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An inspiring message of Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo, abducted in Syria since 2013. May we have his prayers!
Video recording: 18.08.2012 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_J0A973-Y0
English translation by Waad Rabahie
Photo cover: Vatopedi Monastery, Mount Athos, asceticexperience.com
Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo:
The parable of the evil servant (the unforgiving debtor)…
The parable has some contradictions: how is he evil while he is called “servant of God”? The contradiction between worshiping God and being a [bad] testimony of God is horrible.
He kneeled down before Him, but went outside and did the contrary. He worshiped God and prayed and begged Him, but went outside and put his brother in jail. Although God gave him an experience of Himself, showing him that God forgives… He was evil because he didn’t do as God did, though he calls himself a servant of God.
According to the Christian faith, to be a servant of God is to imitate HIM. We don’t have the right to say we are Christians and we are servants of God while the images of our faces don’t look like God.
Imitating God (to be in the likeness of God) is the worship of God…
God does an act of love towards me. How then do I love God? Where do I love God? I can’t send it [my love] with the incense to the Heavens… love towards God is done towards my brother, by serving him who is a servant like me.
Evil servant is not the one who does evil or kills people…
Evil servant is the one who doesn’t do good as the good God, despite God has been good to him or her many times.
“Freely you have received, freely give…” [Matthew 10:8]
The Christian is not the one who loves Christ or does some good deeds… The Christian is the one who is in place of Christ…
The worshiping servant is he who worships God and asks of God… and as God gives him, he must come out of his prayer and worship a bit like God and act like that among people.
Evil worship is to worship but hurt others… to worship the Good One, while being ungood in our acts…
