Woe to you
who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are
well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall
mourn and weep. Luke 6:23-24
Come now,
you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your
riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your
silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will
consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up
your treasure! …You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of
wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
Now there
was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously
living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his
gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were
falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and
licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to
Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted
up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his
bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my
tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember
that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad
things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
He who
increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious
to the poor.
He who
gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many
curses.
O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by
doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in
case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.
I say to
you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so
that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is
faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is
unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if
you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust
the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that
which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can
serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else
he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
wealth. Luke 16:9-13
When Abraham
lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him;
and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself
to the earth, and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight,
please do not pass your servant by. Please let a little water be brought and
wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; and I will bring a piece of
bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you
have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have
said." So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly,
prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes." Abraham
also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the
servant, and he hurried to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf
which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them
under the tree as they ate.
If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they
filed a complaint against me, What then could I do when God arises? And when He
calls me to account, what will I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb
make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb? If I have kept the poor from
their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or have
eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it (But from my youth he
grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her), If I have
seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering, If
his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of
my sheep, If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had
support in the gate, Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken
off at the elbow. For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His
majesty I can do nothing.
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by
contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take
anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be
content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and
many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts
of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and
pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give
you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves
money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no
thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.
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