Week 4 - Friday

Bible Passage

1 Peter 2:23

Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.

Commentary

Abba Macarius and the False Accusation

It was said concerning Abba Macarius that some people in the village falsely accused him of fathering a child. When the woman who had been led astray became pregnant, the people seized Macarius and beat him mercilessly, calling him a hypocrite and a fraud. Yet he said nothing to defend himself. Instead, he bowed his head and accepted the punishment.

Later, when the woman was in labor, she suffered greatly and could not give birth. At last, she cried out and confessed: "I have slandered the holy man! He is innocent! It was another who caused my downfall!"

The people, realizing their sin, were struck with fear. They rushed to Abba Macarius' cell, seeking to beg his forgiveness—but they found that he had already fled deeper into the desert, avoiding their praise just as he had endured their insults.