“Dealing with our neighbour”
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker. —Proverbs 17:5
Read Proverbs 17:1-13
In verse 5 of this remarkable chapter we read, “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker.” We can regard this text literally. There are millions of poor people on the earth who are dying from hunger every day. It is our duty, whenever possible, to help these people. Let us also ask ourselves the question: What do we do with the abundance given to us? Do we see this as a gift from God and are we willing to share it with our neighbours? When we really live by faith we will not neglect our poorer neighbours.
Another verse that demands our attention is verse 9: “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love.” What is referred to here is that someone was treated unfairly and chose to keep it to himself. Perhaps someone spoke evil about him. If so, that individual could tell everyone how unjustly he had been treated, or he could choose to remain silent. Our text tells us that whoever remains silent in this case shows love.
When the love of God fills our heart, we will keep our neighbour in mind, even when he has treated us wrongly. We should even try to bring this neighbour to the Lord Jesus. For without faith both we and our neighbour will perish. We need to consider these things while we are young.
What is the best way to approach your neighbour?