What does the Bible say about poverty?

“The poor you will always have with you. . . “(Matthew 26:11a).

Poverty is like a black hole in the space of humanity. This dark darkness of poverty among us, around us, has a gravitational pull on one side. We are therefore attracted by the inherent forces of poverty to help those who compose it through the power of personal interest. The black hole of poverty simultaneously gives off a magnetic repulsion on the other hand. We are revolted by its potential to discover our own pretense. We therefore bounce with the relief of the gravitational field.

Yet the prolific darkness of poverty grows like cancer cells. What are we doing?

Mary anointing Jesus: an act of lavish love or wasted relief of the poor?

In John 12:1-8, the traitor, Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of the disciples, reproached Mary for anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume. Judas expressed a vision of the Church and poverty that was not based on biblical theology. Instead, Judas’ comments were a response of naughty self-interest. But Jesus defended Mary’s generous expression of love: “Leave her alone.”

Lavish love costs everything. Gifts to God, for example in the areas of art, architecture, evangelistic missions, education and music, do not conflict with the simultaneous obligation to give for the relief of poor. We give to God for God’s sake. At the same time, sincere expression of our love and worship of Jesus Christ in other forms does not diminish the responsibility to care for the poor.

We might suppose that our charitable response to poverty brings some comforting spiritual merit. Or, we might consider that our fair acts of charity toward those in poverty have the power to erase our past sins of commission or omission. Of course, acts of charity towards those in poverty do not impute either Justice nor remove sin.

How should Christians respond to poverty?

Poverty is a scourge that demands our attention. In most cases, this requires backup resources. Yet poverty is an incredibly voracious beast. The nature of poverty possesses a sinister and insatiable hunger for the resources of others. Thus, poverty is like a deadly disease that can infect those who seek to treat its devastating symptoms.

Our charity toward the poor can serve as a memorial to our own miserable past. In such cases, our memorial stones for our merciful escape from poverty are erected on the backs of God’s other children, crushing them; their own dignity which bleeds from humanity. When we give to the poor without recognizing the image of God in them, we inevitably cause the poor to become our unwilling sacrifice to Ba’al.

Economic poverty in others can make us uncomfortable with spiritual poverty in ourselves. It is interesting that self is so complicit in cases of poverty.

We need a theology of poverty based on Bible in order to serve the poor without perpetuating the dehumanizing byproducts of poverty.

Here are three essential questions from Sacred Scripture that will help us arrive at a theology of poverty. This catechetical approach to the subject “The Bible and poverty” allows us to respond more faithfully to God in our personal, pastoral and ecclesial relationships with people in need.

Rather than expound on each of these points, I invite my dear reader to consider the answers to the questions in your own life, your own family, your own church, and your own community.

The first essential questions that will help us arrive at a theology of poverty are:

1. What is the nature of poverty?

Poverty is the result of the fall.

Poverty is a glaring lack of necessary resources.

There are different types of poverty, always linked: physical poverty and spiritual poverty.

Poverty can be a consequence of oneself, of others, of our environment, of a socio-economic and political system.

Poverty affects us.

Poverty affects those we love.

Poverty is a powerful virus that is transmitted from generation to generation.

Poverty can paralyze communities (from clan to country, from city to continent).

Poverty cannot prevent joy.

The second essential question that will help us arrive at a theology of poverty is:

2. What about God and poverty?

God has compassion on the poor.

God calls human beings to reflect his compassion.

God judges those who mistreat the poor.

God blesses those who express his love towards the poor.

God promises a cosmic elimination of poverty.

God identifies himself with the poor.

Finally, let us consider this question and its answers as we erect a theology of poverty that will guide us with divine direction:

3. What about the Church and poverty?

The Church must have a theology of poverty faithful to the Bible.

The Church must apply its theology of the poor into concrete expressions of the character of God.

The Church must give priority to the poor.

The Church cannot separate proclamation to the poor from acts guided by the Gospel for the poor.

A theology of poverty

We have collected the precious parts of biblical truth regarding poverty. We have strung the truths on a necklace made of three sacred strands: The Bible and poverty, God and povertyand the Church and poverty. Together, these filaments form a trustworthy, balanced, and Christ-centered theology of poverty.

God’s infallible and infallible revelation helps us overcome common misconceptions, correct harmful presumptions, and establish a vision of hope for the poor in our fallen world.

God loves the poor

God loves the poor and the poor in spirit. God demonstrated His love in the most glorious way by sending His only Son, who became poor so that we might become rich. And have we not observed the richness of the presence of Jesus in the eyes of the poorest, to the extent of this world? I saw the heavenly light of the open grave dancing like dappled light through the dense forests of human suffering. Or, who has not seen the vacant face of sin-starved misery in the eyes of the haves; a wealthy figure staggering toward the grave under the immense weight of spiritual famine?

Walk wisely in the field of the poor

Compassion without wisdom harms people in need. Severity towards the poor because he is poor, he will miss the joy of giving to God. There are so many sinkholes in this denuded place of poverty. Walk wisely. Be careful withapply God’s truth by guidance of the Word of God.

Reaching the poor with the gospel of Christ in Word And Act

“Health and wealth” preachers wrongly categorize the poor with a lack of faith (and material wealth with faithfulness). Other members of Christianity might be inclined to waste their resources by giving money to those in need without respecting the dignity of the individual. The “movement for Justice “social” has often miscalculated the needs of the poor by giving alms and extending aid without taking into account the presence of sin in poverty. The Church reflects the heart of God in seeking to reach the poor with the message of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, in words and deeds.

Michael A. Milton, PhD (University of Wales; MPA, UNC Chapel Hill; MDiv, Knox Seminary), Dr. Milton is a retired seminary chancellor and currently serves as president of the James Ragsdale Mission at Erskine Theological Seminary. He is the president of Faith to live and the D. James Kennedy Institute Long-time Presbyterian minister and chaplain (Colonel) USA-R. Dr. Milton is the author of over thirty books and a musician with five published albums. Mike and his wife, Mae, reside in North Carolina.

References

Boa, Kenneth and Robert M. Bowman Jr. Faith Has Its Reasons: Integrative Approaches to Faith Defense Christian. 2012.

Calvin, John. Institutes of religion Christian. Flight. 2. 1844.

Calvin, John. Commentaries on the first book of Moses entitled Genesis. Lulu. com, 2018.

Day, Collin. Collins Bible Thesaurus. Logos Bible Software. Bellingham, Washington: 2009

Elwell, Walter A., ​​Barry J. Beitzel, H. Douglas Buckwalter, Peter C. Craigie, James Dixon Douglas, Robert Guelich, and Walter R. Hearn. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Flight. 2. 1988.

Grant, George. Micah’s Mandate (Nashville: Cumberland House), 1999.

Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The prophets. Flight. 2. Harper & Row New York, 1962.

Reymond, Robert L. A New Systematic Theology of Faith Christian: revised and updated. Thomas Nelson, 2010.

Sproul, Robert Charles. Can I know God’s will? Reformation Trust, 1984.

Zachman, Randall C. Image and word in the theology of John Calvin. University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, IN, 2007.

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