SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:24-26
If God is with the the needy, is He not with the rich, well-fed, and those who laugh?
That’s scary, because in comparison to the majority of earth’s population, I am all three of these.
The issue is not the state we are in (poor or rich, well-fed or hungry, etc.), but the state of our heart.
Those who are needy tend to be humble and desperate, while those who are rich tend to be proud and despotic.
Typically, the needy cry out for mercy while the rich neither seek nor give mercy.
The key for everyone – rich or poor, loved or hated – is the state of their heart – towards God and others.
Here we can assume that the rich are living rich, while ignoring the poor; they’re gorging themselves on abundance while ignoring the plight of the hungry next door; they’re laughing at the misfortune of those who are miserable.
This is who this warning is for; the day will come when their callous hearts will go through their own crisis.
The blessing that counts is not wealth or poverty, happiness or sorrow, etc., but knowing God and being known by God.
When things go well, people often forget God and their need for Him.
They also tend to look down on those who struggle, assuming that somehow they get what they deserve (if only they worked harder, got out of bed, stopped drinking, etc.).
This passage is a warning to me too; Paul gives his own warning which we should take seriously:
Command people who are rich in this world not to be proud. Tell them not to put their hope in riches. Wealth is so uncertain. Command those who are rich to put their hope in God. He richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Command the rich to do what is good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. They must give freely. They must be willing to share. In that way they will put riches away for themselves. It will provide a firm basis for the next life. Then they will take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, You do not reject me because I am rich (or well-fed or happy), but because I am not rich towards You. Soften my heart, like Yours. May I be Your hands and feet of compassion to those who are in need.