For I mean not that other men be eased, and you burdened:
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
It is true that giving should not cause hardship to the givers. But at the same time, a person ought not to keep more than he needs for himself. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened. I do not enjoin on you such liberal almsgiving as to enable the poor to live in luxury and you in need, but I wish every one to think of the necessities of others according to his power, without neglecting his own (Theophylact). S. Paul does not enjoin this, but he counsels it. It Isaiah , say S. Thomas and Anselm, an evangelical counsel, and, therefore, a sign of greater perfection, to give all your goods to the poor and become wholly poor yourself. "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor," said Christ (S. Matthew 19:21). This can be done not only by those who are going to devote themselves to the religious life, but even by those who remain in the world, as, e.g, by the poor widow (S. Mark 12:43). Do not mistake me: any one may do this provided he do not bring himself into extreme necessity, and if he has no family, for whom he is bound to provide. Theophylact adds that in the next verse the ...
And yet Christ praised the contrary conduct in the widow's case, that she emptied out all of her living and gave out of her want. Mark 12:43 But because he was discoursing to Corinthians among whom he chose to suffer hunger; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void; 1 Corinthians 9:15 he therefore uses a tempered exhortation, praising indeed those who had done beyond their power, but not compelling these to do so; not because he did not desire it, but because they were somewhat weak. For wherefore does he praise those, because in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality: and because they gave beyond their power? is it not very evident that it is as inducing these also to this conduct? So that even if he appears to permit a lower standard; he does so, that by it he may raise them to this. Consider, for instance, how even in what follows he is covertly preparing the...
