Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness. (Jeremiah 22:13)What condemnation for the rich and powerful of Judah, who had exploited the poor and the weak to build their fortunes. And it wasn't that the exploiters were just scratching out a meager existence, trying to feed their own families. They were driven by a lust for luxurious living and lost no sleep about bleeding the poor to maintain their own comfort.
It's probably no surprise that the throne did not make one immune to this materialism sickness: Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar (v. 15)? The prophet reminded Jehoiakim that better kings before him had been content with having enough to eat and drink, and were not driven by the hunger for excess.
Are we any different? Does it matter to us where the clothes we wear or the toys we play with are manufactured? And under what conditions? Does getting a shirt for a few dollars less make exploiting God's children okay? And if we don't pay close enough attention to know for sure, can't we claim plausible deniability? My kids are warm and well-fed. I'm not responsible for other people's kids. But would we want them to say the same about our kids if the roles were reversed?
Why is the more I have the more I want? How much is enough? And am I my brother's keeper?
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