A Sad Commentary

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
A SAD COMMENTARY
Prov 14:20
20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.
NIV
What a sad commentary on the condition of the human heart. Would this not be speaking to the fact people merely are attracted to those who have money in hopes of getting some of it? It also shows at the same time the fact people are not attracted to those without money because they have nothing to offer. The whole of relationships are not built on the personality of a person, but rather on social positions. Why a person of means would even desire to build a friendship with someone without means? It would seem that people who do not have money have no friends, but that is not actually the truth here, for they do. This is about the injustice in relationships between the classes. No matter the upstanding quality of a person’s character and the validity of his ability to be a good friend, if he is without the financial means to live in the standard of those with enough wealth to live such, he is not considered worthy to invest any time in building a friendship with. Perhaps the wealthy simple are afraid of his motives and are guarding their wealth from a potential mooch and that is the enough reason alone to shun them. Could this be also speaking to the church and that which was declared through James? Could those within the church even form judgments about new people based upon their appearance rather on their relationship with God? If a long haired, unshaven, ill clothed child of God entered the church would all those clean shaven, with cut hair and clean fine clothes rush to give this person the hand of fellowship and greet him with a holy kiss or even a hug? I dare say, I think if a couple of fine good looking demeanor appeared for the first time within the walls of the church, a line of handshakes and introductions would ensue. Perhaps even this distinction might even occur by the staff of the church, thinking one might be a good tither while the other may be an expense which the church cannot afford. It is a sad commentary.