Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand

What does the Bible say about the Poor? To purpose of this study is for us to have a biblical understanding on what the Bible says about the poor. Therefore, providing a basis for why and how we as a church should desire to reach out to them.

Put God First Mar 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' Mar 12:31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Joh 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Joh 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, Joh 12:5 "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" Joh12:6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Joh 12:7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. Joh 12:8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." In the above 2 passages, we can see the order of importance clearly. In all things, loving God comes first. Helping the poor is no exception to the order. But does it mean that the Bible has forgotten about the poor or that Jesus didn’t regard the poor much? No! Because when faith has taken root in us and we know the love of God, we will love others. An Example: 2Co 8:1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2Co 8:2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 2Co 8:3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 2Co 8:4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints-2Co 8:5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. The church in Philipi, were facing severe affliction and extreme poverty, yet when the opportunity came, they gave generously! Why did they? By any normal reasoning it would be crazy. They did that because they gave themselves 1st to the Lord. They were filled with joy and overflowing with generosity, such a change is the work of the Spirit.

Remembering the Poor Give Eagerly Gal 2:9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Gal 2:10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. Giving to the poor needs to be an expression of love.It should not be some mechanical heartless endeavour. There is no profit in God’s eyes for grudgingly giving out of obligation. When the apostle Paul was asked to remember the poor, he was eager to! Give Humbly Mat 6.3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” We do not give to get praise for ourselves. The motive of giving to the poor for praise is of no profit in God’s eyes as well. Help practically Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, Jas 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? We know that faith will produce in us works, and we can show our faith in Christ by practical help. Yes, we can pray and God can do so much more than us, but let us not trivialize the practical help we can offer to meet the needs of the poor. After all, we are Christ body. Show no partiality Jas 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. Jas 2:2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, Jas 2:3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," Jas 2:4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Jesus didn’t show any partiality, rich or poor or middle class, all the same. We shouldn’t either. God remembers the needy Mat 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Mat 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Mat 25:36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Mat 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? Mat 25:38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? Mat 25:39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' Mat 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Mat 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Mat 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, Mat 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Mat 25:44 Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Mat 25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' Mat 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." God remembers those in need, He knows their struggles, so much so that on the day of Judgement, He is going to identify Himself with them. What we for the least, we do for Him.

The Best Gift Now, if there was only one thing we could do for a poor person, this would be it: Act 3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. Act 3:2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Act 3:3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. Act 3:4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." Act 3:5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. Act 3:6 But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Act 3:8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. Act 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, Act 3:10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. We bring to them the Gospel. We tell them of the Saviour who can take away their sins. We show them His love and power. It’s the best gift we can bring to the poor.

The Poor can Bring Great Praise to God Luk 21:1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, Luk 21:2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. Luk 21:3 And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Luk 21:4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Luk 21:5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, Luk 21:6 "As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." The poor widow’s offering was so fragrant, Jesus had to mention it! By her offering she declared that her love for God and showed all that her trust was not in money but in God.