Scripture Daily

Context No. 1012 of 4322 · Sirach

Context · Reflection

Sirach 14:1-16: in context

1Blessed is the man who has not slipped with his mouth, and doesn’t suffer from sorrow for sins. 2Blessed is he whose soul does not condemn him, and who has not given up hope. 3Riches are not appropriate for a stingy person. What would a miser do with money? 4He who gathers by denying himself gathers for others. Others will revel in his goods. 5If one is mean to himself, to whom will he be good? He won’t enjoy his possessions. 6There is none more evil than he who is grudging to himself. This is a punishment for his wickedness. 7Even if he does good, he does it in forgetfulness. In the end, he reveals his wickedness. 8A miser is evil. He turns away and disregards souls. 9A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion. Wicked injustice dries up his soul. 10A miser begrudges bread, and it is lacking at his table. 11My son, according to what you have, treat yourself well, and bring worthy offerings to the Lord. 12Remember that death will not wait, and that the covenant of Hades hasn’t been shown to you. 13Do good to your friends before you die. According to your ability, reach out and give to them. 14Don’t deprive yourself of a good day. Don’t let your share of a desired good pass you by. 15Won’t you leave your labors to another, and your toils be divided by lot? 16Give, take, and treat yourself well, because there is no seeking of luxury in Hades.

Ben Sira turns his attention to the miser, the person who hoards and cannot enjoy what he has. He is blunt: riches do the stingy person no good; what use is money to a miser? The one who denies himself is only gathering for others who will one day spend it; he is mean to himself, and if he will not be good to himself, to whom will he be good? Then a turn: my son, treat yourself well within your means, and bring worthy offerings to God. Remember that death does not delay. Do good to your friends before you die; do not deprive yourself of a good day, for there is no enjoyment in the grave.

This is a surprising word from a wisdom book, because it is a warning against the wrong kind of self-denial. Ben Sira is not commending greed; he has just said to bring worthy offerings to God and to give generously to friends. But he sees a particular disease in the miser, the person so gripped by hoarding that he cannot even enjoy his own portion, who begrudges bread at his own table and stores up for heirs he does not care about while starving his own present. There is no one more to be pitied, Ben Sira says, than the man who is grudging to himself. Underneath it all is the sober memory of death, which will not wait; you cannot take it with you, and you will leave your hoarded labors to be divided by others. So the wisdom is a balanced one: give to God, give to your friends, and receive with gratitude the good God has given you to enjoy today, because the miser's clenched fist honors neither God nor neighbor nor even himself.

Am I so gripped by holding on that I cannot enjoy or share what God has given, hoarding for a tomorrow that is not promised while starving the good of today?

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