What it Means to Crucify One’s Flesh with Its Passions and Desires
February 13
(Commemoration of our Venerable Father Martinian)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
February 13
(Commemoration of our Venerable Father Martinian)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
The Apostle Paul says: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24).
What does this mean?
The Venerable Martinian became an ascetic and withdrew into the desert at the age of eighteen. Having lived there twenty-five years, he once endured the following temptation from the devil. A certain harlot, putting on beggar’s clothing, went up the mountain where Venerable Martinian lived. Approaching the Venerable one’s cell in the evening, she began to weep and wail and asked the venerable one to save her from wild beasts. Martinian, suspecting nothing, let her into his cell and asked, “Who are you and why have you come here?”
The harlot replied, “Hating you and all monks, and likewise the ascetic life, I have come to tempt you into sin.”
The Venerable one was horrified and did not know what to do. But soon, recovering himself, he conquered the devil in the following way: he gathered a large quantity of brushwood and set it on fire, and when it had kindled strongly, he entered into the flames and said to himself, “Wretched Martinian! Well then, if you can endure the fire of Gehenna, commit the sin!”
Completely scorched, the Venerable one at last came out of the fire and persuaded the terrified harlot to depart to a women’s monastery. After he was healed of his wounds, he sailed to an island, where he remained for ten years. There the temptation was repeated. A young maiden sailing on a ship was shipwrecked during a storm and was cast by the waves onto the island where the Venerable one lived. He gave her shelter, but fearing temptation, he himself threw himself into the sea, crying out, “Hay cannot dwell with fire!”
Having reached land, he traveled through many cities and countries, constantly crying out, “Flee, Martinian, lest calamity overtake you!” Reaching Athens, he died there and was honorably buried by the Bishop in the presence of a great multitude of people.
Thus, this is what it means to crucify one’s flesh with its passions and desires: it means not merely to abstain from passions and desires, but to struggle against them to the point of complete self-denial.
Martinian saw fire, and in order to save himself from the fire of Gehenna, he threw himself into it. He saw water, and so as not to be drowned by sins, he plunged into it. Thus the flesh was crucified, and the devil defeated and put to shame.
Let us, brethren, crucify it as well. Is this difficult? Yes, it is difficult — we do not deny it — but let us not forget that for self-crucifixion the reward is great.
“To him who overcomes,” that is, who crucifies his flesh, says the Lord, “I will grant to sit with Me on My throne” (Rev. 3:21). Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
