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My son: 17 The paths of life turn aside from evil; and the ways of righteousness are length of life. He that receives instruction shall be in prosperity; and he that regards reproofs shall be made wise. He that keeps his ways, preserves his own soul; and he that loves his life will spare his mouth. 18 Pride goes before destruction, and folly before a fall. 19 Better is a meek-spirited man with lowliness, than one who divides spoils with the proud. 20 He who is skillful in business finds good: but he that trusts in God is most blessed. 21 Men call the wise and understanding evil: but they that are pleasing in speech shall hear more. 22 Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessors; but the instruction of fools is evil. 23 The heart of the wise will discern the things which proceed from his own mouth; and on his lips he will wear knowledge. 24 Good words are honeycombs, and the sweetness thereof is a healing of the soul. 25 There are ways that seem to be right to a man, but the end of them looks to the depth of hell. 26 A man who labours, labours for himself, and drives from him his own ruin. 27 But the perverse bears destruction upon his own mouth: a foolish man digs up evil for himself, and treasures fire on his own lips. 28 A perverse man spreads mischief, and will kindle a torch of deceit with mischiefs; and he separates friends. 29 A transgressor tries to ensnare friends, and leads them in ways that are not good. 30 And the man that fixes his eyes devises perverse things, and marks out with his lips all evil: he is a furnace of wickedness. 31 Old age is a crown of honour, but it is found in the ways of righteousness. 32 A man slow to anger is better than a strong man; and he that governs his temper better than he that takes a city. 33 All evils come upon the ungodly into their bosoms; but all righteous things come of the Lord. 17:1 Better is a morsel with pleasure in peace, than a house full of many good things and unjust sacrifices, with strife. 2 A wise servant shall have rule over foolish masters, and shall divide portions among brethren. 3 As silver and gold are tried in a furnace, so are choice hearts with the Lord. 4 A bad man hearkens to the tongue of transgressors: but a righteous man attends not to false lips. 5 He that laughs at the poor provokes him that made him; and he that rejoices at the destruction of another shall not be held guiltless: but he that has compassion shall find mercy. 6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and their fathers are the glory of children. The faithful man has the whole world full of wealth; but the faithless not even a farthing. 7 Faithful lips will not suit a fool; nor lying lips a just man. 8 Instruction is to them that use it a gracious reward; and whithersoever it may turn, it shall prosper. 9 He that conceals injuries seeks love; but he that hates to hide them separates friends and kindred. 10 A threat breaks down the heart of a wise man; but a fool, though scourged, understands not. 11 Every bad man stirs up strifes: but the Lord will send out against him an unmerciful messenger. 12 Care may befall a man of understanding; but fools will meditate evils. 13 Whoso rewards evil for good, evil shall not be removed from his house. 14 Rightful rule gives power to words; but sedition and strife precede poverty. 15 He that pronounces the unjust just, and the just unjust, is unclean and abominable with God. 16 Why has the fool wealth? for a senseless man will not be able to purchase wisdom. He that exalts his own house seeks ruin; and he that turns aside from instruction shall fall into mischief. 17 Have thou a friend for every time, and let brethren be useful in distress; for on this account are they born.
What does the sacred author mean by the second half of verse 17:6, “The faithful man has the whole world full of wealth; but the faithless not even a farthing?” Frequently our experience is the opposite: The man that takes the path of the Gospel, as commanded by Christ, experiences poverty and hardship, while the worldly man has an easy life with plenty of material abundance. Here is what St. John Cassian says on the subject:
Instead of the pleasure that a person has in possessing one field and house, he who has passed over into the adoption of the children of God (Ephesians 1:5), will enjoy a hundred times more all the riches that belong to the eternal Father and that he will possess as his own, and in imitation of the true Son he will proclaim by disposition and by virtue, “All that the Father has is mine (John 16:15).” No longer occupied with the criminal concern of distraction and worry, but secure and happy, he will enter everywhere as it were into his property, and every day he will hear it said to him by the apostle, “All things are yours, whether the world or things present or things to come (I Corinthians 3:22).” And by Solomon, The faithful man has the whole world full of wealth (Proverbs 17:6b).” – St. John Cassian, Conferences
The wealth of the rich but faithless man is an illusion, in two senses: First, everything he thinks he owns really belongs to God. Second, it’s all going to be lost to him at the time of his death. He will take nothing to the grave. Lying on his deathbed, after a lifetime of chasing shadows, he will experience the words of Holy Scripture at the core of his being: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” but he will not be able to get that lifetime back. It has been wasted on chasing that which is insubstantial and temporary, and even this illusory gain will now be taken away.
The poverty of the poor yet faithful man is also an illusion, but one that often tempts him to despondency and loss of hope in God. When he plunges himself into prayer, however, and discovers the riches of prayer in his heart, he looks out on God’s creation with new eyes, realizing that it all belongs to God, and, because he is a child of God, that it all belongs to him. That he can control and use so little of it now for his earthly needs and those of his family is a temporary condition allowed by God, in order to call him to deeper faith and hope, and to illumine his mind to see the inner meaning of his fellow creatures: that their ultimate purpose is not to satisfy the desires of man, but to give glory to their Creator. This thought gives freedom and consolation, and he thinks, “Yes, it is all so beautiful, and that makes me happy. Certainly I can last one day more, trusting in the loving God Who will always provide for me and being joyful in the contemplation of the beauties of created things, which lift me up to contemplation of His infinite beauty and perfection.”
St. Clement of Alexandria, commenting on the first half of the same verse, says this:
“Children’s children are the crown of old men; and their fathers are the glory of children,” it is said. Our glory is the Father of all, and the crown of the whole Church is Christ. – St. Clement of Alexandria, Christ the Educator
Amen.