In today’s readings we hear about honesty and integrity and decency. In the first reading we are told not to cheat the poor, not to steal from those who can least afford it, not to take advantage of those who are already down on their luck. You’d think that would be obvious, but it wasn’t then and it isn’t now. Of course we shouldn’t cheat or steal from anyone. Of course we shouldn’t take advantage of the vulnerable, but people have and still do. It wasn’t right then and it isn’t right now.
The psalm tells us to pray for those in power that they might be good leaders to all their people and protect those who are vulnerable. The job of our leaders is to protect their people and assure they are safe and treated decently.

Unfortunately, not everyone acts decently and appropriately. Unfortunately, some people, even some leaders do take advantage of the vulnerable. And that behavior needs to be nipped in the bud. People who cannot be trusted in a small matter have not proven themselves trustworthy. If someone would steal a small thing they would surely steal something bigger. If they can’t be trusted in a small matter, how could they be trusted for something bigger and more important. Someone who would take advantage of a vulnerable person for their own means could not be trusted to treat a ‘more important’ person appropriately. Because, who is more important? Our job is to treat all God’s people decently and appropriately, and take proper care of all God’s creation.