FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO! – Metropolitan Naum
Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause…
(27.06.2020 15:44)
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For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven”(Matthew 5:20).
Twice we the Christians, enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The first time is when we discover the place of the heart, when the energy of our mind is united in prayer with its essence in our spiritual heart, i.e. when we receive the gift of the prayer of the mind in the heart – For indeed the Kingdom of Heaven is within us (Luke 17:21).
And the second time is when we pass away. With the greatest of certainty, while we are still in this life it is time to willingly purify our hearts from the passions, so the grace of God from the Holy Baptism can be made manifest. Hence the energy of the mind is attracted to that place (place of the heart), to unite in prayer with its essence and in that way our final entry into it will be secured.
You have heard that it was said to those of old: “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment.” But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment. And whoever says to his brother ‘Raca’ (“empty-headed”) shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says ‘You fool’ shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:22)
Does this mean that if you are angry with your brother for a reason, you will not be in danger (guilty) of judgment? No! With these words, the God-Man Christ wants to tell us that we should never be angry with our fellow man, i.e. with any man.
Listen to the explanation. If we receive and accept a bad thought about our fellow man, which will change our feelings (for example – anger) and mood towards him, then you (we) can very easily make a mistake with a word, and call him “empty-headed”. It may also happen that, in the end, we make a mistake calling him “you fool”. This word is a severe insult, which can cause a sharp reaction in reality by deed from the other side, and it is very likely that the same will happen on our part. This is why we are in danger (to be blamed) of the counsel, of the supreme counsel and in danger of the hell fire. Because you show symptoms of religious neurosis (bad thoughts and feelings), of religious psychopathy (bad words and deeds), which can end in demonization, that is, with a chain of returning an evil for evil.
How does an Orthodox Christian respond to an evil deed (either in word or in deed) that has been done?
He who is at the first level of spiritual development – the purification of the heart from the passions – has the power to respond in such a way that, instead of seeking human justice, he will seek God’s justice, i.e. whether his thoughts, feelings and the words he would like to say, and the deeds he would like to undertake at that moment, are comparable to Christs’ thoughts, feelings, words and deeds or not. Upon close examination he will surely find that they are not comparable or similar, and by using this method he will verify his guilt, he will humble himself before his fellow man, he will ask for forgiveness and after praying to God, he will look for ways to correct himself.
The one who is at the second level of the spiritual development – enlightenment of the mind with the gift of the prayer of the mind in the heart, has the power to answer in such a way that in the evil he will see the essential human desire and question – do you love me ?; and he will find a way to respond to the evil deed that has been done, with love.
The one who is at the third level of the spiritual development – deification, with the freedom he has before his Heavenly Father, will simply ask forgiveness from Him for the one who has mistreated him – Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
Everyone should do whatever they have the strength to do. Here is an example of what is called the harmonization (synchronisation) of our way of life with the level of the spiritual development we are at taken from the Bible.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown in prison. Assuredly I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5: 23-26).
Therefore do not go to take communion with the Holy Mysteries (Gifts) of Christ if you have not asked forgiveness from your brother, if you have not answered him with love, or if you have not covered before God the evil he has done to you, because instead of uniting with Christ, it will be your trial and you will fall from Him. Assuredly, I say to you, you will not be able to return until dust and ashes remain of your pride, and this will happen after the proper (appropriate) suffering.
Do you see now why I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Because the New Testament of our Lord, the God-Man Jesus Christ, requires a pure heart, purified from bad thoughts, let alone bad feelings, words and deeds. In essence, it requires love for our enemies. There is no other way to achieve purity of heart.
Most-Holy Bogorodica (Mother of God), save us!
Metropolitan Strumica Naum
