Prologue in Sermons: March 19

Against Grudges

March 19

(A Discourse of Anastasios, Abbot of Sinai, "On Not Having Anger")

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Many people, harboring resentment against their neighbor, pay little attention to the fact that resentment greatly harms the salvation of their soul. While bearing ill will against their brothers, they at the same time pray to God, go to church, receive the Holy Mysteries, give alms, and do other good works — and they think that this is as it should be: that resentment is one thing and good works another, and that one does not interfere with the other. But they are mistaken.

The Lord does not accept even the prayers of those who hold evil in their hearts; He rejects their almsgiving and does not forgive them, until they uproot the evil from their heart and are reconciled with their neighbor. Let us hear how Saint Anastasios, Abbot of Sinai, teaches about this in his discourse "On Not Having Anger."

“It is a great evil,” says the Venerable one, “if someone goes to church while harboring resentment against his neighbor, and with falsehood pronounces in the Lord’s Prayer the words: ‘forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.’

O man, who carries hostile poison in your heart! Why do you say these words, and why do you labor in prayer in vain? Why do you falsely cry out to God: ‘forgive me, as I have forgiven’? Did you come to pray or to lie? To receive grace or to satisfy your anger? To obtain salvation or punishment?

Do you not hear that during the divine service it is proclaimed: ‘Let us love one another…’ — that is, let us put away all unrighteousness and malice?

Consider, O man, how you stand with resentment in your heart, when the Angels are serving, when the many-eyed Cherubim cover the Body of Christ upon the holy altar, and the six-winged Seraphim sing the thrice-holy hymn, and all stand in fear, and the priest prays for all the people, and the Holy Spirit descends, and the Angels record the names of those entering the church.

How then, beloved, are you not afraid? How do you ask for forgiveness while you yourself do not forgive? Do not forget that if you do not forgive those who sin against you, you yourself will not be forgiven; God will forgive you only when you forgive, and will show mercy only when you show mercy.

You may say: ‘I have forgiven my brother many times, but he again offended me and did me much harm, and therefore I cannot forgive.’ Do not say this, dear one, but strive to imitate Stephen and James, the brother of the Lord, and pray for those who do you harm; imitate your Master, who accepted death for us. Endure the offense and reproach from your brother, and the Lord will forgive you many sins.

Let us flee, brothers, from remembrance of wrongs — a grievous sin; for every sin passes quickly, but remembrance of wrongs often becomes a passion that devours the heart; since the one who remembers wrongs, whether walking, lying down, or rising, carries within himself the poison of a serpent.

And one possessed by this passion will not inherit the Kingdom of God and will not receive forgiveness. And no virtue — not fasting, not almsgiving — will benefit such a person; for remembrance of wrongs destroys everything.

Therefore, 'if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift' (Matt. 5:23–24).”

After such instruction from the Venerable one, I have nothing to add of my own, brothers; for you yourselves see how strong and deep the Saint’s teaching is, and you know how poor my weak words would be after it.

Let us conclude, after the teaching of the Saint, with the teaching of God Himself:

“If you forgive men their trespasses,” says the Lord, “your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14–15). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.