Those Who Give What Is Theirs and Those Who Seize What Is Not

Admonition 21. Those who already give of their own with compassion, and those who would still gladly seize even what belongs to others, are to be admonished differently. Those who already give of their own with compassion are to be admonished not to lift themselves up in swelling thoughts above those to whom they hand out earthly things, and not to think themselves better than others because they see others supported by them. For the lord of an earthly household, in assigning the ranks and duties of his servants, appoints some to rule and others to be ruled by them. He orders the first to supply the rest with what they need, and the second to take what they receive from others. And yet for the most part it is those who rule who give offense, while those who are ruled remain in favor with the master of the house. Those who are stewards incur anger; those who live by the stewardship of others continue without offense. Those, then, who already give with compassion from what they have are to be admonished to recognize that they have been placed by the heavenly Lord as stewards of earthly supplies, and to hand them out all the more humbly because they understand that the things they distribute are not their own. And when they consider that they are appointed to serve those to whom they hand out what they have received, they must by no means let empty glory lift up their minds, but let fear press them down. So they also need to take anxious thought not to distribute unworthily what has been entrusted to them. They must not give something to those on whom they ought to have spent nothing, or nothing to those on whom they ought to have spent something, or much to those on whom they ought to have spent little, or little to those on whom they ought to have spent much. They must not scatter what they give uselessly through haste, or torment those who ask, to their harm, through delay. They must not let the thought of receiving a favor in return creep in, or let a craving for passing praise put out the light of giving, or let sullenness hang about a gift that is offered, or let the mind be more elated than is fitting over a gift well offered. And when they have done everything rightly, they must not credit something to themselves, and so lose everything at once after accomplishing everything. So that they do not attribute the virtue of their generosity to themselves, let them hear what is written: “If anyone ministers, let him do it as by the strength that God supplies.” So that they do not rejoice beyond measure in the kindnesses they have done, let them hear what is written: “When you have done all the things you were commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what it was our duty to do.’” So that sullenness does not spoil generosity, let them hear what is written: “God loves a cheerful giver.” So that they do not seek passing praise for a gift they have given, let them hear what is written: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” That is, let not the glory of the present life mix itself with the gifts of devotion, and let not the desire for favor know anything of the work of uprightness. So that they do not look for a return for kindnesses done, let them hear what is written: “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and you are repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and you will be blessed, because they have nothing to repay you with.” So that they do not supply late what should be supplied at once, let them hear what is written: “Do not say to your friend, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give,’ when you could give at once.” So that they do not scatter what they have uselessly under the pretense of generosity, let them hear what is written: “Let your alms sweat in your hand.” So that they do not give little when much is needed, let them hear what is written: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.” So that they do not give too much when they ought to give little, and afterward, bearing want badly themselves, break out into impatience, let them hear what is written: “Not that others should be eased and you burdened, but by an equality, so that your abundance may supply their want, and their abundance may supply your want.” For when the soul of the giver does not know how to bear want, then by withdrawing much from himself he seeks out an occasion of impatience against himself. The mind should first be prepared for patience, and then either much or all may be given generously. Otherwise, if the onset of want is borne with little calm, the reward of the earlier generosity is lost, and the grumbling that follows brings worse ruin on the soul. So that they do not give nothing at all to those on whom they ought to bestow something, let them hear what is written: “Give to everyone who asks of you.” So that they do not give something, however little, to those on whom they ought to bestow nothing at all, let them hear what is written: “Give to the good man, and do not receive a sinner; do good to the lowly, and do not give to the ungodly.” And again: “Set out your bread and wine at the burial of the righteous, but do not eat and drink of it with sinners.” [a]

For a person gives his bread and wine to sinners when he gives help to the wicked because they are wicked. That is why some of the rich of this world feed actors with lavish gifts, while the poor of Christ are tormented with hunger. But whoever gives his bread to someone in need, even though he is a sinner, not because he is a sinner but because he is a human being, does not in truth feed a sinner, but a poor righteous man; because what he loves in him is not his sin, but his nature.

Those who already distribute with compassion what they have are also to be admonished to keep careful guard, so that while they redeem by alms the sins they have committed, they do not commit others that will still need redeeming; and so that they do not suppose the righteousness of God is for sale, thinking that if they take care to give money for their sins, they can sin without punishment. For “the soul is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” So whoever gives food or clothing to the poor, and yet is polluted by wickedness of soul or body, has offered the lesser thing to righteousness and the greater thing to sin; for he has given his possessions to God, and himself to the devil. [f]

But on the other hand, those who would still gladly seize what belongs to others are to be admonished to pay anxious attention to what the Lord says when he comes to judgment. For he says, “I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.” And before this he says to them, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.” See, they are not told at all that they have committed robberies or any other acts of violence, and yet they are handed over to the eternal fires of Gehenna. From this, then, we may gather with how great a condemnation those will be visited who seize what is not their own, if those who have unwisely kept their own are struck with so great a punishment. Let them consider in what guilt seizing goods must bind them, if not parting with goods brings such a penalty. Let them consider what injustice done to others must deserve, if kindness not shown is worthy of so great a chastisement. [g]

When they are intent on seizing what is not their own, let them hear what is written: “Woe to him who increases what is not his! How long will he heap up thick clay against himself?” For a greedy man to heap up thick clay against himself is to pile up earthly gains into a load of sin. When they want to enlarge greatly the spaces they live in, let them hear what is written: “Woe to you who join house to house and lay field to field, until there is no room left. Will you dwell alone in the midst of the earth?” As if to say plainly: How far will you stretch yourselves, you who cannot bear to have companions in a world we all share? You keep down those who are joined to you, and you always find others against whom you can stretch yourselves. When they are intent on increasing their money, let them hear what is written: “The greedy man is not filled with money, and whoever loves riches will reap no fruit from them.” For he would reap fruit from them if he were willing, not loving them, to scatter them well. But whoever keeps them because he is fond of them will surely leave them behind here without fruit. When they burn to be filled at once with every kind of wealth, let them hear what is written: “Whoever hurries to be rich will not be innocent.” For certainly whoever sets about increasing wealth is careless in avoiding sin; and caught like a bird, while he looks greedily at the bait of earthly things, he does not notice in what a noose of sin he is being strangled. When they desire any gains of the present world and do not know the losses they will suffer in the world to come, let them hear what is written: “An inheritance hurried after in the beginning will lack blessing at the last end.” For we take our beginning from this life so that we may come in the end to the portion of blessing. So those who hurry after an inheritance in the beginning cut themselves off from the portion of blessing in the end; for while they crave to be enriched here through the wickedness of greed, they are disinherited there of their eternal inheritance. When they either seek a very great deal or succeed in obtaining all they have sought, let them hear what is written: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” As if the Truth said plainly: What does it profit a man to gather together everything outside himself, if the one thing that is himself he damns? But for the most part the greed of plunderers is corrected sooner if those who admonish them show in words how fleeting the present life is; if mention is made of those who long tried to grow rich in this world and yet could not remain long among the riches they had gained; from whom a swift death took away suddenly and all at once whatever they had gathered neither all at once nor suddenly; who not only left behind here what they had seized, but carried with them to the judgment the charges for their seizing. So let them be told of examples of such people, whom they themselves would no doubt condemn in words; so that when, after their words, they come back to their own hearts, they may at least blush to imitate those they judge. [h]