The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus 2:5 Коментар

Regarding the punishment God inflicts on us, we hear, “When we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” Regarding the just, however, he says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” In yet again in another place, the blessed apostle Paul—after having mentioned that he had been taken up to the third heaven and to paradise where he had heard ineffable words—adds immediately, “And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ ” With even greater clarity another passage of the Scriptures that sounds quite similar says, “Gold and silver are refined in the fire, the just, however, in the furnace of humiliation.” This is because, after the just have felt the heat of temptation and been weighed down by the burden of tribulations, there will be not even the slightest rise in them of pride over the merits of the justice they have received for their past actions, knowing that they will soon be rewarded with the very price of immortality. Indeed, the just become even more commendable in Christ when in good will they persevere in humility as those who are rich in sacred virtue and humble in heart.

We know that even the saints have been given over in the flesh to Satan and to great afflictions for some very slight faults, since the divine mercy will not suffer the very least spot or stain to be found in them on the day of judgment. He purges every spot of filth they have while in this world as the prophet, or rather God himself says, in order that he may commit them to eternity as gold or silver refined and needing no punishment for purification. “And,” he says, “I will entirely purge your dross, and I will take away all your tin. And after this you will be called the city of the just, a faithful city.” And again: “Just as silver and gold are tried in the furnace, so the Lord chooses the hearts.” And again, “The fire tries gold and silver, but human beings are tried in the furnace of humiliation.” And this also, “For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every child whom he receives.”