The Poverty of the Rich and the Fullness of Seekers

A perfect man has his own will within the law of the Lord, in such a way that his will is not something different from the legal will. And this legal will is this: to forbid evil and to protect virtue. Therefore, when someone becomes a law to himself—for 'they are to themselves a law, not having a law' (Rom 2:29)—it is as if he has his own law intertwined with the law of the Lord. 'Fear the Lord, all his saints' (Ps 112:7), for there is no lack for those fearing him. I urge all the saints to fear him, the Lord. It has been said in Isaiah: 'He himself shall be your fear' (Isa 33:15). Let him himself become your fear. And just as food becomes nourishment to some, and wisdom makes others wise, and righteousness makes others righteous, so they also partake of sanctification; for he himself is also the sanctification, 'who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption' (1 Cor 1:30). Therefore, 'fear the Lord, all his saints.' His saints; for they are not merely called holy in a simple sense, but not necessarily his. As many as are being shaped into holiness seem to be saints, but not of God. And he gives the reason why 'all'; for 'there is no lack for those fearing him.' The fear of God makes them unshakable and unabandoned. 'Fear the Lord, all his saints.' Since 'there is no lack for those fearing him,' in order that you might become unabandoned, fear him, the God. And the fear of God is not passive, as I have said, but equal to reverence, equal to piety. When we take up a conception of God, fear immediately increases and piety arises; for we do not fear him as if we were terrified of him, not as if he were some bogeyman, but as something supremely venerable. And since the holy church stands glorious at the right hand of the Savior, all those completing it are saints. Therefore, concerning the calling of the Gentiles, it can be said: 'Fear the Lord, all his saints,' for there is no lack for those fearing him. 'The rich have fallen away and are hungry, but those seeking the Lord shall not lack any good thing' (Ps 34:10). The former, those completing the assembly before the arrival, were rich...

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Being rich, they fell into poverty. The rich became impoverished and hungered, but those seeking the Lord shall not be diminished from every good thing. When the kingdom of God was taken from them, when the understanding of the divine writings departed from them, when they turned away from the old writing and from themselves, they became poor from being rich; for indeed this wealth fully benefits the possessor—for it becomes for him both food, and a covering, and a garment—so he says that these rich ones, having become poor, hungered. They cast away the spiritual food, they turned away from the 'bread of life'. They became poor; yet even if they themselves became poor, those seeking the Lord are not diminished from the good things, but they become full of them, they shall partake of them perfectly; for just as the kingdom of the heavens was taken from them—this also the mother of Jesus says: 'He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty' (Luke 1:53).

Those formerly rich were sent away empty; for even if they possess the books of Moses and the prophets, they are empty of their divine fullness. Fullness, therefore, of the divine writing is not the shadow, but the truth and the Spirit. 'Those seeking' therefore 'the Lord'—the seeking implies a longing—are filled with all good things. Concerning this also the singer says, conversing with his own soul: 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, who fills your desire with good things' (Psalm 103:2). And: 'Trust in the Lord, and he will give you the requests of your heart' (Psalm 37:4).

Upon it, those passing from the shadow of the law and from partial knowledge and prophecy, find all things good. But primarily the spiritual things of the law are good, unceasing and most full; for these lead one toward the truth face to face, that which brings the perfection, in which no one shall be imperfect. 12 Come, children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord calmly, concerning the necessity of taking up fear toward God, and how some, having fallen away from him, have become poor and needy from being rich, and that those seeking the Lord whom they fear, are filled with all good things; therefore, toward all those becoming his children, he composes the teaching, saying: 'Come, children, listen'.