The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Ver. 9. — As it is written , He hath dispersed abroad (Ps. cxii. 9). In all necessities, in all places, and at all times, a merciful man, such as S. Laurence, of whom the Church sings, distributes his goods and his alms ; in the same way he who sows scatters his seed. The Apostle wishes to prove that God makes all grace to abound towards almsgivers, and gives them full sufficiency for that grace (beneficence). He proves this from the fact that the giver of alms of his sufficiency distributes his alms, disperses them as seed on every side, not among his boon-companions or free-lovers, but among the poor. (Œcumenius says that the word “dispersed” denotes the largeness of the alms given. It also implies that these alms are not wasted or thrown away.
His righteousness remaineth for ever. Remains in God’s memory and in its eternal reward, as in its harvest. So, too, when the husbandman scatters his seed he does not lose it, but entrusts it to the ground, that he may receive a hundred-fold in return. Almsgiving , therefore, is everlasting, and blesses the giver with everlasting glory. Hence the Psalmist also says: “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance ; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his horn” (his dignity, strength, and, as Theodoret says, his power) “shall be exalted with honour;” in other words, it shall daily increase until it be exalted in the highest in celestial glory.
His righteousness or his beneficence does not perish, but remains before God to be rewarded here and hereafter. S. Chrysostom (Hom. 9 de Poenit.) says: “ Heaven is to be gained by merchandise and trafficking. Give bread and you will receive paradise ; give a little and gain much ; give what is mortal and you will receive what is immortal.”
Observe that in Scripture almsgiving, which is an act of mercy, is called righteousness, both because it forms a large part of righteousness in general, which embraces all virtues, as also because it is a mark of righteousness and holiness. The Saints are merciful, “but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. xii. 10). A third reason is that it disposes to righteousness, and merits it, firstly, de congruo , and secondly, de condigno , as increasing righteousness . Hence, it is to the merciful alone that Christ gives the crown of righteousness (S. Matt. xxv. 35). Hence, too, those that are hardened in evil must be exhorted as a last remedy to give alms, as Daniel did Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. iv. 24).
Ver. 10. — Now he that ministereth seed to the sower. This again is an answer to an objection which might be urged from the Psalm quoted. It might be said: You prove clearly enough, Paul, that alms remain in their heavenly reward, but I do not yet see how you prove from that that we ought not to impoverish ourselves. You have, therefore, given no answer to my first objection that if, I give alms liberally I shall make myself poor, and be unable for the future to give help to others. S. Paul’s answer to this is, that the contrary is implied in the verse of the Psalm he has just quoted. As a master who supplies his husbandman with seed to sow his field, provides him also with bread to eat, and multiplies his seed, that is the grain sown, at harvest times, so that for one bushel he receives three, which he can sow again, and receives still more at the next harvest, and so on from year to year — so much more shall God, who gives to almsgivers goods to disperse to the poor, give them bread and all other necessaries of life ; nay, more, He shall multiply their seed or goods to sow again and disperse to the poor. For God is our Master ; we are His husbandmen : His field is the poor, and aims are the seed. God, then, wishes us as His husbandmen, to scatter His seed (alms) over His field (the poor). Much more, if we do that, will He give us nourishment and a harvest of goods to sow again. Let rich men remember that their riches are given them as seed to disperse to the poor, not to store up in their coffers or to be spent on costly clothing or luxurious living. “It is,” says Cicero, “a work of liberality to sow seeds of kindness, so as to be able to reap a harvest from them.”
Gregory of Tours (Hist. Gallic, lib. v. c. 38) highly praises the Christian Emperor Tiberius for his almsgiving, and says that he uttered the following words, worthy of an emperor : “ There will be no deficiency in our treasury so long as the poor receive alms , and captives are redeemed. For if we do these things , great will be our treasure , according to the words of the Lord : ‘ Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven .’ Let us then lay up in store in heaven by the hands of the poor from what God has given us , that the Lord may vouchsafe to increase our goods on earth.” No wonder that God increased his wealth. He saw one day a cross engraved on the pavement, and when, out of veneration for it, he ordered the stone to be taken up, he found under it a vast treasure, containing more than 100,000 pieces of gold. Then, when, according to his wont, he distributed of it largely to the poor, God gave him another treasure already amassed for him by Narsetes, Duke of Italy. This was found in a cistern, in which, when they opened it, they found so much gold and silver that it took several days to carry it away. Cf. Baronius (Annals, a.d. 582).
Both minister . The Latin version with the Syriac gives the future, shall minister, instead of the optative. Theophylact, Erasmus, and Vatablus read the optative. The future is better, because, as I said, Paul is endeavouring to banish from their minds all fear of poverty. But this is not to be done by wishing, but by making assertions and promising bread, seed, and fruits.
Multiply your seed sown. Your temporal goods. S. Basil (Hom. 13 de Eleemos.) says : “ As seed cast into the ground brings forth fruit an hundredfold , so do alms given to the poor . If you have then but one loaf, and it be asked for at the door, take it and lift up your hands to heaven and say, ‘ Of my little I give to my brother, and do Thou, O Lord, supply my want.' Then doubt not that the bread given out of your poverty will abundantly minister you seed for sowing ” And again, commenting on S. Luke xii. 18, he says: “ As wells that are continuously drawn from send forth a sweeter and more copious supply of water, while if neglected and undisturbed they soon grow foul, so are riches when stored up useless, but when transferred to the poor they bring forth fruit. Clement of Alexandria (Paedag. lib. iii. c. 7) uses this same simile of a well, and adds another. He says : “ As milk commonly flows into those breasts that are sucked, so does wealth flow to those who spend it.” S. Cyprian says the same (Tract. de Opere et Eleemos.), and adds that the best inheritance that parents can leave their children is alms given, and the more children there are the more liberal should the almsgiving be. He proves this by the example of the widow of Sarepta (1 Kings xvii.) and from Tob. iv. 7. Cf. Prov. xxviii. 27, and Ps. xxxvii. 26.
Very many remarkable examples are given by Leontius, in his “ Life of John the Almoner,” who, like the Emperor Titus, bewailed that he had lost a day because he had given no alms. “ Even if the world,” he said, “ were to come into Alexandria, it would not narrow my liberality and wealth.” This he learnt from a vision he saw of a certain virgin named Mercy, who, standing before God, seemed to obtain from Him all that she asked for. Hence this holy man John, when he had nothing to spend, would frequently, in his love of almsgiving , change miraculously tin or honey into gold. The more he gave the more was brought to him to spend ; and so he seemed to strive with God and God with him which should be the most bountiful. When he at length died, he had half a piece of money left, and he ordered this to be given to his brethren and masters, the poor, that all he had might be restored to Christ.
Sophronius, in his Pratum Spirituale, a work mentioned with approval by the Second Council of Nice (Gen. Act. iv. c. 185), narrates that a wife gave to her husband, who wished to increase his wealth, the advice to sell what he had and give it to the poor, and he would find that he would receive it again with interest. He did so, and distributed his whole estate to the poor, and for fifty he received three hundred.