Sirach 33:17-33: a reflection

17By the Lord’s blessing I arrived before them, and filled my winepress like one who gathers grapes. 18Consider that I labored not for myself alone, but for all those who seek instruction. 19Hear me, you great men of the people, and listen with your ears, you rulers of the congregation. 20To son and wife, to brother and friend, don’t give power over yourself while you live, and don’t give your goods to another, lest you regret it and must ask for them. 21While you still live and breath is in you, don’t give yourself over to anybody. 22For it is better that your children should ask from you than that you should look to the hand of your children. 23Excel in all your works. Don’t bring a stain on your honor. 24In the day that you end the days of your life, in the time of death, distribute your inheritance. 25Fodder, a stick, and burdens are for a donkey. Bread, discipline, and work are for a servant. 26Set your slave to work, and you will find rest. Leave his hands idle, and he will seek liberty. 27Yoke and whip will bow the neck. For an evil slave there are racks and tortures. 28Send him to labor, that he not be idle, for idleness teaches much mischief. 29Set him to work, as is fit for him. If he doesn’t obey, make his fetters heavy. 30Don’t be excessive toward any. Do nothing unjust. 31If you have a slave, treat him like yourself, because you have bought him with blood. 32If you have a slave, treat him like yourself. For like your own soul, you will need him. If you treat him ill, and he departs and runs away, 33which way will you go to seek him?

In the midst of his instruction, Sirach pauses to say something about his own labor that reframes the purpose of it: he did not labor for himself alone. Consider that I labored not for myself alone, he says, but for all those who seek instruction. His work in gathering and passing on wisdom was not for his own benefit only, but for the good of all who would seek and receive it after him. He labored with others in mind, that they might be helped by what he gathered. This is a generous way to hold our work: not as serving only ourselves, but as laboring for the good of others too, that they might benefit from what we do. Sirach urges those who receive to listen, and models a laborer who worked for their sake. To labor not for ourselves alone but for the good of others gives our work a wider and more generous purpose. Our work can serve more than ourselves; it can be for the good of others too.

Notice how Sirach frames his labor: not for himself alone, but for all who seek instruction. He might have gathered wisdom for his own benefit, his own advancement; but he says he labored for the sake of others, that they might receive and benefit from what he had gathered. This gives his work a generous purpose beyond himself. It is a good way to hold our own work: to do it not only for our own gain but for the good of others, with those who will benefit from it in mind. Work done only for ourselves is narrow; work done for the good of others as well is generous, and shares its fruit. Sirach labored, and passed on what he gathered, for those who would come after and seek instruction; his labor served more than himself. To labor with others' good in mind, to do our work for their benefit and not only our own, gives it a wider and more generous meaning. What we do can be for others, not just ourselves. There is generosity in laboring for the good of those who will benefit.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can labor not for ourselves alone but for the good of others, giving our work a generous purpose. We can do our work only for our own benefit, our own gain or advancement, with no thought for others; but Sirach labored not for himself alone but for all who would seek instruction, that they might benefit from what he gathered. To hold our work this way, laboring for the good of others and not only ourselves, gives it a wider and more generous purpose. Do not labor only for your own benefit; labor also for the good of others, as Sirach labored not for himself alone but for all who seek instruction. Labor not for yourself alone but for the good of others, giving your work a generous purpose beyond your own gain, as Sirach said he labored not for himself alone but for all those who seek instruction; for work done only for ourselves is narrow, but work done with the good of others in mind is generous and shares its fruit, so that to labor with those who will benefit in view, doing our work for their good and not only our own, gives it a wider and more generous meaning.

Lord, in the midst of his instruction, Sirach pauses to say something about his own labor that reframes the purpose of it: he did not labor for himself alone. Consider that I labored not for myself alone, he says, but for all those who seek instruction. His work in gathering and passing on wisdom was not for his own benefit only, but for the good of all who would seek and receive it after him. He labored with others in mind, that they might be helped by what he gathered. This is a generous way to hold our work: not as serving only ourselves, but as laboring for the good of others too. Show me how Sirach frames his labor: not for himself alone, but for all who seek instruction. He might have gathered wisdom for his own benefit; but he says he labored for the sake of others, that they might receive and benefit from what he had gathered. This gives his work a generous purpose beyond himself. It is a good way to hold my own work: to do it not only for my own gain but for the good of others, with those who will benefit from it in mind. Work done only for myself is narrow; work done for the good of others as well is generous. Take that to my heart, for I can labor not for myself alone but for the good of others, giving my work a generous purpose. I can do my work only for my own benefit, with no thought for others; but Sirach labored not for himself alone but for all who would seek instruction. To hold my work this way gives it a wider and more generous purpose. Keep me from laboring only for my own benefit; help me labor also for the good of others, Lord, as Sirach labored not for himself alone but for all who seek instruction, that my work might serve more than myself.