Christi discipulum benignum esse debere

A discourse of the same author, that the disciple of Christ must be gentle and not quick to anger. The divine voice of the Lord in the Gospels teaches us—fulfilling the law, not abolishing it—not to be angry with a brother, and by this addition of the word it completed the commandment, "You shall not murder," uprooting the very root of murder, cleansing the heart within, and not merely the hands without. For it imposed a penalty not of the kind that the law did, the immediate one, but that of judgment, saying: "For he who is angry with his brother in vain shall be liable to judgment." For the penalties from Christ are not swift, as in the law; but there is much delay of just retributions, yet the punishment is terrible later. Just as he commands greater things, so also he is more patient, seeking a cleansing of the heart, which is difficult to accomplish. Therefore, even if we are provoked to anger, he does not punish immediately; for if he punished immediately, there would be no return through repentance. For this reason he postpones the punishment, so that we may have time for repentance, so that he who was angry with his brother yesterday may repent today and make a covenant with himself never again to be angry with his brother; and little by little we become like God. For he changes us from those things that alienate our life from likeness to God, and leads us to the natural good after the foregoing; for we are led to what is according to nature, and to communion with the divine Spirit, and to the perpetual life with God, contending for such great things.

Let us attend to ourselves, and not through contempt destroy the work of assimilation to God, because the Lord delays in coming; let us not grant ourselves license to transgress the Lord’s sayings, nor, despairing as though unable to attain this likeness to God, abandon the struggle; but let hope be present because of the one who commanded and who grants power for what is commanded. Let contempt and negligence be far from us, as we expect more fearful punishment because of his forbearance. For as long as he is patient, seeking our correction, so much the more will he be indignant if we are not corrected, and he will come swiftly upon us as though we had insulted his grace. Let all the affairs of this age be despised by us rather than the divine command; for many things summon to anger those who are quick to anger, those easily provoked. But the one who fears the command of the fearful king, who ordered that one not be angry at all, will spit upon all who wish to provoke; he will easily endure those who grieve him with words, and will persevere against those who wish to grieve him with deeds; and to the one who strikes his cheek, he will turn the other also, and he will bear nobly the one who brings a shameful word for the sake of insult, possessing the wonderful consolation of the beatitude, and in order to be found obedient to the Lord, and to extinguish his anger toward his brother, and to escape the punishment appointed for it.

For this reason Christ commands that we be freed from bodily sympathy, to flee love of money, to stand aloof from love of glory, and to admit no pleasure at all within oneself, so that we may not be corrupted in soul by any of these things and become alienated toward the Holy Spirit. For he who has been taught to despise money, how will he be provoked on account of money, even if someone wishes to seize it? And he who does not desire glory, how will he be provoked on account of glory? Strip off therefore the worldly garment, and put on the spiritual garment; strip off the old man, that you may put on the new. For this reason it is called regeneration, and it has been proclaimed in the divine writings. For our salvation requires a change from our former state, that we may become other than what we are, that we may cease to be what we are and begin another life, the one we held before the transgression. For you were not such before God as you became from childhood, nor did you have such a character from the divine formation as you have from human birth. Listen therefore to the Lord swearing, and be afraid: “For truly,” he says, “I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” Therefore begin a newer life; leave behind the life grown old in sins. Let yesterday’s fornicator become chaste today; let yesterday’s immoderate drunkard become a faster today; cast off the evil that later accrued, that you may recover the good given from the beginning. It is a small thing to remain undisturbed and free of anger.

Whoever wishes to be according to the image and likeness of God must be despised, spat upon, and held in contempt by all, in words and in deeds. For this reason he commanded not even to return evil to the one who has wronged you, lest by repaying the wrongdoer you lose your natural gentleness. Do not, therefore, become wise in your own eyes, as though you were justified in avenging yourself on the wrongdoer. Remember the sacred teachings of Paul: "Do not become wise in your own eyes," he says, "nor return evil for evil." It is not good to become an adversary, nor to seek justice for yourself, but cast your case upon God, who brings punishment without anger upon those who do wrong. "Do not avenge yourselves," he says, "but give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." Do not say, "God repays, so I too will repay." Consider what Christ showed you when he came into the world, in order to display the saving pattern of life, and emulate that, so that you may be saved. For he did not come as a judge, nor did he defend himself against those who rose up against him; yet he was not seeking gain for himself through forbearance, but was working for the salvation of the world. For Christ's forbearance overthrew the boldness of the devil, and the Lord's gentleness overcame the fierce wrath of the Evil One. So set this pattern before you for imitation. He did not become angry with those who insulted him, but when he heard himself called a Samaritan and a demoniac, he answered gently and meekly to those who said it: "I have no demon, but I honor my Father; you dishonor me, but I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks and judges.

Therefore, do not avenge yourself, but await the judge. For if the Judge Himself, coming in human form, did not retaliate though He was able, but awaited the judgment of God—for, it is said, when reviled He did not revile in return, when suffering He did not threaten, but referred the matter to the one who judges justly—then do likewise, and imitate the Master, who endured even the godless outrage of the cross, and extends salvation to those worthy of destruction. For He said to the Father, "Forgive them this sin; for they do not know what they do." The brother has done wrong, he has shown himself unworthy of the brotherhood; but do not destroy the brotherhood. The brother has imitated the brothers of Joseph, has armed himself with fratricide, has appeared as an enemy instead of a brother, has shown an excess of wickedness, wronging you though he himself has suffered no wrong. But do the opposite, so that you too may say, with the psalmist David, "I was peaceable with those who hate peace." Conquer the evil man by good, summon him to good, dissolve his wrath with gentleness, show him that he unjustly persecutes the Christ in you, demonstrating that you yourself are not worthy of persecution. But he is incorrigible, and does not change in response to your gentleness. Even wild beasts are tamed to the gentleness of men, but he has become wilder than the beasts. Do not contend with such a man, nor oppose wrath with wrath; but steer clear, as a wise helmsman avoids dangerous rocks; guard yourself, as

a deaf asp that stops its ears, which will not hear the voice of the charmer. Buy up the time, for the days are evil; walk in wisdom, knowing that you are a stranger and a sojourner on the earth and a foreigner, as all your fathers were. You have been sent as a sheep into the midst of wolves, just as the apostles were; do not become a wolf instead of a sheep; contending with wolves, guard yourself as much as you can, so that you do not lose the treasure of righteousness; guard against those who plunder; being wise as a serpent, guard against plots; but if the wolf should harm you, if it should even be about to tear you apart, prepare yourself to bear it, remembering the one who said: We have become sheep for slaughter; looking to the Lord Himself, who was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb voiceless before its shearer. The time of your victory will also come, when you conquer by enduring patiently with Christ. For the Lord did not quarrel nor cry out, nor did anyone hear his voice in the streets. And the Apostle says to have ready to avenge every disobedience, when the obedience of those who have obeyed is fulfilled. And since God is long-suffering, be long-suffering also; for when Christ suffers today, while you are suffering, you must endure for Christ and for the servant of Christ. Cry out to Him, and He will execute vengeance quickly; He will bring the wickedness of sinners to an end, and God, a just judge, strong and long-suffering, will direct the righteous; for He is long-suffering in order to turn us back. Glory to Him for ever. Amen.