June: Day 11: Teaching 2: Holy Apostle Bartholomew

June: Day 11: Teaching 2:
Holy Apostle Bartholomew

(On Flattery)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Apostle Bartholomew, whose memory is celebrated today, is called Nathanael in the Gospel, and was distinguished by his straightforward and open character. He said what he felt. Jesus Christ Himself testified to this. It was so. As soon as Jesus Christ began His preaching, disciples began to flock to Him. Two brothers, Andrew and Peter, appeared, and then Philip followed Christ. Philip met Nathanael and said to him: “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth.” It is necessary to know that Nazareth and in general the whole region of Galilee were despised by the Jews because there were many pagans there. Nathanael had the same idea about Nazareth, and he said to Philip: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He said what he felt. “Come and see,” Philip said to him. They went to Jesus Christ. Christ saw him from afar and, pointing to him, said: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." "How do you know me?" asked Nathanael. "Before Philip called you, I saw you when you were under the fig tree," said the Lord. Something special probably happened to Nathanael under the fig tree. He was amazed at this omniscience of the Lord and exclaimed: "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel." What a rapid transition from doubt to faith, and with what firm conviction this faith is expressed! The Savior approved of him for this and promised him great blessings. "Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. You will see more than this: from now on you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man." From that time on, Nathanael became a persistent disciple of Jesus Christ, and after Christ's ascension to heaven, an incessant and zealous preacher of His teaching, and then a martyr. This is what Nathanael was honored with for his straightforward and open character, and for his sincere faith!

II. It is good to say what is in the soul - in the mind and heart - to say what you feel and think. Here a person does not double himself, does not speak against himself - he does not contradict himself, does not deceive anyone with his judgments and speeches. If he finds something wrong and unlawful, he will say outright that it is wrong, he will tell everyone, whoever he may be - he will not be afraid of a person in authority. But if something in his opinion is lawful and deserves praise, nothing can make him blaspheme it, unless he himself is convinced of his mistake and changes his mind about it - until then he will be firm and unchangeable in his judgments. Unfortunately, in the present time many act differently. They think one way, but speak another - with you they have this opinion about a certain subject, about a certain person, and in another place with other people they express other opinions. They praise to the face, but condemn behind the back; they approve of what in their soul they consider unworthy of approval; they bow down before him and speak flatteringly to him whom in their thoughts they consider unworthy of the slightest respect; they ascribe to him to the face such qualities that in reality they do not recognize in him. Anyone who notices such a shortcoming in himself must try by all means to eradicate it in himself, if he wishes to be a servant of Christ, and worthily bear His name.

a) Christ our Teacher is the Truth, and He inspires us to always speak the truth. He who speaks not what he feels and thinks, does not walk according to the truth, he is a liar and imitates not Christ, but His enemy the devil, who is a liar and the father of lies. He was the first to lie and told the first people something other than what he thought and knew. He knew that they would die if they tasted the forbidden fruit, but he said something else, that they would be like gods, meaning they would live forever. Every flatterer does the same. He also lies and deceives. He can be the same destroyer of others. Instead of telling a word of truth to a person, and thereby having a beneficial effect on his soul, correcting the wrongdoer, admonishing the carried away and deceived and turning him to the good path, he through his flattery even more roots him on the bad path, encourages him to live a bad life. “They praise me,” reasons the listener to flattering speeches, “therefore, I am not yet so thin that I should worry too much about myself, I can remain as I am now,” and so it remains.

In the life of Saint Cassian the Roman it is said that when Saint Cassian and his friend Germanos were walking through the deserts to learn from the hermits the holy life, it happened that in one place they heard from an elder Paphnutios praise for the hardships they had endured in their wandering life. What did the wanderers answer him? “Tell us not something that can lead us to arrogance and pride, but something from which we could learn contrition and humility.” So, if it is not useful, and even harmful, to say words of deserved praise to another person’s face, then how much evil can come from saying words of praise to someone who has not deserved it, who has deserved, on the contrary, words of condemnation and censure.

b) Often the inferior flatter the superior, the subordinates the superiors for their own personal gain, in order to gain their favor and love. What a base flattery this is! Love must be earned not by flattering words, not by servility, but by a strict attitude to one's duty, by strict fulfillment of one's obligations, in a word: by trying to behave in such a way that by all one's behavior, especially by a loving attitude toward everyone, one is equally worthy of the love of both the inferior and the superior. Love is acquired by love more and first of all.

Often people flatter benefactors who are rich for the benefits they have received from them, so as not to lose their love and favor in the future. But why should you dissemble your soul and abuse your word here? If you want to thank them, pray for them instead; if you want to receive new favors, new help from them, try to deserve all this by your good behavior, by using “for your own benefit” what you receive from them.

III. "The Lord abhors a flattering man," says the Psalmist. "The Lord will destroy every flattering mouth," he also says. This is what we will remember. So let us "keep our lips from flattery," as the Apostle Peter says. Let us "speak each one the truth to his neighbor." If there is no need to speak, or it is useless to speak, then let us seal our lips, impose silence on them, and in no case will we dare to speak words of lies, base flattery. Let us remember that we are disciples of the Teacher of truth, and are called to the truth. The Lord loves only those who speak the truth, as Christ loved the Apostle Bartholomew for this, through whose prayers may He have mercy on you all. 

 

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