegiance. It is to become His obedient servant as the Elder Joseph notes. Being a servant of
Jesus Christ is the first mark of identification that St. Paul mentions about himself, even before his Apostleship (Rom. 1:1).
Like Noah, in order to gain our freedom, let us commit ourselves to center our lives around that which the Lord directs,
commands, asks, and explains.
Let us now lay aside all earthly care: that we may receive the King of all, Who comes invisibly upborne by the Angelic
Hosts. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.