Rich and poor alike

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

RICH AND POOR ALIKE

Prov 19:4

4 Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him.

NIV

It seems there is no question that people desire to be friends with those who have enough wealth to share it. They may not actually give their wealth to all their friends, but they have the events or parties which offer friends a place to hang out. Although it would seem the wealthy only want to associate with others of wealth. It is unlikely a wealthy person would go out on the street to find someone with a sign asking for donations because they are either out of work or homeless, and invite them over for dinner. It is just as unlikely for the wealthy to seek out a person of little means for the purpose of developing a friendship. Yet the wealthy seem to attract the hanger on groupies. But those of little means have no such group. Oh sure the poor hang around the other poor. It does appear those of similar economic conditions tend to associate with each other. But when it comes to the true poor person, the indigent who has little to nothing to call their own, are left to struggle through life alone. There may be some programs or ministries which attempt to assist such individuals with either a meal or perhaps a shelter for the night, but friendship is not part of the bargain. It might even be possible those who do offer those amenities, do so for a sense of self satisfaction. That is not to say all who provide assistance in some way are self-motivated, some surely do so out of love and compassion, but at the same time are not making those deep long lasting bonds of true friendship. The poor are merely an object of ministry. But let us also consider that we are all poor in the eyes of God. We are all in need of his grace and mercy. He is wealth, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created all that is, there is no one like God. Yet his love for us poor is so extensive he came to pay the price for our sin. God does not call us servants, he calls us friend.

John 15:13-17

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

NIV

This command transcends all social and economic barriers. For the believer, there should not be any difference in how we interact with each and every person we encounter, whether they contain great wealth, highly skilled talents, multiplicities of degrees or are without any of those. There should be no difference in how we treat those with fine clothes and smell of expensive fragrances and those who are in tattered and smelly clothes.

James 2:1-4

2:1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes , and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

NIV

So then we should note although Solomon speaks the truth about humankind, we should not be as humankind, for our citizenship is not of the world, but our citizenship is in the kingdom of God and therefore we should regard each other as Christ regarded us, a friend, rich and poor alike.