Hi friends,
Proverbs 14:20 says, “A poor person is hated even by his neighbor, but there are many who love the rich.”
Not much has changed.
Most people still don’t like to be around poor people because they don’t have much to give us, and they might need us to give to them.
When I read the news, there’s often a story of a vulnerable group that’s suffering: immigrants, the homeless, or survivors of a natural disaster.
While responsibility is a Biblical virtue, sometimes we face challenges that are too much to handle.
In today’s liturgical reading, we come across Psalm 113:
Hallelujah!
Give praise, servants of the LORD;
praise the name of the LORD.
Let the name of the LORD be blessed
both now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the LORD be praised.
The LORD is exalted above all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God—
the one enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap
in order to seat them with nobles—
with the nobles of his people.
He gives the childless woman a household,
making her the joyful mother of children.
Hallelujah!
(Translation from the Christian Standard Bible)
Proverbs 14:20 reminds us that we often overlook the poor, but Psalm 113 says they are of special concern to God.
As I read it, I see three main emphases:
First, worship God, because he is glorious, exalted, and higher than anything in all Creation.
Second, be amazed by what God does: he goes lower than anyone else, lifting up the poor, the needy, and the barren women to places of honor and status.
Third, consider how this Psalm points us to Jesus. I think of Philippians 2, where Paul talks about Jesus becoming a servant to the point of death.
Or Mary’s song in Luke 2, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant.”
The more I meditate on the Psalm, I realize something else: if caring for the poor and the needy is evidence of God’s greatness and mercy, then how should I live?
A people who worship the God of Psalm 113 should be known for their friendship with the poor.
I’m personally invested in Creating Jobs and an annual, local community service outreach. What organizations and causes are you involved in?
As you pray through this Psalm, what is God doing in your heart?