God has spoken plainly in Scripture about his care for the poor.
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
God has spoken plainly in Scripture about his care for the poor. God calls his people to exercise similar care, to treat the poor with generosity and justice. Are we listening?
Today’s Scripture comes from a parable in Luke 16. It begins with a rich man living luxuriously while a poor man suffered at his gate. When these two men died, the rich man went to Hades while the poor man went to the place where Abraham was, presumably Heaven. The rich man cried out to Abraham, asking him to send the poor man back to earth to warn the rich man’s family about their imminent fate if they did not care for the poor. But Abraham rejected this request, explaining, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them” (Luke 16:29). Abraham added that those who neglected to listen to Moses and the prophets would not even pay attention to one who rose from the dead.
As I reflect on this parable, I’m struck by what Abraham said about listening: “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them” (16:29). The rich man and his relatives had what we know as the Old Testament to guide their behavior. And it is chock full of instructions about how those who are rich are to treat the poor with generosity and justice. For example, those who are well off enough to have land to harvest are not to “reap to the very edges of [they're] field, or gather the gleanings of [they're] harvest.” Rather, they are to “leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 23:22).
Through the prophet Isaiah God said,
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
(Isaiah 58:6-8)
Proverbs 19:17 adds, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” These are just a few of dozens and dozens of passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that teach us, especially those of us who are wealthy, to care for and empower the poor.
Now, I’m not rich in the mode of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. But, compared to most people throughout the world today and throughout history, I am relatively wealthy. I do not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from or whether I’ll be sleeping in a comfortable bed tonight. I am confident that my children will be well taken care of. So, in light of Jesus’s parable, I have to ask myself if I’m listening to what God has said about riches and poverty. Do I care for the poor? How much do I invest in helping the poor become enabled and encouraged? How much do I give to organizations that are doing excellent work both feeding and educating the poor? Am I taking seriously what God has said clearly in Scripture? Or am I letting the values and assumptions of my culture determine my attitudes and actions toward the poor?
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