Holy Martyrs Mamas; Venerable Father John the Faster, Patriarch of Constantinople
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
2 Corinthians 11:5-21; Mark 4:1-9
Read 2 Corinthians 11:5-21
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In today’s reading, St. Paul admits that he is “untrained in speech” yet “not in knowledge” (2 Cor. 11:6). Later on, he repeats: “I say again, let no one think me a fool” (2 Cor. 11:16). Paul’s authority had been undermined by false apostles. These self-proclaimed apostles would travel and teach a perversion of Christ’s gospel. They boasted of themselves to persuade others of their credentials and supposed apostleship, claiming for themselves an authority which can only be given by Christ. Unlike them, Paul humbled himself. He preached the gospel to the Corinthians expecting no payment from them and making an effort not to put any burden on them whatsoever, doing so out of his great love for them.
The false apostles presented themselves in the best possible light to earn respect and admiration, but Paul says: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Christ tells us that “a tree is known by its fruit” (Mt. 12:33), and so the Corinthians could discern Paul’s holiness by his love and humility as compared to the false apostles.
Let us be careful not to judge by appearances. We will never know the inner heart of someone, and only God can know a person through and through. The Corinthians could have superficially looked at the eloquent, self-proclaimed apostles and think them more legitimate than the unassuming Paul who a short while ago had been persecuting Christians. Looking with deeper, spiritual eyes, the Corinthians could have seen the fatherly love with which Paul ministered to them and be moved by Paul’s humility. Let us commit ourselves to see with our “spiritual eyes” and to judge a tree by its fruit and not its outward appearance.