A “righteous” person works at thinking and doing right things as a daily practice. One right thing is to “care about justice for the poor.” We should be watching out for those less fortunate and do what we can. We should work for “justice” to help those who don’t have the same opportunities in life as we do – all in Jesus’ name.
But “the wicked” do not share this “concern.” Whatever their particular brand of wickedness may be, the reason they are this way is their focus on themselves and what makes them happy. Consequently, they have no interest or concern about the poor.
This verse is a good spiritual barometer for all of us. While we may think ourselves as pretty good people, if we really don’t care much about those who are less fortunate, we can be certain how God assesses our spiritual condition – we need a makeover!
It’s a healthy activity to regularly check ourselves and recalibrate as necessary. BTW, Helping Up Mission is a great place to for the recalibrated (and those in need of some recalibration!) to put their caring into practice.