Vegetables and Love
Proverbs 15:6, 15-17, 27
Many years ago, Patti and I spent some time in Guyana, South America. We were there visiting some of our LBC missionaries and seeing firsthand the work they were doing. Guyana is a poor country, and my heart went out to these people who live without so much of what we take for granted. The people were warm and caring, and I wished I could put them in my suitcase and take them home with me. But as time passed my perspective began to change.
There was one family we connected with several times. They were hard working people. During the day they went out and earned the money needed to survive. But each evening they would gather for a simple meal and spend the evening together laughing, loving, and sharing life together. They weren’t running here and there. They weren’t driven by the latest and greatest thing they had to have. They had very little, yet they were rich in the things that matter. Though our way is certainly different, I left not convinced our way is better.
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred. This proverb captures well what I was feeling in Guyana. It’s so easy to lose sight of what matters in our twenty-first century American culture. In our arrogance we think we know better how to live. I’m not so sure.
Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, but trouble is in the income of the wicked. There are many theories about the best way for people to live together. Today there’s tension between the capitalists and socialists, and proponents of big government and small government. But all these theories are doomed to fail in bringing about flourishing for all people if they don’t account for the righteous and the wicked.
The righteous in the Proverbs refers to the Tzadik. The Tzadik is all about mutual flourishing. It’s about us, not just about me. It’s concern for the tribe not the individual. The righteous will even disadvantage themselves if necessary to advantage the community. We learned earlier in Proverbs that when it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the Tzadik prospers everyone wins.
The wicked are those who are willing to disadvantage the tribe to advantage themselves. They are selfish, greedy consumers who only think about themselves. For them, winning is far more important than mutual flourishing. As long as the wicked prevail, everyone loses.
With this in mind, what is meant by great wealth being in the house of the righteous (Tzadik)? The word for wealth includes produce (food) as well as treasure such as gold and silver. The Hebrew word translated housemeans storehouse. We would probably use the word warehouse. The idea is the righteous store up what they’ve accumulated to distribute to the tribe. To care for the needy. The better the righteous do the more everyone can flourish.
But what if the righteous keep it all for themselves? Then they aren’t righteous. The righteous, by definition, are those who live to advantage the tribe. That’s who they are. There is no such thing as a selfish Tzadik. We should all cheer when they prosper.
But there is trouble in the house of the wicked. When the wicked win everyone else loses. The wicked are selfish and greedy. They demand their way and have the resources to get what they want. Their warehouse is for all the stuff they plan to hoard for themselves.
When it comes to money, the big question is not can I afford it? The biblical question is how can I use what I have to help others flourish? The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD. But he loves one who pursues righteousness. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil in it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred.
There’s nothing wrong with prospering and having stuff. We all have more stuff than most people in the world today. That’s not the issue. The issue is what am I living for? What motivates me to prosper more? Am I trying to prove something to someone? Am I trying to find significance and value in my house or car or bank account? Do I think my net-worth equals my self-worth? Do I trust my riches rather than God? Does my fear drive my need to have more?
It’s easy to dismiss these questions as not being a problem for you, but I have to say in my four decades as a pastor I’ve seen very few influences that so lead a person astray than money. The love of money is subtle and deadly. Most look around them and compared to others our behavior doesn’t seem unusual. That’s exactly the problem. If your perspective on money seems to align with those around you it’s pretty likely you’ve lost your way.
Like the tongue, money is one of the most discussed topics in Proverbs. It’s a delicate balance. We need the righteous to prosper for shalom. However, the righteous can become wicked if their prosperity changes them. Skillful living requires we not lose sight of what really matters. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox served with hatred.