The Rich and Poor

“There is that makes himself rich, yet has nothing: there is that makes himself poor, yet has great riches.”(Proverbs 13:7)

These two paradoxical statements describing two men and their possessions fit two kinds of men in today’s world. One is rich in the things of the world but poor in eternal, spiritual matters. He is like the “rich fool” of Luke 12:16-21. Already rich, his crops have done extremely well and having no room to put his goods, he decides to pull down his old barns and build greater ones and lay up his treasure in the new, larger barns and then take it easy. He says nothing about giving any of it to the Lord’s work or to the poor or less fortunate. God called him a fool, saying this very night his soul would be required of him. “Then whose will those things be which you have provided.” (Luke 12:20) He made himself rich, but had nothing.

The other man is described best by the life of Jesus Christ.  The Bible says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich.” (II Corinthians 8:9) Jesus Christ was a rich man, voluntarily making Himself poor, leaving the riches of heaven to come live among us, giving His life at Calvary to pay our sin debt. He made Himself poor, yet had great riches. Many are the missionaries on foreign soil, and pastors and evangelists on American soil and others whose names we do not know, who being Christ-like, have given their all for the Kingdom of God. They are poor down here but have laid up treasure in heaven.