“If anyone has material
possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the
love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:17)
Poverty is an issue that every
generation must face. Jesus said that there will always be people in poverty
(Matt. 26:11). However, this does not mean that we should turn a blind eye to
them, or ignore them. Scripture commands us numerous times throughout the Bible
to help the poor. Beyond that, it is heartbreaking to consider what some
studies point out: some 20,000 children die per day as a result of
living in extreme poverty. Yes, many of these kids are living in Third World
Countries, however, poverty still exists in our country and our rural area as
well.
The question that we must ask
though is: how should we respond in such a way to make the greatest
significance in overcoming poverty and its affects? Historically there have
been primarily three responses. The first response is to simply do nothing.
Yes, in many cases this is simply turning a blind eye to the issue dreaming
that it will go away on its own. That is wishful thinking. Others have employed
this method simply because they don’t know how to care for the poor.
Others still have employed this
method, not because they don’t care but because they do. You could call this
the tough love approach. It is the old adage, you made your bed; you get to
sleep in it. It is their fault that they are in the struggle that they are, so
it’s theirs to figure out how to get themselves out of it.
However, sometimes, it is not
really their fault that they are in the mess that they are. Sometimes, their
poverty is the result of no choice on their behalf. They got into an accident
perhaps caused by a drunk driver, or got hurt at work, etc. Yet they get hurt.
The medical bills stacked up, they struggled to work since they have been
injured, and in a very short amount of time they are in a horrible financial
situation. Now that might not be the exact scenario, yet the fact of the matter
remains, sometimes people struggle with poverty not as a result of their own
doing. Thus, it can be very difficult for them to get themselves out of it on
their own. By-in-large, this response does not tend to be very effective in overcoming
poverty and its affects.
A second response to
poverty has been to offer handouts. This is perhaps the most widely used
strategy of the three. This strategy can be very affective for meeting the
immediate need. If someone is hungry, let’s feed them now. If someone is about
to have their electric, or water shut off because they cannot afford to pay the
bill, let’s give them what they need. Thus, this method has immediate positive
results.
In the Bible we do find a few of
examples of handouts being given. First, there are the widows who met certain
criteria that the Apostle Paul listed in 1 Timothy 5:3-16. If the family can
provide for widows (over 60 years old 1 Tim. 5:9), they should do so (1 Tim.
5:4, 7-8). If there is no family to provide, then such older widows may be
supported by the church as long as they are godly women who are devoted to
actively serving Christ in the local body of believers (1 Tim. 5:10; Luke
2:36-38). If they are living for pleasure, then the church has no
responsibility for them (1 Tim. 5:6). Widows under the age of 60 were not to be
given handouts, but are to marry and be devoted to their families for support,
so that they do not give Satan an occasion for reproach (1 Tim. 5:11-15).
A second possible instance of
handouts being given relates to believers meeting other believers’ needs (Acts
2:44-45; Rom. 15:25-29).
And third is a means of service
evangelism. In this example, Tabitha, the Christian who was giving to the poor,
made it very clear why she was doing what she was; and as a result, she was
able to lead many to the Lord (Acts 9:36-42). Historically, Christians have
built many schools, hospitals, and orphanages that have successfully been able
to serve the community as Tabitha did, meeting the eternal need through meeting
the temporary need. However, in none of these examples do we find the church
acting as a welfare agency, supporting those who are not serving or who should
be carrying their own load, or serving those outside of the church without them
clearly understanding their greater need for spiritual food (see
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-16-caring-widows-1-timothy-53-16).
The third response to
overcoming poverty is the hand-up method. This is the old Chinese proverb,
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed
him for a lifetime.” This method seeks to overcome the issue of poverty at its
root cause, and has the most Scriptural support of the three.
During the days of the book of
Ruth, a famine plagued the land, leading to a desperate economic climate (1:1).
In the midst of these economic trials, Ruth faced additional challenges: Her
husband and father-in-law died in a male dominated society (1:3-5). Her
mother-in-law could not contribute to their economic wellbeing (1:22). They
moved to a foreign land where Ruth knew few people (1:22). In essence, Ruth’s
safety net crumbled beneath her feet — not unlike many in our cities who resort
to holding signs on street corners.
It is important to note that the
factors which caused Ruth’s poverty were beyond her control, yet regardless of
how one finds themselves in that situation, God provides means for overcoming
the issues. God commanded His people to provide ways in which the poor could work
to overcome their poverty, gleaning. Yet what is gleaning? In the Old
Testament, God commanded the farmers to not harvest the parameter of their
crops, and anything that would have naturally been dropped as they were
harvesting, was to be left there in the field. These portions of their harvest
were fair game for the poor (Lev. 19:9-10).
Basically, you could say that the
poor had to work for their food. They had to come behind the harvesters, and
harvest what was left. In this, the poor had to learn work ethic; if you don’t
work, you don’t eat. Hum, did you know that the Apostle Paul said the exact
same thing in the New Testament? 2 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT says, “…we gave you
this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” This was not included
in Scripture to come across as unloving, rather it was the most loving thing
that could be said. It is about seeing past the immediate need to see the big
picture problem, solving poverty both spiritually and physically.
In Ruth’s case, after finding a
means of providing for herself and her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth worked hard
(2:2, 7) and maintained a good reputation (3:11) to make the most of her
opportunity. Thus, Ruth’s deliverance from material poverty was due in large
part to wise stewardship of what God gave her. But Ruth’s faithfulness would
not have had an opportunity to express itself without someone else —
Boaz. Boaz knew what God’s Word taught and put it into practice, helping the
poor. He encouraged Ruth to continue gleaning on his property (2:8-9, 2:15-16),
he protected Ruth when she was vulnerable (2:8-9), he honored her for her
integrity (2:10b-11) and he self-consciously acted as a conduit of grace by
pointing her to God as her Ultimate Provider (2:11b-13). And thus, in a matter
of time, Ruth’s struggles with poverty were alleviated for good. That’s God’s
design for overcoming poverty.
With an understanding of these
things and a great love for those living in poverty in our area, some of the
people who actively help with our food pantry have approached our church
leadership seeking to make changes. How is it that we can offer a hand-up
instead of a handout? And how can we seek to address every person’s greatest
need, namely their eternal destiny? For physical food has only temporary results,
but spiritual food has eternal results. The answer to these concerns bring us
back to the source of all true wisdom, God’s Word. God’s Word contains the
wisdom to overcome financial struggles. And it contains the words of life (John
6:68). Thus, we must get people into God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to
make a lasting impact on their lives.
Therefore, those who help the most
with the food pantry have asked that we make church attendance a requirement
for at least the Sunday of our food pantry; which from now on will be the third
Sunday of the month.
In His service,
Matt
