The Cross Of Forgiveness – Homily 37 By St. Marcarius

We began our first class with the quote from St Marcarius about the condition of the heart … of its capacity to contain both good and evil. Also in the first class, we gained St. Dimitri’s perspective on God’s purpose for us to “share in his Love, that is, full communion with God … the Good…God created the world for the sake of humanity, that the world be led towards the purpose of full communion with Him.” St Dumitru also has been teaching us how our crosses help us see where we have become attached to the gifts of God not the Gift Giver … or as Father Gabe says “what is the X I’m placing above God”. All of these gifts of God have this ultimate purpose of teaching us to love as He loves us as we unite to Him. The cross of our relationships is the topic of today’s class 5. Perhaps, there is no better teacher about God’s love than his mercy and forgiveness. How do we become vessels and instruments that participate more fully in His love in the reality of our relationships? This 4th century homily from St Macarius seems, to me, incredibly relevant as we explore how to answer this crucial question.

For the Lord, in giving many commandments concerning love enjoined us to seek the “righteousness of God” (Mt 6:11). For He knows that it is the mother of Love. There is no other way to be saved but through our neighbour; according as He commanded: “Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you”(Lk 6:37). This is the spiritual law, written in faithful hearts, the “fulfillment of the first law”(Rom 13:10). For he says “I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17). How is it to be fulfilled? Teach me the first Law by seizing occasion to bless the one who sinned rather than condemn his injustice. For it says “In whatever you judge another , you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things.” (Rom 2:1). For the Law thus says, “In the midst of judgment, judgment, and in the midst of forgiveness, forgiveness” (Dt 17:8).

The fullness, therefore, of the Law consists in forgiveness. We have called it the “first law”; not that God has set two laws but one law, which is spiritual by its nature, but in regard to retribution, it gives to each person the retribution which is just, forgiving him that forgives, and contending with him that contends. For it says, “With the clean thou shalt be clean, and with the perverse thou shalt wrestle” (Ps. 18:26). Therefore, those who spiritually fulfilled the Law and in proportion as they participated in Grace loved with a spiritual love not only those who did good to them, but also those who reproached and persecuted them, looking forward to receive the gift of good things. Of good things, I say, not because they forgave the wrongs done to them, but because they also did good to the persons who did wrong to them. For they offered them to God as the means whereby they fulfilled the beatitude, as it says: “Blessed are you when they shall revile you and persecute you” (Mt 5:11).

They were taught to think so by means of a spiritual law. For while they patiently endured and maintained an attitude of meekness, the Lord, seeing the patience of the heart engaged in warfare and the love that lessened none of its ardor, broke through “the middle wall of separation” (Eph 2:14). And they got rid of so great a hatred with the result that their love was no longer forced but served as a help. In a word, the Lord took control over “the sword that turned every way” (Gn3:24) which excited the thoughts. And they “entered into the inner sanctuary of the veil where the forerunner on our behalf had entered” (Heb 6:19), namely the Lord. And they enjoyed the fruits of the Spirit. Having seen the things to come in the certainty of the heart, no longer as the Apostle says,”in a mirror dimly” (1 Cor 13:12), they spoke of “what eye has not seen nor ear heard nor the things that have entered the heart of man, what things God has prepared for them that love Him” (1 Cor 2:9).