Wealth and Faith – Psalm 49

A text – Psalm 49

¹ Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
² both low and high, rich and poor together.
³ My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
⁴ I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.

⁵ Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
⁶ those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
⁷ Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life; there is no price one can give to God for it.
⁸ For the ransom of life is costly and can never suffice,
⁹ that one should live on forever and never see the Pit.

¹⁰ When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹ Their gravesare their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
¹² Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.

A reflection:

This is all the farther the lectionary goes with Psalm 49, to keep the reading short. As I read it, I could not help but think of the billionaires so often spoken about these days, all the ones getting tax cuts and extending their wealth with digital money while the poorest all over the world have health and security torn from their grasp. Thinking of that, I really wanted to hear the rest of the story. So I am including the remaining 8 verses below. Reread from the start, now, and continue to the end.

¹³ This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
¹⁴ They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
¹⁵ But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.
¹⁶ Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases;
¹⁷ for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.
¹⁸ Though while they live they count themselves blessed—and people praise you when you prosper—
¹⁹ they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life.                                                       ²⁰ People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.

The good news for us arrives in verse 15: we know and love the Lord and the Lord loves us. We, too, will die, but our time in the grave, as I once heard from a Presbyterian preacher, is just a layover on our journey. Our security is solely in God’s love for us pitiful creatures, and we live daily dependent on that love, which will bring us through that layover into the secure lap of a loving parent who is glad we are there. And that knowledge is security beyond dollars.

A prayer:

Lord God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for being the source of real security for us. Help us always to know we have been given the gift of faith in you and time on this earth, so that we might not waste our time worry and so that we can share this vision with others. Amen.