9 For indeed a dreadful disease, beloved, dreadful and needing much attendance, has fallen on the church. Those, namely, who are enjoined not even by honest labors to lay up treasures, but to open their houses to the needy, make a profit of other men's poverty, devising a specious robbery, a plausible covetousness.
For tell me not of the laws that are without; since even the publican fulfills the law that is without, but nevertheless is punished: which will be the case with us also, unless we refrain from oppressing the poor, and from using their need and necessity as an occasion for shameless trafficking.
For to this intent you have wealth, to relieve poverty, not to make a gain of poverty; but thou with show of relief makest the calamity greater, and sellest benevolence for money. Sell it, I forbid you not, but for a heavenly kingdom. Receive not a small price for so good a deed, your monthly one in the hundred, but that immortal life. Why are you beggarly, and poor, and mean, selling your great things for a little, even for goods that perish, when it should be for an everlasting kingdom? Why do you leave God, and get human gains? Why do you pass by the wealthy one, and trouble him that has not? And leaving the sure paymaster make your bargain with the unthankful? The other longs to repay, but this even grudges in the act of repaying. This hardly repays a hundredth part, but the other “an hundredfold and eternal life.” This with insults and revilings, but the other with praises and auspicious words. This stirs up envy against you, but the other even weaves for you crowns. This hardly here, but the other both there and here.
Surely then is it not the utmost senselessness, not so much as to know how to gain? How many have lost their very principal for the interest's sake? How many have fallen into perils for usurious gains. How many have involved both themselves and others in extreme poverty through their unspeakable covetousness!
For tell me not this, that he is pleased to receive, and is thankful for the loan. Why, this is a result of your cruelty. Since Abraham too, contriving how his plan might take with the barbarians, did himself give up his wife to them; not however willingly, but through fear of Pharaoh. So also the poor man, because you count him not even worth so much money, is actually compelled to be thankful for cruelty.
And it seems to me as though, should you deliver him from dangers, you would exact of him a payment for this deliverance. “Away,” says he; “let it not be.” What do you say? Delivering him from the greater evil, you are unwilling to exact money, and for the lesser do you display so much inhumanity?
Do you see not how great a punishment is appointed for the deed? Do you not hear that even in the old law this is forbidden? But what is the plea of the many? “When I have received the interest, I give to the poor;” one tells me. Speak reverently, O man; God desires not such sacrifices. Deal not subtly with the law. Better not give to a poor man, than give from that source; for the money that has been collected by honest labors, thou often makest to become unlawful because of that wicked increase; as if one should compel a fair womb to give birth to scorpions.
And why do I speak of God's law? Do not even ye call it “filth”? But if you, the gainers, give your voice so, consider what suffrage God will pass upon you.
And if you will ask the Gentile lawgivers too, you will be told that even by them this thing is deemed a proof of the most utter shamelessness. Those, for example, who are in offices of honor, and belong to the great council, which they call the senate, may not legally disgrace themselves with such gains; there being a law among them which prohibits the same.
How then is it not a horrible thing, if you ascribe not even so much honor to the polity of Heaven, as the legislators to the council of the Romans; but Heaven is to obtain less than earth, and you are not ashamed even of the very folly of the thing? For what could be more foolish than this, unless one without land, rain, or plough, were to insist upon sowing? Tares therefore, to be committed to the fire, do they reap, who have devised this evil husbandry.
Why, are there not many honest trades? In the fields, the flocks, the herds, the breeding of cattle, in handicrafts, in care of property? Why rave and be frantic, cultivating thorns for no good? What if the fruits of the earth are subject to mischance; hail, and blight, and excessive rain? Yet not to such an extent as are money dealings. For in whatsoever cases of that sort occur, the damage of course concerns the produce, but the principal remains, I mean, the land. But herein many often have suffered shipwreck in their principal; and before the loss too they are in continual dejection. For never does the money-lender enjoy his possessions, nor find pleasure in them; but when the interest is brought, he rejoices not that he has received gain, but is grieved that the interest has not yet come up to the principal. And before this evil offspring is brought forth complete, he compels it also to bring forth, making the interest principal, and forcing it to bring forth its untimely and abortive brood of vipers. For of this nature are the gains of usury; more than those wild creatures do they devour and tear the souls of the wretched. This “is the bond of iniquity:” this “the twisted knot of oppressive bargains.”
Yea, “I give,” he seems to say, “not for you to receive, but that you may repay more.” And whereas God commands not even to receive what is given (for “give,” says He, “to them from whom you look not to receive”), you require even more than is given, and what you gave not, this as a debt, you constrain the receiver to pay.
And thou indeed supposest your substance to be increased hereby, but instead of substance you are kindling the unquenchable fire.
That this therefore may not be, let us cut out the evil womb of usurious gains, let us deaden these lawless travailings, let us dry up this place of pernicious teeming, and let us pursue the true and great gains only. “But what are these?” Hear Paul saying “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Therefore in this wealth alone let us be rich, that we may both here enjoy security, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and world without end. Amen.
Source: Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew (New Advent)