Chapter 16 — The perfection of brotherly love considered in its intensity

The perfection of brotherly love depends second upon its intensity. We know that the more intensely a man loves one object, the more easily will he for its sake despise other things. Hence the perfection of his love for his neighbor may be gauged by what he sacrifices on his neighbor’s account.

Some men in their love of others will give up their material possessions, either dispensing them to their neighbors at their discretion or relinquishing them entirely in order to supply the necessities of other men. The Apostle seems to refer to this form of charity where he says: if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor (1 Cor 13:3); and we are told: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing (Song 8:7). Our Lord includes this in the counsel of perfection, which he gave 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). In this passage the sacrifice of material possession seems to be recommended for two ends. The words: give to the poor, point to love of our neighbor; the other words: follow me, indicate love of God.

But a man fulfills the same end whether he suffers the loss of his material goods for the love of God or for the sake of his neighbor. The Apostle commends the charity of the Hebrews in these words: you took with joy the being stripped of your own goods (Heb 10:34). And we are told: he who neglects a loss for the sake of a friend is just (Prov 12:26).

But those who do not come to the aid of their neighbor in need with the goods that they have fall short of this grade of love. Hence St. John says: he who has the substance of this world and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his bowels from him, how does the charity of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17).

The second degree of love of our neighbor consists in exposing ourselves to physical hardships for his sake. The Apostle gives us an example of this kind of charity when he says: in labor and toil we worked day and night, lest we should be chargeable to any of you (2 Thess 3:8). This second degree of charity also includes a willingness to bear suffering and persecution for the love of our neighbor. The Apostle mentions this charity when he says: whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation (2 Cor 1:6); and also when he says: wherein I labor even unto bands as an evildoer, but the word of God is not bound; therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they may obtain salvation (2 Tim 2:9–10).

Those fail to attain to this degree of charity who will deprive themselves of no luxury and submit to no inconvenience for the sake of others. It is to such men as these that Amos addresses the following words: you that sleep upon beds of ivory and are wanton on your couches; you that eat the lambs out of the rock and the calves out of the midst of the herd; you that sing to the sound of the psaltery; they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David; that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments; and they are not concerned for the affliction of Joseph (Amos 6:4–6). And Ezechiel also says: you have not gone up to face the enemy, nor have you set up a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in battle in the day of the Lord (Ezek 13:5).

The third degree of charity consists in sacrificing our life for another. St. John says: in this we have known the charity of God, because he has laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16). Our Lord himself declares: greater love than this has no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Hence it is in this sacrifice of life that the perfection of charity consists.

The word ‘life’ may be understood, however, in two senses. There is the spiritual life whereby God himself animates the soul. We may not sacrifice this life. For our love of our soul is proportionate to our love of God; and we ought to love God more than we love our neighbor. Therefore, we may not injure our own soul by sin in order to save another.

We have also the physical life which animates our body. This life we ought to lay down for the brethren. For it is our duty to prefer our neighbor to our body; and therefore it is right to sacrifice our physical life for the spiritual welfare of others. We are bound by precept to act thus if we see our neighbor exposed to any extreme spiritual danger. Thus if we were to see another seduced from the faith by unbelievers, we should be bound to expose ourselves to death, if thereby we could save him from such ruin. But it pertains to the perfection of justice and is a matter of counsel to sacrifice life for the salvation of those who are not in grave spiritual necessity. The Apostle teaches us to do so by his own example, for he says: but I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls (2 Cor 12:15). On this passage the Gloss remarks: it is perfect charity to be prepared to die for the brethren. (Peter Lombard, Commentaries on the Psalms and St. Paul, at 2 Cor 12:14 (PL 192:88B).)

The state of slavery does in some sort resemble death and is therefore called civil death. (Cf. Ulpianus in Digesta, ed. Kruger-Mommsen (Berlin: Weidman, 1962-63), bk. 50, sect. 17, n. 209, 2:969.) For life is chiefly manifested in ability to move; he that cannot move save by the agency of others may be accounted dead. Now a slave has no power over himself but is governed by the will of his master; and therefore this condition of bondage may be compared to death. Hence a man who delivers himself to bondage for the love of another practises the same perfection of charity as he who exposes himself to death. Nay, we may say that he does more; for slavery is more abhorrent to our nature than is death.