Scripture Notes: Vocations (Sirach 38-39)

Sirach was a life-long seeker of wisdom. He studied. He taught. He traveled. He meditated. He threw his whole self into the role that God had given to him, focused always on giving back to God and outward to other people. But Sirach also recognized that not everyone has the same vocation. God has given different talents and skills to different people, and everyone is valuable. Everyone must work together to make the community flourish.

In chapters 38 and 39, Sirach reflects on these various vocations. The scribe, he says, the seeker of wisdom, must have the leisure to pursue the life of the mind. But others are not so inclined. The farmers and craftsmen, the smiths and potters, they may not be devoted to learning, but they practice their crafts with great attention and devotion, striving to produce the best possible products. They carry on the ancient handiwork of God, and “keep stable the fabric of the world” (Sir 38:34). Without them, society could not function.

And without the skilled workers, scribes/scholars could not practice their own God-given vocation. Seekers of wisdom, says Sirach, study God’s revelation. They discover wisdom in the writings of the past and present. They delve deeply into proverbs and parables, teasing out the hidden mysteries of difficult dilemmas. But they do not do this only for themselves. Part of learning is teaching. Wisdom is meant to be shared. And even more, learning and wisdom must lead to prayer and repentance and worship. They must lead to an ever-closer relationship with God. This is the highest joy of a scribe, finding and loving the Source of all wisdom.