Proverbs 14:20, A Sad Fact

August 20, Proverbs 14:20

Luke 10:25-37 “He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me”

A Sad Fact

This proverb sets forth an all too common fact of life. Though written thousands of years ago, its message is as contemporary as today, nor has the way of the world changed in the interim. The poor is hated… but the rich has many friends. Still more sadly, what this proverb depicts is often the way of those who profess to follow Him who was the Friend of sinners. Perhaps more poor folk have been turned away from our churches because of this un-Christlike treatment than almost any other sin, unless it be race!

1. The Poor Frowned Upon: Do you avoid your poor friends and neighbours? Would this even include members of your own family who are “down at heel”? The world hates or despises the poor. We treat them as having nothing to contribute to the world’s progress! Are these not frequently poor through no fault of their own? Are not these poor often persons of upright character, and otherwise worthy of every respect? Was it because of this that our Blessed Lord went out of His way to befriend the world’s outcasts? Did not His enemies criticise Him for being a friend of publicans and sinners? Ought we not to do likewise? If Christians had shown Christ’s compassion to those who were the world’s poor, we might have escaped the blight of Liberation Theology. The saying “poor but honest” prompted a young man to ask, “Father, I often hear people say, ‘Poor but honest.’ Why don’t they say, ‘Rich, but honest’?” “Because, my son,” said the father, “no one would believe them.” This is, happily, an exaggeration, but an old divine, Dr. Philetus Dobbs, changed it to say, “Poor, because honest.” Poverty in the way of duty is to be preferred to plenty in the way of sin. When Philip Henry, father of Matthew, was fined for holding services, and his goods seized, he said, “Ah, well! We may be losers for Christ, but we cannot in the end be losers by Christ; praise His name.”

2. The Rich Fawned Over: The words many friends are, as the margin suggests, many lovers. Avoiding the poor, do we prefer to seek the company of the rich, meaning the wealthy? The rich are often so because they worked hard to become what they are. There is no shame in honest riches from honest endeavour! Likewise many poor are the victims of their own indolence, and both these traits have been treated in a number of proverbs already. The word lovers may hint that such friends only love the things of the rich, but not the rich for themselves. Money buys friends. It seems hard to avoid this. We tend to idolise the world, and, therefore, love those who have this world’s good things (Jas. 2:1-10). Such fawning over the rich is as old as humanity. It is said, “Rich men have no faults.” We think it was Spurgeon who remarked, “Say, rather, they have no friend honest enough to tell them of their faults. Their spots are covered by their money. Riches too often cause arrogance, for the man with the big-purse is apt to grow purse-proud.” Ask yourself if you are guilty of hating the poor, while loving the rich.

Thought: God is the portion of His people; His people are the portion of God (CHS).

Prayer: Lord, help me to love like Thee.