He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
—Proverbs 17:5a
He who mocks the poor REPROACHES his Maker. This is one of those verses that in my arrogance I have skipped over...saying in my head probably something like this...yeah..yeah...don’t make fun of people less fortunate than you...I get it. What I never considered, however, was that phrase, “reproaches his Maker.”
It is cruel to make fun of and mock those who are less fortunate. We do it anyway though, because in our small minds it elevates us by making us feel superior to others. But here is the thing... Ridiculing the poor, the weak and less fortunate among us is the same as mocking and ridiculing the God who made them...the God who, as believers, we claim to love and honor. The word “reproach” can be defined this way:
taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid
Uh oh...I never really considered WHY it was wrong to make fun of someone else. I just thought it was because it was unkind. It is much more serious than that. It is not only unkind, it is blasphemous and rebellious toward God who made them. All our interactions with others should stem from and reflect the love and reverence we have for our Maker who made ALL men in His image. James says it perfectly.
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.—James 3:8-9
And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:—Matthew 25:40-41
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