THE PRIORITY OF THE POOR
We know that God is not a respecter of persons, but you cannot read very far in the scripture without becoming aware that He has a special place in His heart for the poor, the fatherless, and widows. The Lord is also moved by those who have been treated unjustly. The Old Testament law expressed God's priority in meeting each of their needs. He wanted the children of Israel to make His priority their priority. When they didn’t, He let them know it…
"He made sure that justice and help were given to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" asks the LORD. But you! You are full of selfish greed and dishonesty! You murder the innocent, oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly." (Jeremiah 22:16,17 from Today's Living Bible)
|
|
GOD’S PROMISES FOR THOSE WHO CARE FOR THE POOR
There are many special promises in the Old Testament, but some of the best ones are given to those whose priority is the poor:
“Blessed is he that considers the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and you will not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: you will make all his bed in his sickness." (Psalms 41:1-3)
"He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again." (Proverbs 19:17)
"He that has a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor." (Proverbs 22:9)
"He that gives unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse." (Proverbs 28:27)
"The righteous considers the cause of
the poor: but the wicked regards not to know it." (Proverbs 29:7)
 |
THE PRIORITY OF THE POOR IN JESUS' MINISTRY
In the New Testament, we can see immediately that the poor were a priority in Jesus' ministry:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
"Jesus answered and said to them, "Go
and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the
lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are
raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matthew
11:4-5)
"Jesus said to him, `If you want to be
perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'" (Matthew 19:21)
"For you have the poor with you always,
and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have
always." (Mark 14:7)
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent
Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and
recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are
oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." (Luke
4:18-19)
"Then He lifted up His eyes toward His
disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of
God." (Luke 6:20)
"But when you give a feast, invite the
poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because
they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of
the just." (Luke 14:13-14)
"For some thought, because Judas had
the money box, that Jesus had said to him, "Buy those things we need for
the feast," or that he should give something to the poor."
(John 13:29)
"For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became
poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." (2
Corinthians 8:9)
 |
THE PRIORITY OF THE EARLY CHURCH
It
was also a high priority in the early days of church:
"For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain
contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem."
(Romans 15:26)
"…and when James, Cephas, and John, who
seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me,
they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should
go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that
we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to
do." (Galatians 2:9-10)
"For if there should come into your
assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also
come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one
wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place,"
and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my
footstool," have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become
judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not
chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the
kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored
the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the
courts?" (James 2:2-6)
I am an avid student of church history and find it interesting that when I read about the great movements and the men that God used to lead them, without exception, their initial priority was to try to meet the needs of the poor and oppressed. The primary motivation, causing these great men to do what they did, was their concern for the common man. Consider this in light of John Wesley, who preached outside the church in fields where the poorest people in England could gather. Luther was protesting Rome's exploitation of the poor and ignorant, not trying to start a new movement. Wycliff raised up a group of lay-people that walked throughout England preaching to the poor. Finney's initial focus of ministry was the poor and ignorant. The thing that caused Tyndale to give up his homeland to publish the Bible in English was an intense desire to see that God's Word get into the hands of the common man.
Their goal was not to be great, to be remembered, or to be esteemed, but they became great because they honored the Lord by making the poor their priority. Is this the priority of your ministry?
TRUE FASTING INVOLVES HELPING THE POOR
In Isaiah 58:6-11, the Lord redefines what fasting is all about. This
passage also shows what is important to the Lord, and the promises He
gives to those who share this priority:
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily: and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rereward. Then you shall call, and the LORD shall answer; you shall cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if you draw out you soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and make fat your bones: and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”
