Text for the Times

Extract

Man is in his fallen state because of his own disobedience. Disobedience springs from pride which, as St Bede says, does its own will. In his pride and disobedience man is separated from God and can only return to him by following the path of virtue, by making reparation through humility and obedience. Christ who came to do the will of his Father is a model for our obedience. Religious obedience is but Christian obedience in the wake of Christ's own, carried to its conclusion by which we are made one with him.

Satan was the first to begin to question the commands of obedience. ‘Why’, he said, ‘did God command you not to eat of the tree of good and evil ?’ (Gen. 3). Before this, man who was without guile obeyed without reserve, not so much because of the reasonableness of the command but because of the authority of the commander. For just as faith in what human reason has experienced is not meritorious, so obedience is separated from the virtue of humility when the reason for the command is in agreement with it. But you wish to hear why we should act or cease to act in accordance with another's will or command. The reason is because in this way especially we are imitators of Christ, as dearest sons; and we walk in the love with which we loved us. He was made obedient in all things for us, not only to assist us but also to be an example, so that as he behaved so may we behave in this world.