THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Do you believe that those who wear ‘unrighteous measures in their garments’ (Micah 6:11), representing individuals who seek to amass wealth through greed and immoral desires, can evade My judgment? Their ill-gotten gains only serve to increase the abundance of their wickedness. They are deceivers and boastful, for those who love injustice are often driven by a yearning for shameful profits and influenced by falsehood. Those who have accumulated wealth often exhibit a disposition marked by arrogance and self-importance. The purveyors of ungodly teachings twist the truth and seduce the minds of the unsuspecting with their deceitful words, profiting by ensnaring many. However, those who have amassed such unrighteous wealth seldom speak what is undeniably true; instead, they communicate in a manner tainted by the guile of deceit.
The law consistently emphasizes fairness and serves as a directive for conducting a thorough examination of justice. In Deuteronomy, it is stated, “In your kisa you shall not have two weights, the larger and the smaller. Thy kettlebell shall be exact and correct, and thy ephah shall be exact and correct, that thy days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.... for it is abominable in the sight of the LORD thy God for every one that doeth unrighteousness” (Deuteronomy 25:13-16). Likewise, in Leviticus, it is written, “Thou shalt not do unrighteousness in judgement, in measure, in weight, and in measurement: that ye may have sure weights, and faithful weights” (Leviticus 19:35-36).
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The Lawgiver meticulously sought to align measures and weights with the essence of justice, which is fitting; for the mind of a just person seeks to evaluate and discern qualities with great precision, scrutinizing fairness more closely than those who merely test a coin on scales. This individual knows how to allocate what is most appropriate to each subject under consideration, maintaining the integrity of perfect equality without excess or deficiency. Therefore, it is stated, “the measures... and the scales are righteous and the measure is righteous.” These serve as representations and illustrations, guiding us on how to pursue true equality and revealing the understanding of justice. Acknowledge that the principles outlined in the law reflect proportionality and establish justice as their standard, while what is unveiled through Christ transcends this and reaches a greater realm: for that which is higher is rightly good, embodying the glory of life in Christ. Palladius. You express this well. Additionally, I would like to remind you that Christ explicitly told those justified by faith: “amen, amen, I say unto you, unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Cyril. Let this be our guiding principle.