Considering Discernment
Published: Saturday November 01 2008.
In the Gospel of St. Mathew, our Lord said, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” The disciples were confused and thought that Jesus spoke of bread. Jesus quickly rebuked them, knowing their thoughts, and reminded them of the miracles they witnessed concerning the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand. The “leaven” Jesus was referring to was the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matt 16:12). This doctrine revolved around the legalistic aspects of the Old Testament, which emphasized outward worship and not inward spirituality through humility and repentance.
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the word discern as “to perceive or recognize clearly; having good judgment, astute”. Here is what the Holy Fathers say about discernment: Discernment is a spiritual gift pertaining to the nous (nous is “mind”, but also means many other things in the writings of the Fathers like the soul, the essence of the soul, the heart, the inner aspect of the heart). Through discernment, one discerns the inner states of the spiritual life, distinguishing between uncreated and created things (God, Divine), between the energy of God and the energy of the devil and distinguishing emotional states from spiritual experiences. At that time, the disciples had difficulty understanding His words and were not very astute. They were not using their experience, having spent some time with Jesus, to apply His spiritual teaching to every day life. At Pentecost, the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit, where they than had full understanding of God’s truth through His Son. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through baptism and chrismation. However, unlike the disciples, when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must develop our knowledge of the truth with the assistance of the “Helper” (John 14:16). This is a lifetime undertaking.
The secular world, or that pertaining to society without God, has existed in different forms throughout history. In Jesus time, secularism was essentially associated with the gentiles, for they had no church, worshiped many gods and lived lives of self indulgence. Of course we see a lot of this today, but it is more high tech you might say. We have the internet, which is both a blessing and a curse. So much good news can be disseminated about God and the Church. On the other hand, so much evil can be spread to those not equipped with good discernment. The television and other media, with shows that emphasize violence, death and immoral living, has replaced the traditional family gathering around the dinner table. Many of the world’s governments have now passed laws that legalize drugs, unfettered abortion, distribution of contraceptives to minors without parental knowledge, same sex marriage as well as many other questionable practices. These same governments are indoctrinating people from a young age to remove God from their vocabulary and instead replace it with the secular humanist viewpoint.
Elder Paisios of Mount Athos says, “The secular spirit is a disease and must be avoided like a disease, no matter what one’s station in life is. If we are to enjoy spiritual health and angelic delights, we must detach ourselves from the spirit of secular progress.” This is where discernment becomes an essential part of our Christian life. Young adults must resist the many temptations so readily available to them today through all of the media outlets, advertisements, music, internet and even video games. There was a computer game recently taken off of the market because its premise was the torture of human beings! Our young people see it in the universities, where entitlement thinking is accepted and widespread. Society today is more tolerant of Islam, Kwanza or Scientology and increasingly intolerant of the God of love and peace, Jesus Christ.
We can combat our desire for the secular world by first grounding ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Holy Orthodox Church. By faithfully attending Church, participating in the Holy Sacraments, learning about the faith and striving for spiritual growth, we have the means that can lead us to everlasting life. This grounding will also help us in time of need or temptation. We can apply the truth of Orthodoxy to our everyday life, so that we may avoid the snares of secular teachers, politicians, other religions, or even friends. We will see all things through the clear glass of truth and love.
By the grace of God, more people are seeking the spiritual life in Christ Jesus through Holy Orthodoxy in America. With the example illustrated in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19), more people are realizing that material possessions and worldly preoccupations will not bring peace to their hearts or hope in their lives. More people are seeking that peace through the ancient faith of Holy Orthodoxy. Let us continue to be disciples by spreading the Gospel of Christ and embracing all those who seek Him and His Church.
Let us practice discernment in all things and beware of the “leaven” of secular society. We can do this together, as the Body of Christ, through the Holy Orthodox Church, one family united, praising and glorifying the Triune God.
“You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Mat 16:3)
Amen.