Ignorance and Arrogance
Sunday after Theophany
Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 4:12-17
When it is very hot outside, it is difficult to breathe in deep valleys, there is not enough air, or rather, the air becomes heavy to breathe. Likewise, on high mountains, where the air is thin, people have difficulty breathing.
Extreme ignorance and superstition harm the understanding of Christian truth. All kinds of superstitions, whispering (and whispering women, “wax-pouring,” as incredible as it may seem, still exist in Canada, even until recently this was advertised in the U.V.), divination, have nothing to do with Christianity. Gullible people are often led astray because the name of Christ, the holy apostles, etcetera, is mentioned in all kinds of whispering and meaningless procedures.
All of these so-called signs: the first woman coming in the door on New Year's Day is bad luck, a black cat crossing the road is bad luck--all these are remnants of paganism and great ignorance. Yet, we are aware that superstition is widespread among different nations. There are also hospitals that do not have rooms numbered 13, hotels and apartment buildings which do not have a 13th floor, and/or rooms with that number (in Windsor, for example).
Enemies of Christianity, all kinds of atheists use arguments, because some of the Christians continue to believe in superstitions. But there is no reason to find fault in the teachings of Christ for this, other than to accept that we are to blame for the fact that we have not yet fully enlightened the minds and senses of all people with the truth of The Gospel. But the way of thinking of some people is such that they find it difficult to perceive the truth.
There is also a second extreme among people - this is arrogance, imaginary omniscience. A person who has tasted the rudiments of learning, who has not received a deeper education, trustingly grasps the theories and hypotheses put forward by various theorists and is quick to confidently assert that there is no God and that nature itself created the entire multifaceted and diverse world.
Such a person, having been told that mankind descended from a monkey, stands firm in this and propagandizes, although no one can prove that simplistic assertion, in which there is no logic.
A monkey is indeed physically similar to a human, but only physically. Intellectually, mentally, and in their way of life, monkeys are not only not like humans, but they are far below many animals, birds, and even insects.
Discerning scientific researchers of nature have confirmed that the little bee is much closer to humans in terms of its intelligence and organization of life in swarms than the largest apes. Bees have a division of duties: there is a ruler-queen, there are guards, there are those who carry pollen, those who take care of maintaining the appropriate temperature, and they know how to do that cooling! Bees have an organization comparable to that of a well-organized state.
Or, let's take animals like beavers: they build dams, but they choose the narrowest place, where the current is weaker. Beavers build their homes in such a way that they have an attic, so that the sun does not scorch them in hot weather... Scientific engineers, in many cases, after careful research, chose places for dams and bridges precisely where beavers built their dams.
Some birds build nests in such a way that no wind will knock them down, building with both beauty and utility in mind. There are birds that mate for life and adhere to marital morals and fidelity—for example, swans. Similar relationships exist among eagles: a bald eagle will die when wounded, even after people heal its wound, if its mate is not found.
Some birds can imitate humans, can learn to pronounce human words, but no monkey can learn to pronounce human words. Monkeys have no concept of either dignity or any kind of morality. They do not have an organized community; most of them are unable to even make themselves a den, let alone build a dwelling or home, whereas most birds and many small animals do make burrows for themselves.
All of this indicates that we should not conclude that people are related to apes or any other creatures based on external similarities. Inwardly and spiritually, humans are unlike anyone else, and no earthly creatures can be compared to humans - we come to this conclusion through cognition and study of the world around us, and we know from the Holy Scriptures that God created man in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26)
The Lord Jesus Christ began preaching His divine teaching to people who were in darkness:
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light”. (Matthew 4:16)
That gospel light has shone and is shining to all people who seek salvation. The gospel teaching of Christ is accessible to everyone, understandable to whoever sincerely desires to know God’s will and to follow it.
Electronics, chemistry, medicine, astronomy, and other complex sciences can only be understood by people with a certain professional training. The Gospel teaching, on the other hand, is accessible to all people with a sincere heart: both highly educated and poorly educated. The preaching of love, mercy, and forgiveness is understandable to anyone who wants to see the gospel light of truth.
The sun warms the fields and swamps. God sends His grace to all people, but not everyone wants to make use of that gift of God. Therefore, just as marshes can emit poisonous vapors when heated by the sun, and fields and orchards can produce beneficial fruits, so, too, people who are eager to do the will of their Creator can bear the fruits of faith--love and mercy, and people who close themselves off from the light of God, who are in darkness, are heading for destruction.
And all those who trustingly follow those who are spiritually blind will inevitably perish. The Lord said:
“And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)
Amen.
Very Rev. Fr. Taras Slavchenko
Taras Slavchenko was born on March 8, 1918 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. After graduating from school and the Pedagogical College, he entered the language and literature faculty of the Scientific Pedagogical Institute. Having successfully completed it in 1938, he served as a teacher in a secondary school.
