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Evergetinos, Vol. 3, Hypothesis 24: Looking to God amid secular life
7:04
What the video says
Hypothesis 24 teaches that a believer, even amid the torments of secular life, should not conform to external circumstances but should look to God and do what pleases him. The first example comes from the life of Saint Sabbas, who traveled to Constantinople to ask Emperor Justinian to spare the Christians of Palestine, falsely blamed for the Samaritan uprising.
Justinian welcomed him with honor and offered him a steady income for his monks, but Sabbas refused, saying God who fed the Israelites in the wilderness would provide for them. Instead he asked for tax relief for Palestine, a hospice in Jerusalem, an end to the heresies vexing the churches, and strongholds for monasteries, all of which the emperor granted eagerly.
Sabbas left the emperor at the third hour to pray and recite the Psalms of David, telling his disciple Jeremiah that the emperor was doing his duty and he was doing his. The second part draws from the Gerondikon: Amma Theodora teaches that one can hear worldly conversations without harm if the heart stays turned to God, an elder compares the monk to the bee that makes honey wherever it goes, Abba Sisoes warns against the shame of man-pleasing that keeps a person from doing good, and another elder urges monks to keep their prayer rule wherever they are, like the heron that has a dwelling everywhere.
Key moments
- Hypothesis 24: a believer who falls into the torment of secular life should not conform to external circumstances but should look to God and do what is pleasing to him.
- Emperor Justinian welcomed Saint Sabbas in Constantinople with great honor, rising from his throne and kissing the ascetic's sacred head, and readily granted his petitions.
- Sabbas refused the emperor's offer of a steady income for his monks, saying that God who nourished the disobedient people in the wilderness and made water gush from a rock would provide for their needs.
- Sabbas instead asked Justinian to exempt Palestine from taxes for a time, build a hospice in Jerusalem for pilgrims to the life-giving sepulchre, end the heresies vexing the churches, and construct strongholds where monks could take refuge during enemy attacks.
- The emperor immediately began writing letters, issuing instructions and sending decrees in all directions to carry out the requests without delay.
- At the third hour Sabbas left the emperor and Tribonian to pray and recite the Psalms of David, and told his disciple Jeremiah that the emperor was doing his duty and we are doing ours.
- Amma Theodora taught that as one can eat from a table of many foods without relish and not be condemned, so one can hear worldly conversations without harm if the heart stays turned toward God.
- An elder compared the monk to the bee that makes honey wherever it goes; Abba Sisoes warned that man-pleasing shame before men brings the accusation of not fearing God; another elder urged keeping the prayer rule wherever one is, like the heron that has a dwelling everywhere.
This narration presents Hypothesis 24 from the third book of the Evergetinos: a believer who falls into the tumult of secular life should not conform to external circumstances but should look to God and do what is pleasing to Him. The first example comes from the life of Saint Sabbas. He traveled to Constantinople to ask Emperor Justinian to spare the Christians of Palestine, who were falsely blamed for the Samaritan uprising.
Justinian welcomed him with honor, rising from his throne and kissing the ascetic's sacred head, and offered him a steady income for his monks. Sabbas refused, saying that God who fed the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness and made water gush from a rock would provide for his monks. Instead he asked for tax relief for Palestine, a hospice in Jerusalem for pilgrims to the life-giving sepulchre, an end to the heresies vexing the churches, and strongholds where monks could take refuge during enemy attacks.
The emperor granted everything eagerly and immediately began writing letters, issuing instructions and sending decrees in all directions. At the third hour Sabbas left the emperor and Tribonian to pray and recite the Psalms of David, telling his disciple Jeremiah that the emperor was doing his duty and we are doing ours. The second part draws from the Gerondikon. Amma Theodora teaches that as one can eat from a table of many foods without relish and not be condemned, so one can hear worldly conversations without harm if the heart stays turned toward God.
An elder compares the monk to the bee that makes honey wherever it goes. Abba Sisoes warns that shame before men, the man-pleasing that keeps a person from doing good, brings the accusation of not fearing God. Another elder urges monks to keep their prayer rule wherever they are, like the heron that has a dwelling everywhere.
The book is available from the publisher, and the narration is part of an ongoing audio project supported by a listener fundraiser.
Main points
- Hypothesis 24 teaches that a believer in the tumult of secular life should not conform to external circumstances but should look to God and do what is pleasing to Him.
- Saint Sabbas refused Justinian's offer of a steady income for his monks, asking instead for tax relief for Palestine, a hospice in Jerusalem, an end to heresies vexing the churches, and strongholds for monasteries.
- The emperor granted the requests eagerly and sent decrees in all directions without delay.
- At the third hour Sabbas left to pray and recite the Psalms of David, telling his disciple Jeremiah that the emperor was doing his duty and we are doing ours.
- From the Gerondikon: Amma Theodora on hearing worldly talk without harm, the bee that makes honey wherever it goes, Abba Sisoes against man-pleasing, and keeping the prayer rule like the heron that has a dwelling everywhere.