Chapter 8 — The first means of perfection which is the renunciation of earthly possessions

The first among the material possessions to be renounced are those extrinsic goods that we call riches. Our Lord counselled us to relinquish them when he said, if you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matt 19:21). The utility of this counsel is evident. First, we have the evidence of a fact. For, when the young man who was inquiring about perfection heard the words of Christ, he went away sad. And behold, says St. Jerome in his commentary on St. Matthew, the cause of this sadness. He had many possessions, which, like thorns and briars, choked the seed of the Lord’s words. (Jerome, Commentarii in evangelium Matthaei, bk. 3, ch. 19, ln. 880 (CCSL 77; CPL 0590; PL 26:137C).) St. Chrysostom, writing on the same passage, says that, they who possess but little, and they that abound in riches, do not encounter the same obstacles; for the renunciation of wealth enkindles a more mighty fire and causes avarice to grow greater. (John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, homily 63, para. 2 (PG 58:605).) St. Augustine likewise says, in his epistle to Paulinus and Therasia, that when earthly things are inordinately loved, those that we already possess fetter us more closely than those that we desire; for why did this young man go away sad, save because he had great possessions? For, it is one thing not to be anxious to acquire the things that we lack, but quite another to be ready to divest ourselves of those that we possess. For the things that are not ours we can repudiate as extrinsic to ourselves, but our own possessions are dear to us as the limbs of our body. (Augustine, Epistulae, epistle 31, para. 5 (CPL 0262; Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum [CSEL] 34.2:5-6; PL 33:124). Hereafter, all subsequent Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum citations will be designated with CSEL.)

The utility of this counsel is again shown by those words of our Lord, a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 19:23). St. Jerome tells us the reason of this difficulty. It is, he says, because it is hard to despise the riches that we possess. Our Lord does not say that it is impossible, but that it is hard, for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. For difficulty does not mean impossibility, but signifies infrequency of performance. (Jerome, Commentarii in evangelium Matthaei 3.19.892 (CCSL 77; CPL 0590; PL 26:138A).) And, as St. Chrysostom says on the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Lord goes further, to show what is impossible, for, he says, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Homilies on Matthew, 63; Matt 19:24). (Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew 63.2 (PG 58:605).) From these words, says St. Augustine, the disciples understood that all they who covet riches are included in the number of the rich; otherwise, considering how small is the number of the wealthy in comparison to the vast multitude of the poor, they would not have asked, who then shall be saved? (Augustine, Quaestiones evangeliorum, bk. 1, q. 26 (CCSL 44B; CPL 0275; PL 35:1328); bk. 2, q. 47 (PL 35:1360).)

From these two utterances of our Lord it is clearly evident, that he who possesses riches, will, with difficulty, enter into the kingdom of heaven. For, as he says elsewhere, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes fruitless (Matt 13:22). In truth, it is impossible for those to enter heaven who love money inordinately. Far easier is it for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. The latter feat would indeed be impossible without violating the laws of nature. But if a covetous man were admitted into heaven it would be contrary to divine justice, which is more unfailing than any natural law.

Hence, we see the reasonableness of our Lord’s counsel; for a counsel is given concerning that which is most useful, according to the words of the St. Paul, herein I give my advice, for this is profitable for you (2 Cor 8:10). If we wish to attain eternal life, it is more advantageous for us to renounce our possessions than to retain them. They that possess wealth will hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven; the reason being that it is difficult to prevent our affections from being attached to riches, and that such an attachment makes admission into heaven impossible. Therefore, our Lord, with good reason, has counselled the renunciation of riches as our most profitable course.

It may be objected, however, that St. Matthew and Zaccheus were rich; (Cf. Matt 9:9-13; Luke 19:1-10.) nevertheless, they entered into heaven. St. Jerome replies, that, we must remember that they had ceased to be wealthy at the time of their admission to heaven. (Jerome, Commentarii in evangelium Matthaei 3.19.885 (CCSL 77; CPL 0590; PL 26:138A).)

Abraham, however, never lost his wealth, but, as we read in Genesis, died a rich man, bequeathing his property to his sons. (Gen 25:5-6.) How then could he be perfect? Nevertheless God said to him, be perfect (Gen 17:1). This question cannot be answered if we hold that it is the mere renunciation of wealth which constitutes perfection. For, if such were the case, no one who was rich could be perfect.

Our Lord does not say that perfection lies in giving up what we possess, but he mentions this renunciation of our possessions as a means to perfection. We see this by his own words, if you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and follow me (Matt 19:21). The following of Christ constitutes perfection; the sacrifice of riches is a means to perfection. St. Jerome, commenting on the Gospel of St. Matthew, says, as if to show that merely giving up our possessions does not suffice to make us perfect, Peter mentions that wherein perfection consists, when he says: ‘we have followed you’ (In evangelium Matth. 3). (Jerome, Commentarii in evangelium Matthaei 3.19.885 (CCSL 77; CPL 0590; PL 26:138C).) Origen, again, says on the same passage, we are not to gather from the words, ‘if you would be perfect’ that when a man has given his goods to the poor, he becomes perfect at once. What we are to understand is, that from that time, his contemplation of God begins to attract him to all virtues. (Origen, Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew, bk. 15, para. 17 (PG 13:1309).)

A rich man may be perfect if his affections be not entangled in his possessions, but devoted entirely to God. In this way Abraham was perfect. Although he possessed wealth, he was detached from it. The words of the Lord spoken to him, walk before me and be perfect, (Gen 17:1.) make it clear that the perfection of the patriarch was to consist in walking before God, and in loving him with a love so perfect that it reached to contempt of himself, and of all that belonged to him. So perfect, indeed, was his love of God, that he showed it by his readiness to slay his son. Wherefore the Lord said to him, because you have done this thing, and have not spared your only begotten son for my sake, I will bless you (Gen 22:16).

If anyone should still argue that the counsel of our Lord concerning the renunciation of possessions is futile, because Abraham, though a rich man, was perfect, we will refer him for an answer to what has been already said. Our Lord, we repeat, did not mean, by this counsel, that rich men cannot be perfect, or cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he meant that they cannot do so easily. The virtue of Abraham was very great; for, although possessed of great wealth, his heart was detached from riches. The virtue, likewise, of Samson was eminent, for, armed only with the jawbone of an ass, he slew many of his enemies; (Judg 15:15.) nevertheless the instruction which he gave to the soldier to take up arms in combat with his foes, was not unprofitable. Neither, then, is it useless to counsel those that seek perfection to part with their earthly goods, although Abraham was perfect with all his wealth. We must not draw conclusions from wonderful deeds; for the weak among us are more capable of wondering at and praising such deeds, than of imitating them.

Hence we read in Sirach, blessed is the rich man who is found without blemish; who has not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures (Sir 31:8). This passage proves that the rich man who does not sin by covetousness, nor by pride, must, indeed, be a man of tried virtue, with a heart adhering closely, by perfect charity, to God. St. Paul bids Timothy to charge the rich of this world not to be high-minded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches (1 Tim 6:17). The greater the blessedness and the virtue of the wealthy who obey this behest, the smaller is their number. Thus Sirach speaking of a virtuous and yet a wealthy man, says: who is he, and we will praise him? For he has done wonderful things in his life (Sir 31:9). For truly, he who, while abounding in riches, has not set his heart upon his treasures, has indeed done wonderful things, and without the shadow of a doubt has proved himself perfect. It continues: who has been tried thereby, that is to say, who has been tested as to whether he can live a sinless life in the midst of wealth, and been found perfect? (Sir 31:10). This is as much as to say: such a man is indeed rare and it will merit for him eternal glory (Sir 31:10). This bears out the saying of our Lord that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 19:23).

This, then, is the first means of attaining perfection, to wit the renunciation of riches and the profession of poverty from a desire of following Christ.