Chapter 17: Is Wealth Dragging You Down? Those who offer praises to rich people seem to me to be appropriately thought of as dishonorable flatterers. Not only do they vehemently pretend that disagreeable things give them pleasure, but they're godless and treacherous as well. They're godless because they fail to praise and glorify God. He's the only perfect and good one, of whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and for whom are all things (Romans 11:36).
They also bestow divine honors on mere men who are wallowing in an abominable life. The most important thing is that they're responsible before God in this matter. Those who praise the rich are really treacherous. By its very self, wealth is able to puff up and corrupt the wealthy, and thereby turns them away from the path of which they could obtain salvation. So when people praise the rich, they only compound the problem of wealth.
They puff up the rich with their extravagant praise, thereby doing their senses to the danger of wealth. The result is that the rich begin to utterly despise everything except wealth, for wealth brings them admiration. This only adds fire to fire and pours pride upon pride. It adds conceit to wealth, making wealth an even heavier burden than it already is. For by its very nature, wealth is a burden. Its possessors would be better off if they would remove it as though it were a dangerous and deadly disease.
For God's word teaches that anyone who exalts and magnifies himself will eventually be brought low (Proverbs 16:18). It seems to me then that instead of basely flattering the rich and praising them for what is bad, it would be far kinder to help them work out their salvation in every possible way. We ought to ask for this salvation from God, who surely and sweetly gives such things to his own children.
That way, by the grace of the Savior, we can enlighten the rich, lead them to attain the truth, and bring healing to their souls. Whoever obtains this salvation and distinguishes himself in good works will gain the prize of everlasting life. Prayer that continues until the last day of life needs a strong and tranquil soul, and our lives need to be ordered so that we can reach out to obey all the commandments of the Savior.
There are several reasons why salvation appears to be more difficult for the rich than for the poor. First, some rich people have heard it told in an offhand way that the Savior said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24). Having heard this, they despair that they are not destined to live, so they surrender everything to the world and cling to the present life as though it were the only thing left for them.
This only takes them farther from the way that leads to the life to come. They don't bother to try to find out what the Lord and Master meant when he referred to the rich, nor do they discover that what is impossible for man is possible for God. Other rich people adequately understand these things, but they don't give enough importance to the works that lead to salvation, and they don't make the preparation necessary to attain the object of their hope.
But salvation is possible for the rich who have learned about the Savior's power and his glorious salvation. I'm not addressing those who are ignorant of the truth. How to Assist the Rich to Salvation If you desire to teach the truth about these matters to the wealthy, you must first be motivated by love of truth and love for your brothers. You must be neither rudely insolent toward the rich nor fawn over them for your own selfish benefit. The next step is to relieve the rich of their groundless despair.
This can be done by correctly explaining the Lord's statements, demonstrating that the rich are not entirely cut off from inheriting the kingdom of heaven if they obey the commandments. You must convince them that there is no cause for their fear because the Lord will gladly receive them, provided they are willing. Finally, you must teach and demonstrate the deeds and attitudes by which they will win the object of their hope. It is not out of their reach, but it cannot be attained without effort.
To illustrate, look at athletes. I'm comparing something small and perishing with something that's great and immortal. As with athletes, the man who is endowed with worldly wealth must realize that his obtaining the prize depends on himself. Among athletes, some give up hope of being able to win the trophy and drop out.
Others are inspired by the hope of winning, but they fail to submit themselves to the necessary training, diet, and exercises, so they likewise walk away without the trophy, failing to obtain their expectations. In the same way, the man who has been invested with worldly wealth should not decide at the outset that he is excluded from the Savior's contest. That is, if he is a believer and he appreciates the greatness of God's mercy.
On the other hand, he shouldn't expect to grasp the trophies of immortality without struggle and effort, remaining untrained and putting forth no effort. He must put himself under the word as his trainer and submit to Christ as master of the contest. His regime of food and drink is the New Testament of the Lord. His training exercises are the commandments. For form and grace, he has the pleasant qualities of love, faith, hope, knowledge of the truth, gentleness, meekness, mercy, and seriousness.
In this way, when the last trumpet sounds the signal for the race and for his departure from the stadium of life, he will be able, in good conscience, to present himself victorious before the judge who confers the rewards. He will be worthy of the Fatherland on high to which he returns with crowns to the acclaim of the angels.