– To\u0163i ne ie\u015fim din fire c\u00e2nd suntem jigni\u0163i, suntem gata s\u0103-l lu\u0103m de g\u00e2t pe cel ce ne-a jignit: ochii arunc\u0103 sc\u00e2ntei, fa\u0163a ni se schimonose\u015fte de m\u00e2nie \u015fi devine resping\u0103toare pentru to\u0163i cei care ne v\u0103d; mi\u015fc\u0103rile devin dizgra\u0163ioase, bru\u015fte, m\u00e2inile \u015fi picioarele tind s\u0103 \u00eenha\u0163e, tind s\u0103 loveasc\u0103; limba revars\u0103 ne\u00eenfr\u00e2nat\u0103 hule asupra celui ce ne jigne\u015fte.<\/p>\n
Oare a\u015fa Se purta Hristos c\u00e2nd \u00eel huleau, c\u00e2nd \u00eel vorbeau de r\u0103u, c\u00e2nd \u00eel jigneau?<\/p>\n
Nu, nicidecum; noi nu urm\u0103m pilda lui Hristos, ci ne purt\u0103m cum ne \u00eenva\u0163\u0103 dracii \u2013 dracii iu\u0163imii (enerv\u0103rii) \u015fi ai m\u00e2niei, fiindc\u0103 cine dintre noi este slobod de iu\u0163ime \u015fi de m\u00e2nie, cine prime\u015fte jignirile cu lini\u015fte \u015fi senin\u0103tate?<\/p>\n
Dac\u0103 ne-am vedea atunci c\u00e2nd ne \u00eenviforeaz\u0103 m\u00e2nia, c\u00e2nd rev\u0103rs\u0103m blesteme, cum ne-am mai ru\u0219ina de noi \u00een\u0219ine! Vede\u0163i, to\u0163i oamenii care sunt martorii enerv\u0103rii \u015fi ai m\u00e2niei noastre, care aud \u00eenjur\u0103turile \u015fi blestemele noastre, ne g\u0103sesc ur\u00e2\u0163i \u015fi resping\u0103tori, dar noi nu ne d\u0103m seama.<\/p>\n
Ei bine, dac\u0103 nu putem s\u0103 ne vedem, m\u0103car atunci c\u00e2nd vedem pe cineva care se m\u00e2nie, se ceart\u0103, \u00eenjur\u0103, se bate, \u00een loc s\u0103-l os\u00e2ndim, mai bine s\u0103 ne \u00eenchipuim c\u0103 suntem \u00een locul lui \u015fi s\u0103 ne g\u00e2ndim: \u201eNu cumva \u015fi eu ar\u0103t la fel de ur\u00e2t c\u00e2nd m\u0103 m\u00e2nii, m\u0103 cert \u015fi r\u0103spund cu oc\u0103ri la oc\u0103ri?\u201d \u015ei de atunci \u00eenainte ne va fi ru\u015fine s\u0103 ne cert\u0103m, s\u0103 ne m\u00e2niem, s\u0103 oc\u0103ram \u015fi s\u0103 ne batem.<\/p>\n
Dar cum r\u0103spundeau la jigniri to\u0163i drep\u0163ii \u015fi sfin\u0163ii? C\u00e2nd erau oc\u0103r\u00e2\u0163i \u015fi def\u0103ima\u0163i, c\u00e2nd erau cleveti\u0163i, ei \u00ee\u015fi p\u0103strau lini\u015ftea. De ce? Fiindc\u0103 se sim\u0163eau nevinova\u0163i \u2013 iar dac\u0103 se sim\u0163eau nevinova\u0163i, pentru ce s\u0103 se enerveze?<\/p>\n
Voi s\u0103 nu jigni\u0163i pe nimeni. C\u00e2nd sunte\u0163i jigni\u0163i, smeri\u0163i-v\u0103 \u015fi r\u0103bda\u0163i \u00een lini\u015fte. G\u00e2ndi\u0163i-v\u0103 c\u0103 cel ce v\u0103 jigne\u015fte are dreptate, fiindc\u0103 \u00een multe privin\u0163e suntem p\u0103c\u0103to\u015fi \u00eenaintea lui Dumnezeu, am f\u0103cut multe lucruri rele, pentru care am \u015fi meritat pedeaps\u0103.<\/p>\n
Chiar dac\u0103 jignirea nu este pe potriva p\u0103catelor pe care le-am s\u0103v\u00e2r\u015fit, pleca\u0163i-v\u0103 capul \u015fi zice\u0163i: \u201eDumnezeule! P\u0103c\u0103tos sunt \u015fi vrednic de toate jignirile\u201d. \u015ei se va lini\u015fti inima voastr\u0103, \u015fi se va lini\u015fti \u015fi cel ce v\u0103 jigne\u015fte.\u201d<\/p>\n