THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
‘When you are angry, do not sin: ponder in your hearts as you lie upon your beds, and remain still.’ What I stated previously I reiterate now. The prophet aims to guide his listeners to a deeper understanding of God while striving to heal their souls from affliction. He recognized that a life steeped in sin obstructs the acceptance of profound truths. This is what Paul conveyed when he articulated, ‘I could not speak to you, brethren, as to spiritual, but as to carnal’ (1 Cor. 3:1); and also, ‘I fed you with milk, and not with solid food’ (1 Cor. 3:2); and again, ‘Of these things we ought to speak much; but it is hard to interpret, because you have become incapable of hearing’ (Heb. 5:11).
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Likewise, Isaiah proclaims, ‘They seek me daily, and desire to know my ways, as a nation that doeth righteousness, and forsaketh not the laws of their God’ (Isaiah 58:2). Hosea similarly advises, ‘Sow to yourselves in righteousness, that He may rain righteousness upon you when He comes’ (Hosea 10:12). Additionally, Christ taught, ‘For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light’ (John 3:20); and again, ‘How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, but do not seek the glory that is from the only God?’ (Jn. 5:44); and once more, ‘So his parents answered, because they feared the Jews’ (Jn. 9:22); and again, ‘Many believed in Him; but for the sake of the Pharisees they did not confess’ (Jn. 12:42). It is evident everywhere that a sinful existence hampers the genuine reception of doctrine. Just as pus in the eye can cloud vision, so the mind preoccupied with vices shrouds our spirit. This prompted the prophet to say, ‘When you are angry, do not sin.’ He does not eliminate anger, which can be constructive, or cast aside righteous indignation toward those who act unjustly; rather, he denounces unwarranted anger and unrestrained wrath. Much like Moses, who initiates his discourse on morality with the commandment, ‘You shall not kill’ (Exodus 20:13), so does the prophet, especially as the principles of righteousness were more familiar to him. The commandment forbids murder, whereas this prophet seeks to eradicate its source—anger, the root of such malevolence. For this reason, Christ, desiring to abolish unjust anger, stated: ‘Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be in danger of the judgment of fire’ (Matthew 5:22). Observe the delineation here—‘when you are angry, do not sin’; ‘whoever is angry with his brother without cause’—indicating that there is a rightful form of anger. Paul exhibited rightful anger towards Elymas, and Peter towards Sapphira (Acts 5:13). I would not just call this mere anger, but rather accountability, care, and stewardship. A father may be angered by his son, but out of love and concern for him. Anger that seeks revenge is without cause, while anger that aims to correct others is rooted in humility. Similarly, when it is said that God becomes angry, it is for the purpose of correction, not revenge. Let us strive to emulate Him; true vengeance belongs to God, while other forms of vengeance stem from human nature. Moreover, God’s anger is not marked by petty frustration, as ours sometimes can be. Therefore, let us refrain from anger that lacks purpose. Anger was not instilled in us for the sake of sinning, but rather to guide us in preventing others from sinning. It is not meant to become a passion that corrupts, but rather a tool to address our passions. Consider how grave the impact of vice is if it twists what should be a remedy into a poison—if what we employ to heal others' wounds causes harm to ourselves. It resembles someone wielding a knife to remove decay from others that instead inflicts wounds upon their own body, or a navigator sinking a ship with the oars intended to stabilize it in stormy weather. Such is the nature of anger: it can awaken us from our lethargy, invigorate our spirit, and instill righteous indignation for those who are wronged, compelling us to demand accountability from those who are unjust. Hence, the prophet commands, ‘When you are angry, do not sin.’ If this were unattainable, the command would not be given, for no one commands the impossible. Following the apostolic counsel and the wisdom of the gospel, similarly to Christ, he provides further guidance, saying, ‘Ponder in your hearts as you lie upon your beds, and remain still.’ What do these words signify? They may appear obscure. In the quiet of the evening, as you prepare to rest, when tranquility prevails and you are undisturbed, initiate a profound self-examination. Reflect on any wicked thoughts you entertained throughout the day—schemes against your neighbor or impure desires. Expose such thoughts under the light of scrutiny, holding your conscience accountable, reprimanding and punishing your sinful inclinations. This is what ‘be still’ implies: to earnestly examine, to confront, and to chastise the evil that surfaced in your heart during the day. Recognizing that there are no distractions—no friend to interrupt, no servant to annoy, and no multitude of tasks to preoccupy you—hold yourself accountable for the day’s conduct. Why does the admonition focus on thoughts rather than words and deeds? This amplifies his instruction. If we must confront malevolent thoughts to prevent them from manifesting in actions, how much more critically should we reflect on the actual deeds and spoken words that flow from them? Let this practice be daily; do not lay your head down to sleep without first contemplating the sins committed that day. Doing so will undoubtedly lead to greater caution on your part the following day. Just as one meticulously accounts for financial transactions, ensuring no more than a couple of days pass without oversight, so too should we assess our actions each evening. Demand an accounting from your soul, condemn the sinful thought as if to crucify it, admonish it, and resolve to abstain from repeating such transgressions. Witness the remarkable healing approach herein; it serves both as a preventive and corrective measure. The counsel against sins acts as preventive care—‘When you are angry, do not sin’; while the directive to ‘ponder in your hearts as you lie upon your beds, and remain still’ represents corrective care. Upon recognizing sin, a remedy is still accessible that relies on the sinner’s own action. Let us adopt such a remedy, which is not overly burdensome. If your soul recoils at the memories of past sins, feeling ashamed, remind her that evading these reflections yields no benefit. To the contrary, forgetting them now could lead to even greater harm, for if you neglect them here, they shall surely be revealed at the final judgment. By contemplating them now, you are more likely to resolve them, minimizing the risk of future transgressions. In truth, the soul, dreading the evening reckoning, is hesitant to engage in sinful behavior again; there lies a great benefit in this daily reflection. Should we commit to this practice for merely a month, we will acquire skills that foster virtue. Let us not overlook such a valuable opportunity. He who subjectively judges his own conduct in this life will be spared grave consequences in the next. ‘For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world’ (1 Cor. 11:31, 32). Therefore, let us proceed in this way, towards our spiritual preservation.