Step 19 Ladder of Divine Ascent = Staying Awake
There is a saying in the book of Proverbs which introduces the theme of Step 19 very well: "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep - - so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man." (Interestingly, this saying is repeated twice: Proverbs 6:10,11 and Proverbs 24:33,34).
Sleep is a treasured commodity. We give it up reluctantly and begrudgingly. But, it is not the necessary sleep that the body needs to function John advises us to give up. Rather it is the habit of oversleep that is a danger. Sloth and oversleep is a matter of habit, and one which everyone struggles with, especially in the early days of their spiritual journey. Oversleep is that tendency to let slide our practice of prayer and which diverts us from our spiritual work. When we intend to rise from bed for prayer, the temptation comes. “Just five minutes more,” it says, “and then you can get up.” When we prepare for bed it tells us not to bother with prayer before bed because we are too tired. It encourages us to skip services because we have worked hard all weekend, or have been traveling or for various other reasons. It encourages us to hurry up our reading or prayer out of laziness. On this journey we must vigilantly fight against all distractions during the time of prayer, especially the habit of sleep. John advises us to focus and meditate on the words of our prayers, or to contemplate the words being chanted or read, to fight off these distractions. Although it seems harmless at first our excessive desire for sleep, if allowed to flourish, will eventually cause us to give up the spiritual life altogether
Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. (Ephesians 5:14, Amp)
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
When the New Testament commands us to “watch,” it is usually the translation of one of two Greek words (gregoreuo and agrupneo), which have similar meanings - to “stay awake” and to “be sleepless.: They are usually meant in the metaphorical and spiritual sense - to be vigilant and on guard, fully awake, aware, alert and intently focused - with several applications and implications.
In Matthew 26:37-40, the meaning of “watch” is primarily physical. Jesus was chiding the disciples for not remaining awake during the hour preceding His arrest.
But what Jesus next said to Peter has a deeper, spiritual meaning: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing (i.e. intentions are good), but the flesh (mere human willpower) is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
It is spiritual watching coupled with prayer that gives one the strength to survive temptations and difficult situations.
:Awake to righteousness, and do not sin” (1 Corinthians 15:34).
Being awake is equated with righteousness and not sinning. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth, which shows that even true Christians can be spiritually asleep to varying degrees.
Paul also wrote, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
In step 19, St. John reminds us that too much sleep, like too much of anything, can be spiritually dangerous.
Just as too drinking comes from habit, so too from habit comes overindulgence in sleep. For this reason one has to struggle against it especially at the start of one’s religious life, because a long- standing habit is very difficult to correct.
Of course, we all need to sleep. Just as we need to eat, so we need to sleep in order to live.
Sleep is a natural state. It is also an image of death and a respite (a delay or postponment.. as in the previous step, insensitivity, it is a numbness) of the senses.
But, although sleep is natural and needful, like desire, it has many sources.
…. like desire it has many sources. That is to say, it comes from nature, from food, from demons, or perhaps in some degree from prolonged fasting by which the weakened flesh is moved to long for repose.
How can we tell the difference? St. John does not spend a great deal of time in explaining the answer. But he does point us to one important consideration:
Let us observe and we will find the spiritual trumpet that summons the brethren together visibly is also the signal for the invisible assembly of our foes.
He simply reminds us: it is too much sleep when it keeps us from fulfilling our rule of prayer. When we choose to sleep rather than to pray - we have entered into the spiritual danger zone.
Some (demons) stand by our bed and encourage us to lie down again after we have got up… Others get those at prayer to fall asleep. Still others cause bad and unusual stomachache, while others encourage prattle (babble, chatter) in the church. Some inspire bad thoughts, others get us to lean against the wall as though we were weary or to stand yawning over and over again, while still others cause us to laugh during prayer so as to provoke the anger of God against us… Others, by sitting on our mouths, shut them so that we can scarcely open them.
Many of the fathers have pointed out that Satan can oppress and make us feel more tired than we are in order to keep us from praying. This often happens at night when it is time to say your prayers before going to bed. All of a sudden, you are hit with a tremendous sense of fatigue so that you can barely make it to your bed without falling asleep. Sometimes, undoubtedly, this is natural, but more often than not it comes from the evil one. It is a trick to get us to go to bed without prayer. For if we go to bed without prayer, we leave open our minds and imaginations for demonic assault all night. When we are sleeping, we cannot be vigilant over our thoughts. Therefore, our prayer before sleep is of the greatest importance. Our prayer before sleep shuts down the openings into our minds and hearts.
For those of us who are in the initial stages of the spiritual journey, in our stuggle with sleep it is necessary that we never choose sleep over prayer.
The really obedient man often suddenly becomes radiant and exultant during prayer; for this wrestler was prepared and fired beforehand by his sincere service.
It is possible for all to pray with a congregation; for many it is more suitable to pray with a single kindred spirit; solitary prayer is for the very few.
In chanting with many, it is impossible to pray with the wordless prayer of the spirit. But your mind should be engaged in contemplation of the words being chanted or read, or you should say some definite prayer while you are waiting for the alternate verse to be chanted.
It is not proper for anyone to engage in any accessory work, or rather distraction, during the time of prayer. For the angel who attended Antony the Great taught him this clearly.
A furnace tests gold. Prayer tests the zeal of a monk and his love for God.
However, the man who considers with sensitivity of heart that he is standing before God will be an immovable pillar of prayer, and none of the demons mentioned above will delude him.
In this short step, John describes sleep and its sources, the habit of oversleeping, the tactics of demons especially at the time of prayer, and finally how these demons may be overcome.
To draw close to God, to drive out the demons - there is a task to be praised.
Set your alarm and climb this step. He who does so draws near to God.
Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down,
Don't you care, don't you care, are you gonna let them drown,
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.
Oh Bless me Lord, bless me Lord, you know it's all I ever hear,
No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear,
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs,
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in, oh, can't you see it's such sin?
Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away, as you smile and say,
God bless you, be at peace, and all Heaven just weeps,
Cause Jesus came to your door, you've left Him out on the streets.
Open up, open up, and give yourself away,
You've seen the need, you hear the cry, so how can you delay,
God's calling and you're the one, but like Jonah you run,
He's told you to speak, but you keep holding it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church can't fight, cause it's asleep in the light,
How can you be so dead, when you've been so well fed,
Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you can't even get out of bed,
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed.
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job's done.
Come away, come away, come away with Me, My love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, My love.
“Asleep in the Light” Keith Green
No comments:
Post a Comment