The crushing of the heart and the path to glory

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They are divine matters

"...that the man's heart shall be lifted up." The proud man hears words against pride, and at times he experiences the trial of afflictions, seeing that he is blinded. If you fall by this crushing, which leads you more effectively through the pains concerning humility, the heart is not lifted up. Before the rebuke—so that I may speak thus—and before the lashes, he has a lifted-up heart. For when he falls through afflictions, he recognizes that because of his own pride he has fallen down to the thoughtless.

Thus it must be heard also regarding: "Capernaum, which until heaven you were lifted up, shall be brought down to Hades" (Luke 9:79). And to be brought down to Hades is a crushing. Before this crushing, he had been proud. "Before glory, one is humbled" (Proverbs 18:12). It is necessary first to be humbled voluntarily, so that one may attain glory; for second, glory comes after the un-blinding. For this reason also the Savior said: "The one humbling himself will be lifted up" (Luke 14:11). And behold, "everyone lifting himself up will be humbled" (Matthew 23:12); he will be crushed here. Before this crushing, he has a lifted-up, vainglorious, proud heart.

Again, glory is brought to the one humbling himself, so that he may be un-blinded. Before this glory, it is necessary to be humbled; it is necessary to work, so that he may receive a reward. Therefore, he receives glory of the un-blinding from God. In this way also Peter exhorts, saying: "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that you may be lifted up in due time" (1 Peter 5:6). And Job indeed says: God is the one "making the humble into height" (Job 22:9).

And "crushed" here he says "the heart," not those whose hearts are harmed. And sometimes the name of the crushing signifies such a thing as not having healthy thoughts, not having straight understandings. This crushing of the heart needs a physician, and a physician who heals what is hidden; for it has been said: "The Lord builds Jerusalem and gathers the dispersals of Israel, he who heals the crushed in heart" (Psalm 147:2). These were crushed like wounds. In this way also the...

Greek

πονηροῦ τούτου τοῦ ἐπιπόνου· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμέτερόν ἐστιν ἀπέχεσθαι τούτων. θεήλατά εἰσιν, μὴ θελόντων ἡμῶν ἐπιγίνεται ταῦτα διὰ προλαβοῦσαν κακίαν. πρὸς τό· "πρόσωπον δὲ κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακά", εἶτα ἐπενήνεκται· "θάνατος ἁμαρτωλῶν πονηρός"· ἢ πονηρὸς ἢ πονηρός· τἀμφότερα ἔχει· καὶ τὴν κόλασιν γὰρ ἔχουσιν καὶ τὴν κατασπῶσαν ἀπὸ τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς πονηρίαν ἥτις ἴση κακίᾳς ἐστίν. "ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου". ὅρα γε τὴν ἀκρίβειαν· ἐπειδὴ ψυχῶν πονηρίας ὠνόμασεν, αὗται δὲ οὐκ ἄλλῳ ὁρῶνται ἢ τῷ θεῷ, λέγει ὅτι· μὴ ἐπιμορφάζεσθε ἀφαίρεσιν πονηριῶν τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ἐμῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὡς ἐμοῦ ὁρῶν τος, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου. ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ λεγομένῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος δεῖν τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐν κρυπτῷ ποιεῖν, ἵν' "ὁ πατὴρ ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσῃ". 18 καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτῶν ἐρύσατο αὐτούς. καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις στίχοις τοῦ ψαλμοῦ ἐλέχθη, ὅτι τὸ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ θλίψεων πασῶν οὐ τὸ ἔξω τοῦ θλίβεσθαι ποιεῖν σημαίνει, ἐπεὶ οὐδέποτε ἐπηκούσθησαν οἱ ἅγιοι, ὡς τὸν Παῦλον λέγειν· "ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι". 19 ἐγγὺς κύριος τοῖς συντετριμμένοις τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τῷ πνεύματι σώσει. ὥσπερ οἱ διαλεκτικοὶ καὶ ἀποδεικτικοὶ λέγουσιν, ὅτι δεῖ ἐκ τῶν φανερῶν τὰ μὴ φανερὰ κατασκευάζειν καὶ ἀποδεικνύναι· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀληθές ἐστιν. ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ἄγνωστα γνωσθῆναι ἐξ ὁμοίως ἀγνώστων καὶ πολλῷ γε πλέον ἐξ ἀγνωστοτέρων. ἐκ τῶν φανερῶν οὖν τὰ μὴ φανερὰ γνωρίζεται καὶ ἐκ̣ τῶν γιγνωσκομένων τὰ μὴ γιγνωσκόμενα. λοιπὸν ἄλλην γραφὴν σαφεστέραν νοήσωμεν, ἵνα καὶ τῆς προκειμένης ὀρθὴν γνώμην λάβωμεν καὶ γνῶσιν. λέγεται τοίνυν ἐν Παροιμίαις· "πρὸ συντριβῆς ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρὸς ἢ πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται". τοῦτο λέγει· ὁ ὑπερήφανος οὐ συντριβεὶς ταπεινοῦται. συν̣τριβεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ πόνων τῶν ὑπὲρ ἀτυφίας ὑψοῦται. "πρὸ συντριβῆς ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρός". ὁ ὑπερήφανος ἀκούει λόγους κατὰ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, ἐνίοτε καὶ θλιβηρῶν πεῖραν λαμβάνει, ὅτι τετυφωμένος ἐστίν. ἐὰν ὑποπέσῃς τῇ συντριβῇ ταύτῃ τῇ βελτιόνως προσαγομένῃ διὰ τῶν πόνων τῶν ὑπὲρ ταπεινοφροσύνης, οὐχ ὑψοῦται ἡ καρδία. πρὸ τῆς ἐπιτιμίας, ἵν' οὕτως 125 εἴπω, καὶ πρὸ τῶν μαστιγῶν ὑψουμένην ἔχει τὴν καρδίαν. ὅταν γοῦν ὑποπέσῃ θλιβηροῖς, γιγνώσκει ὅτι διὰ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν ἑαυτοῦ ὑπέπεσεν τοῖς ἀβουλήτοις. οὕτως ἀκουστέον καὶ τοῦ· "Καφαρναού, ἣ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ, ἕως ᾅδου καταβιβασθήσῃ". συντριβὴ δέ ἐστιν τὸ καταβιβασθῆναι ἕως ᾅδου. πρὸ ταύτης τῆς συντριβῆς ὑπερηφανεύσατο. "πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται". δεῖ πρῶτον ταπεινωθῆναι ἑκουσίως, ἵνα δόξης τύχῃ· δευτέρα γὰρ ἡ δόξα γίνεται μετὰ τὴν ἀτυφίαν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἔλεγεν ὅτι· "ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται". καὶ ὅρα γε, "πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται", συντριβήσεται ὧδε. πρὸ ταύτης τῆς συντριβῆς ὑψουμένην ἔχει τὴν καρδίαν, ἀλαζονευομένην, ὑπερηφανευομένην. πάλιν δόξαν φέρει τῷ ταπεινοῦντι ἑαυτόν, ἵν' ἀτυφωθῇ. πρὸ ταύτης τῆς δόξας δεῖ ταπεινωθῆναι, δεῖ ἐργάσασθαι, ἵνα μισθὸν λάβῃ. λαμβάνει δόξαν οὖν τῆς ἀτυφίας παρὰ θεοῦ. οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ Πέτρος παραινεῖ λέγων· "ταπεινώθητε ὑπὸ 202 τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖραν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα ὑψώθητε ἐν καιρῷ". καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ γοῦν λέγει· "ποιῶν ταπεινοὺς εἰς ὕψος" ἐστὶν ὁ θεός. "συντετριμμένους" δὲ ὧδε "τὴν καρδίαν" λέγει οὐ τοὺς βλαβέντας τὴν καρδίαν. σημαίνει δέ ποτε τὸ τῆς συντριβῆς ὄνομα τοιοῦτό τι τὸ μὴ ὑγιεινοὺς ἔχειν λογισμούς, τὸ μὴ τὰς νοήσεις ἀδιαστρόφους ἔχειν. αὕτη ἡ συντριβὴ τῆς καρδίας ἰατροῦ δέεται, ἰατροῦ δὲ τοῦ τὸ κρυπτὸν θεραπεύοντος· εἴρηται γὰρ τό· "οἰκοδομῶν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὁ κύριος καὶ τὰς διασπορὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπισυνάξει, ὁ ἰώμενος τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν". οὗτοι συνετρίβησαν οἷα τραυματίαι. οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ

About this text

Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.

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