Genesis 33:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

From this account, we can all gain wisdom on how to appease those who are angry, to calm those who are furious, to foster reconciliation and friendship, and to turn hostility into love. If you desire to transform an adversary into a friend, embody meekness, humility, and love; respond to evil not with evil, and to irritation not with irritation, for fire cannot extinguish fire, and malice cannot conquer malice. Instead, meekness, humility, and genuine love can easily dissolve animosity. The Scriptures affirm, ‘The answer of the humble will take away wrath’ (Proverbs 15:1).

His Holiness Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, recounts a tale of two bishops who lived near one another and had a quarrel. One was wealthy and aggressive, while the other exhibited true humility. The predatory bishop sought to harm his neighbor, but the humble bishop, upon hearing of the conflict, told his clergy, ‘I have a plan to overcome him through the grace of Christ.’ His clerics questioned his confidence, but he reassured them, ‘Be patient, and you shall witness God’s mercy.’

During a festival for the holy martyrs in the city where his adversary resided, the humble bishop journeyed there with his clergy and instructed them, ‘Follow my lead, doing as I do, and we will prevail over him.’ They were bewildered and wondered about his intentions. Upon arriving, they saw the rival bishop proceeding with a procession honoring the martyrs, flanked by the townspeople. The humble bishop approached him, fell at his feet along with his clergy, and implored, ‘Forgive us, O Lord; from this moment, we are your servants.’

The other bishop was taken aback and deeply moved by the humility he witnessed, as God transformed his hardened heart into one of love. He too bowed and grasped the feet of the humble bishop, saying, ‘You, my lord, forgive me!’ From that day onward, they shared a deep bond of affection. The humble bishop then reminded his clergy, ‘Did I not tell you that through the grace of Christ I would triumph? When you have adversaries, respond likewise, and you shall overcome them.’ This illustrates that a humble countenance and submission can dispel rage, bridge enmities, and foster friendship, while harsh words only fuel anger.

In the life of St. Macarius of Egypt, it is noted that while traveling from his hermitage toward Nitria, he instructed his disciple to walk ahead of him. The disciple encountered a pagan priest hurriedly carrying a large tree and called out derisively, referring to him as a demon. Angered, the priest retaliated violently, leaving the disciple barely alive before fleeing with the tree. Soon after, St. Macarius crossed paths with the priest, who in surprise questioned, ‘What good do you see in me that you greet me thus?’ The priest expressed humility, acknowledging St. Macarius as a man of God, but lamented how the other monk had provoked him leading to his violent reaction.

The priest then fell at the saint’s feet, pledging not to leave until he was converted into a Christian and a monk. He accompanied St. Macarius, where they found the insulted disciple still alive, and brought him to the church on the Nitrian mountain. The Nitrian fathers were astonished at the sight of a pagan priest walking alongside St. Macarius, and they baptized him, leading him into monastic life. As a result of this transformation, many Greeks came to believe. St. Macarius wisely stated, ‘An evil word corrupts the good, and a good word can redeem the evil.'"