At the risk of sounding naïve, I want to attempt to give a Biblical perspective on the poor. I realize that there are as many reasons for poverty as there are people suffering in such a state. It isn’t easy to broach this subject, because our initial approach tends to want to lay blame. Who’s fault is it?
In three of the four Gospels, there is an incident recorded where Jesus is being anointed by a woman with some very expensive perfume. The disciples protest and argue that it would have been better to sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. Jesus’ response is interesting. In Mark 14:7, He says, “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me.” He was simply saying that He would not always be with them physically, so this lady’s perceptive expression of worth was totally appropriate. Her act of obedience and worship that day was a sign of something deeper going on in her soul.
If we see Jesus’ response to the disciples as a prophetic assertion for perpetual poverty, that could lead to a dangerous and damaging attitude of indifference. But, if we see Jesus’ point, which is, do what is right at the right time with the right heart, our response to Him and the poor will be revolutionized.
To sum it up, God’s teaching in His Word on poverty is to do the right thing. To obey Him and follow His heart when it comes to helping others.
In Deuteronomy 15, God gives the Israelites a life lesson on the poor. He says in verses 4 & 5, “There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey …” He’s saying to the Hebrew people, there is plenty to go around if you obey Me. I believe that is still true today. Many times, poverty isn’t for a lack of goods, but rather a lack of good hearts.
Being obedient to God is a personal thing for each of us. What He is telling you to do regarding the poor is yours to wrestle with. Here is some sterling advice concerning the poor:
“The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” Prov. 22:2
“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” Prov. 29:7
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.” Prov 19:17
I know this isn’t all that helpful when you are in the throes of a decision of whether to help someone or not. Sometimes our heart may be telling us to help someone, but we just don’t know how. Should I give them money? What will help them long-term. What will they do with my help?
These are all legitimate questions. And there are some principles in God’s Word that give us some guidance.
In Leviticus 19, beginning in verse 9, God introduces us to the principle of gleaning. He said, “When you harvest your fields, do not reap to the edges or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor.”
This principle accomplishes a couple of things:
- It distributes the abundance when the landowner is obedient.
- It allows the poor to work for their food and thus, maintain a degree of dignity.
In other words, it reduces their dependance on others and encourages them to help themselves. This is important because our goal, whether intended or not, should not be to make someone dependent on us. We should be lifting them up until they can lift themselves.
Another Biblical principle concerning the poor is that of cooperation. We are told in Malachi 3 to bring our tithes into the storehouse. God goes on to say that if we test Him with our obedience, His blessings will be overflowing.
In Acts 2, we see the believers having all things in common and pooling their resources together to help the poor.
There will be times when God prompts you to help someone all by yourself. But we shouldn’t ignore the principle of cooperation, which enables more to be done by working together. This principle can also ensure that the need is being addressed by the right person with special training or abilities that you may not possess.
We can all help in some way. Letting God direct us in the process is the key.
