By St. John Chrysostom (The Golden Mouth)

Read after the Liturgy's Gospel

On Monday, the First Week of the Great Lent

Includes an exhortation to humble oneself, vilify pride and warn against it. Inspired by His saying in the Bible's chapter: "“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”                [Mark 9: 33-50].

You see my friend, diseases are cured by their anecdotes, and those who are ill are given the necessary medications according to what suits their illness. The same is for our spiritual lives, we are given not as per our requests or desires of this perishing world, but what will uplift us to the heavenly. Our Lord remedied those who were seeking promotions and headship over the others by saying: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) and for those who love money and the vein glory, He said: ““Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” [Matthew 6:1-18].

He also said: ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [Matthew 6:19-21].

He also said: “Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?”³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. ³⁵ And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” [Mark 9: 33-35]. He mentioned both issues so that we may escape from the bad and seek the good. He mentioned the gentiles because they were rejected because of their bad deeds.

This futile headship then is the headship of fear and coercion and it shall therefore perish quite quickly. As for the headship resulting from humility, it is a choice and shall accordingly prevail. Most of the great saints who humbled themselves were greater than all people. Their passing away from this life did not abolish their honorary status; they are remembered even more until the end of times.

I am astonished by someone who takes pride in the futile headship because people do not see the reason for his pride. He imagines that there is no one in his rank and that no one deserves it but him. As for his seeking headship and perishing honour, he acts upon it in front of everyone and asks for it from them in return. He asks to be honoured by those who do not see the reason for it. He is enslaved by many weaknesses such as anger, envy, as well as seeking headship and honour.

As for the humble man, he does not care about any of this, who is the higher one then and who is the lower one.

Indeed, the bird which fell in the hunter's hands is not the superior one, but the bird that did not fall is the superior one. Our Lord told us so when He said: "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” [Luke 10:19].The one who was strong and high above has fallen with his haughtiness. The man who has been weak on earth has risen with his humility and the heavens were set up for him as his new land. Then I may ask: who is the one who gets humiliated? Is he the person whom God alone resists? Or is he the person whom God Almighty helps? We know it is the resisted one and not the one helped by God. The Bible mentions: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” [James 4:6] and "Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.” [Proverbs 3:34]. He also said: "For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.” [Isaiah 66:2].

Which one of them is then pure and superior? Whose offering shall be accepted by God? And whose offering shall be rejected? David the prophet said: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.” [Psalm 51:17]. He also said: "The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.” [Psalm 101:5]. The haughty is punished by the devil as the apostle said: "…not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” [1Timothy 3: 2 and 6]. He may be punished down here before the eternal punishment as well, like what happened to Pharaoh who felt conceited and said: "And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” [Exodus 5:2] and he was belittled by the frogs and the flies before he drowned in the sea, along with his soldiers, their chariots and their horses [Exodus 14:28]. As for Abraham, he was the complete opposite, he said: "Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: [Genesis 18:27]. He kept on getting promoted higher and higher due to his persistence on remaining modest. He fell into the hands of the Egyptians and others but still emerged triumphant.

The first human asked to be equal to God, which is far above man's rank, and so he lost all what he had. Therefore pride actually pulls you down. As for modesty, it does not belittle us, instead gives us what we lack.

We should endeavor to escape from pride and hold on to modesty in order to rest throughout these days, and be honoured in the Eternal Life; through the mercy of our God, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to Him be glory, honor, exaltation and power, now and forever with His Righteous Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.