(Read the whole article at, http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/02/20/279737277/what-it-was-like-to-be-a-wall-street-recruit-after-the-bailouts)
But do you remember the old adage about the one who laughs last, laughs best? It may seem such an easy task to rob defenseless widows and orphans; the poor have few friends and even fewer resources. But hear what God has to say about the ones who rob the poor:
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and not be answered (Prov 21:13, NIV)
Jesus told a parable about a rich man and a poor man, and the lesson we were meant to learn was not one of faith, but of mercy.
The rich man, who lived in opulent luxury, ignored Lazarus who lived by his gate and whose poverty was so severe that he hoped to get some of the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. When the time came for both to depart from this life, Lazarus found himself face-to-face with Abraham, while the rich man found himself in great torment. Not understanding why, the rich man asked for Abraham to have pity on him, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. Abraham replied it was impossible for there was a great chasm between them that prevented them from crossing over (Luke 16:19-26).
It may seem strange that the rich man ended up in torment, for isn't wealth a blessing? James explains why:
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone (Jas 2:12-24, NIV).
Some of the Jewish people thought that they would automatically find themselves with Abraham after their death, for they were part of the covenant people of Israel. Jesus corrected their misconception in his parable of the rich man and Lazarus: the rich man had everything the Jewish people thought they ought to pursue, but he didn't share his wealth with the poor.
Jesus wasn't impressed.
In another place we find Jesus asking what good it does to us if we gain all the wealth in this world but become unjust in the process, and lose that which is the most important thing, ourselves (Matt 16:26). Why have wealth if we can't enjoy it?
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:16-21, NIV).
So, Wall Street, you have a choice: you can enjoy your ill gotten gain and live a life of luxury, or you can give up your evil ways and receive mercy from God when it is time to leave this world.
One thing is certain, you won't take your wealth with you, nor will you escape death. So why live as if those were the options?
