Parable: Paisios the Athonite on how to share plums correctly
The elder Paisios was often asked what justice is. How to act in the right way?
Father Paisios said:
- There is human justice and there is Divine justice.
- And what is Divine justice?, they asked him.
Then the elder gave such an example:
- Imagine that a person came to visit a friend and they had ten plums. One of them ate eight plums and the other got two. Is it fair?
- No, all answered in unison, this is unfair!
Father Paisios continued:
- Ok. Now fancy the two friends had ten plums. They divided them equally, five by five, and ate them. Is that fair?
- Yes, that’s fair!, everybody said.
“But this is human justice,” said Father Paisios. Yet, there is Divine justice! Imagine that one of the friends who had ten plums, having guessed that the other loves them very much, said, “Do me a favor and eat these plums, I don’t really like them. And besides, they cause me a stomachache! I can just do with one.”
Give someone else what he wants, not a half but everything; give him the good, and leave yourself the bad. This will be Divine justice, concluded the elder.
