Wealth is good as testified by what it can do, and by how men strive after it. The Bible does not condemn wealth. Rather, it says, The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tm. 6:10), but not money itself. Solomon said elsewhere money answereth all (Eccl. 10:19), but be careful you don’t miss the context. Money can provide both feast and wine; under the sun. Yet, even these are not the better things, but the poorer, as he has already shown (Eccl. 7:1-10). Only the currency of Heaven answers all things (Isa. 55).

One meaning of this verse is: “A rich man, when he fears any evil, can remove it with money; the poor, when he is threatened, cannot pay, so he runs away.” The poor man cannot stand and defend himself or buy himself off. The moment he hears rebuke, having no resources, he attempts to make good his escape. A second interpretation is that it shows the relative benefits of riches and poverty.

There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. This is a type of the poor-rich man. Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. No amount of riches can buy poverty of spirit! Is not Christ Himself the Highest example of this truth? He was rich; He became poor, that we might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9)!

Here is another interpretation of this verse. It doesn’t say these persons are pretending. It may have a purely spiritual meaning. “This understanding of the verse lends itself to a Christian interpretation” (Maclaren). The Bible distinguishes between outer and inner reality, between the material and the spiritual. The conditions of poverty and wealth are not moral issues, but may indicate spiritual differences. Those who are rich in goods may be poverty-stricken in soul. There is that makes himself rich, yet has nothing. This is the rich-poor man. The Lord illustrates this vital distinction. In Luke 12 we have a smug man’s plans for his future, and a Sovereign God’s determination about his failure. He’s a fool in a fog. We considered this fool before, but he’s worth another look.

Today’s verses encapsulate the stark contrast between how the righteous and the wicked act and live. Not one can call back a lost moment, much less a lost life! We would do well to heed this word of advice from an old sage, “Live so in time as thou would wish to live in eternity.” How are you living your life? Life in itself is neither good nor evil. It is man, sinner or saved, who makes it so.