Poverty and caring for the poor

Introduction:

Whenever you are visiting a Majority world country like Guatemala, you at times can be overwhelmed by the poverty and the number of poor people in the country.

The World Bank statistics indicate that in 2016 almost 60% of the population lives at a poverty level which means that families do not have sufficient money to provide for nutritious food, education, health care, and housing. The chronic undernutrition rate for children under age five is 49.8 percent. The gross national income is $3610 per capita or the equivalent of earning $1.79 per hour considering a 40 hour work week.

Poverty is a result of sin which has caused broken relationships between:

God and man –we are separated from God and unable to relate to him in the way we were originally created. Our fallen nature has resulted in many problems because we are no longer in right relationship with God and are not following his ways. Our alienation from God has left of devoid of his wisdom, love, empowerment.

Mankind-we are not in unity with each other, selfishness, greed, exploitation, war, government oppression and control,

Man’s understanding of himself-loss of true identity, purpose, dignity, worth, value of work,

Creation-misuse of natural resources, lack of care, creation itself is groaning for its redemption

God understood that there would be poverty among people if they did not follow his ways. He has a special heart and care for them.

God’s relationship with the poor.

 Refuge:  (Ps 14:6 6      You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge

Shelter: Isaiah 25.4 “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall.”

 Executes Justice:  (Ps 140:12).   12      I know that the LORD maintains the cause of the needy, and executes justice for the poor.

Will not forsake them: Isaiah 41:17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”

Jesus came to preach the good news specifically to them.  (Lk 4:18). “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

God’s care for the poor through his people

Providing food for the poor.

Intentionally leaving crops: By allowing them to work in the field to harvest some of the crop that was intentionally left by the workers for them.  They worked for what they got in many cases.  Only those not able to work were to be provided for by the generosity of others.  Ruth was a beneficiary of this provision by God when she harvested behind the workers to provide food for her mother-in-law, Naomi and herself.

(Le 19:9–10). 9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.

 Land during the Sabbath year rest was for the poor (Ex 23:10–11).

10 For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

Dedicated tithes for the poor.

"At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied." Deuteronomy 14:28-29

During times of celebration they were to remember the poor ( Es 9:22).

22 as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.

Financial help.

Money was to be lent without interest (Ex 22:25).

25 If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them.

Released from debts; (Dt 15:1).  15 Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts

Restored to their original land every 50 years (Year of Jubilee) (Le 25:13).  13 In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property.

Have an open hand toward the poor.

(Dt 15:11). 11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.

Just and timely payment

(Dt 24:14–15). 14 You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. 15 You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt

Treated equally with justice

No impartiality in law suits against them (Ex 23:3

3 nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit

They were to be treated equally because they are created by God.  (Job 34:19

    19      who shows no partiality to nobles, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

Many countries lack the ability to enforce these rights due to lack of trained and motivated police.  Other countries lack a viable criminal justice system or are overwhelmed with the number of cases that backlog their system.  Corruption within the justice system impedes many from having their cases brought to court.  People who are poor are often not represented by a lawyer and are unprepared to defend themselves resulting in convictions and sentencing that are undeserved and unjust. In several countries people wait in jail until they can have their day in court and often the amount of time spent in jail waiting is longer than the sentence they would receive if they were found guilty of the crime they were accused of committing!

Verses 12-18 The Response of God toward the oppressed and the oppressors

¹²Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed. ¹³               Why do the wicked renounce God, and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”? ¹⁴But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan. ¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers; seek out their wickedness until you find none. ¹⁶The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land. ¹⁷O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear ¹⁸to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from earth may strike terror no more.

When we serve the poor we are serving the Lord

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." Then the righteous will answer him and say, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thisty and give you drink?".. The king will say to them in reply, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did to one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."Matthew 25: 35-40

God sees, takes note of what is happening, holds people accountable, executes punishment, hears the cry of the oppressed and strengthens them to be able to endure until justice is served.

Proverbs also speaks of the actions against the oppressors.

Not be heard

    13      If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard. (Pr 21:13).

Oppression will lead to loss

(Pr 22:16).     16      Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,   and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

Those who add wealth through high interest will lose it (Pr 28:8).

    8      One who augments wealth by exorbitant interest   gathers it for another who is kind to the poor.

Oppression of the poor is an insult to God (Pr 14:31).

    31      Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him.

Turning a blind eye brings a curse (Pr 28:27

    27      Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse.

What are the rights of the poor and oppressed?  What does God expect from us and require of us? (Pr 29:7).

    7      The righteous know the rights of the poor; the wicked have no such understanding

1. They are to be treated with respect and dignity because they are created in his image and likeness.  Do we see the face of Jesus when we look at the poor?  

Prov. 22. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common:  the LORD is the maker of them all.

Mother Teresa said, "My true community is the poor - their security is my security, their health is my health. My home is among the poor, and not only the poor, but the poorest of them: the people no one will go near because they are filthy and suffering from contagious diseases, full of germs and vermin infested; the people who can't go to church because they can't go out naked; the people who can no longer eat because they have'nt the strength; the people who lie down in the street, knowing they are going to die, while others look away and pass them by; the people who no longer cry because their tears have run dry! The Lord wants me exactly where I am - he will provide the answers."

2. They are to be treated equally, not exploited or treated with prejudice because of their poverty.

(Jas 2:1–4).  2 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

3. They are to be paid justly and not have money withheld. (Dt 24:14–15).
4. They are to be given opportunities to work to provide for themselves.

(Lev 19:9–10). This would also include education and training to be able to take advantage of opportunities.

5. They are to be given financial help to meet immediate needs.

(1 Jn 3:17).  17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

6. They are to be given equal justice and representation. 

(Pr 29:14).   14 If a king judges the poor with equity, his throne will be established forever.

7. They are to have a place of refuge and shelter during hard times.

 (Is 25:4).   4   For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress,  a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat

8. They are to be given help to be set free from debts. 

Education in managing finances is part of the process to eliminate the same failure in the future.

Year of debt release after 7 years, year of Jubilee after 50 years returned property to the original owner.

(Dt 15:1).  15 Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts

Jesus said that the poor will always be with us.  Poverty is the result of sin and as long as there are sinners there will be poor people.  The root of all poverty is sin in the hearts of the oppressors and sin in the hearts of the poor.  When our actions toward the poor line up with the directives of the word of God we can offer them the help they need to be set free from poverty. 

Thanksgiving 2017

Thanksgiving Day is a very special day of celebration in the USA.  It is one of the holidays that is celebrated by the majority of people.  Many make a special effort to be home for Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for the airlines as people return home.

The origin of the celebration goes back to the early 1600 when the Pilgrims came to America seeking religious freedom.  They were originally from England but had fled to Holland where they thought they would be able to live out their Christian faith.  They became disenchanted with the lifestyle of the people and hired a ship to take them to America where they settled in the NE part of the country.  The first year was a very difficult year as half of the 102 people who came died from various causes.  The local Indians led by Squanto, who spoke English after having lived in England came to their rescue and taught the pilgrims how to plant different crops to help them supply food and survive. The summer after their arrival they had a bountiful harvest and to celebrate they had a 3 day feast.  They invited the family of Squanto to attend the celebration but were not prepared for the 91 people who came with him.  The Indians brought much of the food and shared in the celebration.

Thanksgiving was not established as a legal holiday until President Abraham Lincoln in the 1863.  It is now always celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November of each year.

As followers of Christ we have much to be thankful for each day.  God is our Source and without His intervention in our lives we would not be able to enjoy the life he has provided for us.  From the very beginning of the creation of the world and the human race we understand the goodness of God and his desire for mankind to receive his generous provisions for life. When we think about the Garden of Eden we understand that God is a God of beauty, order and abundance.

 Adam and Eve were in paradise, a place of what must have been intense beauty with all the plants and animals around them.  We serve a creative God who delights in making things beautiful for us to enjoy.  God has placed us in a beautiful country of Guatemala where we can enjoy the awesome landscapes all around us.

God is also a God of order.  He has established the laws of nature and has ordered the universe in a miraculous way.  Of all the planets he created on the earth is in the exact location in the universe where life can exist. We have a movie called, "The Privileged Planet" and another called the "God of Wonders" that are fascinating to watch as they describe the beauty and order of the universe.  He is not a God of chaos, he does all things well and we are able to enjoy the order he has established.

God is also a God of abundance.  Adam and Eve lacked nothing in the garden, there was more than they needed because God is a God of abundance and it was his desire for them to multiply and fill the earth.  With God there will always be enough.  When Jesus fed the multitudes there was always more than what was needed.  We can count on his generosity to meet our needs and supply us with more than we need to enable us to share with others.

I am thankful that we serve a God who delights in beauty, order and abundance.

Thanksgiving Day is a time for us to remember the blessings we have received materially, physically and spiritually.

Materially, God has promised to supply for all our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. 

I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Php 4:18–19).

There may be times when we are challenged but God is faithful and He will provide for our material needs.  I have witnessed and experienced the generosity of God in my life on many occasions. God has always supplied work for me, finances to sustain me on the mission field and material things I need to be able to do the work he has given me.  I have been well taken care of by God and he has used many people and churches to help supply for my needs and Susy's.

God also takes care of our physical needs.  He gives us life and sustains our lives with good health and the food we need.  He does not want us to worry about the basic things we need: food, drink or clothing.  He knows what we need and will supply for it if we seek His Kingdom first. 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (Mt 6:25).

Our physical health is a gift from God. We have to do our part to stay healthy but ultimately we have to depend on God to give us life each day and protect us from the effects of a fallen world that can take away our lives very quickly or bring changes that will make life difficult.  God is our Healer and He responds to the cry of His children in their time of need.

Our spiritual needs have been provided for through the gift of Jesus.  We through Jesus have everything we need that pertains to life and godliness.

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 because his divine power has bestowed on us all things that are necessary for life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence of character,  (2 Pe 1:2–4).

 Christ has reconciled us to God and given us the privilege of being sons and daughters of God.  We are now part of his family and have been accepted and made righteous through Jesus.  God has placed us in the church, the body of believers where we can grow in our understanding of Him and learn how to live in community with each other.

We are blessed to be able to meet in peace to be able to study the Word of God and be able to share it with each other.  We do not have to meet in secret as many do in countries where Christians are persecuted. Freedom to read the Bible at times comes with as price and the story of Corrie Ten Boom is one example.

Corrie Ten Boom and her sister were imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during WWII.  They had been hiding Jews in their home in Holland but were caught and sent to the concentration camp in Ravensbruck.

The barracks where Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy were kept in the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbruck were terribly overcrowded and flea-infested.

 They had been able to miraculously smuggle a Bible into the camp, and in that Bible they had read that in all things there were to give thanks, and that God can use anything for good.

 Corrie’s sister Betsy decided that this meant thanking God for the fleas.

 This was too much for Corrie, who said she could do no such thing. Betsy insisted, so Corrie gave in and prayed to God, thanking Him even for the fleas.

 Over the next several months a wonderful, but curious, thing happened. They found that the guards never entered their barracks. This meant that women were not assaulted. It also meant that they were able to do the unthinkable, which was to hold open Bible studies and prayer meetings in the heart of a Nazi concentration camp.

 Through this, countless numbers of women came to faith in Christ.

 Only at the end did they discover why the guards had left them alone and would not enter into their barracks.

 It was because of the fleas.

 I am thankful to God for the diversity of the body of believers and how each one is unique and important in their function in the body.  We are united in Christ and we need each other.  Our spiritual gifts are designed to complement each other and we must truly appreciate the gifting God has given to each one of us. 

We are not to think to highly of ourselves but humble ourselves and see ourselves as we really are and see others from God's perspective.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Rom 12.3

If we view someone as better than us we often envy what they have. 

If we view someone as equal to us we find ourselves in competition with them. 

If we view someone as less than us then we struggle with pride and condemnation of them.

It is important that we appreciate each other but also just as important to acknowledge it verbally.  It is easy for us to become so involved in the ministries we are doing that we forget to take the time to show appreciation and give thanks for the people who work with us and make our ministry possible.

Paul in his letters to the churches often gave thanks for the people who helped him in the ministry. Romans 15 contains a list of people whom he wanted to acknowledge.

Phoebe: for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

Prisca Aquila: who risked their necks for my life

Mary: who has worked very hard among you

Andronicus and Junia: my relatives who were in prison with me

Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord

Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ

Apelles, who is approved in Christ.

Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also.

Paul understood that he needed others to help him in the ministry and made an effort to thank them.  May we never take each other for granted and be so consumed with our work that we forget to thank the people who are helping us.

I want to close with a story I read about Thomas Carlyle a Scottish essayist and historian. John Ortberg in his book, "When its all over it all goes back in the box" recounts this story.

  Carlyle married his secretary Jane Welsh.  She was highly intelligent and attractive and served as Carlyle’s secretary.  Jane became ill and Thomas did not seem to pay much attention to her ill health but constantly was absorbed in his work.  Jane had cancer and eventually she was confined to her bed.  Even though Carlyle loved her he did not have much time to stay with her or give her much attention.

After several years Jane died. On the day of her burial, he returned to his house that was suddenly shatteringly empty.  He went upstairs to her room and sat in the chair next to her bed.  He noticed her diary lying on the table next to her bed.  He picked it up and began to read.  On one entire page she had written a single line: “Yesterday he spent an hour with me and it was like heaven; I love him so.”

Carlyle suddenly realized that he had been too busy to notice how much he meant to Jane.  He thought of all the times head had been preoccupied with his work and simply failed to notice her.  He had not seen her suffering.  He had not seen her love.

Thomas turned the page of Jane’s diary.  He read the words that would break his heart, that he could never forget: “I have listened all day to hear his steps in the hall, but now it is late and I guess he won’t come today.”

He read a little more in her book and then put it back on the table and ran out the house.  Friends finally found him back at the churchyard kneeling in the earth at the side of her grave, covered with mud.   His eyes were red from weeping; tears were rolling down his face.  “If only I had known, if only I had known.” He cried.

After Jane’s death, Carlyle made little attempt to write again.  The historian lived another fifteen years but said he lived them “weary, bored, and a partial recluse. 

Do you appreciate the people God has placed in your life and are you giving them the time and attention they need?  Do you see them as instruments in God’s hands to be a blessing to your life?  Are you thankful for each person God has given to you and have you expressed your gratitude to them?

This Thanksgiving let's be people who express our gratitude to God for his beauty, order and abundance that we experience in our lives each day.  Let’s be thankful for his loving care we experience through meeting our material, physical and spiritual needs.  May we be especially thankful for the Body of Christ and the importance of each person God has placed in the church, acknowledging their gifts and expressing appreciation to them.