Human righteousness is not for spiritual people; it merely serves to restrain worldly people. A spiritual person is a fool if he relies on human righteousness, which is nothing compared to divine righteousness. But even a worldly person, though he may achieve something in this life by applying human righteousness, will not have real joy and peace.

Let’s say two brothers own a ten-acre piece of land. According to human righteousness, each is entitled to five acres. Divine justice is for each to take what he needs. If, for example, one brother has seven children and the other has only two, or if one brother is less productive than the other, then the one who has greater need should receive a bigger share of the land. In this case, it is unfair for both to receive the same amount of land. The worldly person does not take into consideration that his brother is having difficulties making ends meet. He does not understand that the division of the land into two equal shares is unjust, because he is not thinking in a spiritual manner. You tell him, “You must try to convince your family to give more to your brother who is in need,” and he says “Why? 1 am not being unfair in giving him half!” But if he were a spiritual person and even if his wife and children objected, he should have convinced them to let his brother decide, and accept whatever the brother would offer. If his brother said, “You will receive one acre,” he should accept it without saying anything, so that the other will be at peace with having taken the other nine acres. The Gospel shows us of the best way to divide property.

– Spiritual Struggle