Skip to main content

The Punishment

             Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 17:5)

Mock: tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner:

Contempt: the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.

Gloat: contemplate or dwell on one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure.

I suspect that mocking others is so much a part of our life that we don’t even realize we do it. Holding others (even God) in contempt is a national pastime on the level of baseball. So is gloating over the disasters faced by those we don’t approve. Those who do so will not go unpunished, but once again, the punishment is not necessarily inflicted by someone else, or even by God. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s not magical.

          Years ago, I used anger as fuel. I found things to be angry about because when I was angry, I had the energy to work hard, even at something I didn’t particularly enjoy. It gave my mind something to focus while doing something else, particularly something boring. I became an angry person, even when I didn’t want to be angry anymore. This is what happens to someone who mocks, shows contempt, and gloats. They become more and more the sort of person who mocks, shows contempt, and gloats.

          Others either learn to avoid them or learn to respond in kind. Relationships never develop, end, or are crippled.

          And if challenged about their behavior, those who mock, show contempt, and gloat are likely to claim “it’s all in fun, no harm done” or that “they deserve it.” They’re not picking on the poor. They’re treating the stupid (intellectually poor,) immoral (morally poor,) demonstrating unacceptable behavior (aesthetically poor or lacking in etiquette), or unwoke/woke/asleep, (ethically or culturally poor.) No matter what excuse is offered, it comes back to the person lacking some currency of exchange that the mocker demands. The “rich” mocker may even claim to be doing the poor person a favor by shaming them into earning respect/wealth in some form. And the heart of the mocker atrophies. Take heed. Be careful. Be accountable. It’s not a direction we should want to go.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more