The Noontimes

Sirach 27 & 28: Being Blessed

Friday, August 9, 2024

Malice, anger, vengeance, the evil tongue – these are the topics that Jesus Ben Sirach addressed in these two chapters from this Wisdom Book. They contain such a treasure of gold!

For the sake of profit many sin, and the struggle for wealth blinds the eye.

We might think of the many kinds of profit we hoard besides financial profit – credit for work done, joy in the good fortune of others, the gifts of prophecy and witness, the understanding of faith, the healing balm of hope, and love of God. We might think of the times we have been tempted to keep these things for ourselves in the event we run out of energy; and we might thank God that we have always shared the gifts sent. We might marvel at how we receive more energy from this sharing than we ever would from hoarding.

When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do a man’s faults when he speaks . . . The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does a man’s speech disclose the bent of his mind.

We might think of how often we reveal ourselves in our words, and in our lack of words.

If you strive after justice you will attain it, and put it on like a splendid robe.

We might think of the so many times in our lives when we have made the decision to not seek revenge, to pray for our enemies, to seek justice. We are always rewarded. God always delivers a better, more far-reaching justice than we could ever devise on our own or with others.

As a lion crouches in wait for prey, so do sins for evildoers.

We might think of the story of Haman who built a scaffold on which to hang Mordecai, the man he envied – and in the end Haman and his entire household meet death on this gallows. Rather than witness the execution of his supposed enemy from the comfort of his home, Haman and his family come to an unexpected and untimely end. I remember how my mother always reminded us that our deeds always “come home to roost just like the chickens do at night.”  The bad deeds along with the good deeds.

Cherish your friend, keep faith with him; but if you betray his confidence follow him not; for s an enemy might kill a man, you have killed your neighbor’s friendship.

We might think of the times we have been betrayed by someone we trusted, and how the depth of our grief was immeasurable. And we might also think of the times we have been consoled and uplifted by authentic, genuine, abiding friendship.

A blow from a whip raises a welt, but a blow from the tongue smashes bones; many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as by the tongue.

We might think of the times when words have caused us physical pain, a pain that can only be healed by God.  We might hope that we have not inflicted this kind of pain on another.

And as we read on and on and on, we might think about how we are blessed. We are blessed to have these words of wisdom before us, blessed to have a mind which comprehends, a heart that heals and a soul that turns to God. We might give thanks that God is good, that God in the end wins over all those who turn toward and away from goodness. We might think of how we are blessed. And so blessed be God forever.

Adapted from a Favorite written on August 22, 2008.

Image from: https://inallthings.org/happiness-blessing-and-flourishing/