Prologue in Sermons: May 16

Good Instruction Should Be Heard From Anyone Who Offers It

May 16

(Commemoration of our Venerable Father Theodore the Sanctified, disciple of Saint Pachomios.) 
 
By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Some people do not like to hear good advice from those who are younger than they are, or from those whom they consider in some way inferior to themselves. “He is still young,” they say of such people, “and he wants to teach us!” Such reasoning is not praiseworthy.

You are hungry, and food is offered to you — eat. It makes no difference who offers it, otherwise you may die of hunger.

You are thirsty, and drink is offered to you — drink, without asking whether the vessel is gold or iron, so long as the water in it is pure; otherwise you may die of thirst.

Precious pearls are scattered about; gather them wherever they may lie, otherwise you will lose the treasure. Later you will regret not gathering them, but it will be too late.

Understand the same concerning divine teaching. If someone speaks about God, the soul, and eternal salvation — listen, without paying attention to the person speaking. What matters is not the speaker himself, but what he says, provided that what he says is good and beneficial for salvation.

Venerable Theodore, called “the Sanctified,” the disciple of Saint Pachomios, possessed deep knowledge of Holy Scripture. When he was only twenty years old, Saint Pachomios ordered him to give a teaching to the brethren. Theodore obeyed without hesitation or objection, delivered an address, and said many things beneficial to the monks.

But some of the older monks did not wish to listen to Theodore and said: “What is this? Now even beginners are teaching us!” Leaving the gathering, one after another they went back to their cells.

When Theodore finished speaking, Pachomios sent for those who had left and asked them: “Why did you leave the discourse?”

The elders answered: “Because you appointed a youth to teach us, though we have lived many years in the monastery.”

Hearing this, Pachomios sighed deeply and said:

“Have you truly not understood that the devil has caught you in his net? By your pride you have destroyed all your virtue. You did not abandon Theodore — you fled from hearing the word of God and deprived yourselves of the grace of the Holy Spirit. I myself am not younger than you, yet I listened to him with great attention and received much benefit from him.”

By this correction Pachomios humbled the elders, drove pride away from them, removed their resentment toward Theodore, and from that time onward they became eager listeners to his teaching.

Therefore, brethren, do not reject even young teachers. Listen attentively to them also whenever they speak something good for the benefit of the soul. The important thing is not who speaks, but what is spoken.

Beautiful fruit grows on young trees as well as old ones; would it make sense not to gather fruit from the young trees merely because they are young?

So it is here as well: whether young or old, if someone offers you spiritual treasure, why should you concern yourself with the person? What you need is not the person himself, but the treasure being offered.

Therefore let us humble our pride and eagerly listen to the word of God from anyone who reads or speaks it to us. What we need is not the ladle that draws the water, but the living water itself, which can become within us “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.