Clement of Alexandria · a new plain-English translation from the original language
Not understanding these things properly, the rich and law-abiding man—not understanding either how the same person can be both poor and rich, can both have possessions and not have them, can both use the world and not use it—went away gloomy and downcast, abandoning the rank of life which he only desired but could not attain, having made the difficult thing impossible for himself by his own doing. For it was difficult not to be led about, nor to have one's soul dazzled by the luxuries attending manifest wealth and by its blooming enchantments, yet it was not impossible even in that condition to lay hold of salvation, if one should transfer himself from sensible wealth to the intelligible, God-taught wealth, and learn to use indifferent things well and properly, and in such a way as to press on toward eternal life. And the disciples too at first themselves became fearful and astonished. Having heard what, exactly? Was it perhaps because they themselves had possessed much money? But even these things—the little nets and hooks and the small serving-boats—they had long ago abandoned, which were all they had. Why then, in fear, do they say, "Who then can be saved?" They heard rightly, and as disciples of him who spoke in parables and obscurely—the Lord—they perceived the depth of his words. As far as freedom from possessions was concerned, then, they were of good hope regarding salvation; but since they were conscious in themselves that they had not yet fully put away the passions (for they were newly taught and had only recently been enlisted as men by the Savior), "they were exceedingly astonished," and despaired of themselves no less than of that rich man who clung terribly to his possession—which he preferred to eternal life. It was fitting, then, that the disciples should feel fear altogether: for if both the man who had acquired wealth and the man pregnant with the passions—of which they too were rich—would alike be driven away from the heavens; salvation belongs to souls free from passion and pure.
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