Wisdom 2

The malevolent spirit, the adversary of humanity, witnessing the original man enjoying an existence free from worries in paradise—living on earth in a fleshly form like an angel—resolved to deceive him with the allure of even greater rewards, ultimately robbing him of his current blessings. This illustrates the peril of exceeding one’s boundaries in the pursuit of more. As the wise one remarked, “By the envy of the devil death entered the world.” Beloved, observe how death also originated from a lack of self-restraint.

In a similar manner to a worm that thrives in a tree by consuming it from within, jealousy first devastates the very soul that harbors it. Those who are envied do not receive the outcomes the envier desires for them; rather, the opposite occurs. When envy befalls someone, we should not only focus on its outset but consider its conclusion, recognizing that the wickedness of envious individuals ultimately magnifies the glory of those they envy. Individuals burdened by envy find themselves seeking divine assistance, while those consumed by envy, deprived of God’s grace, readily fall into various traps. Bound by their own passions before any external foe, they seem to annihilate themselves, devoured by their own inner turmoil, sinking into despair. Understanding this, I urge you to escape this destructive passion and work tirelessly to expel it from your hearts. This passion is the most devastating of all and undermines the very essence of our salvation; it originates from the devil himself. Thus, the Wise One states: By the envy of the devil death entered the world. This indicates that when that wicked creature observed the first man living without death, he, in his malevolence, led him to break the divine command and thereby brought death upon him. Envy birthed temptation, temptation led to sin, and sin resulted in death. Hence, it is proclaimed, By the envy of the devil death entered into the world. Do you not see the malevolence of this passion? It has brought death upon one exalted by immortality. Yet, the enemy of our salvation, fueled by envy, caused the initial man, created to live forever, to face the judgment of death; in contrast, our benevolent and loving Lord, through His own death, restored our immortality, granting us even more than what was lost. The adversary stripped us of paradise, yet the Lord elevated us to the heavenly realm; he ushered us into death, but the Lord bestowed eternal life upon us; he took from us the joys of paradise, but the Lord prepared for us the Kingdom of Heaven. Can you perceive the wisdom of your Lord, who turned the deadly weapons wielded by the devil against your salvation upon him? Additionally, the Lord not only blessed us with greater gifts than those found in paradise but also placed the devil under our authority, declaring, “Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions” (Luke 10:19). Therefore, as we contemplate these truths, let us expel envy from our souls and diligently seek the favor of God. This is our indomitable weapon; it represents our greatest strength; through it, Ishmael, although young and struggling, was raised up with a multitude of descendants, for “God was with the young man,” as stated in Scripture (Gen. 21:20).

Clearly, sin afflicted creation with a burden that was not part of its inherent nature. Had Adam obeyed the commandment and adhered to the divine law, death would not exist. This is reinforced by the wisdom which asserts, “God did not create death and does not rejoice in the destruction of the living” (Wisdom 1:13, Wisdom 2:24). Thus, it is entirely in line with the truth to affirm that our nature became subject to mortality against its original design and that through the resurrection, our true nature is restored to us. This resurrection represents a renewal, as the creature, marred by sin, attains recovery through justification. If Adam had adhered to the divine command, he would have continued to live.