July: Day 24: Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb

 

July: Day 24:
Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb
 
(On Ambition)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb, celebrated today, were the sons of the Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir and suffered death from assassins sent by their brother Svyatopolk the Accursed, who wanted to seize the Kiev throne and saw strong opponents in the brothers. After a bloody battle with the other brothers, Svyatopolk fled from the borders of Russia and, pursued by the wrath of God, wandered in madness through various countries and died in the Bohemian steppes, having acquired for himself the shameful name of "the Accursed."

II. It is not difficult to see, Christian brethren, that the accursed Svyatopolk committed his terrible crime – fratricide – as a result of the ambitious desire that had taken hold of him to be the first among the princely brothers. Thus, ambition was at the root of the crime he committed.

Ambition is one of the most disgusting manifestations of pride. It plunges a person into many vices and crimes, makes him unhappy for himself, and most importantly - vile before God. "Whatever is highly exalted among men is an abomination to the Lord," says the Lord (Luke 12:15). "Everyone who is proud in heart is unclean before the Lord" (Prov. 12:4).

Let us consider this vice and show all its disastrous fruits.

a) First, the desire for honor is a very dangerous aspiration for the tranquility of the life of the ambitious. Some strive for a high place: yet they do not notice the abysses, that is, the dangers that lie on the path to it or surround it. Others, for instance, declare: grant me a seat in the place of justice, but do not consider that this place may be ensnared by the nets of slander, undermined by bribery, that it awaits not one who, like on a throne, would exhibit themselves in the splendor of glory, but rather one who, like on an altar, would sacrifice their tranquility, their advantages, and at times the favor of many powerful individuals, to save one who is powerless. We shall not do injustice to any of the ambitious if we declare to them all, without exception, what the First and the Last said to His seekers of primacy: "You do not know what you seek."

b) Secondly, the desire for exaltation reveals in seekers of glory and honor a deficiency in that they have not sufficiently delved into themselves, their abilities, and their internal state. Such ignorance of oneself, as well as the measure of one’s strength and capabilities, is a common flaw in people driven by the desire for exaltation. They are ready to occupy any position that promises to satisfy this desire, unaware that the very first effort required by such a position may render them exhausted, and the first danger may prompt them to flee. Ask yourself, seeker of what is above you, can you drink from the cup to which you stretch forth your hand? The more one possesses true self-knowledge, the less one perceives oneself as capable of occupying higher positions in society, and thus, one accepts as the law of one's conduct the wise principle: "Do not seek what is higher than yourself" (Sirach 3:21).

c) Thirdly, the desire for exaltation is accompanied by a disruption of peace among people. Peace and love are most frequently and profoundly drained by pride and ambition. The affluent easily befriend the affluent; the avaricious, if not in the company of the avaricious, will flee from them; but the ambitious seeks to undermine and destroy the ambitious, leaving no one in peace or tranquility, as his ultimate goal is to see everyone beneath his feet.

III. Let us Christians recognize in our fervent desire to be above others the grave and dangerous illness of the human spirit and the plague of society. Having understood this, we shall either accept for our healing or for our protection the remedies with which the Healer of souls and bodies treated it in His disciples.

a) The first remedy against the spirit of exaltation and dominance must be the thought that this is a spirit characteristic of pagans. It is their misfortune that they are captivated by human glory, for they do not know the glory of God; they strive to exalt themselves on earth because they have no hope of ascending to heaven. Shall we, Christians, having known the true glory, pursue the false? No, brethren! "Let it not be so among you."

But how should Christians act? Our Divine Teacher continues: "Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant." Do you desire excellence and perfection? Strive primarily and perfectly to serve the good of your neighbors. If you are already above others in your station, all the more should you strive to serve their good, so that you do not fall short of your station; but if you are indeed below others, likewise zealously strive to serve their good, and then no sound-minded person will claim that you are in a lowly state; for even the highest earthly authority, in the Christian understanding, is nothing other than "a servant of God for good" (Romans 13:4).

b) Finally, if despite this, the old Adam, who once desired to be like God, still languishes within you when you are diminished before men, or when you are exalted before some of them and once again flatters you with the dream that you may be a deity over them: let us enter into the healing place of the new Adam, and receive the everlasting remedy against this ancient malady. Jesus Christ offers Himself to you for healing: "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). Christian! Do you really think you can be exalted above your Christ? "It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher" (Matthew 10:25). But our Divine Teacher, being the Lord of all, humbles Himself and serves His servants: how much more ought we to humble ourselves and serve one another in love, "esteeming others better than himself" (Phil. 2:3). Amen.

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.