Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 24

 

            “The morning light precedes the sun, and the precursor of all humility is meekness. Therefore let us hear in what order the Light arranges these virtues, for He says: Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart.4 So then before looking at the sun, which is humility, we must be illumined by the light, which is meekness, and then we can look with a clear gaze at the sun. For it is impossible, absolutely impossible, to gaze upon the sun before we have experienced that light, as we have learnt from the order in which the Lord has put these virtues.”  That’s how St. John of the Ladder begins this rung of the Ladder as we are now well into our journey and climbing the ladder in earnest. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the epitome of humility and love. His example is a witness to us all that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit and the love that passes all understanding. In doing so, we must learn how to control ourselves and our pride if we are to make it any further up the Ladder. Let’s look at few statements made by St. John and expand further on how to become a humble person.

            First St. John says, “Meekness is the buttress of patience, the door, or rather, the mother of love, and the foundations of discernment, for it is said: The Lord will teach the meek His way. It prepares us for the forgiveness of sins; it is boldness in prayer, an abode of the Holy Spirit. But to whom shall I look? Even to him that is meek and quiet.”  I would like to point out something regarding the above statement. St. John calls this boldness in prayer. The reason today we do not have the things that we ask for, is not because God does not love us. It is also not because we are not worthy of them. It is because we are not bold enough in our prayer. Being bold in our prayer doesn’t mean we ask for fancy things, or special blessings, but rather that we hold God at his word. That everything and anything we ask in His name will be given to us. Especially because it benefits our salvation and our walk on the straight and narrow path. By being bold in prayer, and learning to be humble and meek, we prepare an abode within our hearts for the Holy Spirit to dwell and rest. The Day of Pentecost comes alive for us again as we enter into the fullness of faith and love. God allows us to work with Him in contemplating our salvation and the acceptance of the gifts, or the rejection. Every day we must make a conscience effort to restore ourselves in the grace of God. Doing so only comes with boldness in prayer.

            The second statement from St. John that I would like to expand on is this, “Meekness is the fellow-worker of obedience, the guide of the brotherhood, a curb for the furious, a check to the irritable, a minister of joy, the imitation of Christ, something proper to angels, shackles for demons, a shield against peevishness.” In our ascent up the ladder, we have discussed a great deal about obedience and imitating Christ. As Christians we are to be mini-Christs we are to unite ourselves with the Holy Spirit in that the mortal can become the divine. Our humility and our meekness is the only way in which one is able to achieve this. As we have seen through the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, and the fall of Satan and his legions of angels, pride is the cause of the fall of all things. We have been granted so much from God that we become greedy and want more. Instead of allowing God to work in our lives, we allow the enemy to protrude our thoughts and to seep his lies into hearts. We want to take from the tree of good and evil, and we want to become greater than the Creator. In doing so we lose this meekness that God wants to see from us. He wants to us to be a minister of joy, rather than ministers of death. St. John of the Ladder says, “God is called love, and also justice. That is why the wise man4 in the Song of Songs says to the pure heart: Justice has loved thee. Also the father of the wise man says: Good and just is the Lord. And of those who are His namesakes He says that they are saved: Who saves the upright of heart; and again: His countenance sees and visits those who are honest and just.” We must constantly remember that we are the namesake of Jesus Christ, the light of light, true God of true God. If we refuse that moniker, then Christ will refuse us. He will say to us that he never knew us. Many will call on his name but only those who live in Christ, i.e., the faithful of the Orthodox Church, will be able to truly grasp the fullness of meekness and live according to the will of Christ. Those of us who have left father and brother and mother and sister to be joined with the Church forsaking all others will be greatly rewarded if we keep on the path. We will not just call on the name of God, but live with God in both spirit and truth.

            Being humble is a difficult calling. We constantly see people wanting credit for the work they’ve accomplished and for the things they’ve achieved. Rather than seeking the glory from men on social media, it is better to receive the glory from God in secret. I have been writing for almost two months now trying to decipher the meaning of the Orthodox Church and how to practically embrace it in everyday life. I have discovered that it is best to be experienced and not read. Though there is nothing wrong with books. Through these articles, I have experienced the faith in such a way that has had a profound impact on me. As we climb the ladder towards its final destination, I see that we have yet to come to a realization that humility and meekness in all things are the root of a solid relationship with Christ. Pray for me dear brothers and sisters as I pray for you, hoping that I can rightly teach the words of Jesus Christ for the benefit of all people.

Amen.