24/11/2013, Ο πλούσιος νεανίας, του Μητροπολίτου Anthonny Bloom

Ο πλούσιος νεανίας




Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ και τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.

Ὁ Κύριος μᾶς προειδοποιεῖ σήμερα πόσο δύσκολο εἶναι γιὰ ἕναν ἄνθρωπο πλούσιο νὰ εἰσέλθει στὴν Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. Αὐτὸ σημαίνει ὅτι ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι ἀνοιχτὴ μόνο στοὺς ἀναγκεμένους, σ’ ἐκείνους ποὺ εἶναι φτωχοί, ποὺ στεροῦνται τὰ πάντα στὴ γῆ; Ὄχι. Ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι ἀνοιχτὴ σὲ ὅλους ποὺ δὲν εἶναι σκλαβωμένοι στὰ πράγματα ποὺ κατέχουν. 

Ὅταν διαβάζουμε τὸν πρῶτο Μακαρισμὸ, «Εὐλογημένοι εἶναι οἱ φτωχοὶ στο πνεῦμα, διότι σ’ αὐτοὺς ἀνήκει ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν», μᾶς δίνεται ἕνα κλειδὶ νὰ κατανοήσουμε τοῦτον τὸν λόγο : πτωχοὶ στὸ πνεῦμα εἶναι ἐκεῖνοι ποὺ κατανόησαν ὅτι δὲν ἔχουν τὴν κυριότητα σὲ τίποτα ἀπ’ ὅσα κατέχουν. Εἴμαστε δημιούργημα τῆς Θεϊκῆς ἐνέργειας, ἔχουμε ἀγαπηθεῖ σὰν ὑπάρξεις· ἔχουμε προσφερθεῖ ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸ νὰ εἴμαστε σὲ κοινωνία μαζί Του στὴν ὁποία δὲν ἔχουμε καθόλου δικαιώματα. Ὅ,τι εἴμαστε, ὅ,τι κατέχουμε δὲν μᾶς ἀνήκει μὲ τὴν ἔννοια ὅτι δὲν ἔχουμε φτιάξει τοὺς ἑαυτούς μας, δὲν δημιουργήσαμε ὅ,τι φαίνεται, ὅ,τι μᾶς ἀνήκει – κάθε τι ποὺ εἴμαστε καὶ ποὺ ἔχουμε εἶναι ἀγάπη, ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τίποτα δὲν κατέχουμε ἐπειδὴ τὰ πάντα εἶναι ἕνα δῶρο ποὺ τὸ χάνουμε τὴ στιγμὴ ποὺ θέλουμε νὰ τὸ κάνουμε κτῆμα μας και λέμε, «Εἶναι δικό μου».

Ἀπὸ τὴν ἄλλη, ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι ἀληθινὰ ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνων ποὺ γνωρίζουν ὅτι εἶναι ἀπέραντα πλούσιοι ἐπειδὴ μποροῦμε νὰ περιμένουμε τὰ πάντα ἀπὸ τὴν θεϊκὴ καὶ τὴν ἀνθρώπινη ἀγάπη. Εἴμαστε πλούσιοι ἐπειδὴ δὲν κατέχουμε τίποτα, εἴμαστε πλούσιοι ἐπειδὴ τὰ πάντα μᾶς ἔχουν δοθεῖ· καὶ ἔτσι εἶναι δύσκολο γιὰ κάποιον ποὺ φαντάζεται ὅτι εἶναι πλούσιος δικαιωματικὰ νὰ ἀνήκει σὲ τοῦτο τὸ βασίλειο ὅπου τὸ κάθε τι εἶναι δεῖγμα ἀγάπης, καὶ ποὺ τίποτα δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ κατέχουμε, ποὺ ἔχει ἀφαιρεθεῖ ἀπὸ ἄλλους· ἐπειδὴ τὴ στιγμὴ ποὺ λέμε ὅτι κατέχουμε κάτι ποὺ δὲν μᾶς ἔχει δοθεῖ εἴτε ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸ εἴτε ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπινη φροντίδα, τὸ ἀποκόβουμε ἀπὸ τὸ μυστήριο τῆς ἀγάπης. Ἀπὸ τὴν ἄλλη, τὴ στιγμὴ ποὺ ἀγκιστρωνόμαστε σὲ ὁτιδήποτε, γινόμαστε σκλάβοι του. 

Θυμᾶμαι ὅταν ἤμουν νέος, ἕναν ἄνδρα νὰ μοῦ λέει: Δὲν καταλαβαίνετε ὅτι τὴ στιγμὴ ποὺ παίρνεις στὰ χέρια σου ἕνα νόμισμα και δεν εἶσαι προετοιμασμένος νὰ ἀνοίξεις τὸ χέρι σου γιὰ νὰ τὸ ἀφήσεις, δὲν χρησιμοποιεῖς σωστὰ τὸ χέρι σου, τὸ σῶμα σου, ἐπειδὴ ὅλη ἡ προσοχὴ σου θὰ ἐπικεντρώνεται στὸ νὰ μὴν χάσεις αὐτὸ τὸ νόμισμα, - τὰ ὑπόλοιπα θὰ ξεχαστοῦν. 

Εἴτε κρατᾶμε ἕνα χάλκινο νόμισμα, εἴτε νοιώθουμε πλούσιοι – διανοητικὰ, συναισθηματικὰ, ὑλικὰ, - εἴμαστε φυλακισμένοι, ἔχουμε χάσει τὴ χρήση ἑνὸς μέρους τοῦ σώματος μας, τοῦ μυαλοῦ μας, τῆς καρδιᾶς μας· δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ εἴμαστε πιὰ ἐλεύθεροι, καὶ ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι βασιλεία ἐλευθερίας.

Ἀπὸ τὴν ἄλλη πλερὰ ἐπίσης, πόσο δύσκολο εἶναι γιὰ κάποιον ποὺ ποτὲ δὲν τοῦ ἔχει λείψει τίποτα, ποὺ πάντοτε εἶχε περισσότερα ἀπὸ ὅσα χρειαζόταν, νὰ συνειδητοποιήσει τὴν φτώχεια ἤ τὴν ἀνάγκη κάποιου ἄλλου: φτώχεια ὑλικὴ, συναισθηματικὴ, διανοητικὴ ἤ ὁποιαδήποτε ἄλλη ἀνάγκη. Ἀπαιτεῖται ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς νὰ εἴμαστε προσεχτικοὶ στὶς κινήσεις τῆς καρδιᾶς ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων καὶ στὶς ἀνάγκες τους ὥστε νὰ ἀνταποκριθοῦμε σ’ αὐτὲς. 

Κάποιος εἶπε στὰ Ρωσικὰ: «Ἕνας ἱκανοποιημένος δὲν κατανοεῖ πλέον ἕναν πεινασμένο»· ποιὸς ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς μπορεῖ νὰ πεῖ ὅτι εἴμαστε πεινασμένοι ἀπὸ ὁποιαδήποτε ἄποψη; Καὶ αὐτὸς εἶναι ὁ λὸγος ποὺ δὲν κατανοοῦμε τὶς ἀνάγκες τῶν ἀνθρώπων – τὶς ἀνάγκες ποὺ ἔχουν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ποὺ βρίσκονται ἐδῶ, ἤ αὐτὲς ποὺ ὑπάρχουν πέρα ἀπὸ τὶς ἀνάγκες τῆς δικῆς μας ἐκκλησίας. 

Λοιπὸν, ἄς προβληματιστοῦμε πάνω σ’ αὐτὸ· φτώχεια δὲν σημαίνει ἔνδεια· σημαίνει ἐλευθερία ἀπὸ τὴν ὑποδούλωση σὲ μιὰν αὐταπάτη ὅτι εἴμαστε αὐτάρκεις, δημιουργοὶ σ’ ὅ,τι εἴμαστε καὶ σὲ ὅ,τι κατέχουμε. Καὶ ἐπίσης ἐλεύθεροι ἀπὸ τὴν ὑποδούλωση σ’ αὐτὸ ποὺ μᾶς δίνεται γιὰ νὰ γίνουμε γεωργοὶ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Ἄς τὸ λάβουμε αὐτὸ ὑπόψιν μας· ἐπειδὴ ἄν τὸ μάθουμε, ἄν μάθουμε αὐτὸ ποὺ εἶπε ὁ Ἀπόστολος Παῦλος ὅτι εἴτε εἶναι πλούσιος, εἴτε πτωχὸς, εἶναι ἐξίσου πλούσιος ἐπειδὴ ὁ πλοῦτος του βρίσκεται στὸν Θεὸ καὶ στὴν ἀνθρώπινη ἀγάπη, τότε θὰ μποροῦμε, εἴτε ἔχουμε ὑλικὰ πράγματα εἴτε ὄχι, νὰ εἴμαστε ἐλεύθεροι ἀπὸ αὐτὰ, καὶ νὰ ἀνήκουμε στὴ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ποὺ εἶναι τὸ Βασίλειο τῆς ἀμοιβαίας ἀγάπης, ἤ τῆς ἀλληλεγγύης, τῆς συμπόνοιας τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου γιὰ τὸν ἄλλον, ποὺ εἶναι τὸ Βασίλειο τῆς προσφορᾶς τοῦ ἑνὸς πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον σὲ ὅ,τι μᾶς δόθηκε δωρεάν. Ἀμήν.


Ἀπόδοση: www.agiazoni.gr




Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο


The Rich Young Man
(St. Matthew XIX:16-26)
18.08.1991

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

The Lord warns us today of how difficult it is for a man who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. Does it mean that the Kingdom of God is open only to destitute, to those who are materially poor, who lack everything on earth? No. The Kingdom of God is open to all who are not enslaved by possessions. When we read the first Beatitude, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven’, we are given a key to this saying: the poor in spirit are those who have understood that they possess nothing which is their own. We have been created as an act of God, loved into existence; we are offered by God communion with Him to which we have no rights. All we are, all we possess is not our own in the sense that we have not made ourselves, we did not create what is seemingly ours - every thing which we are and which we have is love, the love of God and the love of people, and we cannot possess anything because everything is a gift that escapes us the moment we want to have possession of it and say, "It is mine".

On the other hand, the Kingdom of God is really the kingdom of those who are aware that they are infinitely rich because we can expect everything from love divine and from human love. We are rich because we possess nothing, we are rich because we are given all things; and so, it is difficult for one who imagines that he is rich in his own right to belong to that kingdom in which everything is a sign of love, and nothing can be possessed, as it were - taken away from others; because the moment we say that we possess something which is not given us either by God or by human care, we subtract it from the mystery of love.

On the other hand, the moment we cling to anything we become slaves of it. I remember when I was young, a man telling me: Don't you understand that the moment you have taken a copper coin in your hand and are not prepared to open your hand to let it go, you have lost the use of a hand, the use of an arm, the use of your body, because all your attention will be concentrated on not losing this copper coin, - the rest will be forgotten.

Whether we keep in our hand a copper coin, or whether we feel rich in so many other ways - intellectually, emotionally, materially is irrelevant, - we are prisoners, we have lost the use of a limb, the use of our mind, the use of our heart; we can no longer be free, and the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of freedom.

On the other hand also, how difficult it is to one who has never lacked anything, who has always possessed more than he needs, to be aware of the poverty or the need of another: poverty - material, emotional or intellectual, or any other lack. It requires a great deal of understanding and sympathy, it requires from us that we should learn to be attentive to the movements of other people's hearts and to their material needs in order to respond to them. One says in Russian 'A satisfied person no longer understands a hungry one'; which of us can say that we are hungry in any respect? And this is why we do not understand the needs of people - of one another here, or of people beyond the confines of our congregation.

So, let us reflect on that; poverty does not mean destitution; it means freedom from enslavement to an illusion that we are self-sufficient, self-contained, the creator of what we are and what we possess. And also free from enslavement to what is given us to make husbandmen of God.

Let us reflect on this; because if we learn this, if we learn what Saint Paul said that whether he is rich, whether he is destitute, he is equally rich because his richness is in God and in the human love. Then we will be able, whether we possess material things or not, to be free of them, and to belong to God's Kingdom which is a Kingdom of mutual love, or mutual solidarity, of compassion for one another, of giving to one another what we were given freely. Amen.
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Πηγή: Μητροπολίτης Anthonny Bloom, www.agiazoni.gr