Sirach 23:17-28: a reflection

17All bread is sweet to a fornicator. He will not cease until he dies. 18A man who goes astray from his own marriage bed says in his heart, “Who sees me? Darkness is around me, and the walls hide me. No one sees me. Of whom am I afraid? The Most High will not remember my sins.” 19The eyes of men are his terror. He doesn’t know that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, and looking into secret places. 20All things were known to him before they were created, and also after they were completed. 21This man will be punished in the streets of the city. He will be seized where he least expects it. 22So also is a wife who leaves her husband, and produces an heir by another man. 23For first, she was disobedient in the law of the Most High. Second, she trespassed against her own husband. Third, she played the adulteress in fornication, and had children by another man. 24She shall be brought out into the congregation. Her punishment will extend to her children. 25Her children will not take root. Her branches will bear no fruit. 26She will leave her memory for a curse. Her reproach won’t be blotted out. 27And those who are left behind will know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing sweeter than to heed the commandments of the Lord.

The sage exposes the self-deception of one who thinks his secret sin is hidden, when in truth God sees all: his eyes are far brighter than the sun, seeing every way and looking into secret places. The one who sins in secret says in his heart, who sees me? Darkness is around me, and the walls hide me; no one sees me. But the sage answers: he doesn't know that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, and looking into secret places. The one who sins in hidden ways deceives himself, thinking that because no human eye sees him, his sin is unseen. But God sees all; his sight reaches into the darkness and the secret places; nothing is hidden from him. The secret sinner's confidence that he is unseen is a delusion. This shows the folly of thinking secret sin is unseen, when God sees all. Do not deceive yourself that secret sin is unseen; God sees all. God's sight reaches into darkness and secret places; nothing is hidden from him. No human eye may see your hidden sin, but God's eyes do. Live as one seen by God, even in secret.

Notice the self-deception the sage exposes. The one who sins in secret reasons within himself: who sees me? Darkness surrounds me, the walls hide me, no one sees; of whom, then, should I be afraid? He is confident that because no human eye observes him, his sin is truly hidden, and he is safe. But this confidence is a delusion. For, the sage says, he does not know, or has forgotten, that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, looking even into secret places. God's sight is not limited like ours; it reaches into darkness, into hidden places, into the secret things no human eye can see. Nothing is hidden from God. This holds a searching truth for us. We can fall into the same self-deception: thinking that a sin done in secret, unseen by others, hidden from human eyes, is therefore truly hidden and without witness, that we can do it safely because no one sees. But this forgets that God sees all. There is no darkness, no secret place, hidden from him; his sight reaches everywhere, into every hidden corner of our lives and hearts. No human eye may see our hidden sin, but God's eyes do. To remember this is a guard against secret sin, and a call to live as those who are always seen by God, even in what is hidden from everyone else. We do well not to deceive ourselves that secret sin is unseen, but to live as those seen by God even in secret. Do not deceive yourself that a sin done in secret is truly unseen; God sees all. God's sight reaches into every darkness and secret place. No human eye may see your hidden sin, but God's eyes do. Live always as one seen by God, even in what is hidden from others.

That is worth taking to heart, for God sees all, even our secret sin, and we deceive ourselves if we think what is hidden from human eyes is truly unseen, as the sage exposes. We can think secret sin safe because no one sees; but the sage warns that God's eyes, far brighter than the sun, see into every secret place. God sees. Do not deceive yourself that secret sin is unseen; remember that God sees all, and live as one always seen by him, even in secret. Do not deceive yourself that sin done in secret is truly unseen, but remember that God sees all and live as one always seen by him even in what is hidden from others, as the sage exposes the self-deception of one who thinks his secret sin is hidden when in truth God sees all, his eyes far brighter than the sun, seeing every way and looking into secret places, since the secret sinner says in his heart, who sees me, darkness is around me and the walls hide me, no one sees me, but the sage answers that he does not know the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men and looking into secret places; for the one who sins in hidden ways deceives himself, thinking that because no human eye sees him his sin is unseen, but God sees all and his sight reaches into the darkness and secret places and nothing is hidden from him, the secret sinner's confidence that he is unseen being a delusion, which holds a searching truth for us, since we can fall into the same self-deception, thinking that a sin done in secret and hidden from human eyes is therefore truly hidden and without witness and that we can do it safely because no one sees, but this forgets that God sees all, there being no darkness or secret place hidden from him, his sight reaching into every hidden corner of our lives and hearts, so that no human eye may see our hidden sin but God's eyes do, and to remember this is a guard against secret sin and a call to live as those always seen by God, so that we do well not to deceive ourselves that secret sin is unseen but to live as those seen by God even in secret.

Lord, the sage exposes the self-deception of one who thinks his secret sin is hidden, when in truth you see all: your eyes are far brighter than the sun, seeing every way and looking into secret places. The one who sins in secret says in his heart, who sees me? Darkness is around me, and the walls hide me; no one sees me. But the sage answers: he doesn't know that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, and looking into secret places. The one who sins in hidden ways deceives himself, thinking that because no human eye sees him, his sin is unseen. But you see all; your sight reaches into the darkness and the secret places; nothing is hidden from you. The secret sinner's confidence that he is unseen is a delusion. Show me the self-deception the sage exposes. The one who sins in secret reasons within himself: who sees me? Darkness surrounds me, no one sees; of whom, then, should I be afraid? He is confident that because no human eye observes him, his sin is truly hidden. But this confidence is a delusion. For, the sage says, he has forgotten that your eyes are far brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, looking even into secret places. Your sight is not limited like ours; it reaches into darkness, into hidden places, into the secret things no human eye can see. Nothing is hidden from you. This holds a searching truth for me. I can fall into the same self-deception: thinking that a sin done in secret, unseen by others, hidden from human eyes, is therefore truly hidden and without witness, that I can do it safely because no one sees. But this forgets that you see all. There is no darkness, no secret place, hidden from you; your sight reaches everywhere, into every hidden corner of my life and heart. No human eye may see my hidden sin, but your eyes do. Take that to my heart. Keep me from deceiving myself that a sin done in secret is truly unseen; help me remember that you see all, Lord, and live as one always seen by you, even in what is hidden from everyone else, that the remembrance of your all-seeing sight may guard me against secret sin.