blessed are the poor

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Ezekiel 7:1-9:11. God is telling the people of Israel that His punishment is coming. And He says, in 7:11, that "all your wealth and prestige will be swept away." 

We get the impression that the people He's speaking to are wealthy. And we see the age old lesson that Jesus tells us again in the Sermon on the Mount. The rich are not in a good place spiritually. The poor typically are. You see this in your life, too, don't you? Those who are well off are "entitled" and treat people badly. They take everything for granted and act like spoiled brats. There are exceptions, of course, but they are few and far between.

The poor, on the other hand, tend to be humble. They are often kind, they appreciate things, and they are usually generous. There are so many stories of homeless people sharing what little they have with other people. There are exceptions to this rule, too. But it IS a rule that poor people tend to be in a good place spiritually.

So that helps us to understand why Jesus said that the poor in spirit are blessed. And why the wealthy are to be pitied - "woe to you" who are well off, because you're probably spoiled and proud and it's hard for you to go to heaven.

So let's keep that in mind. Let's resist the urge to be rich and proud. Let's CHOOSE to, if not be POOR, at least to live simply and to stay humble. And in all of this, let's be generous and kind to one another, rich and poor alike.

God, thanks for teaching us that the lure of riches is dangerous, and the simple life is best.