John Tauler · 59 of 121

Secondly, of the work and knowledge of grace. · 113.

But it may be said: What doth Christ mean when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” if you cannot be perfect except you are also poor in body? For He saith Himself, “If thou wilt be perfect, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor!” (Matt. xix. 21). To this I answer, If two things are united in one you should always look to the best. As now soul and body are one, but the soul is the noblest, happiness should be chosen with the view to the soul, and not on account of the body; for the soul is receptive of happiness and not the body, therefore Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” If He had said, Blessed are the poor in body, a sinner might also be blessed and all rich people would be condemned. Therefore blessedness lies situated in poverty of spirit, for no sinner possesseth poverty of spirit; he may have, indeed, poverty of body, but through this poverty he cannot be saved. The man who holdeth his bodily necessity in a right way, can guard himself so well that he may be saved. But this happiness is not in the most perfect degree, such as the beatitude of those who leave all things, outwardly and inwardly, and only follow God. Therefore Jesus also said, “If thou wiliest to be perfect, sell all that thou hast and give it to the poor, and come follow me.” But what doth Christ mean when He saith, “Give it to the poor?” and what doth Peter mean by “We have left all things?” (Matt. xix. 27). Could not then a man leave his things unsold and yet be perfect? This must be understood thus. If a man be rich so that he hath much possession, and selleth it, he ought to distribute it to the poor and not to the rich, for the poor have need of it; and it is a great virtue that he should come to the help of his fellow-men, for the poor cannot give him anything in return and repay him, but God must repay the giver in their stead; but what God giveth him is a perfect gift, and also maketh him perfect. Moreover, rich people do not need this gift, therefore it is no virtue if he giveth to them; for they can give him in return and repay him, and this giving doth not make perfect. What he giveth to rich people, God will not give back to him; therefore Jesus said, “Sell all that thou hast, and give it to the poor.” And what thou hast not, this thou must abandon even if thou wouldst have gained it. As St. Peter was poor and had nothing, save what he gained by handiwork, he said, “We have left all” (Matt. xix. 27); and this he was obliged to leave, and could not sell it. Therefore a man who possesseth temporal things ought not to go away arid leave them thus; he ought to sell them and give them away and then follow God, and what he hath not and might perhaps gain he should leave for the sake of God. This consists quite well with perfection.