Step 4: Obedience

“From obedience comes humility,…And from humility comes discernment… From discernment comes insight, and from insight comes foresight.  And who would not run this fine race of obedience when such blessings are there ahead of him.”

--St. John Climacus

“Although he (Jesus) was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”

--Hebrews 5:8-9

In this step and the one that follows, Climacus cites examples of monastic discipline that seem extreme to us, even cruel and debasing.  We live in a different age from John.  Some of the particular practices he recommends would probably be unhealthy for us.  But we shouldn’t let that blind us to the valuable principles that he can teach us.

Obedience is all about openness to being taught.  It’s a trait that is not very popular today because it requires the humility to admit that I do not know everything and I need to improve some areas of my life.  It also requires that I trust someone else enough to let them help me learn what I do not know and acquire those virtues that I do not possess.  Humility and trust, along with obedience are not big hits in America today.

They are, however, essential traits of the Christian.  Christ made himself obedient to the will of the Father even to the point of death.  As Christ’s disciples, those called to mirror his existence in the world today, we must be seeking to know and do the will of God which was revealed to the Apostles and has been handed down to us by their successors.   Climacus writes specifically about the obedience that one should give to one’s spiritual director.  Many have benefited from this type of relationship.  On another level, we must also listen to the Spirit and to the shepherds of the Church as we interpret God’s will for our own lives.  We must trust the Church enough to allow ourselves to be taught by its wisdom and experience.

This is a difficult thing to do.  We all know of the terrible abuses of trust that have taken place.  The Church has been instituted by God, but it is made up of sinful human beings.  I am not saying that we should never question.  And we need to hold our leaders accountable.  All of us together are, after all, the Church.  But the fact remains that our shepherds, the bishops and priests, have been charged with teaching God’s Word and handing on the Tradition of the faith.

How open are you to being taught?  How do you react to the Church’s teaching authority, with respect or resentment?  There is a lot of pain and confusion out there.  Obedience is a hard word.   For some, it may be too much to ask that they do whatever the Church teaches.  But is it too much to ask that we stay open enough to listen to her?

Prayer:

O God, your will for us is that we might have life in all its fullness.  Conform our wills to yours.  Expand our hope and save us from our own cramped vision of what is possible, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

St. John Climacus, pray for us.