The Protection of the Wing and the Character of the Just

Observe virtue: 'Learn from me,' he says, 'for I am gentle and low in heart.' He did not say 'lowly' simply, but 'low in heart.' According to the disposition, I am gentle; according to the heart. He who possesses blindness is 'low in heart.' Since the evangelical word has been uttered, those saying that Jesus lacked mind, but had an irrational soul, must be rebuked. In all the writings, both new and old, the heart is said instead of the mind; for when it says, 'Listen to me, you who have lost your heart,' it means those who have lost the capacity for thought. And 'stony heart' is a stony intellect. If therefore he has a heart and this also has virtue—for he is gentle in heart and low—he has taken up a perfect man.

The sinner will watch the righteous man and gnash his teeth at him (Ps 35:16). This says that the sinner always wants to be an enemy of the righteous, and not only an enemy, but wants to be a murderer against him. And see how 'will watch' lies; primarily this watching means to observe how one might harm someone. What kind of person is armed? He who wants to shoot him with an arrow watches which part of him is naked, and where he sends the arrow. Since therefore the righteous is protected, he is not naked, but has put on 'the armor of God' (Eph 6:11) and 'has taken up the breastplate of faith' (Eph 6:14) and is entirely secured.

If, however, 'will watch' is instead of 'will keep'—for often verbs said after an intention mean the same, such as 'going' and 'descending'; the one descending goes down—if it is 'will keep,' then two things are meant, either that to watch has been said or to guard. If indeed the Savior says in the Gospel, 'Holy Father, keep them' (John 17:11), he says, 'protect them.' 'When I was with them, I kept them' (John 17:12), if it is of 'was guarding.' And those saying, 'You will preserve us from this generation' (Luke 21:36), say, 'you will protect.' It means, as I have said, to 'keep' is to 'watch/observe.' It is said, therefore, 'He will keep your head, and you his wing.' The saint watches the head of the serpent, so that having risen up the head of his evil, he might leave the whole thing dead. But the serpent is not able to keep the head of the man, but the wing, the extremities...

He preserves his powers that approach the earth. No serious wound or harm occurs upon the wing. For it has been said also in other places: 'The iniquity of my wing will surround me; then I was afraid in the evil day' (Ps 90:7). If the iniquity had kept my head, it would have clung to my head like that one, concerning whom it is written: 'His pain will turn back upon his head' (Prov 22:8). And again: 'I gave their ways into their heads' (Prov 19:3), instead of: 'into their mind.' And it is good also to say 'the righteous,' not simply 'righteous,' but the perfect righteous, the irreproachable; for it is said many times also concerning those progressing in name who are accused according to the perfect, such as: 'The wise do not depart from the mouth of the Lord' (Ps 119:105). No one of the wise becomes outside the word of the Lord, always working with the word. And it is said: 'Rebuke a wise man and he will love you' (Prov 9:8). Behold, a wise man.

The sinner borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. He not only returns what he borrowed, but also becomes a benefactor to others. By showing mercy, he gains. 'He who shows mercy to the poor lends to God' (Prov 19:17). The one borrowing from God is righteous, having gathered a multitude of works and of reasonable silver, and he benefits another; for the evil ones harm those who are with them, but the righteous ones benefit. And that the evil one is harmful is manifest. For it has been said in proverbs that the wise man benefits and improves: 'Rebuke a wise man and he will love you' (Prov 9:8). Being rebuked, he receives the rebukes well as to love the one rebuking him. But having loved the one rebuking him, he no longer works the things upon which the rebuke occurred. Just as 'he is a brother to the one who loathes himself' (Prov 27:11), the one doing evil. Therefore, the evil one harms himself above all.

The righteous, therefore, shows mercy and gives, and he is full of grace and simply participates in good things toward his neighbor. Those saying that, 'if a brother or sister are naked and lacking of the daily food' (Matt 25:35), that is: 'Go in peace, be satisfied,' but do not give to them the necessities, did not benefit them, since they do not 'show mercy and give.' And it is possible also to take it thus: the sinner, borrowing from God the common concepts given to him and the commandments, 'does not repay.'