Question: Often the devil fights against us through our loved ones, our relatives. What should we do when he acts like that? Through friends, parents...
Answer: We must take a position in accordance with the temptation that our relatives create for us. Understand when they push us into sin, into evil, we must cut them off. As Christ says in the Holy Gospel: "If the right eye seduces you, tear it out. And if the right hand seduces you, cut it off. Better to enter paradise with one eye and one hand then with both in hell."
Once there came a priest on Mt. Athos and said to me: "Father, well, it's good.. when the hand seduces me, I will cut it off, or the leg. But the eye? How can I rip it out? I can't do this."
But these words of Christ are an allegory. The right eye, the right hand mean those connections that are behind it. Take marriage for example. The wife has a husband. The husband has a wife. If the wife seduces you, leads you away from the path of God, pushes you to the devil, pushes you into sin, cut her off. Because if you stay with her, then both of you will go to hell. Better stay alone and she goes wherever she wants.
Once there came a priest on Mt. Athos and said to me: "Father, well, it's good.. when the hand seduces me, I will cut it off, or the leg. But the eye? How can I rip it out? I can't do this."
But these words of Christ are an allegory. The right eye, the right hand mean those connections that are behind it. Take marriage for example. The wife has a husband. The husband has a wife. If the wife seduces you, leads you away from the path of God, pushes you to the devil, pushes you into sin, cut her off. Because if you stay with her, then both of you will go to hell. Better stay alone and she goes wherever she wants.
For example, a person is drowning. And when he drowns, he wants to grab onto something. If he grabs something, he will pull everything down with him.
The Holy Fathers say that if you try to pull him out, he will drag you with him. Leave it, let it go, otherwise you will both die. If you can help him, then do so. But if you feel you can no longer help, leave it.
You see, the question is this: If one of my relatives pushes me into sin: 'Let's go, let's go to a disco, to a movie, go here and there", tell him that you cannot go there. And when you do not listen to him, it means you have cut off kinship and friendship with these people.
The Holy Fathers say that if you try to pull him out, he will drag you with him. Leave it, let it go, otherwise you will both die. If you can help him, then do so. But if you feel you can no longer help, leave it.
You see, the question is this: If one of my relatives pushes me into sin: 'Let's go, let's go to a disco, to a movie, go here and there", tell him that you cannot go there. And when you do not listen to him, it means you have cut off kinship and friendship with these people.
As St. Cosmas of Aetolia says: "If you meet the devil at the crossroads, cross yourself and he will leave. And if you meet a woman than she, if you cross yourself, will not leave."
So it turns out that if you see that a relative seduces you, drags you into sin, cut him off! And say: "Because this kinship and friendship will take me away from God, I am better with God and will let my relatives go."
So it turns out that if you see that a relative seduces you, drags you into sin, cut him off! And say: "Because this kinship and friendship will take me away from God, I am better with God and will let my relatives go."
Once when I drove in car, there was a bus in front of us with an inscription "Keep your distance from me as you keep away from those who offend you." Coming back to our problem, we must keep our distance from relatives and friends who push us into sin, so that we don't become enemies of God.
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
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