Care And Ease

Ὁ ἀτιμάζων πένητας ἁμαρτάνει ἐλεῶν δὲ πτωχοὺς μακαριστός ... Ἐν παντὶ μεριμνῶντι ἔνεστιν περισσόν ὁ δὲ ἡδὺς καὶ ἀνάλγητος ἐν ἐνδείᾳ ἔσται Τοῦτο ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ ὡς οὐκ ἐν τάξει παραινέσεως τέθεικεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ συμβάντα ἀπαγγέλλει· εἶτα διορθωτικῶς τὸ ἐπαγόμενον· τὸ, Ὁ ἀτιμάζων πένητα ἁμαρτάνει· τὰ γὰρ αὐτόθι δῆλα κακά· οὐδὲ διορθοῦταί τις, οὐκ ἂν καταγνοίη τῶν τοιούτων· τίς δ' ἂν τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπαινέσειεν; Ὁ ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς φροντίζων περιττεύει πράξει καὶ γνώσει. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ περὶ τῶν πρακτέων ἀεὶ σκοπῶν ἕξει τι πλέον· ὁ δὲ ἡδὺς καὶ ἀνάλγητος, ἤγουν ὁ τοὺς πόνους ἐκτρεπόμενος ἐν ἐνδείᾳ ἔσται τῶν ἀρετῶν. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Παροιμιας, Κεφ' ΙΔ’ Source: Migne PG 39.1636d

He who scorns the needy sins, and he who is merciful to the poor is blessed ... In every care abundance dwells, he who is soft and untroubled shall dwell in poverty. 1 It seems to me that this is not set down for counsel but to declare things which are done, since it goes on to give correction. 'He who scorns the needy sins.' For from that evils clearly flow. Unless someone shall correct, who shall deplore such things, and who shall praise others? He who has care for virtue, abounds in deeds and knowledge. For always thinking on his duty, he improves all the more. But he who is soft and untroubled, that is, he who turns away from toil, he shall dwell in the poverty of the virtues. Didymus the Blind, On Proverbs, Chap 14 1 Prov 14.21,23