Mocking God

He who mocks the poor reproaches his maker;

He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 17:5

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines schadenfreude as “enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others”.  This is a German word that has been borrowed into a handful of other languages.  The thing worth noting here is that this sensation in finding delight in other’s misfortune is a well-recognized human phenomenon.  We could go to great lengths to ask why it is that the human condition has a pronounced place for reveling in others weakness or losses.  However, it is simple and most accurate to say that this is the influence of sin in a human life.  This pleasure can be found when your team (sports or political) beats the other team.  Winning isn’t enough…gloating follows.  It is the quiet self-righteous voice inside us that says of the person who suffers loss of health or financial ruin: “He probably deserved it.”  Whether that voice ever makes it out of our head or our pen.  The two warnings of this simple verse are very much worth noting:  This is mocking the maker of those who suffer – mocking God Almighty.  The second is that such an attitude will not go unpunished.  These severe words should help us to see the immense gravity of delighting in the losses of others in the eyes of the Lord.