What is my responsibility to the poor? - Poor/poverty - TouchPoints
Leviticus 25:39“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself to you, do not treat him as a slave.
If any of your Israelite relatives go bankrupt and sell themselves to you, do not treat them as slaves.
Proverbs 19:17If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!
Proverbs 22:9Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.
Isaiah 58:10Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day.
James 2:1-9But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin . . .
Matthew 7:12Do for others what you would like them to do for you.
God has compassion for the poor, so if you want to live more and more like God, you must also desire compassion for the poor. Compassion that does not reach into your checkbook or on to your “to do” list is philosophical compassion, not godly compassion. Helping the poor is not merely an obligation but a privilege that not only brings great joy, but brings a reward from God himself.
Leviticus 19:9-10When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.
Throughout the Bible God watches out for the poor and urges us to do the same. In these verses he instructs farmers to leave some grain and fruit in their fields after harvest so the poor can find food. This law probably saved the lives of Ruth and Naomi (read Ruth 2:1-3). What can you leave for the poor from your abundance? It is everyone’s responsibility to care for the less fortunate. It is a practical and essential way to demonstrate your faith in everyday life.
Luke 16:22-23“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
In New Testament times the Pharisees taught that wealth was proof of God’s favor and a sign of a person’s righteousness. Jesus surprised them with this story of a beggar who was blessed in the next life while the rich man was punished. Through faith in Jesus, those who suffer in this lifetime will experience the full grace of God and vindication in heaven. This is part of our ultimate redemption, but it will not happen apart from faith in Jesus. This fact of heavenly vindication does not excuse any of us from caring for needs whenever and wherever we can. We will not be able to help everyone, but we are to minister to those “at our gate,” who we learn are needy.
Matthew 25:31-4631“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
Jesus made it very clear that the way we meet the needs of other people should be motivated be treating them as if we were meeting his needs. The more we actually recognize these needs and develop compassion for the poor around us, the more we will be surprised when Jesus responds with delight over what we did.