Discerning the Good in Lesser Compromises

The first thoughts running through my mind as I woke this morning bolstered the realization that, despite these surrounding diverse and challenging circumstances, it is imperative to guard against feelings of anger, disgust, and resentment.

These modern throes are doing much to reveal the contents and motivations of people’s hearts … the hearts of others … my own heart.

I have to continually remind myself of how it is easy to judge and pass judgment.

Some judgment, as long as it resides within the realm of discernment [Matthew 10:16 Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.] is a necessity, provided the discerned conclusions render praying for those whose words and actions would otherwise be offensive. Jesus has a lot to say about this. It behooves and becomes us to listen to what he says. Not only to listen. We discover, in hearing, the imperative to do what he says.

[Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who suffer persecution for justice’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:44-45 But I say to you, love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.]

The Apostle James tells us But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass. For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was. [James 1:22-24]

It is yet altogether too easy to insist that I accept and believe in the one who said be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect. [Matthew 5:48] It is altogether something else to hear the words of his voice in the Scriptures, interiorize them, and do them wholeheartedly as an earnest doer of the word and follower of Jesus Christ.

Living out the Living Word being interiorized in the fabric of my being is all that I am endeavoring to do, and I readily admit that it is not easy. This devotion to Christ and his instructional words on how to live as one of his followers meets with a lot of heated opposition.

The opposition comes not only from the surrounding secular world. Living this devotion to Christ and his words also discovers generous amounts of opposition within the ranks of what is otherwise supposed to be the Militant Church. Sadly, in these post-modern times, this entity that was once beautifully militant in its stand against ungodliness is now living too much under the influence of modern cultural trends and the moral relativism that characterizes these times that we are living in.

What can I do, what can any of us do, other than continue to follow in the steps of Jesus?

There is a story in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers that I read this morning that gave me a bit of an aha.

They used to say about Abba Paphnutius that he would not readily drink wine, and that on one occasion he came by chance upon a band of thieves, and found them drinking. The captain of the thieves recognized him, knew that he was a man of great ascetic works, and knew that he never drank wine.

The captain of the thieves filled a cup with wine, and taking a sword in his hand, he said to the old man, “If you will not drink the wine, I will kill you.”

The old man knew that the grace of God wished to work on the captain of the thieves through him, and sought to do good to him, so he took the cup and drank the wine.

Then the captain of the thieves made excuse to him and said to him, “Forgive me, father, for having distressed you.” The old man said to him, “I believe, by God, that through this cup God will forgive your sins.” The captain of the thieves said to him, “I believe, by God; from this time forth I will never vex any man.”

Thus, because for God’s sake Paphnutius gave up his own wish, he was able to do good to all that band of thieves.

I have to continually remind myself that God is working in all things and all situations to bring about something good. It was true, there in the desert, in the case of Abba Paphnutius. It is true, as well, for me and the rest of us in these crazy post-modern times.

I remind myself, too, that God is not going to ask any of us to make compromises that violate the moral laws he has given us to live by. Paphnutius drinking the cup of wine was one thing. Had they insisted that he participate in a robbery or some other immoral activity, I am certain the old man would have chosen martyrdom.

Where these lesser compromises are concerned, it becomes us to discern the good that God is trying to accomplish, even [especially] when we are the only ones to realize the good that is accomplished.