Friday, October 24, 2014

Friday, October 24, 2014

Sirach 11:2-20 (pasted below)

The apocryphal book The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus) comes to us from around 180 BCE. This was a time of relative stability before the persecution of the Jewish people that would lead to the Maccabean revolt, out of which comes Hanukkah. Like the book of Proverbs, Sirach is grouped into the category of wisdom literature. It contains profound, but also very down to earth and useful sayings. In reading about not boasting about fancy clothes (11:4) or about concentrating on single tasks rather than taking on too much (11:10-13) my thoughts were taken to the sayings and stories of Jesus that we find in the Gospels, like his words about the lilies of the field, and the story of Martha, who was too busy rushing around to sit with Jesus. Today’s reading might help us to remember that Jesus was part --and very knowledgeable of -- the ways and teachings of his people. 

As someone who sometimes takes on too much in the way of school and church responsibilities at the expense of my time with my friends and family (and spiritual life), I need to take Sirach 11:10-13 seriously. There is a fine episode of Seinfeld wherein George, working for the New York Yankees, figures out that by acting irritably all day, his co-workers and superiors will assume that he is busy, hard-working, and accomplishing much. I don’t want to follow the example of George, at least in that respect. (Despite, or perhaps because of his faults, he remains a beloved sitcom character.)

- Matthew Kieswetter

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2 

Do not praise individuals for their good looks,
    or loathe anyone because of appearance alone.

3 

The bee is small among flying creatures,
    but what it produces is the best of sweet things.

4 

Do not boast about wearing fine clothes,
    and do not exalt yourself when you are honored;
for the works of the Lord are wonderful,
    and his works are concealed from humankind.

5 

Many kings have had to sit on the ground,
    but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.

6 

Many rulers have been utterly disgraced,
    and the honored have been handed over to others.

Deliberation and Caution

7 

Do not find fault before you investigate;
    examine first, and then criticize.

8 

Do not answer before you listen,
    and do not interrupt when another is speaking.

9 

Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you,
    and do not sit with sinners when they judge a case.

10 

My child, do not busy yourself with many matters;
    if you multiply activities, you will not be held blameless.
If you pursue, you will not overtake,
    and by fleeing you will not escape.

11 

There are those who work and struggle and hurry,
    but are so much the more in want.

12 

There are others who are slow and need help,
    who lack strength and abound in poverty;
but the eyes of the Lord look kindly upon them;
    he lifts them out of their lowly condition

13 

and raises up their heads
    to the amazement of the many.

14 

Good things and bad, life and death,
    poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.[a]

17 

The Lord’s gift remains with the devout,
    and his favor brings lasting success.

18 

One becomes rich through diligence and self-denial,
    and the reward allotted to him is this:

19 

when he says, “I have found rest,
    and now I shall feast on my goods!”
he does not know how long it will be
    until he leaves them to others and dies.

20 

Stand by your agreement and attend to it,
    and grow old in your work.