ANYTHING MORE IS FROM THE EVIL ONE

1Kings 19.19-21; Ps 15; Mt 5,33-37
16 JUNE
From a word of Satan came death and all evil connected to it in the world. Nothing is more dangerous than a word. It can destroy more than a nuclear device. The effects of nuclear bomb last for centuries, those of the word are eternal.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'” But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves (Gen 3,1-7).

The Book of Sirach knowing how much evil a single word can produce, asks everyone that before it is spoken, it is well thought out, measured and weighed.

Cursed be gossips and the double-tongued, for they destroy the peace of many. A meddlesome tongue subverts many, and makes them refugees among the peoples; It destroys walled cities, and overthrows powerful dynasties. A meddlesome tongue can drive virtuous women from their homes and rob them of the fruit of their toil; Whoever heeds it has no rest, nor can he dwell in peace. A blow from a whip raises a welt, but a blow from the tongue smashes bones; Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as by the tongue. Happy he who is sheltered from it, and has not endured its wrath; Who has not borne its yoke nor been fettered with its chain; For its yoke is a yoke of iron and its chains are chains of bronze! Dire is the death it inflicts, besides which even the nether world is a gain; It will not take hold among the just nor scorch them in its flame, But those who forsake the Lord will fall victims to it, as it burns among them unquenchably! It will hurl itself against them like a lion; like a panther, it will tear them to pieces. As you hedge round your vineyard with thorns, set barred doors over your mouth; As you seal up your silver and gold, so balance and weigh your words. Take care not to slip by your tongue and fall victim to your foe waiting in ambush (Sir 28,13-26).

A single word uttered by the Christian leads away from Christ Jesus and only one word attracts. For one word it leads to hell and for another it leads to heaven. For a word, a man is saved and for a word he is destroyed. Nothing in man is more powerful than the word. Nobody believes, but it is as omnipotent as that of our God. For it we save a soul and for it we lose it. As Jesus said the Word of the Father because He lived in the heart of the Father, so the Christian can say the Word of Christ if he dwells in the heart of Christ. He lives in the heart of Christ if he does his will, obeying his Gospel. Whoever does not live the Gospel, might never say the Word of Jesus.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.

The Christian does not need any oath. The word is enough to him. The truth for him will always be truth. Falsehood always falsehood. Never will he turn falsehood into truth and never truth into falsehood. Consequently he does not need to attest his word by calling God to witness it. Yes for him is yes, true yes and no is no, true no. If this is not so, his word does not come from Christ Jesus, but from the Evil One. It is a word of falsehood.

Wise Virgin, Angels and Saints make us dwell in the heart of Christ to say his Word.