By Fr Georgios Lekkas*
Pride is the foremost obstacle to entering into relationship with a God who is characterised by humility. The proud man replicates the fall of Lucifer, since he acknowledges no other deity but himself. He only needs others so that he can compare himself with them and affirm his superiority to them. Of course he does not draw his strength from God, but rather from the admiration of others. And if at any time he does turn to God, it is only in order to seek His admiration, as he does with everyone else. The proud man knows better than God how to put order in the world and if he could, following the example of his father Lucifer, he would even overthrow God Himself so that he could set about correcting His ‘mistakes’ undisturbed.
The proud man is closed and hard-hearted. Others, including even God Himself, are only there to maintain his self image. For the proud man other people are not persons to relate to but only eyes in which his own image is reflected. Indeed, because the proud man cannot enter into a qualitative personal relationship with anyone, he needs as many eyes as possible to admire him. If it were up to him he would eliminate them all: the only reason that might prevent him from doing so is that then there would no longer be anyone to admire him.
Yet out of His infinite humility God does not leave the proud man to his fate. He allows circumstances to create a crack in the proud man’s image of himself, such as failures, bereavements, old age, illnesses or even impending death, in order to find a way to save him. The proud man only needs to take one step outside his pride for the God of Humility to run and fall at his feet to save him. Such is the Divine Humility that it is even willing to wait for the proud man to turn around in the depths of his Hell. For the God who abhors pride has come to win even the worst sinner, who is the one who is victim of his own pride.
There is joyful celebration in Heaven every time the God of Humility wins over another soul that was once filled with pride. The proud one who has been humbled and has experienced the sweet sense of the presence of the God of Humility within him now hates his pride more than anything else and continually seeks to diminish himself, so that the Lord may continually increase within him. The growing sense of the Divine Presence further humbles the once proud heart that feels unworthy of such a God. The more it realises its unworthiness the more it loves Him. Man learns to enter into relationship when he realises his utter weakness without the supreme Beloved who is the Lord. Henceforth he only has eyes to see the Lord. May we come to know and be sustained in this love in the manner of the publican, so that it is not necessary for us to undergo the painful instruction of the proud.
The Publican and the Pharisee Sunday 25.2.24.
*Protopresbyter Dr Georgios Lekkas is a priest of the Holy Orthodox Diocese of Belgium
