DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Wisdom Selections C
(01/27) Second Vesperal Reading, Recovery of the Relics of John Chrysostom
Our Unseen War: Wisdom of Solomon verses from 7:30 to
2:22, especially vs. 2:22: “But
they did not know the mysteries of God, nor...judge the reward of blameless
souls.” At Chrismation, we commit to an inward, life-long battle, a
conflict that prompts the Church to pray for each one being Baptized:
“Keep him ever a warrior invincible in every attack of those who assail
him and us; and make us all victors, even unto the end, through Thy crown
incorruptible.” Staretz Nicodemos
of the Holy Mountain concurs in his Unseen Warfare: “This
book....teaches not the art of visible and sensory warfare, and speaks not
about visible, bodily foes but about the unseen and inner struggle, which every
Christian undertakes from the moment of his baptism, when he makes a vow to God
to fight for Him, to the glory of His divine Name, even unto death.”
Verse 7:30 in the present selection announces
the battle: “...evil cannot overcome wisdom;” in so saying we find
the real possibility of victory as well.
But be clear: victory is not an absolute given nor
a certain outcome. It remains a
potential. Overcoming evil depends
on whether we choose to take up our interior struggle under the shield of
divine wisdom or no. If we choose
to go it alone, we will surely taste bitterness, emptiness, and defeat. These are so unnecessary and tragic;
for, ultimately, evil is a vulnerable foe, an enemy with a fatal flaw. The key to victory, therefore, lies
within us, depends upon persisting under the protection of wisdom.
This warning follows: “...no one who
speaks unrighteous things will escape notice...” (vs.
1:8). Our ancient foe watches to
see who is liable to fall, who is focusing attention on things outward and
neglecting the inner field of combat.
Those who heed only the signals of sensory messages, the attractions
that advertize for pleasure, or the appeals of momentary delight at the expense
of truth, justice, and love are sure to be drawn into the web of the enemy and
become his victims. It is so
unnecessary! Christ our God gives
us the gift of living memory, a remembrance that participates in life
and blesses with a foretaste of the age to come.
Focus now on the verses from 2:1-2:12. The wise Solomon discloses dangerous
intelligence from the enemy war-room so you may hear the evil mind railing
against us. He records actual words
of defeat so we may listen closely within ourselves to any corruption of our
own thinking as a result of deadly propaganda. These verses are worthy of close
study. Yes, life is short, and who
escapes pain? However, it is a
bald-faced lie that “...there is no cure for the death of a man for no
one has been known to return from Hades...” (vs.
2:1). Christ is risen! He has trampled down death by
death. He is the Giver of
life. He is your cure and mine!
Might does not make right - another lie (vs. 2:11). What appeared more weak, puny, and
inconsequential to those who crucified the Lord Jesus than this Galilean
peasant? Pilate was aghast at His
quiet retort: “You could have no power at all against Me
unless it had been given you from above” (Jn. 19:11). His enemies said of Him, “...he is
useless to us and opposes our deeds; he denounces us for our sins against the
law and accuses us of sins against our upbringing” (WSol.
2:12). Do not listen to their
materialist confidence. The Spirit
gives life!
What is important? “...knowledge of God...” (vs. 2:13), to be “...a child of the Lord...” (vs. 2:13), and to have a “...life...unlike that of
others...” following the Way that goes “...in a different
direction...” (vs. 2:15). In your life you may have God as your
Father (vs. 2:16). The words
of the Lord Jesus are true (vs. 2:17)!
His gentleness and patience endure (vs. 2:19). In “...the
mysteries of God...” are paid “...the wages of holiness” and
“...the reward of blameless souls” (vs. 2:22). God brings us “...down to the
gates of Hades...” but leads back again (16:13)!
And Thou, O Lord, “...give grace to
the humble and oppose the arrogant”
(Pr. 3:37).
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