19:7 – All the brothers of the poor hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
In one of the footnotes on the page (to a different verse), the editors referred to Christ’s perfect application of God’s principles for Christian living.
He lived on the charity of others. He trusted God implicitly to provide for Him, and for His disciples.
And people flocked to Him.
People sought Jesus out and gave Him gifts. They loved being around Him (except for the Pharisees and the Sadducees, of course).
(As a side note, I always thought Pharisees and Sadducees were analogous to today’s “priests” and “lawyers.” It seems a more apt reference today might be “celebrities and politicians” and “bureaucrats.” Just sayin’.)
Maybe, when Solomon speaks of being “poor,” he isn’t referring to having little or no money.
He is referring to the absence of the Spirit of God within. Think of the people you know and who you don’t like being around. It’s never the money. It’s the spirit of the person.
And, because Jesus was rich in Spirit, the spiritually thirsty flocked to the fountain to drink.
The lesson for us? Be a conduit, not the lake. Allow God’s spirit to flow through us to others. God will take care of the rest.
