Distinctions of Friendship

The brief passing of the trial shows that he was visited, for The mind is drawn to the statement: 'the Lord's oversight found me too high' (Job 5:9).). Just as the Lord of all, not hating, did not merely visit him, but did so to show the adversary that his evil cannot prevail against human virtue, so too might the divine powers—being worthy to know the will of God—allow the struggle to coincide with Job, so that his achievement might appear more brilliantly.

'Those who deceived me have now fallen upon me' (Job 6:15). Perhaps he reproaches them, saying: 'Unaware of the cause of these inductions, you dare to say such things which you did not say before.' It is also likely that many others despised him because of his suffering, and this was also the doing of the one who made the request. See that we have not surrendered the divine powers by allowing the trial to pass briefly just so his virtue might be known, but rather that other opposing powers were permitted to leap upon him and fight against him.

'Like snow or congealed crystal, as it was arranged that heat should come and it was not recognized what it was, so I too was left by all. I was lost and became a stranger' (Job 6:17). The phrase 'Like snow or congealed crystal, as it was arranged' is spoken hyperbolically, being rendered as: 'As snow or crystal was arranged.' The example is appropriate to the hyperbole of his change, making him utterly unknown, like snow or crystal being dissolved by heat and thus making the place where it was, unknown. And it is good to use such an example; just as snow and crystal make the place indistinguishable when dissolved by heat, so also a friend, appearing to be one, is revealed when trials arise, and what he hid before, he makes manifest.

When a distressing time is present and the forming of friends is tested, the saints have certainty, while those who love possess this condition of friendship, keeping it incorruptible both in ease and in adversity. And it is no wonder if they even extend love toward enemies, being peaceful with those who hate peace, according to what is said by the Lord through the prophet:

“Say, our brothers, to those who hate you, so that the name of the Lord might be glorified, but they themselves will be ashamed” (Matt 5:11). And once, since the discourse began concerning friendship, it followed to recognize the differences of friendship.

One is that which is beautiful in itself, which even the saints establish; another is because of utility, such as when someone has a friend of a physician because of this very thing. This friendship, even if it is not perfect, does not possess any human artificiality. Another is friendship except because of the pleasant, without which the friend is no longer a friend, and because of ambition, so that they might seem to the many to be friends, contributing nothing to the honor of those. But the one choosing only for utility, a friend is most uncertain; according to the fact that when the need is no longer present, he replaces the friend, eliminating friendship according to this; he chooses the useful things before the pleasant things, which is also subject to reproach.

The discourse exhorts toward true friendship, saying: “Do not abandon your friend and a patrimonial friend.” “For the recent one is not like him.” I call the recent one “uncertain,” whereas the “ancient” or patrimonial one has stability, even if you receive him according to time;... the one who has come through experience does not neglect the recent one; for he, truly knowing the hearts from experience,... as he performs the judgment.

And the “I was lost and became a stranger” (Job 1:21) he says toward the lamentation of the many considering the loss of all, the taking away of the possessions and moneys of all, and that he encountered poverty. Therefore also he became a stranger, having been abandoned by all his own. “Behold the ways of the impious, the paths of the ungodly, who look upon them. And those trusting in cities and money shall owe shame” (Ps 73:18). I myself, he says, suffered these things, having fallen away from wealth and many children and glory and the other human things. And yet, I am not amazed or surprised by any of these. For even the saints, imposing themselves upon the nature of the indifferent, do not consider the taking away of these things to be a heavy burden, and they exhort others just as the blessed David, singing, “If wealth flows, do not add to your heart” (Ps 62:10). And again: “Do not trust in princes and in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation” (Ps 146:3). Therefore, the saint, correcting them, spoke thus in his leisure.