A message that does not contribute to the eradication of poverty and empowers the deprived in the community, spreading country wealth cannot be the good news that Christ was anointed to preach … at best it is a contemporary sectarian heresy of the advantaged class or another subtle tool of oppression, in that it excludes Christ all together.

In this third part of a series on Money and the Bible, the focus is on biblical perspectives on poverty. Poverty can be described in absolute and relative terms and this often causes misunderstanding especially in a non-biblical mindset.  Absolute poverty or destitution refers to lack of the most basic human needs, which commonly includes safe water, nutrition, health care, basic education, adequate clothing and shelter. The absolutely poor are vulnerable and helpless beggars … lacking in the most common dignity, exposed to terror for lack of basic protection, shame, fear, corruption, disease and routinely abused.  Conservatively, over 2 billion people are estimated to live in absolute poverty today. Many, who have never been exposed to absolute poverty, will often mistake the poor as mentioned in the Bible to always refer to relative poverty which pertains to lack of an acceptable level of resources as compared with others within a society.

To illustrate the income inequality between rich and poor countries, consider these facts: about 1.75 billion people live in extreme deprivation in education, health, and standard of living; 1.44 billion people out of the developing world’s 6.9 billion people live on $1.25 per day; 2.6 billion people are estimated to be living on less than $2 a day. Multidimensional poverty varies by region from three percent in Europe and Central Asia to 65% in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Proverbs 10[15] The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty….Proverbs 13[18] Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honoured. …Psalm 37[25] I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

The Bible does not ask any to be contented with absolute poverty – a monster that administers the evil trilogy of killing, stealing and destruction … for the poor die slowly but surely, all their hopes are devoured and their joys and faintest aspirations shattered. Scriptures teaching contentment must refer to relative poverty and do not advocate acceptance of afflictions for which Christ already paid an expensive price for deliverance. Jesus may have appeared relatively poor, but to have followers and supporters (even if few or limited) – He could not by any measure be counted as amongst the absolutely impoverished.  He had all His needs met and confidently sent the one in need to the mouth of a fish where there was money waiting.  The righteous Savour had no need to beg any mortal being … it cannot therefore be Christ-like to beg in shameful apparel.

Luke 4[18]  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19]  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The poor are not waiting for a treatise on the Trinity, nor do they need the fine details of Eschatology … they need a present friend that sticks closer than all their long departed brothers … to just bring hope and lift them out of their despair. Since many have never known relative poverty, divine principles of contentment only confuse them – for they will be exceedingly overjoyed if sure of safety from the most basic health hazards and immune from waterborne death in the streams from which they daily drink and have their baths.  The only gospel … the good news that they need is that their tomorrow will be better than today.

Absolute poverty, associated with shame and  death is in distinct opposition to glory … and God is referred to as the King of Glory.  God, the King of Glory is burdened for the poor that they are lifted up to a fulfilled life.  Poverty is not necessarily always associated with sin, just as sickness and bondage is not necessarily due to sin … but just as sickness and death are closely allied in scripture with evil, a nation immersed in absolute poverty is dark in many regards. Eighteen of the 20 poorest countries by GDP per capita are in Africa … not surprising given the famine and war that have racked the continent for the better part of the last four decades … but this was also referred to as the dark continent.  The poorest nation outside of the African continent, Haiti has been beset by natural disasters, poor health conditions, drought and famine.  Demonic oppression, corruption and spiritual bondage are very strongly linked to poverty – which is perhaps why the bible refers to it as the destruction of the impoverished in Proverbs 10:15Proverbs 10:15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.  

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The true gospel is good news to the poor … this means it is both spiritual to conquer the demonic and practical to bring at least a sustainable basic decent life and end corruption that causes suffering amidst adequate resources .  This does not mean the poor only hear a prosperity message, but they need a ministration that includes a love that is enough in deed and in truth to cause a fellowship that empowers them to stop weeping after the church service.  Indeed 60% of the world’s poorest in Sub-Saharan Africa must be admitted into the greater reality that the worst poverty is still spiritual poverty – a life without Christ that ultimately will bring eternal shame arising from the folly of not receiving His salvation.  But the wisdom of knowing Christ and possessing the righteousness of Christ also disqualifies from a destiny of slow starvation.

Proverbs 3[35]  The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Let’s pause to consider the concept of relative poverty  … driven by a competitive market-driven frenzy of acquisition and self-improvement … always beckoning us to “keep up with the joneses”… and use the gospel as a social ladder … deluding us with a false state of frustration orchestrated by the clever demon called mammon.  In Christ we have assurance that our basic needs are met and we can receive grace to abound or to be thankful if we must go through extended periods of relative lack. The fear of relative poverty is not the fear of God but of mammon – the harbinger of the prosperity gospel causing us to hoard divine treasure … holding on to much more than God has intended as we squander resources on excess we now percieve to be basic comforts … or live in constant envy and anxiety seeking that which we do not have any benefit from.

Philippians 4[11]  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12]  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13]  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. [14]  Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. [15]  Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. [16]  For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. [17]  Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. [18]  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. [19]  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

For an unselfish moment, do let us remember the absolutely poor in their warfare against deep spiritual and physical afflictions … battles we may not ever have encountered.  They do not have access to basic infrastructure like electricity, nor do they have the motivation or the education to read this blog.

Remember they are often too battered mentally to recognise the differences between a Mormon, Catholic … Protestant.  They are too vulnerable to discern the prosperity preacher from the deeper reformed theologian.  But they understand and relate to the good news of a Saviour, Jesus Christ who sacrificed His very own life so they can leave the category of beggars clothed with shame and now join those who have put on a new glorious righteousness purchased by the blood of Christ and in so doing – also delivered, never to beg again.

Deuteronomy 15 [11]  For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

God must observe as disobedient a culture or progress that promotes wide chasms between the rich and the needy.  The hand of the prospered is not to be cautiously opened but rather opened wide … to brethren and not just to the relatively poor around us but more and especially so to the vulnerable widow, orphan and afflicted destitute.

Ezekiel 33 [30] “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’[31] “So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.[32] “Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.[33] “And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

God help us all to do and not just hear your word. Amen