Sermon 36

SERMO 36

OF THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THE PROVERBS
"There are those who pretend to be rich though they have nothing."
And there are those who humble themselves while being rich.
The redemption of a man's soul is his wealth.
"But the poor man does not endure threats"

Which riches are to be considered of great value.

The Holy Scripture, which has just been read in your hearing, admonished us, or rather through it the Lord who commands us to speak to you, to inquire with you and to discuss what it is and what it means that has been read: There are those who pretend to be rich, having nothing, and there are those who humble themselves, though they are rich. For it should not be thought, nor at all believed, that sacred Scripture has taken care to admonish us about those riches with which the proud are inflated, I speak of these visible and earthly ones, so that we either consider them of great importance, or fear not having them. "For what does it profit a man," says someone, "who affects to appear rich, when he has nothing?" Scripture has marked and rebuked this man. But neither is he much to be desired or imitated and held in high esteem, whom it seems to have placed in praise, if he understood temporal and earthly riches. And there are, it says, those who humble themselves while they are rich. He rightly displeases us, who, having nothing, pretends to be rich. What, does he please us, who, although he is rich, humbles himself? Perhaps he pleases because he humbles himself, yet he does not please because he is rich.

Let us then also take this. It is neither unbecoming, nor dishonorable, nor useless, that the holy Scriptures wished to commend humble rich men to us. For nothing is as greatly to be feared in riches as pride. Finally, the apostle Paul admonishes Timothy thus: "Command," he says, "those who are rich in this world not to be haughty." For he did not dread riches, but the disease of riches. But the disease of riches is great pride. For it is a grand spirit that is not tempted by this disease among riches, a spirit greater than its riches, conquering not by desiring but by despising. Therefore, a rich man is great who does not think himself great because he is rich. But he who thinks himself great because of this is proud and needy. In the flesh he boasts, in the heart he begs; he is inflated, not full. If you see two bags, one full and the other inflated, they seem the same in size, but not in fullness. If you consider this, you are deceived; if you weigh, you will find out. He who is full is difficult to move; he who is inflated is quickly carried away.

Christ assumed poverty, did not despise wealth.

So then, he says, command the rich of this world. He did not add: of this world, unless because there are rich and not of this world. Who are rich not of this world? Whose prince and head is he of whom it is said: He became poor for our sake, though he was rich. But if he alone, what profit is there? See what follows: That by his poverty you might be enriched. I think that the poverty of Christ did not bring us money but righteousness. But from where was his poverty? Because he became mortal. Therefore, true riches are immortality. For there is true abundance, where there is no need. Because therefore we could not become immortal unless Christ had become mortal for us, for this reason he became poor, though he was rich. And he did not say: He became poor, though he had been rich, but: He became poor, while he was rich. He assumed poverty and did not lose riches. Rich inside, poor outside. God hidden in riches, appearing as man in poverty. See his riches: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. What is richer than he through whom all things were made? One can have gold and be rich, one cannot create. Therefore, since these riches of his were commended, see his poverty: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. By this poverty of his we are enriched, because in his blood which flowed from his flesh, which the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the sack of our sins was torn apart. Through that blood we cast off the rags of iniquity, that we might be clothed in the robe of immortality.

All good faithful ones are wealthy.

All good faithful are therefore rich. Let no one consider themselves lowly, poor in cell, rich in conscience. Indeed, he who is rich in conscience sleeps more securely on the ground than he who is rich in gold and purple. There, no malignant care awakens him, with a heart pricked by guilt. Preserve the riches in your heart, which the poverty of your Lord granted you. Indeed, keep Him as your guard himself. That which He gave should not perish from your heart, let Him who gave it preserve it. All are therefore good and faithful rich, but not rich in this world. Indeed, not even they perceive their own riches; they will perceive them later. The root lives, but in winter time even the green tree is similar to the withered one. For in wintertime both the tree that withers and the tree that thrives are both naked of the honor of leaves, both lacking the dignity of fruits. Summer will come and will distinguish the trees. The living root produces leaves, it is filled with fruits; the withered one, empty, remains barren in summer as in winter. Thus, for the former, a barn is prepared; for the latter, an axe is applied, so that, upon being cut down, it is cast into the fire. So our summer is Christ’s coming. Our winter is Christ’s hiddenness; our summer is Christ’s revelation. Indeed, to good and faithful trees the Apostle gives this address: For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Certainly dead, but dead in appearance, living in the root. However, consider the coming summer time, how he follows and says: When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. These are rich, but not of this world.

In uncertain riches let us not trust.

Nevertheless, the rich of the world are not despised. He, who became poor for our sake though he was rich, also gained them through his poverty. For if he had despised them and did not wish to count them among his own, the Apostle would not have instructed Timothy, as I was saying, to give this command: "Command those who are rich in this present world." Among those who are rich in faith, there are some who are rich in this world. Command them, because they too have become members of that poor one. Command them about what they should fear from their riches: "Not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in uncertain wealth." For the rich man becomes arrogant because he hopes in uncertain wealth. If he wisely considered the uncertainty of wealth, he would never be arrogant, but always fearful. The richer he is, the more concerned he would become, not just according to this life, but also according to that one. For many in the disturbances of this age have been more secure in their poverty. Many, on account of their riches, have been sought and arrested. Many have mourned having what they could never fully possess. Many have regretted not accepting the counsel of their Lord, who said: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." I am not telling you to lose them but to transfer them. Many did not want to do this and later were sorrowful for their disobedience when they not only lost their possessions but also perished because of them. Therefore, command the rich of this world not to be arrogant, and what we have heard in the proverb of Solomon will be fulfilled in them: "There are those who humble themselves though they are rich." This can also apply to these temporal riches. Let the rich be humble. Let them rejoice more in being Christians than being rich. Let them not be puffed up or exalted. Let them attend to their poor brother and not disdain to be called the brother of the poor. However rich he may be, Christ is richer, who wanted to have brothers for whom he shed his blood.

Let us lay up a good foundation for ourselves.

However, so that the rich might not say they have nothing to do with their riches, he advised Timothy to guide them also with counsel, not only to restrain them with a precept. When he said: "Do not hope in the uncertainty of riches," lest they think they have lost hope, he added: "But in the living God, who provides us with all things abundantly to enjoy, temporal things for use, eternal things for enjoyment." But what should the rich do with their riches? "Let them be rich," he said, "in good works, ready to distribute." This is how wealth should benefit; let there be no difficulty in giving. For the poor wish to give, but are unable. The rich wish to give, and can. Let them easily distribute, share, treasure for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold on true life. For this life is false. Deceived by the falsehood of this life, the man in purple and fine linen despised the poor ulcerated man lying at his door. But he, licked by dogs, gathered an eternal treasure for himself in the bosom of Abraham, and if not with abundant means, yet with pious and the best of intentions. However, the rich man, who seemed great to himself in purple and fine linen, died and was buried. And what did he find? Eternal thirst, unceasing flames. Fire followed his purple and fine linen. His tunic burned, which he could not strip off. Instead of feasts, dryness, and the desire for a drop from the finger of the poor man, just as he had desired crumbs from the rich man's table. But that poverty passed away, while this punishment remains. Let the rich of this world take heed of this and not think proudly. Let them easily distribute, share. Let them treasure for themselves a good foundation for the future, where are true riches, but not of this world, so that they may lay hold on true life.

The poor and the rich, how they are distinguished.

Therefore, perhaps the Holy Scripture reminded us of this when it said: There are those who pretend to be rich, having nothing, because of proud beggars. For if a rich man who is proud can scarcely be tolerated, who can bear a poor man who is proud? Those who humble themselves, though they are rich, are therefore better. Nevertheless, the Scripture bears witness that it speaks of other riches. For it added subsequently: The redemption of a man's soul is his wealth; but the poor does not endure threats. We must understand that the poor from another poverty and the rich from other riches are being referred to. For they are deeply rich, rich in heart, full of strength, wealthy in piety, abundant in charity, they are rich within themselves, they are inwardly rich. Yet there are those who pretend to be rich, when they are poor. They seem just to themselves, when they are unjust. We must understand those riches since the Scripture has disclosed what it meant: The redemption of a man's soul is his wealth. "Understand," it says, "what riches I recommend to you. Because I said: There are those who pretend to be rich, having nothing; and there are those who humble themselves, being rich, you were thinking of those temporal and earthly and visible riches. But I am not speaking of those, but I admonish you as to which I speak: The redemption of a man's soul is his wealth." Therefore those who do not have the redemption of the soul, because they are unjust and want to seem just, because they are hypocrites, they are those about whom it said: There are those who pretend to be rich, having nothing. They want to seem just, but in the chamber of conscience they do not have the gold of justice. And they are full, the more humble the richer, of whom it was said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Gold shines, but faith shines more.

Why then do you seek riches which flatter human and fleshly eyes? Gold shines, but faith shines even more. Choose what you should have in your heart. Be full within, where God sees your riches, man does not see. Yet because man does not see, you should not therefore despise what you have within. Do you want to see, because faith shines more than gold even in the eyes of the wicked? How does even the greedy master praise the faithful servant? He says nothing is more valuable than him, indeed he testifies he has no price at all. "I have a servant," he says, "he has no price." What are you expecting from him? Perhaps he dances well, or is the best cook. No. Pay attention to the inner praise: "Nothing," he says, "is more faithful." The faithful servant pleases you, and do you not want to be a faithful servant to God? Consider that you have a servant; consider also that you have a Lord. You could buy a servant, but not create one. Your Lord created you with his word and redeemed you with his blood. If you have become cheap to yourself, recall the price. If you have also forgotten this, read the Gospel, your instrument. You love faith in your servant, and does not your Lord seek it in his? Repay what you demand. What you rejoice to have repaid by an inferior, repay to the superior. You love a servant who keeps your gold faithfully. Do not despise the Lord who mercifully keeps your heart. Therefore, all have eyes to praise faith, but only when they demand it to be repaid to them. For when it is demanded of them, they close their eyes, they do not want to see how beautiful it is. Or perhaps out of foolish madness they do not want to repay lest they lose it, just as anyone fears returning money: once he has returned it, he will not have it. Faith is not repaid in this way. It is both repaid and kept. Amazing to say! Indeed, if it is not repaid, it is not kept.

"The soul must be redeemed by alms."

The redemption of a man's soul is his wealth. Deservedly, God insulted that very vain rich man, to admonish us not to imitate such things, as a fruitful region succeeding abundance disturbed the man more than scarcity. For he thought to himself, saying: What shall I do where I may gather my fruits? And when he had been troubled, constrained, at last he thought he had found counsel. But a vain counsel. For this counsel was found not by prudence but by greed. I will destroy, he said, the old smaller barns, and I will build larger new ones, and fill them, and I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many goods, be satisfied, take pleasure. He said to him: Fool, in what you seemed wise to yourself, fool, what did you say? "I say to my soul: You have many goods, be satisfied." This night your soul will be taken away. Whose will these things be that you have prepared? For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his soul? Therefore, the redemption of a man's soul is his wealth. That foolish and vain man did not have these riches. For he did not redeem his soul with alms, he stored up perishable fruits. I say, he stored up perishable fruits that would perish, giving nothing to the Lord to whom he was to depart. How will he stand in that judgment, when he begins to hear: I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat? For he desired to satisfy his own soul with superfluous and excessive feasts, arrogantly ignoring the so many empty stomachs of the poor. He did not know that the stomachs of the poor were safer storehouses for his goods. For what he stored in those barns - perhaps was even taken by thieves. But if he stored it in the stomachs of the poor, indeed it would be digested on earth, but it would be more securely kept in heaven. Therefore, the redemption of a man's soul is his wealth.

Threats must be resisted.

And what follows? A poor man, however, does not endure threats. A poor man, that is, one void of righteousness, not having within the fullness of the spirit, spiritual ornaments, spiritual furnishings, and all that which is not seen by the eyes but is valued more by the mind. Not having these within, he does not endure threats. When it has been said to him by some powerful person: "Say this word against my enemy, give false testimony, so that I may oppress and subdue him whom I wish." Perhaps he tries: "I do not do it, I do not bring sin upon myself." He only refuses until the rich person begins to threaten. But because he is poor, he does not endure threats. What does it mean, he is poor? He does not have the inner riches which the martyrs had, who despised all the threats of the world for the truth and faith in Christ. Did they lose anything from their heart compared to what they gained in heaven? Therefore, the poor man does not endure threats. He cannot say to the rich man compelling him to wrong someone or give false testimony: "I do not do it." He does not have within him what to respond, he is not solidified and full with an inner treasury; there is no one to say because he does not have what to say, there is no one to say: "What can you do to me who threatens? At most, you will take away what I have. You take what I will leave behind; you take that which, if you do not take it while I live, I may perhaps lose. From the inner vault, I lose nothing. When you threaten to take what I have inside, do you truly wish to take what I have within? But you can take it and have it. If you take away my faith by threatening, both you and I lose. Therefore, I do not do what you urge, I do not care what you threaten. But you can, by raging, even expel me from my country. You have harmed me, if you drive me to where I cannot find my God. Perhaps you will even be able to kill. When the carnal house collapses, the unharmed inhabitant departs, and I will depart secure to Him to whom I keep faith, and I will no longer fear you. See then what you threaten, that I may say false testimony. You threaten death, but of the body. I fear more He who said: A lying mouth kills the soul." Filled and rich with these inner riches, he responds to the one threatening, or better. However, the poor man does not endure threats.

Of the Pharisee and the Publican.

Let us therefore be rich and fear to be poor. Let us seek to fill our hearts with riches from Him who is truly rich. And if perhaps each of you enters into his heart and does not find these riches there, let him knock at the door of the rich one, let him become a pious beggar at the door of that rich man, so that he may be filled with riches by his gift. And truly, my brothers, we ought to confess our poverty and need to the Lord our God. This was confessed by the publican, who did not even dare to lift his eyes to heaven. For he, being a sinner, had no substance with which to lift his eyes. He observed his emptiness but recognized the fullness of the Lord. He knew he had come to the fountain thirsty. He showed his dry throat, piously knocked to be filled: "Lord," he said, beating his breast and lowering his eyes to the ground, "be merciful to me, a sinner." I say that he was already rich in some part, thinking and asking these things. For if he was still entirely poor, from where would he bring forth the gems of this confession? Yet he descended from the temple more abundant and fuller, justified. But the Pharisee went up to pray and asked for nothing. "They went up," it says, "to the temple to pray." This man prays, that one does not pray. But that one, where was he from? There are those who think themselves rich, having nothing. "Lord," he said, "I thank you that I am not like other men, unjust, thieves, adulterers, or even like this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess." He boasted of himself, but this is inflation, not fullness. He thought himself rich, having nothing. The other recognized himself poor, already having something. To say nothing else, he had the piety of confession itself. And both descended. But the publican, it says, was justified more than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.