Proverbs 29:12-14 (ESV)
12 If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together;
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king faithfully judges the poor,
his throne will be established forever.
The leader who listens to lies, making unjust decisions while oppressing the poor and unfortunate, will infect those underneath him with the same sinful mentality. In an attempt to impress the evil ruler, his subjects imitate his actions, and eventually the entire kingdom erodes. The poor, along with his persecutor, depend upon the Lord for the ability to see and experience the created world. Regardless of extreme difference in rank within the social structure, they both bear the image of God, and in that sense are more alike than different. The oppressor should respect the dignity of poor man, and the poor man should not despise the strength and riches of his oppressor. The leader who doesn’t bend his ear toward the wicked, but faithfully acknowledges the poor, will be blessed by the Lord. Whom are you at odds with today? Ask God to grace you with the ability to see your enemy through the lens of compassion today.