FAITH AND THE EARTHLY LUSTS After St. James discussed the heavenly and earthly wisdom, he wants to direct our attention to the danger of earthly lusts on the lives of believers. 1. It makes us lose our inner peace 1 –3 2. It makes us lose our peace with God 4 –10 3. It makes us lose our peace with people 11 – 13 4. It does not grant us anything 14 –17 1. IT MAKES US LOSE OUR INNER PEACE “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (1) Wars and fights stem not from others’ annoying us, but from the weakness of the inner man and his defeat in the inner war. Abbot Poemen1 clarified that when the building is shaken and falls, it is because there was no strong foundation, not just because of winds. He said: [When man is defeated before the sin of anger, he has to realize that this is because of his own inner weakness and not because of the insult directed to him. Thus, we do not need to search for our outside peace, and not to think that the patience of others will benefit our impatience, for it is written that the kingdom of God is inside you, and also that “A man’s foes will be those of his own household.” (Matt. 10: 36) There is no enemy worse than one’s heart, which is like one’s own household.] The cause of all fights is depriving the heart of the inner peace. St. Augustine said: [In the spiritual war if we overcome our lusts, we overcome our enemies (the devils). When we overcome these carnal lusts, no doubt, we overcome the devil that dominates us with these lusts. When God said to the devil (in the person of the serpent) that you will eat dust, it was said to the sinner (in the person of Adam) that you are dust and to the dust you will return. Thus, man became food for the devil. If we do not want to become like that, we have not to become dust.] The source of all fights is one’s surrender to the ego that fights in our members, without any resistance. However, if one resists and not surrender, then even if all the surrounding circumstances bother him and he loses everything, yet he does not lose his inner peace and fear does not penetrate his heart. St. John Chrysostom2 said: [No one can harm you unless you harm yourself. If you do not sin, there will be tens of thousands of swords, which will threaten you, but God will pull you so they won’t come near you.] This is the effect of lusts to the one who surrenders to them. What does one benefit? St. James said, “You lust and do not have…” (2) These lusts are like the mirage that attracts man to run after, but soon one gets lost and becomes more thirsty without obtaining anything, for they are deceiving. “You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet, you do not have, because you do not ask.” (2) St. James is addressing people who have fights among them. It appears as though they are fighting for the truth, but in fact, the motive is the lust fighting in their members, that is, the temporal honor or any other earthly motives. These lusts drove them to the 1 St. John Cassian: Conferences, 18:13.. 2 The Author: The Church Loves You, p. 36-38. 4 spirit of envy and hatred. That is why he said, “You murder,” that is, you hate, and “You covet and cannot obtain.” He called them “murderers” because of hatred, as it was mentioned in the Gospel of St. Matthew 5: 22, and the First Epistle of St. John 3: 15, where hatred is considered murder. In the book of Joshua the son of Sirach 34: 21, it was mentioned that whoever oppresses the hireling is considered a murderer. Every hatred is considered a murder, even if it is concealed under the name defending the truth. Man does not obtain anything from that, but loses even his life, as Jezebel who killed Naboth the Jezreelite to inherit his vineyard, so then the dogs licked her blood. (1 Kings 21: 1-16) “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (3) Earlier, St. James mentioned that the cause of not obtaining is due to not asking, “You do not have because you do not ask.” (2) How hard it is for a father to see his children in need and they do not ask from their father! However, there is a group of people who ask, yet they do not receive. The reason is not in the Grantor but in those who ask because their hearts are attached to the ego on earth, thus their prayers are an abomination before the Lord. Their prayers are means to achieve earthly goals, as if we are telling the Heavenly Father: “Grant us earthly gifts because we are attached to the earth and we do not want to prepare ourselves for heaven where we have a portion with You.” How hard it is for the father when the son asks gifts from him to run away from him, and the bride who asks gifts from her bridegroom but does not want to see his face! Whatever you ask from the Father in My Name, He will grant you. The name of the Son is “Jesus,” or Savior. Whoever asks in the name of the Savior is the one who asks for his salvation. So let us review our requests to see whether they are in the name of “Jesus,” that is, matters pertaining to our salvation. Do you request a field, a garment, material gifts, or do you “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”? St. Gregory 2. IT MAKES US LOSE OUR PEACE WITH GOD “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (4) Some translate this as “Ye adulteress.” It is not strange that St. James uses this expression, for in the Old Testament1, the treason against the covenant of God and deviation from true worship were likened to marital cheating. In the New Testament2, the same analogy was used “spiritual adultery,” where one rejects to be united with her Bridegroom, in order to be united with another god. But one may wander: Why do we consider the love of the world enmity to God and spiritual adultery, although God has created everything for the sake of man? God does not want to bother us or deprive us of anything, but as the Bridegroom of the human soul, He does not want us to cleave to anyone else. God wants us to use the world, and to feel the love of the Grantor, without our hearts loving the gift and not the Grantor. God created the world and saw that it was 1 Ps. 7:3: 27, Is. 54:5, Jer. 2:2;3:1, Ezek. 16, Hez.16, 23:37-43, Hos. 2:2 2 Matt. 12:39, 16:54, Rev. 2:20-22. 5 good. (Gen. 1) But if someone is occupied with the world and does not have time for God, for “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5: 19), then the world does not become a bridge to cross to eternity, but man is attached to it and is enslaved to it with all its lusts, thus falls in its trap. “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealousy’?” (5) As God says about Himself, “For I the Lord your God am a jealous God,” (Ex. 20: 5), the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us yearns jealousy or is jealous a holy jealousy1. If God does not love the human soul, He would not have been jealous over her, like a man who is jealous over his bride who loves someone else. St. Jerome “But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” (6) Since God is jealous over us, then He would not leave us alone lest we become weary and discouraged in our souls. (Heb. 12: 3) But He grants more grace to the humble who are submitting to His work. (Prov. 16: 18) However, He resists those who trust on themselves, for they are attached to the spirit of the devil. “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (7) If we reject the kingdom of the devil, then we have first to accept the kingdom of God by submitting to Him, then we will resist and the devil will have no dominion over us but will flee from us. St. John Chrysostom compares the devil to a dog that does not want to leave his master’s table as long as he throws food to him. If the master stops throwing, then he will lose hope and searches for another table to find food. In the same manner, we have to resist the devil continuously and not give him any place in us. (Eph. 6: 11,13; 4: 27) How do we submit to God and resist the devil? 1. By drawing near to Him: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (8) The loving father saw his son returning to him, so he had compassion on him, ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (Lk. 15: 20) As soon as we return to God, He will return to us (Zech. 1: 3), for He is not far from us, but as He said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3: 20) By repentance, we enter to God, and without repentance, we do not benefit from all the divine blessings, which we have received in baptism, and we become unworthy of partaking of the Holy Communion and uniting with Him. Also, we do not know how to pray nor hear God’s voice in His book nor enter into His house nor sing to Him nor praise and thank Him, nor serve Him and His children… 2. “Cleanse your hands, you sinners.” (8) Repentance has to be nor mere talk nor feelings nor emotions but behavior and life. That is why St. James asked to have pure hands, or pure works. The apostle wants us to lift holy hands in prayer, without wrath and doubting. (1 Tim. 2: 8) “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” (Ps. 24: 3,4) God emphasizes that, “Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your 1 Exodus 34: 14, Deuteronomy 4: 24, 5: 9, 6: 15, Joshua 24: 19, Ezekiel 39: 25, Na 1: 2, Zec 8: 2. 6 hands are full of blood.” (Is. 1: 15) Let us draw near to Him in holiness, lifting pure and undefiled hands1. St. Clement of Rome 3. “Purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (8) He did not say here “you sinners,” clarifying that the purity of heart means the unity of the goal, so one may not be divided between the love of God and the love of anything else. Thus, Abbot Moses2 interpreted the purity of heart, which is like the thermometer of worship. “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” (9) Before anything, ask from God to grant you tears. Probably these tears will soften your prayer and reveal your sins (Ps. 22: 5), thus God will grant you forgiveness. Use the tears as a weapon to obtain your requests from God, for the Almighty God is pleased when you pray with tears. Beware of falling in an emotional excitement, for many forget the purpose of tears3. St. Nilos of Sinai May God grant us to lift our eyes with tears toward Him as a child does toward his mother, so we may have “godly sorrow which produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted.” (2 Cor. 7: 10) In the biography of St. Pachomius4, it was mentioned that: [One night, Pachomius and his disciple Tadros passed by a cemetery where they found some women lamenting and weeping. St. Pachomius was touched by this scene and desired that all may weep for their sins so they may rise. So he told his disciple, “Do you see those who shed their tears on dead people who cannot rise, how about us, monks, who should lament our dead souls so the Lord Jesus may raise us with His mercy!” Anyway, weeping is beneficial if it is for a good purpose. David the Psalmist said, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 5: 6) He meant by night the world and by morning the world to come. Joseph wept for his brothers. Jeremiah wept for his people.] 4. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (10) St. James was afraid lest while they pray with tears, this may cause them think that they are better than others and lose all their strife. St. Nilos of Sinai5 said: [When you pray with tears, do not brag about that, thinking that you are better than others, but that confessing your sins has granted you tears which brought about God’s compassion.] 3. IT MAKES US LOSE OUR PEACE WITH PEOPLE. We saw that the love of earthly matters makes us lose our inner peace and our peace with God. Henceforth, it defiles our outlook toward others so we judge them, rebuke them and see that they are evil people. St. James advises us saying: “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He, who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” (11) 1 The Epistle of St. Clement, bishop of Rome, 1967 ed 2 St. John Cassian: Conferences,1. 3 Philokalia about prayer, p. 8-9 4 The Author: Pachomius and his disciple Tadros, ed. 67, p.46. 5 Ibid, p. 66. 7 He started by saying, “brethren,” which means that as brothers, we should cover the mistakes of one another, being compassionate to all. Whoever speaks evil of his brother speaks evil of the law who commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Whoever judges the law and rejects it, he rejects the One who puts it, although: “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (12) He is the only Judge who puts the law of love and mercy and able to save and condemn. Who are we to judge others and to rob God of His right and work? Pelladius mentioned: [Being alone in the wilderness, Father Isaac judged his brother for a wrong deed, then an angel came and told him, “Where do you want to put that sinner whom you judged?” Realizing his mistake, Father Isaac said, “I have sinned, forgive me.” We cannot pre-judge people as long as God is the Judge1. St. Cyprian 4. IT DOES NOT GRANT US ANYTHING The reason for our being enticed to the lusts and being occupied with the earthly matters is not realizing the fact of our being sojourners in this earth, or trying to forget that fact. That is why St. James is rebuking us saying: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’ Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (13,14) Running business is not wrong, but being so certain without submitting to the will of God is wrong. It is good for one to manage things and depend on God, but it is bad to think that one can manage all his affairs by his own wisdom. God does not teach us to be lazy but to trust in Him. He wants us to be faithful in every aspect but without being proud, like the foolish rich man who gathered a lot and thought that he has many goods laid for many years, but his soul was required of him that night. (Lk. 12: 15-21) “What is your life? St. James demeans the present life because it is so short. Life here is just a path, but our dwelling is in the things to come. Matters of this present life satisfy the spring, but the life to come is like a rock, which cannot be destroyed2. St. John Chrysostom St. James did not say, “Why did you go and make business?” But he rebuked them saying, “Instead you ought to say, ‘if the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (15,16) It was the custom to go to new cities to make business for a whole year and then go back to their old city. He did not rebuke them for that, but because they did not submit their will to the hands of God, but trusted in themselves, their planning and wisdom and became haughty. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (17) 1 Author: Brotherly Love, 1964, p 445. 2 The Providence: St. John Chrysostom, translated from French by Aida Hanna, p.11. 8 It is like he is responding to their question: Is this act considered sin? We did not harm anyone nor transgressed the Law, so why do you blame us? No doubt that not trusting in God is a sin, but St. James answered them in a better way. “To him who knows to do good, that is, to trust in God, and does not do it, to him it is sin.” What about the matter when you know it is evil and you still do it?
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