Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, the wise King Solomon, speaking of the vanity of the world and the injustice in it, concluded: there is nothing new under the sun…
Before that, his father, the glorious King David, sang in his songs, “Now at every step we are surrounded (the wicked); they have set their eyes on me to bring me down to the ground ”(Ps. 16:11) Ps. 17:24).
Elsewhere, overwhelmed with love for God’s righteousness, he sang, “The wicked shall not abide before thine eyes” (Ps. 5: 6). That’s right! Their wickedness will never remain before God’s eyes, nor will it be in Paradise – the Kingdom of eternal life, the Kingdom of God. However, their wickedness will remain on earth for a long time. Evil will take over the nations. They will be moved against the Lord and against His Anointed Christ, as well as against all righteousness and truth.
Yes! Thousands of years ago, words inspired by the Holy Spirit were written; and they are eternal in meaning, content, and dignity.
We haven’t grown much today. Nothing has changed. And what changes changes for the worse. There are few good examples. The wicked and the wicked are at the top again, they rule and frame boldly.
What should Christians in the world do when they see the wickedness of the wicked and the evil of the wicked? How to accept it, how to treat them, who are often their neighbors (brothers in fate and field, fellow citizens, family)? What to do with the feelings in your soul that are not among the best.
In the Gospel is the answer to this, as well as to all the questions that concern the mind of the believing Christian.
The wicked is ungrateful and evil. He “thanks” God with evil for the good He has rewarded us with, delivering us from death and giving us eternal life. And here that St. Apostle Luke, transmitting the words of Christ in his gospel, claims that “He (God) is kind to both the ungrateful and the wicked” (Luke 6:35)!
Seeing modern people, their thoughts, their lives and their personal, ambitious dreams, I do not believe that anyone could understand the words of Christ. Church and religious people would try, but others would certainly not. Most of the world is not interested in divine words, let alone complex theological treatises! Although tragic, this is true. And how did we get here? There is simply nothing new under the sun.
The gospel is a message of love, of love for God and neighbor. St. ev. John the Theologian repeatedly reminds people that no one can love God but hate his brother. It is not specified who our brother is and whether he is bad, good, evil, ungrateful or, in general, wicked. The world is darkened by evil. Through it, the divine light is temporarily overshadowed not by man, but by the evil demon. That is why our hatred and disgust should not be directed at people, at our neighbors, but at him. In fact, he tempts us too! And we often surrender to his wicked will. That is why we cannot hate any of our brethren. What’s more: we must all love.
God is a perfect image of mercy. He gave His Only Begotten Son, sacrificing Him for the sins of men, in the name of His fatherly love for Creation. So, we must in every way, infinitely forgive and sacrifice our own selfishness, our pride and our selfishness for the love of God. And also, in order to be able to gain true love for God and neighbor, to pray for all who have temporarily, of their own free will, succumbed to the temptations of the wicked.
Really! There will be no evil, wickedness or hatred in the Kingdom of God, but we sincerely wish that the spirits of the wicked and the evil ones, who have previously been cleansed of their sin through shaky repentance, end up there! Perhaps this is what the Creator wants! That is why he is kind to them.
Until then, let us be like the one who “walks blamelessly, does righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart; He who does not slander with his tongue, does not do evil to his friend, and does not tolerate insults to his neighbor ”(Ps. 14: 2-3).
Then, calmly, confidently, and undisturbed by the wickedness of the wicked, we will be able to exclaim like the Psalmist and say, “I have always seen the Lord before me, for He is at my right hand; I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; and my flesh shall rest in hope ”(Ps. 15: 8-9). “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not need any thing: he setteth me up in the high places of the grass, and leadeth me into still waters” (Ps. 22: 1-2).
