THEOSISGregory the Great
Verse 21. Job's longing for fulfillment was in vain. Job 20:21. 25. 'His longing' refers to all his misguided desires. Yet when a hypocrite is struck down, 'there remains nothing of his longing,' for when he succumbs to eternal punishment, he loses everything he has accumulated during his time on earth. Consequently, it is added: Therefore, nothing remains of his possessions. If anything were to persist, he would take with him what he owned. As long as he enjoys all he has in this life, he feels no trepidation before the Judge, but as he departs this life, he comes to the Judge empty-handed. To the wicked, this may seem like a form of compensation for their future suffering, as they might feel temporarily free in this life.
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However, true freedom does not exist in sin; as scripture states, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom 2 Cor. 3:17, and typically, the wicked soul finds its own sin to be its tormentor even in this life. He rightly adds: In the fullness of abundance he will be in want. 26. Because of his greed, he accumulates all that he craves. Having gathered a great abundance, he finds himself ensnared in a cycle of desire, as he lacks peace, filled instead with anxiety over how to hold onto all he possesses. A wealthy man’s fields yielded bountiful crops, and he was dismayed, saying, What shall I do? I have nowhere to store my produce. So he resolved, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones Lk. 12:17-18. Behold, the man constrained by his excess exclaims, 'What shall I do?' as if he were in distress, burdened by his provisions. It is noteworthy that he had fervently wished for his land to yield an abundant harvest. His desires have now materialized, the land has indeed produced in abundance for him. Yet, faced with the inability to accommodate his harvest, being a wealthy man who has increased his holdings, he finds himself lost for solutions. Thus, need and constraint arise from the 'fullness of abundance'! Through his land's bounty, the greedy man's mind becomes trapped in need. When he asks, What shall I do?, he reveals that overwhelmed by his own desires, he is further constrained by his riches, affirming the truth: In the fullness of abundance he will be in want. The greedy mind, which sought much, later struggles to safeguard what it has obtained. Additionally, it is said: He shall burn with anguish, and sorrow shall encompass him. 27. Initially, he mourns due to the weariness of his greed, pondering how to seize what he desires either by flattery or intimidation. Yet after he seemingly grasps the favors of fortune, he is beset by another torment: the fear and anxiety of preserving what required tremendous effort to acquire. He fears attacks from conspirators and is haunted by the thought of facing the same fate he inflicted on others. He is especially afraid of being robbed and views the needy as potential thieves. He protects his amassed wealth, frightened that it may decay or vanish by its very nature. Because of these issues, as fear itself is a form of punishment, the ungrateful man suffers from the very objects he hoards and fears losing. Eventually, he descends to hell, destined for eternal torment. Consequently, 'all sorrow shall come upon him,' as he endures here the penalties of envy and greed, then the anxiety of safeguarding his possessions, followed by future retribution. 28. However, there is a remarkable peace in the heart that does not seek to grasp what is not rightly theirs but rather is content with each day’s provision for survival. From this peace springs forth eternal Rest, as a tranquil spirit leads to everlasting joys. In contrast, the lost sinners here are already worn out by their desires and agonies. Their feverish greed drives them swiftly toward the fires of hell. As previously mentioned, it often occurs that the wicked, upon achieving their desires, are swiftly transported into torment, and furthermore it is included: