One person pretends to be rich yet has nothing. Another pretends to be poor yet
has great wealth. A person’s riches may ransom the possessor’s life. But a poor
person hears no threat. ~Proverbs 13:7-8
The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hands. ~Ecclesiastes 5:12-16
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:32-34
I remember hearing James Dobson, the psychologist who founded the Focus on The Family Ministry, talking once about his possessions. He was mentioning that because of his earthly success, he had been able to accumulate many things that make him comfortable in this world. Then he made a quote that went something like this: “as I have acquired more things, in this life, I’m not sure if I own them or they own me.”
He talked about the fact that the more that he owns the more it needs to be maintained and the more concern there is about protecting it. Lawns need to be mowed. Cars need to be maintained. Computers need constant upgrading and maintenance if they are to remain useful. Owning things takes a lot of work and often, a lot of worry.
It is also true that the more you have, the more at risk you are as a target of those who want what you have. Your allegiances and priorities may be more difficult to discern. Remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:24-25: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Most interesting of all, all this accumulation and confusion over priorities only lasts during our life here on earth. We bring nothing in those little clenched fists at birth and carry nothing in our flat palms at death. All the worry, all the threat, all the fretting is for this life alone.
“One person pretends to be rich yet has nothing. Another pretends to be poor yet has great wealth.” I believe that this goes back to our discussions about the seen and unseen worlds once again. We know that there are people who do this deliberately. Pretending to be rich is to make a good impression or to get ahead in a world where wealthy people get better treatment. Pretending to be poor is a way for the very wealthy to protect their hoarded resources or for the miserly to preserve them.
But there is a more spiritual meaning. We get at it when we remember what Jesus said to the Church in Laodicea, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” In the spiritual world, to be focused too much on earthly riches for security is all just “pretend.” It isn’t the most real thing to be concerned about.
If the rich man is only rich in this life, his riches only give him an appearance of power and control, but only for this life. On the other hand, the poor man may appear to be poor in worldly possessions, but if he is in Christ, he is actually a prince for eternity. Poverty in this life as also just “pretend,” in a sense. The Truth is far better for those who are in Christ.
Then there is this: “A person’s riches may ransom the possessor’s life. But a poor person hears no threat.” At first, we make sense of this by saying, who would want to steal from a poor man? Of course, the rich person is more of a target. First of all, his riches make him feel more secure. He believes that he has something to work with; something to bargain with if he is threatened. This could mean a threat such as a robbery or hostage situation, but also, something to give the physician to get better care if his health is threatened.
In the world, the poor man will never be the target for what he has. If he does become a victim, he has no hope because he has nothing of worth in this world for his ransom. In a practical sense, this is probably what Solomon is getting at. But there is a spiritual application here too.
The rich man, no matter how much he has cannot ransom his own life from death. Both the rich and poor man need Christ to do that for them. Death is the great equalizer for the rich and the poor. What really matters for both is, are they part of the flock to whom Jesus has said: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
And according to the beatitude, “blessed are the poor.” Even the wealthiest among us need to acknowledge that they are really very poor without a true relationship in Christ. Those who do, whether rich or poor in the worldly sense, will hear no threat when satan accuses.
Care and accumulation of possessions can be a stumbling block to taking advantage of God’s offer. It held back the rich young ruler. Jesus was grieved to see it, but He let the man walk away and used it as an opportunity to instruct His disciples. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19:23-25)
It’s not because God does not want them to enter, it’s more because the rich are too preoccupied by the care of what they have, and the accumulation of more, to consider the alternative. Again, their ladder is up against the wrong wall. I don’t want to make a blanket statement though in which the rich are all bad and the poor are all innocent.
Are you wealthy, and pretending to be poor? Consider this. Many people in America do not count themselves among the very wealthy in this world, and yet, taking the world as a whole, we US citizens are richer than at least 85% of all the other people who live on earth! There are those wealthy who are very generous with what they have. There are also those who have a heart of greed even though they are poor. Again, it’s a heart issue. Who are they in Christ?
Prayer: Father, I am so happy to know the truth. Help me to keep the real priorities in view. Compared to my riches in Christ, the richest man on earth has nothing, unless he is also in Christ! And I pray that he is, whoever that may be. Knowing that I have everything I need because you are my Good Shepherd, frees me to be generous to all. Father direct me in how to use my earthly goods to store up treasures in heaven. In Jesus' name, amen.
Song: A Child of The King
The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hands. ~Ecclesiastes 5:12-16
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:32-34
I remember hearing James Dobson, the psychologist who founded the Focus on The Family Ministry, talking once about his possessions. He was mentioning that because of his earthly success, he had been able to accumulate many things that make him comfortable in this world. Then he made a quote that went something like this: “as I have acquired more things, in this life, I’m not sure if I own them or they own me.”
He talked about the fact that the more that he owns the more it needs to be maintained and the more concern there is about protecting it. Lawns need to be mowed. Cars need to be maintained. Computers need constant upgrading and maintenance if they are to remain useful. Owning things takes a lot of work and often, a lot of worry.
It is also true that the more you have, the more at risk you are as a target of those who want what you have. Your allegiances and priorities may be more difficult to discern. Remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:24-25: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Most interesting of all, all this accumulation and confusion over priorities only lasts during our life here on earth. We bring nothing in those little clenched fists at birth and carry nothing in our flat palms at death. All the worry, all the threat, all the fretting is for this life alone.
“One person pretends to be rich yet has nothing. Another pretends to be poor yet has great wealth.” I believe that this goes back to our discussions about the seen and unseen worlds once again. We know that there are people who do this deliberately. Pretending to be rich is to make a good impression or to get ahead in a world where wealthy people get better treatment. Pretending to be poor is a way for the very wealthy to protect their hoarded resources or for the miserly to preserve them.
But there is a more spiritual meaning. We get at it when we remember what Jesus said to the Church in Laodicea, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” In the spiritual world, to be focused too much on earthly riches for security is all just “pretend.” It isn’t the most real thing to be concerned about.
If the rich man is only rich in this life, his riches only give him an appearance of power and control, but only for this life. On the other hand, the poor man may appear to be poor in worldly possessions, but if he is in Christ, he is actually a prince for eternity. Poverty in this life as also just “pretend,” in a sense. The Truth is far better for those who are in Christ.
Then there is this: “A person’s riches may ransom the possessor’s life. But a poor person hears no threat.” At first, we make sense of this by saying, who would want to steal from a poor man? Of course, the rich person is more of a target. First of all, his riches make him feel more secure. He believes that he has something to work with; something to bargain with if he is threatened. This could mean a threat such as a robbery or hostage situation, but also, something to give the physician to get better care if his health is threatened.
In the world, the poor man will never be the target for what he has. If he does become a victim, he has no hope because he has nothing of worth in this world for his ransom. In a practical sense, this is probably what Solomon is getting at. But there is a spiritual application here too.
The rich man, no matter how much he has cannot ransom his own life from death. Both the rich and poor man need Christ to do that for them. Death is the great equalizer for the rich and the poor. What really matters for both is, are they part of the flock to whom Jesus has said: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
And according to the beatitude, “blessed are the poor.” Even the wealthiest among us need to acknowledge that they are really very poor without a true relationship in Christ. Those who do, whether rich or poor in the worldly sense, will hear no threat when satan accuses.
Care and accumulation of possessions can be a stumbling block to taking advantage of God’s offer. It held back the rich young ruler. Jesus was grieved to see it, but He let the man walk away and used it as an opportunity to instruct His disciples. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19:23-25)
It’s not because God does not want them to enter, it’s more because the rich are too preoccupied by the care of what they have, and the accumulation of more, to consider the alternative. Again, their ladder is up against the wrong wall. I don’t want to make a blanket statement though in which the rich are all bad and the poor are all innocent.
Are you wealthy, and pretending to be poor? Consider this. Many people in America do not count themselves among the very wealthy in this world, and yet, taking the world as a whole, we US citizens are richer than at least 85% of all the other people who live on earth! There are those wealthy who are very generous with what they have. There are also those who have a heart of greed even though they are poor. Again, it’s a heart issue. Who are they in Christ?
Prayer: Father, I am so happy to know the truth. Help me to keep the real priorities in view. Compared to my riches in Christ, the richest man on earth has nothing, unless he is also in Christ! And I pray that he is, whoever that may be. Knowing that I have everything I need because you are my Good Shepherd, frees me to be generous to all. Father direct me in how to use my earthly goods to store up treasures in heaven. In Jesus' name, amen.
Song: A Child of The King
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