Sirach 29:1-16: a reflection

1He who shows mercy will lend to his neighbor. He who strengthens him with his hand keeps the commandments. 2Lend to your neighbor in time of his need. Repay your neighbor on time. 3Confirm your word, and keep faith with him; and at all seasons you will find what you need. 4Many have considered a loan to be a windfall, and have given trouble to those who helped them. 5Until he has received, he will kiss a man’s hands. For his neighbor’s money he will speak submissively. Then when payment is due, he will prolong the time, return excuses, and complain about the season. 6If he prevails, the creditor will hardly receive half; and he will count it as a windfall. If not, he has deprived him of his money, and he has gotten him for an enemy without cause. He will pay him with cursing and railing. Instead of honor, he will pay him disgrace. 7Many on account of fraud have turned away. They are afraid of being defrauded for nothing. 8However be patient with a man in poor estate. Don’t keep him waiting for your alms. 9Help a poor man for the commandment’s sake. According to his need don’t send him empty away. 10Lose your money for a brother and a friend. Don’t let it rust under a stone and be lost. 11Allocate your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High and it will profit you more than gold. 12Store up almsgiving in your store-chambers and it will deliver you out of all affliction. 13It will fight for you against your enemy better than a mighty shield and a ponderous spear. 14A good man will be surety for his neighbor. He who has lost shame will fail him. 15Don’t forget the kindness of your guarantor, for he has given his life for you. 16A sinner will waste the property of his guarantor.

This passage from Sirach urges generosity toward those in need. He who shows mercy lends to his neighbor, it says; help the poor for the commandment's sake, and do not send him away empty. It counsels us to open our hands to those in need, to lend and to give, rather than hoarding. And it makes a striking claim: store up almsgiving in your treasury, and it will deliver you out of affliction; it will fight for you better than a shield. Generosity to the needy is itself a treasure stored up.

Notice how the passage regards generosity to the poor: not as a loss, but as a treasure stored up. Money hoarded, it says, rusts and is lost; but money given to a brother or friend in need, spent in mercy on the poor, is a treasure laid up, worth more than gold kept back. The passage urges us to be openhanded rather than tightfisted, to help the needy generously, seeing such giving not as wasted but as a treasure that profits us more than hoarded wealth.

That reorders how we think about generosity to the poor. We are prone to guard our resources, to hold back, to see money given away as simply lost. But this passage, and the whole of Scripture, teaches that generosity to the needy is a treasure stored up, worth more than what we hoard. Open your hand to those in need, rather than closing it. Do not let your resources rust unused while others go without; help the poor generously, lend to the neighbor in need, give without sending anyone away empty. Such generosity is not loss but treasure; the openhanded giver stores up more than the tightfisted hoarder. Be generous to those in need, and store up the treasure that generosity to the poor lays up.

Lord, this passage urges me to open my hand to those in need, to lend and to give, to help the poor and not send anyone away empty, and it says that generosity to the needy is a treasure stored up, worth more than hoarded gold. Reorder how I think about generosity to the poor. I am prone to guard my resources, to hold back, to see money given away as simply lost. But your word teaches that generosity to the needy is a treasure stored up, worth more than what I hoard. Help me open my hand to those in need, rather than closing it. Keep me from letting my resources rust unused while others go without. Help me help the poor generously, lend to the neighbor in need, and give without sending anyone away empty. Such generosity is not loss but treasure; the openhanded giver stores up more than the tightfisted hoarder. Make me generous to those in need, and help me store up the treasure that generosity to the poor lays up. Open my hand and my heart, Lord.