Deuteronomy 20:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Should you forsake the grace of the Lord, you will not revert to the self-perception you once held prior to entering monastic life. Instead, in the eyes of your neighbors, your friends, and family, you may appear as one who betrayed the faith, for who urged you to undertake a journey you were unable to follow through? Isn’t this what the law expresses? It is written in the law, if anyone is ‘fearful and weak in heart,’ let him refrain from joining the battle, ‘and let him return to his house, lest he dishearten his brother.’ Word 90. To the monk who has succumbed to despair.

Among those who claim to have forsaken the world, yet are still ensnared by disbelief and fear losing their worldly goods, the instruction given in Deuteronomy serves as a profound reminder: “He that is fearful and faint-hearted, let him not go to war; let him go and return to his own house, lest he make his brethren's hearts timid as his own heart.” This declaration is unmistakably clear. Does Scripture not wish that such individuals be disqualified from this title, rather than risk leading others away from the fullness of the gospel through their words and dangerous examples, thus weakening the resolve against disbelief?

The individual who understands the value of endurance strives to cultivate it, reflective of the wisdom of St. Basil, who cautions against hastily arming oneself against every passion. There is a risk of failing and retreating, which could lead to being excluded from the Kingdom of God (cf. Lk. 9:62). Instead, one should confront each passion incrementally, starting with the endurance required for the circumstances one faces. This is indeed true. For anyone lacking patience cannot withstand the battles of the tangible world. Instead of standing firm, they cause both themselves and others to falter and face destruction through their avoidance.