The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus 2:1 Kommentar

But as soon as the soul begins to love heavenly things, as soon as it gathers itself with complete attention toward the vision of inner peace, that ancient adversary who fell from heaven grows envious, and begins to lay more snares, and brings on sharper temptations than he was accustomed to, so that often he tempts the resisting soul as he had never tempted it before when he possessed it. Hence it is written: "Son, when you come to the service of God, stand in justice and fear, and prepare your soul for temptation." Hence also the demoniac who is healed by the Lord is torn apart by the departing demon, as it is written: "And crying out and greatly tearing him, it went out from him." For what does it mean that the ancient enemy, who had not torn apart the possessed man while he held him, tore him apart as he was leaving, except that often when he is expelled from the heart, he generates sharper temptations in it than he had previously stirred up when he possessed it in peace? Hence also the Israelites say to Moses and Aaron: "May the Lord see and judge, because you have made our odor stink before Pharaoh and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us." For in Moses and Aaron the law and the prophets are prefigured. And often the weak soul murmurs within itself as if against the sacred utterances, because after it has begun to hear and follow heavenly words, the adversity of the Egyptian king, that is, the temptation of the evil spirit, increases.

A monk who truly sets out to serve God, according to Wisdom, must prepare his soul against temptation lest he might at any time become separated from God or be overwhelmed by what happens to him. He must also believe that nothing happens without the providence of God. And since, in the providence of God, everything that happens is surely good and for the advantage of the soul, everything that happens is for our good and happens because God loves us and protects us. And we should, as the apostle says, “give thanks in all things for his goodness to us” and not drag ourselves down or lose heart about what happens to us but accept the events convinced, as I have said, that all those things that God does to us, he always does out of goodness because he loves us. And what he does is always right. Indeed, it would be impossible for things to go well otherwise except for this mercy of God.

When the merits of the elect increase, the envy of the ancient enemy also immediately increases. It seeks either imperceptibly by himself, or openly through people who are subjected to his wickedness, to suffocate the incipient seeds of piety. Therefore, after having promised to the disciples the courage to preach, the Lord reveals the persecutions that would come on the part of those who would resist their preaching. In fact, he adds, “I have said this so you will not be shocked. They will chase you out of the synagogues.” Their loving Master wanted his disciples to know in advance the future hostility of the wicked, so that when it appeared it would cause them less harm, given that usually we more easily endure the adversities that we can foresee. The evils that happen to one who is not prepared and does not know what is coming often cause a more precipitous fall from their state of security. Here is the warning Solomon provides: “Son, when you come to the service of God, stand firm in justice and in fear, and prepare your soul for temptations.” And our Savior reminds his disciples that not only will they be cast out from fellowship with their fellow citizens but also they will be confronted with mortal peril. In fact, he continues, “But the hour has come in which anyone who kills you will think he is doing something in service to God.” The Jews believed they were doing something in service to God when they, full of hatred, were persecuting the ministers of the New Testament to the death, according to the testimony of the apostle: “They desire to please God, but not in an illuminated way.” And, he says about himself: “I myself believed it was my duty to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, as I did in Jerusalem.” Therefore, after predicting the torments they would experience from their adversaries, in order to console his disciples, the Lord immediately adds, “But the hour has come in which each one who kills you will think he is doing something in service to God,” as if he were saying: accept the tribulations brought on you by your fellow citizens, but accept them even more so knowing that they are not so much inflicted on you out of hatred against you as out of zeal for the law of God.