The Pillar of Humility in The Desert Fathers

 In The Desert Fathers, a collection of proverbs from the early Christian monks, readers are introduced to lifestyle, ideals, and standards of the early church fathers which can appear seemingly dismal and meager. Upon first impressions, it would appear the monks are merely hermits who live in the solitude of the desert, deprive themselves of frivolous joys and indulgent comforts, and even inflict bodily harm on themselves for the sake of honoring God. Some readers may believe this tactic to be too extreme or perhaps entirely unnecessary when it comes to a relationship with the Savior. After all, the New Testament speaks copiously on the idea that true salvation cannot be earned by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2.8-9). Why then, if this idea of grace through faith and not works is so prominent in the apostles’ ministry do the Desert Fathers submit themselves to such practices of silence, deprivation of food and sleep, and physical pain? The answer may be found by looking deeper into the sayings of the monks and not merely dwelling on the actions they performed, but their motives for doing so. Perhaps it was not for reasons of salvation or self-righteousness that they performed these works, but in order to draw them closer to the Lord through depravity which both calls upon and further produces strengthened humility. Based on this pillar of humility on which the Desert Fathers’ philosophy predominantly rests upon, in can be said the monks believed that in order to be as close to Christ as possible, one must practice such humility by giving up all earthly pleasures and sometimes even necessities in order to deprive oneself enough to turn one’s longings solely to Him. Through total humility would follow a lifestyle of servitude that would further glorify the Lord.

The quality of humility is seen throughout all of the virtues practiced by the Desert Fathers. In chapter fifteen, the Fathers speak directly on the topic while in further chapters, they cover related topics that stem from either the cultivation or lack of humility such as lust, self control, prayer, and discretion. As is said by Poemen on the practice of humility: “We ought always to be absorbing humility and the fear of God, as our nostrils breathe air in and out” (158.32). Another hermit is quoted as saying “The more we bend ourselves to humility, the more we are lifted up to make progress” and “Humility is a great work, and a work of God. The way of humility is to undertake bodily labour, and believe yourself a sinner, and make yourself the servant of all” (167.77, 82). From these quotes, readers can see how the monks strived to immerse themselves in a deep sense of humility to the Lord. Most of the forms of humility spoken of require an extremity of self control, which is covered largely in chapter four. The level of self control the Fathers highlight pertains to the basic needs and desires of life being taken to the extreme. For example, in order to avoid gluttony, the monks partake of routine fasting. “Fasting is the monk’s control over sin,” Hyperichius is quoted, “The man who stops fasting is like a stallion who lusts the moment he sees a mare” (27.46). When a horse is not tamed as it should be, it runs wild and has no control over itself, much as physical hunger may do if it is not tamed and is merely indulged in. While physical needs should be met, the Fathers strongly believed that satiating hunger could oftentime take one’s gaze from the Lord. This idea is confirmed by Evangrius’ quote, “I cut away bodily pleasure in order to get rid of occasions for anger. I know that it is because of my pleasure that I have to struggle with anger, my mind is being disturbed, and my understanding distorted” (21.14). Evagrius points out that it is bodily pleasures that make one angry, perhaps because when one’s needs and pleasures are constantly met to the fullest extent, one may become greedy and anxious over the idea that such needs perhaps will not always be met to their liking. Similarly, the Fathers point out the issues of lust that come from lack of self control.

 Lust, which is produced by the body’s natural attraction to another person and is therefore a natural, if perhaps, sinful desire, is described as a “certain death'' (36.7). A monk who is found lusting after a woman is compared to a ruined house whose builder did not lay the foundations securely which speaks to the destructive nature of romantic passions uncontrolled (38.18). Another example highlights the sin of marrying just for the sake of lust. Two brothers who were found to be lusting married women and soon realized that they had married for the wrong reason. In turn, they recommitted their lives to the Lord and fasted and prayed in the desert for a year as penance (44-45.34). While this passage perhaps perplexes readers, making them ask if it was truly righteous for the monks to leave their wives as penance, it speaks to the acknowledgement of the severity of lust and the measures the monks were willing to take in order to renounce their sins.

Along with lusting, the pursuit of humility is also portrayed in the chapter on discretion. Discretion pertains to showing good judgement in an act or a conviction. Anthony is quoted, “Some wear out their bodies by fasting; but because they have no discretion this only puts them further away from God” (88.1) This declaration alludes to the fact that if one were to fast for the wrong reason, it would pull them away from God as opposed to drawing them closer. Similarly, Evagrius says, “Passion is dampened down by hunger and work and solitude...but all these should be at the proper times and in due measure. If they are used at the wrong times and to excess, they are useful for a short time. But what is only useful for a short time, is harmful in the long run” (93.20). This quote is key to realizing that the Fathers were not performing acts of fasting, solitude, and hard work to exalt themselves or even redeem themselves; Evagrius acknowledges that doing so would cause more harm than good. It seems that what the Fathers truly strive for is a dedication to God that far exceeds the external and allows fellow hermits to reach within themselves, test themselves, and thus enslave themselves further to Christ.

Unceasing prayer and obedience to God are also viewed as deeds of a highly cultivated humility. Evangrius charges his fellow monks to repent immediately when a distracting thought comes into one’s head, that in doing so, one might become stronger than their temptation (131.5). Prayer that is enslaved to the practice of humility is thus likened to a “darting flame”, which allows readers an effective image of strength and consistency that a burning flame of fire possesses (131.8). Similarly, obedience to God is a constant practice of true humility. Obedience is compared to the virtue of chastity by Syncletica, and he explains that chastity is inferior to the practice of obedience, for while chastity is a virtue that should be refined, it has the potential to breed pride. Obedience, on the other hand, is an act of total humility, requiring the neglect of one’s own will and the submission into another’s will (143.9). Hyperichus reminds readers that we become most like Christ when we obey our heavenly Father, for it was through such obedience that Christ was crucified for our sins (143.11).  

An introduction into the Desert Fathers’ lifestyle can be truly stirring on a spiritual level. After concluding that their practices were not ones of prude arrogance or preservation in regards to the condition of their souls, readers will see how the very core of the monks’ lifestyle was based on a rigorous humility that heavily influenced every aspect of their lives. As Theodore is quoted in chapter fifteen, “Humility and the fear of God surpass all other virtues.’ ‘The gateway is humility: our predecessors suffered much and therefore entered heaven joyfully’” (154.22). From this quote, we can confirm that the Desert Fathers strove continuously to clothe themselves in a fear of the Lord that would create for them a lifestyle which would prompt them in constantly relying on, praising, and serving their heavenly Father. Their level of humility should be a lesson for us in just how much we should adore, devote ourselves to, and sacrifice for our Savior.