A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 29: 4

Proverbs 29: 4     The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it. (NKJV)

The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. (KJV)

Proverbs 29: 4.  Some translations of Proverbs 29: 4 use the word bribes.  Other versions use the term gifts.

It’s easy to see why a leader who takes bribes would undermine the progress of his people.  .  Leaders who auction off their influence and judgment will obviously exploit and oppress anyone who can’t meet their price.

But the corruption of gifts is much more subtle.  Gifts don’t necessarily buy influence, but they do influence access. Gift-givers become “friends” of the administration, and trusted “advisers” to the leadership.  At first gifts are simply accepted, but then they can become expected, then requested, then required.   Once we get to that point, access to leadership becomes possible only for those who can meet the price.  So then, call it a gift or call it a bribe; the damage is all the same.

A bribe-corrupted leaders will overthrow the progress of the group/ community/ municipality/ company/ church. 

Now, the reality is that leaders and organizations need supporters, and they need income.   The task for us leaders is to make sure that our judgment is not determined by the income of our supporters, but it is not an easy balance.

Go too far one way and you open yourself up to corruption, and you hurt your people.  Go too far the other way and you block legitimate blessings, and you hurt your people.

The safe zone exists within the bounds of justice. 

Pastors should listen to the good, tithe-payers who contribute generously to our appreciations; but we have to equally minister to the entire congregation and community----including the non-giving, the seldom-attending, the never-shouting, and the not-actual-a-member-but-need-to-talk-to-somebody so I’m calling anyway.

For their own good and for the good of their constituency, elected officials can’t only be influenced by the campaign check-signing, tax-paying, productive citizens.  They also need to hear from and consider the views of those who didn’t vote for them, those who didn’t vote, those who don’t pay taxes, those who don’t agree with their views, and those who don’t make (a good enough) contribution to the community.

We have to be sure that support (or the lack of it) does not affect how we define justice.

Sometimes the majority is wrong.

Exodus 23: 2     You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.

Sometimes the sympathetic underdog is wrong.

Exodus 23: 3     You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.

Sometimes the non-contributor is right.

Exodus 23: 6     “You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute.

The point isn’t whether or not you got/ will get a gift out of the decision.  The point is to decide justly.

Leviticus 19: 15     ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

Stay within the boundaries of justice and money won’t corrupt you.  Step outside of justice and money won’t save you, and it won’t protect the people from you.

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

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