Ambrose.J. Chakre
Do not be over rawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper- he will join the generation of his fathers who will never see the light of life. Psalm 49:16-19
God’s rebuke to the rich are often stern and mark this it is directed at the guilty ones, not at the ones who are giving in abundance. Whenever the word rich is mentioned, the rich are always remembered and it is what everyone desires to be. The Editor of a reputed daily News Paper once asked me “ Why is it that the wicked prospers, while the righteous don’t? To this I said God’s ways are never a mistake and it is only in the future that we will truly know the richness reserved for the righteous. The mansions owned by the rich will come to naught if it is for used for the glory of God. There were so many rich men and women who lived and died and in the day of reckoning their destinies will also be revealed. A retired government official had so many plans to enjoy life after retirement but a sudden fall from the terrace put an end to his life and all that he expected.Sad as it sounds, this is what the reality is. Every event of our life are being weighed and it will not be good for the ones who does not live in conformity with the Word. This sermon may also hurt the rich a bit but it is for eternal reasons that this is also being written. A very wealthy man once said to his son, “ If you don’t study hard I will let you look after cows, and much to the annoyance of his father the son replied ‘ I will look after cows’. This very statement reveals so many of the evils of this world. To look down on people is the same as looking down on God.In relation to this, this is what I often say “ Even if people are to look down on you , you are to always look up and even if others give less importance to you, you are to give more importance to the Word. It is a sin to underestimate others and it is even a greater sin to treat them as the dust of the earth. Remember, it is only in this life that choices can be made and decisions can be taken for the next life. The rich man had everything and it was his own folly which led him to hell, while Lazarus the beggar owned nothing, yet he lived in the favor of God. The richness of God’s grace are also evidenced in so many things we see around and it will be to the advantage of the wise to see and live in the wisdom of Christ. The pride of some of the rich are so high that all that they do is to look down on the others who are not as rich as them. I have met multitude of the rich and poor alike and in all my observances I learnt of the futility of pride and the folly of wickedness.
The truth has to be told and everything which we see are the evidences of what the realities are. Trust this, it is not me condemning the wicked but it is also me condemning the evils of the wicked. The death of Osama Bin Laden created headlines and it will only be in the future that the ultimate destinies of everyone will be revealed. This tirade is only against the rich wicked and it will be better for them to heed the Word lest they be hooked out. Though it sounds harsh, the nature of the rebuke is to save the wicked from the snares of death. At times it is also strange that there are some who starts smoking right after returning from church and it will be far worse to shy away from the Word of God. Just going to church alone is not enough, the truth has to be sought more passionately and it is wisdom to ‘heed the rod’. ( Micah 6:9 ) The rich has to take heed lest they perish like their wealth and the poor must not skrink back from their faith. The message of the deliverance of the rich are also in this and we trust and expect the best to happen. Mark this, just preaching the Word alone is not enough and it is also not wise to just point our fingers at others, we have to lift them up. Though it is also true that there are some whom we may have to push them to the ground only to raise them up again. Remember, the purpose of this message is not to condemn but to save; neither is it to dampen the mood of others but to build their faith. These are what the realities are and we shall stop not till we see the rich and the poor returning to the cross of Christ in repentance. Mark this: Whether a person be rich or poor, the good ones are good and the bad ones are bad. Everyone has to understand that it is always wiser to be rich towards God. The richness of God is immeasurable, incomparable and it is what everyone must desire and seek. The Word is rich in knowledge and wisdom and the wise ones will know where to seek it. May the wisdom of God be the light in everyone’s life.
