Contemplative Bible Reading

This is a tough topic. I don’t have all the answers and I’m not sure I have even half of the questions. In the spirit of weakness, let’s go into this.

Proverbs 24:30-34 (New International Version)

30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; 31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. 32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- 34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

Lately I have been thinking about my home town and how people in that congregation accept and don’t accept other people. This also leads me to think about how I accept and don’t accept other people.

I went past the field of the sluggard. This is the lazy person. Where I come from, one of the worst things a person could have been labeled was “lazy.” Good people – read into that Godly people – were not lazy. Good people worked hard and tried hard. Good people (continuing with verse 30) had good judgment.

Righteousness came with hard work. People who worked hard, people who tried were righteous. As the verses say, these people had good judgment. If the Proverb said a person had good judgment, then they were right by God, and that means righteous. Is that a logical argument or stretching things a bit too far?

Acceptability came with hard work. If a person worked hard and tried, they were “worthy” of acceptance. People greeted them at the church door. People had conversations with them after church.

The sluggard wasn’t acceptable. People didn’t greet sluggards at the door. People didn’t have conversations with sluggards after church. The sluggards didn’t usually come back to church a second time.

Is this right? Is this respecting persons or judging by appearances – something we are instructed not to do.

Another thought on this subject. Trying hard or not trying hard (being a sluggard) is a choice. A person may be born into all sorts of circumstances. Being industrious or being a sluggard is a choice I make each day. I can choose to try hard today and not be a sluggard. Hence, the sluggard chooses to be unrighteous.

A problem with this thought is that we often link success to effort. If a person is not successful, they must not be trying, that is they must be a sluggard. Therefore, a poor person is one who chooses not to try hard and make something of himself. This disagrees with the verse in Ecclesiastes that tells us “the race is not always to the swift.” It is easy, however, to link success and effort.

I think it is easy to read a scripture and take it too far. I don’t think some of the people in my home town were bad people. I consider the vast majority of them to be good, Godly Christians. I also think some of the were wrong sometimes.

Yes, the Proverbs tell us that the sluggard lacks judgment. Many other scriptures tell us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Here is some more material on this subject.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 (New International Version)

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

This seems to lend validity to the idea of not associating with a person who does not work for their food. Notice keep away from every brother who is idle and Do not associate with him.

This is strong language for a person who does not work, who is not industrious, who is not a hard worker.

Should we keep a person who does not work out of the church? I don’t think so. What about the direction to not associate with such a person? At this time, I don’t know the answer to that.

God help me to love people – all people.