“Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous” (14:19). It is interesting to note the proverb that follows this: “The poor are shunned even by their neighbours, but the rich have many friends” (14:20). Solomon is not making a value statement here. It is a simple truism. It’s just the way it is. Rich people draw lots of friends. Why? Because there is a lot to be gained from a rich person. What rich people win from others is not genuine endearment. They do not induce genuine admiration by their riches. Rather, rich people appeal to the selfish opportunistic aspect of human nature and people naturally gather around them (not that they are to blame for any of this). But a good person is another thing altogether. A good person (whether wealthy or not) has an impact on people that goes far deeper than the survival instinct that the rich appeal to. A good person reflects the meaning of life and the real dignity of human existence. People will respect a good person. I have attended many funerals and I have never heard the gathered loved ones eulogise about the wealth of the deceased. What they do celebrate is goodness where goodness can be found. And the more goodness there was in a person the more there is to celebrate in the life of that person.
Reflect on where your life has reflected God’s goodness lately.
Read Proverbs 14:14-28
