The Bridge of Hope
3. If you have faith in the Lord you will fear punishment, and this fear will lead you to control the passions. Once you control the passions you will accept affliction patiently, and through such acceptance you will acquire hope in God. Hope in God separates the intellect from every worldly attachment, and when the intellect is detached in this way it will acquire love for God.
St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #3
I remember as a child that fearing punishment was a great deterrent until I realized I could endure the punishment set forth. Then, my parents used the very phrase that still cuts me to my core…Justin I am just disappointed in you! This very phrase could and still does cause me great pause and reflection. I think that God is often looking at us as a parent at times smiling at us and saying to us, I am just disappointed in that choice and always loving us as my parents did. This recognition of God’s love, as I mentioned in my first two posts helps us on our spiritual ascent which brings us to my friend Maximus and statement 3.
Maximus the Confessor's third pronouncement delineates a systematic pathway for the spiritual aspirant, moving from the foundational virtue of faith to the pinnacle of divine love. This pathway, meticulously articulated, captures the essence of inner transformation and the interconnectedness of virtues.
"If you have faith in the Lord you will fear punishment, and this fear will lead you to control the passions. " Here, faith is presented not just as a passive belief but as an active principle that directly influences behavior. The fear stemming from faith is again not about being petrified, but a conscious acknowledgment of divine justice and the consequences of one's actions. This conscious acknowledgment naturally motivates an individual to control their passions – the raw, untamed energies and desires that can potentially lead one astray.
"Once you control the passions you will accept affliction patiently, and through such acceptance you will acquire hope in God. " The journey from controlling passions to patient acceptance of affliction showcases a maturity of the soul. Life is replete with challenges, and when one has mastery over passions, they are better equipped to face these challenges without resistance or bitterness. This patient endurance, in turn, deepens one's connection with the Divine, leading to a robust hope in God. Hope here is not mere wishful thinking, but a profound trust in the Divine's benevolence and the larger cosmic plan.
"Hope in God separates the intellect from every worldly attachment, and when the intellect is detached in this way it will acquire love for God. " Hope acts as a bridge, enabling the intellect to rise above the transient and the mundane. This detachment from worldly attachments doesn't denote rejection or disdain for the world but signifies a freedom from the undue influence of fleeting pleasures and pains. With the intellect unshackled from these transient bonds, it naturally inclines towards the eternal, culminating in a profound love for God.
In this statement, Maximus the Confessor elegantly charts the soul's journey, emphasizing that each stage of spiritual development is intrinsically linked to the next. The roadmap he presents is not merely theoretical but is deeply experiential, guiding the seeker from the rudimentary understanding of faith to the exalted realms of divine love. This interconnected ladder of virtues reminds us that spiritual growth is sequential and cumulative, requiring both perseverance and grace.