Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, February 6, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I get the sentiment here but it makes me thoughtful. Is this any consolation for those living in poverty who are perfectly wonderful people but can’t put food on the table? Is it any deterrent for those who live in big houses and travel the world and dine at all the best restaurants, with the knowledge that their wealth comes at the expense of others? It feels almost a little dismissive: “You should be happy with what you have—God will reward you eventually.” That just doesn’t cut it when you’re suffering from generational trauma and hungry to boot.
Taken a completely different way, am I then cleared to judge those who have abundance as “wicked” simply because I choose to live a small, simple life? Do I get to consider myself “righteous” because I don’t have a six-figure salary and a chalet in southern France?
That such a simple phrase can be so loaded with ambiguity just makes the case that the Bible is meant to be read, experienced, and discerned in community. We need one another (and the Holy Spirit) to tease out of scripture what God’s call to us as individuals might be. Left to my own devices, I am often judgmental of others. In community, I am drawn into vulnerability and compassion.
I do think there is, at its core, truth to this verse from the psalm. It is better to live a small life in good conscience than to be driven by greed to harm others in the pursuit of wealth. But life is not always that simple.
How do I interpret this verse for my own life today?