Caput XXXVI
The Woe of Earthly Riches
Odo opens with scriptural denunciations of the rich, showing how greed multiplies earthly burdens and enslaves the soul under idolatrous weight.
Of these it is written: Woe to you who are rich, for you have your consolation now (Luke 6:24). But these people, despising what they have, long for what belongs to others; or, unable to obtain what they desire, they are thrown into turmoil by the relentless drive of greed. Of such persons it is said in the fourth book of the Moralia: 'How hard it is for those to reach rest who, while they want to be raised high in this world, are crushed in their hearts by such violent storms of thought!' Hence it is written: 'Woe to him who multiplies what is not his own — how long will he heap up thick clay against himself?'✦ (Hab. II, 6.) For earthly things are symbolized by clay. Therefore he heaps thick clay upon himself who multiplies earthly things, who oppresses himself under the weight of greed, which is the slavery of idols; hence also: 'The harshest judgment will come upon those who rule' (Wis. 6:6).
The Narrow Gate for the Wealthy
Drawing on Gospel teaching, Odo argues that those who possess riches can scarcely enter the kingdom of heaven, yet leaves open the possibility of divine grace.
VI, 6). And so in the Gospel, Truth says: "The one who has been given much, much will be required of" (Luke✦ XII, 48). It is therefore exceedingly rare that those who possess gold strive toward rest, since Truth herself declares through her own mouth: "Those who have money will hardly enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt.✦1 XIX, 23). For those who here gape after multiplying their riches — what joys of the life to come can they hope for?2 To show that this is indeed exceedingly rare — possible only by miracle, yet still possible through him — our Redeemer says: "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Luke✦3 XVIII, 27), and so on.
Restraining the Swelling Heart
Odo concludes that only God's miraculous power can curb desire in the wealthy, illustrated by the image of the camel and the needle's eye.
Since he alone is powerful enough to restrain the swelling of the heart and to curb the reach of desire in them. For it is shown to be possible only by a divine miracle, since what can by no means come about is reduced to an example, when the Lord says: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt.✦4 19:24).
Read the original Latin
De his scriptum est: Vae vobis divitibus, qui habetis consolationem vestram in praesenti (Luc. VI, 24): hi autem fastidientes propria, aliena concupiscunt: aut concupita adipisci non valentes, instigantis avaritiae tumultu vastantur. De quibus in Moralium libro IV dicitur: O quam difficile ad requiem tendunt, qui tam duris cogitationum tumultibus, dum in hoc mundo sublimari volunt, in corde comprimuntur! Hinc scriptum est: Vae qui multiplicat non sua: usquequo aggravat contra se densum lutum? (Habac. II, 6.) per lutum namque terrena figurantur. Denso igitur luto se aggravat, qui terrena multiplicat, qui se avaritiae, quae est idolorum servitus, oppressione coangustat; hinc item: Judicium durissimum his qui praesunt fiet (Sap.
VI, 6). Unde et in Evangelio Veritas dicit: Cui multum datum est, multum ab eo requiritur (Luc. XII, 48). Rarum itaque valde est, ut qui aurum possident ad requiem tendant, dum per semetipsam Veritas dicat: Difficile qui pecunias habent in regnum coelorum intrabunt (Matth. XIX, 23). Nam qui hic multiplicandis divitiis inhiant, quae alterius vitae gaudia sperant? Quod ut Redemptor noster valde rarum quidem, ut ex solo miraculo, per se tamen fieri posse monstraret, ait: Apud homines hoc impossibile est, apud Deum omnia possibilia sunt (Luc. XVIII, 27), et caetera.
Quoniam ipse potens est in eis tumorem cordis reprimere, et ambitum concupiscentiae refrenare. Ex solo enim divino miraculo id posse fieri monstratur, quandoquidem hoc quod fieri nullatenus potest ad exemplum deducitur, cum Dominus ait: Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire, quam divitem intrare in regnum coelorum (Matth. XIX, 24).
Scripture echoes
- ↩Hab.2.6 — Will not all these take up a taunt against him—a mocking riddle, a byword against him? And they will say: "Woe to the one who increases what is not his own—how long?—and loads himself down with pledges."
- ↩Luke.12.48 — but the one who did not know, yet did what deserved a beating, will be beaten with few blows. And from everyone to whom much was given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much was entrusted, they will ask for even more.
- ↩Matt.19.23 — Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.'
- ↩Luke.18.27 — But he said, 'The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.'
- ↩Matt.19.24;Mark.10.25;Luke.18.25 — Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Mark.10.25 — It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Luke.18.25 — For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'Difficile' is rendered as 'hardly' to capture the force of the Vulgate saying (cf. Matt. 19:23), which in context means 'with great difficulty' rather than an absolute impossibility.
- 2 ↩The interrogative 'quae alterius vitae gaudia sperant?' is rhetorical, implying that those absorbed in accumulating wealth cannot genuinely hope for the joys of eternal life.
- 3 ↩The double 'ut' clause is complex: the first 'ut' is purpose ('in order to show'), the second 'ut' is comparative ('as if by miracle alone'). The concessive 'tamen' ('yet') signals that despite the near-impossibility for humans, divine power makes it possible.
- 4 ↩Latin 'ad exemplum deducitur' rendered 'reduced to an example' — the sense is that the impossibility is brought down to the level of illustration through Christ's declaration.
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