What is my responsibility to the 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.”

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.

Matthew 7:12“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

James 2:1-9My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? . . .If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? . . . Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? . . . if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.

God shows compassion for the poor, so if you want to be more like God, you must do the same. And compassion that does not draw from your bank account or demonstrate itself in real action is philosophical compassion only, not godly compassion. Remember that helping the poor is not merely an obligation. It is a privilege, which not only brings great joy but also brings rewards from God himself.

Leviticus 19:9-10“When 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, God instructs farmers to leave some grain and fruit in their fields after the harvest so the poor can come to 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 Jesus’ day, many religious leaders 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 life 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 the needs of the poor 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 25:31-46“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 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. 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. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 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? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 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!’”

Jesus made it very clear that when we show love to other people by meeting their needs, we are actually loving and serving Jesus himself. As we become more sensitive and compassionate in our service of the poor around us, Jesus will always respond with delight over what we have done.