Rich man, Poor man

Among the many who come to the well each day two men who came for a drink long ago stand out. They were similar in that they were both wealthy, powerful men. One was described as a rich ruler the other a tax collector. The similarities however, end there.

One, the rich ruler, was a religious man who prided himself in his observance of the religious rules and regulations. He was probably counted among the “righteous” elite. He came to Joshua asking what more he needed to quench his eternal thirst. As far as he was concerned he had done all that is humanly possible with no regrets. He almost dared anyone especially Joshua deny him a drink. Joshua in his wise and knowing way quietly spelled out the cost of a cup of this water. When it became apparent to the ruler that a cup of water from this well would cost him everything he valued - his money and his position, he turned and left the well sad, dejected and still thirsty, still holding on to everything he came to the well with. “How hard it is for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God”.

On the other hand the tax collector came to the well with no religious pretensions only curiosity. In fact he was generally considered a sinner and hated and probably feared by the people of his day. As far as his contemporaries were concerned he deserved to die from his thirst for all his sins. However that very thirst is what drew him to the well. Is it true what they said about Joshua and his well, that a drink from it could cure the eternal thirst of man? Even at the well he did not dare ask for a drink and certainly did not expect any favors from anyone least of all Joshua. Yet while he felt the heat from the hostile stares everyone else gave him, he also felt the warmth of a friend’s attention as Joshua called him by name and offered him a drink from the well. No questions asked no price to pay just open your mouth and drink. Overcome by the offer and struck by the sheer generosity it spoke of, he responded the only way he knew how. With a forthright admission of his unworthiness and a pledge to make restitution with all he had – his money and his position. That day salvation came to the house of this rich man.

How is it that 2 rich and powerful men came to the same place and responded so differently? Well of course they were 2 completely different people whose wealth and position meant different things to them. Most importantly though it is the value they placed on what was offered to them that determined which direction they went. It is the magnitude of their thirst in comparison to what was offered and what they thought they already had. The first rich man did not think he was thirsty enough to give up everything for a drink of water whereas the second thought this offer was too good to be passed up. The former left still a “wealthy”, thirsty man with a heavy heart; the latter left a "poor" but satisfied man. In the final analysis who was the wealthier? The one who had all the money and could not quench his thirst or the one who had no money but no need for it anyway? Joshua says “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. To him a man’s wealth is measured not in how much he has to his name but how much he is willing to give up for a new name.