THE CHURCH& THE POOR

Robert C.Newman

 

Introduction

 

            Many dismiss this problemwith the quotation "The poor you have with you always" (Mt 26:11; Mk14:7; Jn 12:8), not realizing that Jesus added (Mk) "whenever you wish,you can do them good."

            Want to look briefly atwhole problem of poverty and what Christians can & ought to do about it.

 

Causes of Poverty & Prosperity:

 

            Sinceone is opposite of other, will look at causes in form of pairs of opposites:

 

1. Laziness/Diligence

 

            Prov6:6‑11: go to ant for example; provision in advance; danger of sloth

            Prov10:4‑5: negligence => poverty; diligence => riches

            Prov12:24: diligence => rule; slackness => forced labor

            Prov13:4: sluggard craves but gets nothing

            Prov14:23: all labor => profit; mere talk => poverty

            Prov15:19: way of sluggard = thorns (vs. highway)

            Prov16:26: worker's appetite works for him

            Prov18:9: slothful brother to destroyer

            Prov19:5: idle will suffer hunger

            Prov20:4: don't plow, then beg in harvest

            Prov20:13: don't love sleep => poverty

            Prov21:5: diligence => advantage; haste => poverty

            Prov 21:25‑26:desire of sluggard kills him; always craving; righteous give & don'twithhold

            Prov23:21: drowsiness => rags

            Prov24:30‑34: land of sluggard overgrown

            Prov27:23‑27: diligence in care for flocks

            Eccl4:5: fool folds hands, eats own flesh

            Eccl9:10: do everything vigorously

            Eccl10:18: idleness => collapse of bldg.

            Eccl11:4ff: wind‑watcher doesn't plant

            Eph4:28: let robber steal no more, but labor to give to needy

            2Th 3:10: if any won't work, don't eat

 

2. Extravagance/Thrift

 

            Prov12:27: lazy wasteful, diligent thrifty (KJV,LB,NIV)

            Prov21:17: love of pleasure => poverty

            Prov21:20: wise stores up, foolish devours all

            Prov23:20‑21: big eaters & drinkers become poor

 

3. Disobedience/Obedience

 

            See blessings/curses of God's covenant w/ Israel

                        Lev26:3‑13: blessings

                                    14‑33:curses (note esp vv 19‑20,26)

                        Deut28:1‑14: blessings (esp vv 4‑5,8,11‑13)

                                    15‑68:curses (esp vv 17‑18.21‑24,38‑44,47‑48)

 

4. Disaster/Blessing

 

            Not necessarily related to one's goodness

                        Job1‑2: disaster not due to his sin

                        Ps73:3‑14: wicked sometimes prosper

 

5. Persecuted/Persecuting

 

            Most passages deal with imprisonment or death

                        Job1 & 2: an unseen persecution by Satan

                        Rom8:35: hardship, famine, nakedness in personal context

                        1Cor 4:9‑13: apostles hungry, thirsty, in rags

                        Heb10:32‑34: confiscation of property

                        Heb11:35‑38: poor clothing, destitute

                        Rev7:13‑17: from tribulation: hunger, thirst, exposure

 

6. Oppressed/Oppression

 

            Not for sake of faith, but just because weak

                        Ps12:5: God will protect weak who are oppressed

                        Ps62:10: do not trust in extortion, robbery

                        Prov3:31: don't envy violent man

                        Prov14:31: oppressor of poor shows contempt for God

                        Prov22:22‑23: don't exploit poor, crush them in court; God will defend them

                        Prov28:3: ruler who oppresses poor

                        Prov30:11‑14: those who devour poor

                        Eccl4:1: oppression under sun

                        Eccl5:8‑9: don't be surprised at govt. oppression; itŐs profitable!

                        Isa58:6: God's kind of fast is ending injustice, helping oppressed

                        Jer21:12: responsibility of govt. to rescue oppressed

                        Ezk22:29‑30: people of land extort, rob, oppress, so God will destroy land

                        Amos5:11‑12: rich oppressing poor

                        Amos8:4‑6: some hints on technique

                        Micah2:1‑2: judicial oppression?

                        Hab2:5‑11: greed => oppression

                        Zech7:10: don't oppress fatherless, widow, alien or poor

                        James2:6: insulting poor, playing up to rich who exploit, take to court

 

            Obviously, not all povertyis due to sin of poor, though clearly some is.  How are Christians to react?

 

Responsibilities of Christians:

 

1. Don't do any of the things that makefor poverty in yourself or others:

 

            a. Be diligent in your ownwork.  Encourage diligence in othersby word and example.  Don't give toothers in such a way as to discourage diligence (2 Th 3:10).

            b. Be thrifty with yourwealth.  Fight waste &extravagance in home, church, job, govt. Be thrifty even in your benevolence (Lk 10:35).

            c. Be obedient to God'sWord.  Encourage others to be obedientalso.  Work for govt. obedience toGod's Word.

            d. Don't oppressothers.  Oppose those who do so,whether privately or through business & govt. activities.

 

2. Be a redemptive force to work againstpoverty:

 

            a. Use your surplus tohelp others in emergencies (cp Eph 4:28, Acts 4:32‑5:4, 2 Cor 8:1‑15,Lk 10:30‑37).

            b. Try to do without inorder to have more surplus to help others (Mt 25:34‑40; 6:19‑21; Lk3:11).

            c. Encourage your churchto devote a Scriptural level of attention to benevolence (note Acts 6, 2 Tim5).

            d. Encourage those workswhich are helping poor get on their feet and reform their own lifestyle.

            e.Work against societal practices which lead to poverty:

                        (1)advertising => covetousness

                        (2)credit => indebtedness

                        (3)insurance => false security & waste

 

Bibliography:

 

Chilton,David.  Productive Christians inan age of guilt  manipulators. 2nd ed.  Tyler, TX:Institute for Christian Economics, 1982. A good reponse to problems in Sider.

 

Davis, JohnJefferson.  Your wealth in God'sworld.  Phillipsburg, NJ:  Presbyterian and Reformed, 1984.  Good discussion of Biblical materials.

 


Kreider,Carl.  The Christianentrepreneur.  Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1980.  Christian principles for businessmen.

 

Sider, RonaldJ.  Rich Christians in an age ofhunger.  Downers Grove, IL:  InterVarsity, 1977.  Some problems but also some goodinsights.