The Bible Speaks on Hunger
Few topics are addressed more often in Scripture than the poor and the way
God's people are to minister to them. Ministry to the poor and needy is clearly
part of a godly lifestyle.
God Cares Greatly About the Poor and Hungry As Shown in Both the Old and
New Testaments.
Isaiah 58:6-7 - "Isn't the fast I choose: To break the chains of
wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to
tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring
the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him,
and to not ignore your own flesh [and blood]?"
Luke 6:20-21 - "Then looking up at His disciples, He said: Blessed are you
who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are
hungry now, because you will be filled…"
Luke 4:18 - "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me
to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the
captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed…"
James 2:5 - "Listen, my dear brothers: Didn't God choose the poor in this
world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to
those who love Him?"
While Recognizing the Persistence of the Problem, God Works Through His People
Through the Discipline of Regular Gleaning to Provide for Those in Need.
Deuteronomy 24:19-21 - "When you reap the harvest in your field, and you
forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the
foreign resident, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may
bless you in all the work of your hands. When you knock down the fruit from
your olive tree, you must not go over the branches again. What remains will be
for the foreign resident, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the
grapes of your vineyard, you must not glean what is left. What remains will be
for the foreign resident, the fatherless, and the widow."
Leviticus 19:9-10 - "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not
to reap to the very edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them
for the poor and the foreign resident; I am the Lord your God."
Deuteronomy 15:11 - "For there will never cease to be poor people in the
land; that is why I am commanding you, 'You must willingly open your hand to
your afflicted and poor brother in your land.'"
When Jesus paraphrased this verse, He was speaking of the propriety of putting
Himself first while He was here in the flesh. He was defending the actions of
one who was criticized for anointing Jesus with precious oil. Sadly, some use
our Lord's own words in attempting to justify their complacency towards those
in need.
Matthew 26:11 - "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always
have Me."
God Calls His People to Be Actively Involved in Ministry to Those in
Need.
Luke 3:11 - "He replied to them, 'The one who has two shirts must share
with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.'"
Galatians 2:10 - "[They asked] only that we would remember the poor, which
I made every effort to do."
Ministry to the Poor Is a Service to God.
Matthew 25:35-40 - "'For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I
was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took
Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I
was in prison and you visited Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord,
when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to
drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and
clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?' And the
King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'"
Ministry to the Poor Yields Great Joy.
Turning a Deaf Ear to Those in Need Stifles the Spiritual Life.
Mistreatment and Neglect of the Poor
Jeremiah 5:28-29 - "They have become fat and sleek. They have also
excelled in evil matters. They have not taken up cases, such as the case of
orphans, so they might prosper, and they have not defended the rights of the
needy. Should I not punish them for these things? [This is] the Lord's
declaration. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?"
Matthew 25:41-46 - "Then He will also say to those on the left, 'Depart
from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and
his angels! For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and
you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn't take Me in; I was
naked and you didn't clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn't take care of
Me'… Then He will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one
of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.' And they will go away
into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
All Material Resources Belong to God.
Deuteronomy 10:14 - "The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to
the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it."
Psalm 24:1 - "The earth and everything in it, the world and its
inhabitants, belong to the Lord."
Psalm 50:10 - "…for every animal of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a
thousand hills."
If We Know the Lord, He Is Our Priority Far and Beyond Fretting over
Material Things.
Matthew 6:31-33 - "So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What
will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the idolaters eagerly seek all
these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided
for you."
Luke 12:15-21 - "He then told them, 'Watch out and be on guard against all
greed because one's life is not in the abundance of his possessions.' Then He
told them a parable: 'A rich man's land was very productive. He thought to
himself, "What should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops? I
will do this," he said. "I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and
store all my grain and my goods there. Then I'll say to myself, 'You have many
goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.'"
But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you.
And the things you have prepared-whose will they be?" That's how it is with the
one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.'"
Matthew 6:24 - "No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will
hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You
cannot be slaves of God and of money."
Caring for the Poor Leads to a Change in the Life of the Giver.
Isaiah 58:10-11 - "…and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy
the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night
will be like noonday. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched
land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a
spring whose waters never run dry."
Ministry to Those in Need Demonstrates the Reality of Being a Follower of Jesus
Christ.
James 2:15-17 - "If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily
food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but
you don't give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way
faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself."
1 John 3:17-18 - "If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in
need but shuts off his compassion from him-how can God's love reside in him?
Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and
truth."
We Must Be Cognizant of How We Treat Others and Always Treat Them As We Would
Personally Want to Be Treated.
Matthew 7:12 - "Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also
the same for them-this is the Law and the Prophets."
Conclusion
God's Word is clear that we are to minister to the poor and needy as part of
our Christian lifestyle. Gleaning is a spiritual discipline that will lead to a
greater sensitivity for those in need and ultimately a greater sensitivity to
God. Caring for those in need is an opportunity and a privilege as well as an
obligation. We must not view it in any other way.
All Scripture is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Copyright 2006 Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) - Used
with permission.