Chrysostom
Good and Faithful Servant
The trial you describe is grievous, yet it is no strange thing for those who belong to Christ. The enemy sets his snares most readily when he finds souls isolated and agitated, for as I have often said, it is in solitude that the devil attacks with greater boldness. You have spoken of the atmosphere shifting with the presence of these two, and this proves that you have allowed their malice to occupy a throne in your mind. Do you not realize that the true danger is not in their stones or their schemes, but in the fear, suspicion, and resentment lodging within your own heart? Christ permitted His disciples to face death itself that they might learn to despise it. Shall we not learn to despise the petty animosities of those who sit at the next desk?
Consider what the Apostle says: that those who practice witchcraft, like those who practice hatred and strife, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Their sorcery does not proceed from their flesh as an illness, but from a depraved moral choice. They do it willingly and are accountable for it. But what is that to you? You are not called to chronicle their offenses, but to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. If we say we have put on Christ and received the Spirit of adoption as sons, then we make a mockery of that grace when we tremble at the displeasure of men. Why, when it is open to you to live in peace by refusing to engage this battle, do you choose instead to rehearse their names and their schedules? Were you not given a talent of ability to protect the common good of your workplace? Use it, then. Use it to show such patience and unfeigned kindness that they become ashamed. You are not more helpless than Peter and John, who had no worldly power, yet turned the world upside down by their zeal for God.
Stop watching their comings and goings as though they held any power over a soul sealed by the blood of Christ. Their early arrival and late departure are meaningless before the throne of the Eternal. See that you do not secretly desire a victory over them in the eyes of your teammates more than you desire the peace of Christ within. You were not delivered from the curse of the Law and promoted to sonship so that you could live as a slave to the moods of a warlock’s fancied spells. Rise above these dangers. Let them be left to their own master. For your part, flock together with the faithful, fill your heart with prayer, and let your conduct be so luminous that every accusation falls to the ground from sheer weight of contradiction. The best exorcism against such malice is a life so given to God that their envy finds nothing to grasp.
Consider what the Apostle says: that those who practice witchcraft, like those who practice hatred and strife, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Their sorcery does not proceed from their flesh as an illness, but from a depraved moral choice. They do it willingly and are accountable for it. But what is that to you? You are not called to chronicle their offenses, but to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. If we say we have put on Christ and received the Spirit of adoption as sons, then we make a mockery of that grace when we tremble at the displeasure of men. Why, when it is open to you to live in peace by refusing to engage this battle, do you choose instead to rehearse their names and their schedules? Were you not given a talent of ability to protect the common good of your workplace? Use it, then. Use it to show such patience and unfeigned kindness that they become ashamed. You are not more helpless than Peter and John, who had no worldly power, yet turned the world upside down by their zeal for God.
Stop watching their comings and goings as though they held any power over a soul sealed by the blood of Christ. Their early arrival and late departure are meaningless before the throne of the Eternal. See that you do not secretly desire a victory over them in the eyes of your teammates more than you desire the peace of Christ within. You were not delivered from the curse of the Law and promoted to sonship so that you could live as a slave to the moods of a warlock’s fancied spells. Rise above these dangers. Let them be left to their own master. For your part, flock together with the faithful, fill your heart with prayer, and let your conduct be so luminous that every accusation falls to the ground from sheer weight of contradiction. The best exorcism against such malice is a life so given to God that their envy finds nothing to grasp.
