Out of Poverty

            God has always been about helping the poor. This has been at the heart of God’s message from the Old Testament all the way to Jesus. Others in the New Testament have emphasized this message from the apostle Paul to Jesus’ brother, James. Have you ever wondered why that is?

            Clearly, there are many reasons, perhaps led by one articulated in the book of James—people have basic survival needs, and poverty is an ever-present threat.

            I want to take a moment though to explore another.* We have poverty because of sin. Not necessarily the sin of one who lives in poverty, but poverty is the result of the consequences of this fallen world. Sin set into motion a lot of bad things, including poverty.

            Here is an obvious example; a child who is poor is not poor because of his own sin. But sin has created a world that is broken. That child receives the brunt of the fall of humanity.

            Can you think of an image more startling than one of a child in poverty? Instinctively, a voice within screams out, “This is wrong!”

            Viewing a child who is hungry and ill-clothed makes you hurt inside. You know it should not be this way.

            These images remind us that the world is broken. There are external symptoms that something is wrong in the world on an internal level… a spiritual level.

            Biblical writers took note of this. To describe the sinful condition of his people, Isaiah said, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Is. 64:6.)

            On the other hand, new clothes—emblematic of good health and one’s needs being met—are often used as symbols by biblical writers for a spiritually healthy state with God:

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Romans 13:14.)

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53.)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12.)

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5.)


[All citations NIV 1984, Italics mine.]

            When we seek to minister to the poor in the name of Jesus, we are addressing, on a physical level, a symbol that reminds us there is spiritual brokenness in the world. When, through our ministry, we are blessed to help restore someone to the state that God intended, we exemplify in a physical way how things should be spiritually: God should rule a person’s life and in doing so, remove the presence of sin, while re-clothing that individual in the clothes of Jesus.  

            Addressing poverty is addressing relationships—people’s relationships with God… and with each other. That is one of many reasons ministering to the poor has always been near to the heart of God.

*If I do not explain myself well, or if you disagree, please let me know either in the “Comments” section or by private message. I assure you, I am thinking out loud here; maybe I should say, “I am growing ‘out loud’ here!