They serve as vital guides akin to leaders for the blind, healers for the sick, beacons of light for those in darkness, and celestial luminaries for the world, as the Apostle instructs: "You appear as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). Jesus Himself affirmed this in the Gospels, saying: "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). Through their example, those who are spiritually blind can find clarity, and the lost can discover the path to salvation. Those burdened by a guilty conscience can receive healing from the ailments of sin, and through their influence, the troubled can seek refuge in God, all by merely observing and attempting to emulate their God-pleasing lives.
Abba Dorotheus wisely articulated that if someone fears God, they should seek companionship with someone who shares this fear, for such a person can guide them in developing a deeper reverence for God (On the Fear of God, 4th word). The same principle holds true for any virtue; to cultivate chastity, associate with the pure and strive to reflect their way of living. If one seeks humility, meekness, and kindness, they should surround themselves with the humble and gentle. For spiritual insight, conversing with those who are godly will impart wisdom, as David states: "With the reverent, you will be reverent" (Psalms 17:26). By cohabitating with the righteous, sinners can experience significant transformation, especially if they begin to heed the examples set by those who are virtuous.
In the Books of Kings, it is recounted that a dead man was accidentally thrown into the tomb of the prophet Elisha, and upon contact with Elisha's bones, the man was resurrected and stood up (2 Kings 13:21). If a lifeless body could find restoration through the relics of the righteous, how much more can the souls ensnared by sin be revived to repentance by the presence of living righteous individuals, unless they have hardened themselves beyond redemption, like Judas among the apostles or the people of Sodom in Lot's time, leading to their greater condemnation?
Righteous individuals are also instrumental through their prayers, which provide significant help to those around them. Their supplications act as a protective barrier against misfortunes and calamities brought upon those who have sinned and provoked God's wrath. Thus, righteous individuals function as structural supports for cities, nations, and kingdoms, akin to pillars for temples and walls for cities, as noted by the holy fathers. St. John Chrysostom described the righteous as pillars of the nation, while St. Ambrose likened them to stone walls. As pillars stabilize buildings and walls fortify cities, the presence of the righteous fortifies their lands, appeasing God’s anger and shielding them from impending disasters.
There was a time when God intended to destroy the Israelites in the wilderness due to their numerous sins. The people were on the brink of annihilation, but Moses, the righteous leader, interceded for them before God, pleading for mercy (Psalms 105:23). During this crisis, Moses stood as a supportive pillar for the communities of Israel. Later, when the Israelites had claimed the Promised Land and wished to defeat the Philistines, they were outnumbered and ill-prepared for battle and faced potential defeat. However, the righteous Samuel was among them, and through his earnest prayers, he acted as a formidable barrier against their foes. God responded to his entreaties with thunderous power, confusing the Philistines and granting victory to the Israelites (1 Samuel 7:3-13).
Likewise, Elisha the prophet, esteemed for his righteousness, was a protective bulwark for the city of Dothaim during a siege by the Syrian armies. He not only preserved the city but, through divine intervention, rendered the enemy blind and led them away (2 Kings 6:8-20). Similarly, in the city of Nisibis, besieged by the Persians, one righteous man, St. James, took to the city walls in prayer. God sent swarming insects to disrupt the Persian army, causing chaotic flight without any combat or weaponry (Comm. 13 January). This demonstrates how a righteous man stands as a fortified wall for a city. Blessed is that city and nation where even a single righteous person resides, for God spares many sinners in deference to the one who intercedes on their behalf, as illustrated in the Gospel parable where the righteous are prioritized for the sake of safeguarding the unrighteous from destruction (Matthew 13:24-30).
In the parable, a homeowner sowed good seed, while an enemy sowed weeds among it. When the servants proposed uprooting the weeds, the master instructed them to let both grow until harvest, signifying that the righteous are preserved for the sake of the whole. However, it serves as a cautionary message against cities and nations devoid of righteous individuals, where peril and ruin are imminent, as exemplified by the fate of Sodom—wherein no righteous man remained, the whole city faced destruction.
Today we observe the devastating wars, the desolation of cities, discord among nations, and the relentless violence and troubles permeating everywhere. The root of these calamities lies in the decline of righteous individuals: "All have turned aside, they are all unprofitable together; there is none that doeth good, no, not even one" (Psalm 13:3). This widespread moral decay angers God and stirs His justice against those who commit iniquity without fear or shame. It is this deterioration that allows rampant evil to flourish, for the righteous who could intercede on behalf of the unrighteous are increasingly scarce.
Two holy prophets mourn the decline of the righteous—David and Micah. David prayed: "Save me, O Lord, for the righteous have become weak; the truth has diminished from the sons of men" (Psalm 11:2-3). Micah laments: "O love me, O soul, for the God-fearing one has perished from the earth; there is none righteous among men" (Micah 7:2). The prophets express sorrow not merely for the righteous' absence but for the disasters that inevitably follow. Following his reflection on the dearth of righteousness, David declares, "The Lord will consume every mouth of the flatterers" (Psalm 11:4), indicating impending destruction for the deceitful.
Both prophets affirm the dire consequences for cities and nations when righteousness is absent, reinforcing the urgent need for the presence of the righteous in society to avert calamity.
THEOSIS