Ruth Marcus wrote in the Washington Post an article that captured my attention. It is about our ‘rich’ affluent society. She writes concerning Ethan Couch, the Texas teenager whose drunken driving killed four people in 2013. Couch was 16 years of age. Three hours after the grisly crash, his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit for an adult. The argument now is that he should be spared imprisonment because his over privileged upbringing had failed to teach him the difference between right and wrong. His parents never set limits or imposed consequences on young Ethan. His mother even fled with him to Mexico rather than allow him to face punishment. He lived by the baby’s national anthem, “I want what I want when I want it.” He believed that if you have the wealth, you make the rules. Ethan’s parents are the enablers of this conduct.
Society seems to reward such behavior. You can say and do anything you want as long as you are rich materially. No limits on bad behavior nor any consequences on offensiveness, just do as you please, your money talks for you.
Jesus never taught such, in fact just the opposite. Luke 12:15 “Then He said to them, Watch out. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” In fact in this same chapter, the 12th of Luke, Jesus tells the story of the Rich Man who had an abundance of crops. His wealth was great so that he was ready to take life easy. “But God said, to him, YOU FOOL” The sin of this rich farmer was his selfishness, all he thought about was himself.
God teaches plainly that it is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil. (I Timothy 6:10) Our example is Jesus “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes, He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
As Christians. we are RICH because of the promises of God through Jesus. The golden rule is not money but treating others as you would have them treat you. Love God – love people.