Sirach 40:17-30: a reflection

17Kindness is like a garden of blessings. Almsgiving endures forever. 18The life of one who labors and is content will be made sweet. He who finds a treasure is better than both. 19Children and the building of a city establish a name. A blameless wife is better than both. 20Wine and music rejoice the heart. The love of wisdom is better than both. 21The pipe and the lute make pleasant melody. A pleasant tongue is better than both. 22Your eye desires grace and beauty, but the green shoots of grain more than both. 23A friend and a companion is always welcome, and a wife with her husband is better than both. 24Relatives and helpers are for a time of affliction, but almsgiving rescues better than both. 25Gold and silver will make the foot stand sure, and counsel is esteemed better than both. 26Riches and strength will lift up the heart. The fear of the Lord is better than both. There is nothing lacking in the fear of the Lord. In it, there is no need to seek help. 27The fear of the Lord is like a garden of blessing and covers a man more than any glory. 28My son, don’t lead a beggar’s life. It is better to die than to beg. 29A man who looks to the table of another, his life is not to be considered a life. He will pollute his soul with another person’s food, but a wise and well-instructed person will beware of that. 30Begging will be sweet in the mouth of the shameless, but it kindles a fire in his belly.

Sirach lists many good things in life, and about each says that something is better still, building toward a climax. Wine and music rejoice the heart, he says, but the love of wisdom is better than both. Riches and strength lift up the heart, but the fear of the Lord is better than both. And of this last, the fear of the Lord, he says something he says of nothing else: There is nothing lacking in the fear of the Lord. In it, there is no need to seek help. Above all the good things of life, wine, music, wealth, strength, friends, wisdom, the fear of the Lord surpasses all; and unlike them, it lacks nothing, needs no other help to complete it. The fear of the Lord is the supreme good, better than every other, and sufficient in itself, lacking nothing. Every other good, however real, has something better beyond it; but the fear of the Lord is the good above all, that lacks nothing. The fear of the Lord surpasses every other good and lacks nothing. Above all the goods of life, the fear of the Lord is best and complete. The fear of the Lord is the supreme good, sufficient in itself.

Notice the climax of Sirach's comparisons: the fear of the Lord, better than all, lacking nothing. He runs through the good things of life, each real and valuable, but each surpassed by something better, until he reaches the fear of the Lord, which surpasses them all. And of it alone he says that it lacks nothing, that in it there is no need to seek further help. Every other good, however real, is partial, needing something to complete it, surpassed by something better; but the fear of the Lord is the good above all, complete in itself, lacking nothing. This tells us where the supreme good is found: not in wine or music or wealth or strength or even wisdom, good as these are, but in the fear of the Lord, which surpasses them all and lacks nothing. To have the fear of the Lord is to have the good above every other good, the one that is sufficient in itself. The other goods of life have their place, but they are surpassed by the fear of the Lord, which alone lacks nothing. To seek the fear of the Lord above all is to seek the supreme good. Every good is surpassed by the fear of the Lord; it alone is complete. The fear of the Lord is the good that lacks nothing.

That is worth taking to heart, for the fear of the Lord is the supreme good, surpassing every other and lacking nothing. We can seek our good in the many good things of life, wine and music, wealth and strength, friendship and even wisdom, each real and valuable; but Sirach shows that each of these is surpassed by the fear of the Lord, which alone lacks nothing and needs no other help to complete it. The supreme good is the fear of the Lord. Do not seek your highest good in the lesser goods of life, real as they are; seek the fear of the Lord, which surpasses them all and lacks nothing. Seek the fear of the Lord as your highest good, surpassing every other good of life and lacking nothing, as Sirach shows that wine, music, wealth, strength, and even wisdom are each surpassed by the fear of the Lord, of which alone he says there is nothing lacking; for the good things of life, however real and valuable, are each partial and surpassed by something better, but the fear of the Lord is the good above all, complete in itself, needing no other help to fulfill it, so that to seek our highest good in the fear of the Lord rather than in the lesser goods is to seek the one good that surpasses all others and lacks nothing.

Lord, Sirach lists many good things in life, and about each says that something is better still, building toward a climax. Wine and music rejoice the heart, he says, but the love of wisdom is better than both. Riches and strength lift up the heart, but the fear of the Lord is better than both. And of this last, the fear of the Lord, he says something he says of nothing else: There is nothing lacking in the fear of the Lord. In it, there is no need to seek help. Above all the good things of life, the fear of the Lord surpasses all; and unlike them, it lacks nothing. The fear of the Lord is the supreme good, better than every other, and sufficient in itself. Show me the climax of Sirach's comparisons: the fear of the Lord, better than all, lacking nothing. He runs through the good things of life, each real and valuable, but each surpassed by something better, until he reaches the fear of the Lord, which surpasses them all. And of it alone he says that it lacks nothing. Every other good, however real, is partial, needing something to complete it; but the fear of the Lord is the good above all, complete in itself. This tells me where the supreme good is found: not in wine or music or wealth or strength or even wisdom, good as these are, but in the fear of the Lord. To have the fear of the Lord is to have the good above every other good. Take that to my heart, for the fear of the Lord is the supreme good, surpassing every other and lacking nothing. I can seek my good in the many good things of life, each real and valuable; but Sirach shows that each is surpassed by the fear of the Lord, which alone lacks nothing. Keep me from seeking my highest good in the lesser goods of life; help me seek the fear of the Lord, Lord, which surpasses them all and lacks nothing, as the one good that is complete in itself and needs no other help to fulfill it.