بقلم: الراهب القمص كاراس المحرقى
By: Fr. Karas Al-Muharraqy
الخطية كما عرَّفها لنا الكتاب المقدّس هى التعدّي على شرائع الله وأوامره، يقول القديس يوحنَّا الحبيب: " كُلُّ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ الْخَطِيَّةَ يَفْعَلُ التَّعَدِّيَ أَيْضاً، وَالْخَطِيَّةُ هِيَ التَّعَدِّي " (1يو4:3).
في عالمنا يُعد المعتدي على قوانين أرضية وضعها بشر مجرماً، فكم يكون إجرام من يتعدّى على قوانين السماء التي وضعها ملك السماء والأرض وسيّد كل البشر؟! فالخاطيء إذن مجرماً لأنّه تعدَّى على ناموس الله.
وليس هذا فقط بل استبدل ناموس الله بناموس إبليس حتى تلُذ له خطاياه، ويجد لنفسه مسلكاً ليبرر به أفعاله الأثيمة، نعم لقد أبدل الخطاة ناموس المحبة والصفح والغفران.. بناموس الكراهية والحقد والخصام والحسد.. زعماً منهم بأنَّ الحياة تتطلب أن يعامل الإنسان الآخرين بالمثل، وإلاَّ انقضوا عليه كوحوش وافترسوه.
وأبدلوا ناموس التواضع بالكبرياء والسعي وراء العظمة العالمية، قائلين: إن هذا يليق بمركزهم الاجتماعيّ، ومدَّعين أنّه يجب أن يكون هناك تفاوت في المعاملات، كما أنَّ هناك تفاوتاً في المراكز والثروات.. بين البشر!
كما أبدلوا ناموس الحشمة والوقار اللائقين بأولاد وبنات الله، بناموس الموضة الخليعة، التي تجعل الإنسان في صورة تقشعر لها الأبدان، وناموس القداسة بالنجاسة، فامتهنوا حُرمة العفاف، وبدلاً من أن يمتلئوا بالروح القدس وينعموا بثماره، امتلئوا سكراً وأكلاً.. مدَّعين أنَّ في هذا لذة الحياة!
والحق إنَّ كل من يحيا بهذا الفكر الشهوانيّ العقيم، لم يدرك أنَّ الله لم يُعطِ الإنسان الوصايا إلاَّ لسعادته، وأنَّ كل تصرّف ضد هذه الوصايا يكون ضد سعادته، وأفضل تشبيه له هو المجنون الذي يحيا وسط الآلام ويقول: إنَّها ينابيع السعادة!! ويحتضن النار معتقداً أنَّها النور!! ويسير في طريق الهاوية ظاناً منه أنَّها طريق الحياة!
إنَّ كل من يرجع إلى التاريخ، يعرف أنَّ الخطية هى التي كانت السبب في كل المصائب التي حلّت على العالم، منذ أن وجد إلى وقتنا هذا:
+ فما الذي طرح المحبّة من قلب آدم وملأه بالخوف، وطرده من جنّة عدن، وجعله يشعر بعُريه؟!
+ وما السبب الذي جعل قايين يخرج هائماً على وجهه، هارباً من مكان إلى آخر، وقلبه مضطرباً خوفاً من أن يحصد ما قد زرعته يداه؟!
+ بل ما الذي جعل الله يغضب على خليقته، ويُلاشيها مرّة بالطوفان ومرّة بالنار والكبريت؟!
+ هل تستطيع أن تقول لي ما الذي جلب الشقاء على العالم أجمع، إذ الجميع بدون استثناء يأكلون خبزهم بعرق جبينهم؟!
إنَّها الخطية.. ولهذا يقول مار إسحق السريانيّ:
لماذا أغرق الله جيل كامل بالطوفان أيام نوح؟
أليس بسبب الفسق!
ولماذا احترقت مدينة سدوم؟
أليس لأنّهم أسلموا أعضاءهم إلى الشهوة والنجاسة!
لأي سبب سقط شمشون المنذر لله من بطن أُمه؟
أليس لأنّه دنّس أعضائه المقدسة باجتماعه مع فاسقة!
وداود الذي استحق بفضائله أن يُشرق المسيح منه.
أليس بسبب فسقه مع امرأة نال القصاص!
لولا الخطية ما حدث كل ذلك.. ولهذا يصف مُعلّمنا القديس بولس الرسول الخطية بأنَّها: " خَاطئة جداً " (رو13:7)، وحزقيال النبيّ يؤكد أنَّ الموت هو أُجرة كل من يفعلها: " النَّفْسُ الَّتِي تُخْطِئُ هِيَ تَمُوتُ " (حز4:18).
Sin, as defined to us by the Holy Bible, is the transgression against God's laws and commandments.
The Beloved Saint John says: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4).
In our world, whoever violates earthly laws set by humans is considered a criminal.
How much greater, then, is the criminality of one who violates the laws of heaven set by the King of heaven and earth and the Lord of all mankind?!
Therefore, the sinner is a criminal because he has transgressed against the law of God.
Not only this, but he has replaced the law of God with the law of Satan so that his sins may become pleasant to him, and so he can find a path to justify his sinful deeds.
Yes, sinners have exchanged the law of love, forbearance, and forgiveness for the law of hatred, malice, strife, and envy.
They claim that life requires a person to treat others in kind, otherwise, they would spring upon him like beasts and devour him.
They have exchanged the law of humility for pride and the pursuit of worldly greatness, saying that this befits their social status.
They claim that there must be disparities in interactions just as there are disparities in positions and wealth among humans!
They have also exchanged the law of modesty and dignity, which befit the sons and daughters of God, for the law of indecent fashion, which makes a person look in a way that makes one's flesh crawl.
They exchanged the law of holiness for impurity, thus profaning the sanctity of chastity.
Instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit and enjoying His fruits, they became filled with drunkenness and gluttony, claiming that in this lies the pleasure of life!
In truth, everyone who lives with this futile, sensual mindset fails to realize that God gave commandments to man only for his happiness, and that every action contrary to these commandments is against his own happiness.
The best description for such a person is a madman who lives amidst suffering yet says: "These are the springs of happiness!!" and embraces fire believing it to be light, and walks on the path of the abyss thinking it is the way of life!
Anyone who looks back at history knows that sin was the cause of all the calamities that befell the world from its inception until our present time:
What else cast love out of Adam's heart, filled it with fear, expelled him from the Garden of Eden, and made him feel his nakedness?!
And what cause made Cain wander aimlessly, fleeing from one place to another, his heart troubled with fear of reaping what his own hands had sown?!
Nay, what made God angry with His creation, destroying it once with the flood and another with fire and brimstone?!
Can you tell me what brought misery upon the entire world, such that everyone without exception eats their bread by the sweat of their brow?!
It is sin... and for this reason, Saint Isaac the Syrian says:
Why did God drown an entire generation with the flood in the days of Noah? Was it not because of debauchery!
And why was the city of Sodom burned? Was it not because they surrendered their members to lust and impurity!
For what reason did Samson, who was a Nazirite consecrated to God from his mother's womb, fall? Was it not because he defiled his holy members by associating with a harlot!
And David, who by his virtues deserved that Christ should shine forth from his lineage—was it not because of his transgression with a woman that he received punishment!
Were it not for sin, none of this would have happened... and for this reason, our teacher Saint Paul the Apostle describes sin as being "exceedingly sinful" (Romans 7:13).
The Prophet Ezekiel confirms that death is the wages of everyone who commits it: "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4).
The Beloved Saint John says: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4).
In our world, whoever violates earthly laws set by humans is considered a criminal.
How much greater, then, is the criminality of one who violates the laws of heaven set by the King of heaven and earth and the Lord of all mankind?!
Therefore, the sinner is a criminal because he has transgressed against the law of God.
Not only this, but he has replaced the law of God with the law of Satan so that his sins may become pleasant to him, and so he can find a path to justify his sinful deeds.
Yes, sinners have exchanged the law of love, forbearance, and forgiveness for the law of hatred, malice, strife, and envy.
They claim that life requires a person to treat others in kind, otherwise, they would spring upon him like beasts and devour him.
They have exchanged the law of humility for pride and the pursuit of worldly greatness, saying that this befits their social status.
They claim that there must be disparities in interactions just as there are disparities in positions and wealth among humans!
They have also exchanged the law of modesty and dignity, which befit the sons and daughters of God, for the law of indecent fashion, which makes a person look in a way that makes one's flesh crawl.
They exchanged the law of holiness for impurity, thus profaning the sanctity of chastity.
Instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit and enjoying His fruits, they became filled with drunkenness and gluttony, claiming that in this lies the pleasure of life!
In truth, everyone who lives with this futile, sensual mindset fails to realize that God gave commandments to man only for his happiness, and that every action contrary to these commandments is against his own happiness.
The best description for such a person is a madman who lives amidst suffering yet says: "These are the springs of happiness!!" and embraces fire believing it to be light, and walks on the path of the abyss thinking it is the way of life!
Anyone who looks back at history knows that sin was the cause of all the calamities that befell the world from its inception until our present time:
What else cast love out of Adam's heart, filled it with fear, expelled him from the Garden of Eden, and made him feel his nakedness?!
And what cause made Cain wander aimlessly, fleeing from one place to another, his heart troubled with fear of reaping what his own hands had sown?!
Nay, what made God angry with His creation, destroying it once with the flood and another with fire and brimstone?!
Can you tell me what brought misery upon the entire world, such that everyone without exception eats their bread by the sweat of their brow?!
It is sin... and for this reason, Saint Isaac the Syrian says:
Why did God drown an entire generation with the flood in the days of Noah? Was it not because of debauchery!
And why was the city of Sodom burned? Was it not because they surrendered their members to lust and impurity!
For what reason did Samson, who was a Nazirite consecrated to God from his mother's womb, fall? Was it not because he defiled his holy members by associating with a harlot!
And David, who by his virtues deserved that Christ should shine forth from his lineage—was it not because of his transgression with a woman that he received punishment!
Were it not for sin, none of this would have happened... and for this reason, our teacher Saint Paul the Apostle describes sin as being "exceedingly sinful" (Romans 7:13).
The Prophet Ezekiel confirms that death is the wages of everyone who commits it: "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4).
تعليقات
إرسال تعليق