THE PHYSICAL AND THE SPIRITUAL MINISTRY from the Syriac book of steps Part 1

THE PHYSICAL AND THE SPIRITUAL MINISTRY from the Syriac book of steps Memra(Speech/Homily) 3, Pp.40-46

I. When two children eat the same vegetables and drink the same milk, one can still grow taller than another. In the same way, although the commandments have been given to all, one person still grows more than another: whoever lowers himself most grows best through the spiritual ministry, which consists in keeping the major and gentle commandments. Then there is also the physical ministry that is practiced by the person who simply gives to the needy in the manner of Abraham, without inquiring who deserves it and who does not, but who receives everyone as righteous people and as prophets,~ though they may well be neither of the two. Our Lord gave his word that 'truly, this person shall not lose his reward'? This also applies to him who makes his love shine on the good and the evil, as the Father's 'sun shines on all the good and evil', but especially on those who build up and manifest the truth, who belong to the 'household of faith'. Scripture says, 'Do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.4 So if (c.48) you give to the evil ones, you should give all the more to the good ones. If you are required to receive and refresh those who do have possessions and a profession, when they are staying or traveling in a country that is foreign to them, you should do that all the more to those who have no possessions or a profession, who apply themselves wholly to the teaching of our Lord, since 'no soldier on service, who gets entangled in civilian pursuits, can satisfy him who has enlisted him'.For the servant of our Lord is continually in his presence, in accordance with what he said: 'Where I am, there shall my servant be also-with me and in my preence'.

2. One ministry is more excellent than another, just as one portion is greater than another; the portion of the Perfect is greater than the portion that is inherited by the Upright, who come second to the Perfect. The Upright are those who have various shortcomings, because they have not arrived at keeping all the commandments of our Lord. They do not do the whole of the 'great, acceptable and perfect will of God',7 because they have not emptied themselves nor sought sanctification. It was to these Upright ones that our Lord said, 'If you are not pursuing Perfection, then satisfy the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, give relief to the oppressed, visit those in prison and supply their needs, welcome strangers, and whatever you do to those', thus our Lord says (c.49 to these, 'you do to me'.8 'Because of this,' he also said, 'Come, inherit the kingdom'.9 Is this then a way for those who stand in the care and trouble of this world to become Perfect? No. Those who receive our Lord hungry and naked are always handicapped by various shortcomings due to the fact that they labor in earthly spheres and consequently cannot follow the whole truth, toiling as they are in [worldly] anxiety. Has he whom they have welcomed then deceived them when he said to them, 'Come, inherit the kingdom'? No, because our Lord never said that anyone who is not Perfect will not be saved. What he did say was that 'the disciple who cannot be of such a Perfection as I have demonstrated will not be able to attain to that portion from which Adam of old has fallen.

3, But there remains a bequest even after the major portion; if someone acts justly in earthly matters in doing many good works and in not wronging anyone, he will thereby become an Upright one. Even people who occasionally commit transgressions or act in the wrong way, providing their good works are more numerous than their evil works, will still find mercy, be delivered, and saved. But they will not attain that major portion, which Jesus prepares for the Perfect, who will be allowed to dwell with him in eternal glory, unless they perfect themselves so that they are without faults when they depart from this world, in accordance with what has been written, 'As you shall be found, so you shall be taken'. Such (c.52) people are contesting and wrestling like athletes; they 'strike and receive blows'. Our Lord said to them: 'If after having struck and after having received blows, you have won and come up from the contest, received the wreath and with it departed from this world, then your faults will not be remembered: as you are found in victory, so you will be taken, wearing your wreath'." Therefore, although the Upright, the doers of good works, do not inherit the particular portion of the Perfect, since they have not abandoned their riches and their wives, they will still inherit the lower portion, which is smaller than the first one.

4. Our Lord said: 'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me [something] to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was sick, I was in prison and you came to me. Therefore, come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you':= The Perfect eradicate all their faults by the power of our Lord, while patiently praying to him. He then quickly grants them their petitions and vindicates them, for our Lord promised, 'I will vindicate them speedily Behold, they are petitioning all the days of their lives, keeping (c.53) the commandments of our Lord and conquering their evil thoughts with which they fight continually within and without.'4 They patiently persist in petitioning until they have won, are crowned and receive the wreath of victory. Then they depart from this world and come with our Lord into that portion that he has prepared for them, that is to say, the highest level. This level is being prepared for those who through the Spirit have a spiritual ministry, which consists of keeping the major commandments. In this spiritual ministry and in this Perfection, they eradicate all their faults by the power of our Lord, as has been desmbed above. To those, however, whose works are evil, the Apostle says the following, 'There is no inheritance in the kingdom of God for those who perfom the works of the flesh: fornication, carousing, murder, drunkenness, adultery, and Stealing'.' Because they never do an honest deed it is evident that they neither inherit the kingdom, nor receive salvation.