The mercy of God to the penitent

On Wednesday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Numbers (11:4-6, 10-30) entitled "The spirit poured out over Joshua and the elders". Our treasure, which follows, is from a letter by Saint Maximus the Confessor, abbot. Saint Maximus was a Christian monk and scholar. In his early life he was a civil servant and an aid to the Byzantine Emperor Horus. He gave up his life in the political sphere to enter monastic life. Because of his theological positions Maximus was on the outs with the authorities. He was tried at a council and found to be a heretic, even though he was defending orthodoxy. To keep him from writing and speaking his so-called heretical views they damaged his right hand and his tongue. So, he is known as Maximus the Confessor.   Saint Maximus the Confessor's primary contribution to the Church was done by defending the truth that Jesus Christ possesses two wills—divine and human—perfectly united in one Person, a teaching that safeguarded the full reality of the Incarnation. Opposing the heresy of Monothelitism, Maximus taught that Christ's human will freely cooperates with His divine will, ensuring that human nature is truly healed and redeemed. His witness, confirmed at the Third Council of Constantinople (681), became foundational for the Church's understanding of how Christ saves us—not by overriding our humanity, but by restoring it to full harmony with God.   His theological positions made him extremely popular within one generation after his death. His theological positions were upheld by the Third Council of Constantinople, and he was declared the saint soon after his death.   The Book of Numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the Hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness. It continues the story of that journey begun in Exodus and describes briefly the experiences of the Israelites for a period of thirty-eight years, from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the promised land. Numerous legal ordinances are interspersed in the account, making the book a combination of law and history.   The central message of the Book of Numbers is that God remains faithful to His people even when they are unfaithful, and He calls them to trust and obey Him on the journey to the Promised Land. Through Israel's repeated complaints, rebellions, and failures in the wilderness, the book shows the consequences of distrust and disobedience, yet also reveals God's enduring guidance, mercy, and commitment to His covenant. Ultimately, it teaches that progress toward God's promises requires faith, perseverance, and reliance on His leadership, even during times of trials and uncertainty.