The poor man is hated even by his own
neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.
He who despises his neighbors sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy
is he. ( Proverbs 14:20-21)
Poverty is the perpetual problem of mankind. "The poor you have with you always" (John 12:8); but the poor are the object of God's interest: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20). Solomon observed that God pities the poor and makes them the object of mercy. The poor have need of good government to provide them with just protection from oppression.
Poverty has a destructive effect; it tends to drive away friends, to destroy one's independence, and to undermine integrity. Yet poverty is often the product of a person's own bad habits. It may be brought on by willful ignorance, by miserliness, wickedness, idle chatter, impulsiveness, drunkenness, frivolity, extravagance, and especially by pure laziness.
Nevertheless, poverty is preferable to those things that are morally unwise, such as pride, perverseness, untruthfulness, wickedness, and even strife.
neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.
He who despises his neighbors sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy
is he. ( Proverbs 14:20-21)
Poverty is the perpetual problem of mankind. "The poor you have with you always" (John 12:8); but the poor are the object of God's interest: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20). Solomon observed that God pities the poor and makes them the object of mercy. The poor have need of good government to provide them with just protection from oppression.
Poverty has a destructive effect; it tends to drive away friends, to destroy one's independence, and to undermine integrity. Yet poverty is often the product of a person's own bad habits. It may be brought on by willful ignorance, by miserliness, wickedness, idle chatter, impulsiveness, drunkenness, frivolity, extravagance, and especially by pure laziness.
Nevertheless, poverty is preferable to those things that are morally unwise, such as pride, perverseness, untruthfulness, wickedness, and even strife.