“To speak evil of no one,” that is, “to speak badly of no one,” says blessed Theodoret. “Even if someone acts badly, do not slander or reproach him,” says blessed Theophylact.
“When Michael the Archangel, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a reviling judgment, but said: ‘The Lord rebuke you,’ cf. Jude 1:9. If Michael did not dare to bring a reviling word against the devil, who is most worthy of every reviling, should not we much more keep ourselves pure from evil speech? The devil deserved reviling, but a reviling word should not have come from the mouth of the Archangel,” says blessed Jerome.
“Let us obey this admonition. Our mouth must be pure from reproaches. Even if our reproaches were just, it is not our task to utter them. Investigation belongs to the judge. ‘Why do you judge your brother?’ Rom 14:10. Moreover, if you reproach others, you yourself will soon be subjected to the same thing. Therefore blessed Paul offers this exhortation: ‘Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,’ 1 Cor 10:12,” says Saint Chrysostom.
Nothing so disrupts the good relations of common life as evil words about one another. By contrast, nothing so strengthens fellowship as good words, especially when evil words would have been deserved. The fundamental law of common life is not to set evil words in motion, and to cut off those that come from elsewhere.
The stream of evil words is a poison that corrodes the bond of good coexistence.
“To be not quarrelsome,” αμαχους: not to be fighters, not to start quarrels, disputes, and lawsuits. It also means not to plot evil or raise up evil against evil. This is the same as what the Lord said: “But I say to you, do not resist evil,” Mt 5:39.
When rainwater is dammed up, it rises higher and higher. When it is allowed to flow freely, it runs in a small stream and soon ceases. So it is when hostility rises from another side. Bend down. It will roll over like a wave, and that is the end. If you stand against it, it will swell to an irresistible force.
Blessed Jerome writes: “If we are sons of peace and desire peace to rest upon us, if we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, which has received its name from peace, then let us have peace even with those who have hated peace. From our side, let us remain peaceful with all men, not only with the meek, but also with the provocative and contentious. For what virtue is there in being at peace with the quiet? Let us give place to wrath by showing gentle meekness toward all men. We must not show ourselves meek to all men out of a desire for empty glory. Rather, when we bear with all and do not repay wrongs with vengeance, let the deeds themselves be glorious before all. Someone may pretend to be meek out of vainglory and for the sake of popular report, putting on the mask of goodness. But if a man does not have true, heartfelt, deeply rooted meekness, I do not know whether he will succeed in convincing everyone of his meekness.”
These last words of blessed Jerome also interpret the Apostle’s next words: “showing all meekness toward all men.” Oecumenius writes likewise: “Toward Jews and Greeks, toward friends and enemies, toward those who wrong and cause harm.” Saint Chrysostom and blessed Theophylact say the same.
Yielding appears to be a kind of loss and injury. In reality it always gains, if not in the present, then in the future. This is not only in eternity, but also in time. What was lost returns with interest.
THEOSIS