A Study Of “On The Character of Men And the Virtuous Life”: Part XIX.

Introduction and Part II

The next two chapters reflect upon our relationship with those who do not follow the path of holiness. First, we are told that our response to them should not be hate, but mercy.

We must not hate those who ignore the way of life which is good and conforms to God’s will, and who pay no heed to the teachings that are true and divine. Rather, we must show mercy to them as being crippled in discrimination and blind in heart and mind. For in accepting evil as good, they are destroyed by ignorance; and, being wretched and obtuse in soul, they do not know God.[1]

Next, we are reminded that we might not be able to teach them. While we do not hate them, while we show mercy to them, sometimes we must realize such people are invincibly ignorant:

Do not try to teach people at large about devoutness and right living. I say this, not because I begrudge them such teachings, but because I think that you will appear ridiculous to the stupid. For like delights in like: few – indeed, hardly any – listen to such instruction. It is better therefore not to speak at all about what God wills for man’s salvation.[2]

It is difficult to realize who it is that we can evangelize. We must realize that not everyone will be open, not everyone will be receptive of what we have to say. Many, if not most, are invincibly ignorant. No matter how much we try to teach them, they will never understand what we have to say. When we see someone like this, someone who is not showing a positive response to what we have to say, while we do not know if they are invincibly ignorant (only God knows), we do know that we do not have the ability to reach them. Someone else, somewhere else, is ready for us; we need to find them instead of staying put and trying to reach someone we will never reach. Pride often keeps us from moving on. Pride blinds us and makes us think “just a little longer, and I will be able to convince them.” We must give up our pride. We must stop thinking it us for us to convince someone whom we cannot convince. Someone else might, at some other time, but, we must realize, it is not for us. It is no shame to move on; it is a shame, however, to stay put when we are needed elsewhere.

Sin has blinded the minds of many. The way they understand the world is in the light of sin. We should pray for them. We should show mercy upon them. We should love them. We should not hate them. We are called to hate no one. Hate is the way of the devil, love is the way of God. “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish” (Luke 6:35 RSV). Those who follow the path of hate do not know God; if we want to know God, we must love, and love even those who would not love us back. God shows such love to sinners; if we know God, we would do likewise. If we ask, how much should we love them, let us remember what Jesus said: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 RSV). The path of love expects much, but it gives much – the path of love is the way of holiness. Of course, we are to love everyone, and not just our enemies; however, as St Maximos tells us, Jesus gave this command in order to remind us that our love is for all, because God’s love is given to all:

Why did He command this? To free you from hatred, irritation, anger and rancour, and to make you worthy of the supreme gift of perfect love. And you cannot attain such love if you do not imitate God and love all men equally. For God loves all men equally and wishes them ‘to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (1 Tim. 2: 4).[3]

Those who seek holiness will pursue this path of love. Even if they stumble and fail, they will recognize the path and will set out upon it, and when they stumble, they will humbly admit their failing, get up and try again. The path towards requires us to journey upon it all our life. Early on, it will be difficult; the further we go, the more holiness we have acquired, the easier such love will be. But we must never forget the goal, we must never forget what it is God expects of us, especially when we are trying to teach others about salvation.

The path of love requires us to keep an eye upon ourselves, to keep true to the task God has given to us. We are not to worry about what is beyond our control. This is true, not only for those outside of the faith, but those within as well. Thus, Pseudo-Macarius says:

Thus he who prays should not judge the one working because he is not praying. Neither should he who works condemn the one praying because he is resting while he himself is at work. Neither should he who is serving condemn another. But let each do whatever he is doing for the glory of God. He who reads should regard the one praying with love and joy with the thought: ‘For me he is praying.’ And let him who prays consider that what the one working is doing is done for the common good.[4]

To the world, the way of holiness looks foolish and stupid. Who, in their right mind, would sacrifice themselves for someone who hates them? Yet, foolishness in the eyes of the world is wisdom in the eyes of God. For this is the way of the cross, established by God in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:25- 31 RSV).

Love appears weak to the world, but it is strong, because it leads to glorification in heaven. “Like delights in like.” If we delight in the cross, if we boast in the cross, then we will delight in the path of love. We will not fear the judgment of the world. If the world sees as weak, if the world sees us as foolish, we will understand it is because Jesus appeared weak and foolish, and the world delights not in him. Love is the bridge to heaven. We can come to know God if we delight in love, for God is love. We will delight in the love of Christ, and do as he would have us do. We will die to the self so that we can live in eternal glory.

It is quite difficult to determine an Anthonite connection to these texts. There really is no obvious parallel in the material we have. However, we must remember Anthony himself would, for the most part, only teach those who sought him out. The only time where he did not was when he sought martyrdom. Even then, however, he ended up serving and helping fellow Christians. In his way of life, therefore, we can say he lived out what is written here.

There is a peculiar saying associated with Anthony which might, in a way, relate to what is said here. A monk is said to have asked Anthony to pray for him. Anthony responds in a rather odd way: “I will have no mercy upon you, nor will God have any, if you yourself do not make an effort and if you do not pray to God.”[5]

What are we to make of this? It seems to suggest that God and Anthony both will not show mercy to someone, will not pray for them, once they asked for it. Is this not contrary to what our text would have him do – that is, show mercy to those who do not follow the path of righteousness?  This certainly causes some doubt as to whether or not if it is rightfully attributed to an Anthonite source. But there seems to be something pedagogical in the saying. It is, after all, a monk who asked for prayer. The monk should have a life of prayer. The monk, therefore, has abandoned the path which he was called to follow. He has already been taught. He has heard what he was meant to hear. There is nothing more one can teach him until he picks himself up and returns to the path of holiness. In this way, Anthony is giving him one last teaching, telling the monk that if he wants Anthony’s merciful aid, that is, Anthony’s guidance, he must show himself willing to follow it – he must show himself doing what he knows is expected of him. Is he going to leave the monastic way of life and follow the way of the world, or will he keep true to the path God has allotted to him? If he does not return to his cell and pray, then Anthony will not teach him further, will not shepherd him anymore. In this way, it is also an act of mercy – Anthony is not saying he does not love the monk, does not sorrow after the fallen monk; rather, he is acting out on that mercy, in the way he believes the unique situation suggests. The fact that this saying is remembered would suggest Anthony was successful. It also tells us that by silence, by moving on, we show that our words have value, and those who at first might not have listened to them, will take note of them more when we move on than if we stay with them. We have, in a unique way, Anthony showing he will follow through with what the text suggests, and will not teach those who he believes will not heed his words. But it also shows he will try, at least once, if he believes someone might.