How should Christians
respond to Poverty &
Hunger?
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
I. PROVISION FOR THE POOR IN THE LAW
A. AS CHARGED BY MOSES...
1.The poor were not to be charged interest for a
loan – Ex 22:25
Ex 22:25
2.The fruit of uncultivated ground during the
25 "If you
lend year
money
of my- Ex
people
seventh
wasto
forone
the poor
23:10-11
among
you
who
is
needy,
do
not
be
like
a
3.Debts were to be cancelled every seven years
moneylender;
charge him no interest.
- Deut 15:1-4
Israel was charged to be careful in their
attitude toward the poor - Deut 15:7-11
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. AS COUNSELED BY SOLOMON...
1.Happy is the one who shows kindness to the poor
- Prov 14:21
2.He who oppresses the poor shows disrespect to
his Maker - Prov 14:31
3.He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord who
will pay him back - Prov 19:17
4.Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor,
will cry and not be heard - Prov 21:13
5.He who gives to the poor will not lack, BUT he who
hides his eyes will have many curses - Prov 28:27
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
Such concern for the poor is a mark of
righteousness and wisdom - Prov 29:7
Prov 29:7
7 The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked
have no such concern.
If the Law of Moses displayed such concern and
provision for the poor, we should not be surprised to find
a similar concern and provision in the gospel of Christ...
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
II. PROVISION FOR THE POOR IN THE GOSPEL
A. AS COMMANDED BY JESUS…
1.In His sermon on the mount- Mt 5:42, Lk 6:34-36
- eg. feeding of the 5000 Mt 14: 15-21
2. In His words to one who invited Him into his
home - Lk 14:12-14
Jesus taught we should be willing
to help the poor
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. AS CHARGED BY HIS APOSTLES & PROPHETS…
1.Paul, in several of his epistles - Rom 12:13;
1Tim 6:17-19
2.The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews - Heb 13:16
Heb3.James,
13:16 in describing pure and undefiled religion
before
Godforget
- Jas 1:27
16 And
do not
to do good and to share with
4.For
needy
churchesGod
wereischarged
how
James
1:27
others,
for
withChristians,
such sacrifices
pleased.
to provide
27 Religion
that aid
God our Father accepts as pure and
- With
a weekly
as one
faultless
is this:
to lookcollection,
after orphans
andprospers
widows -in their
with thoughtful
andthe
a
distress1Cor
and 16:1-2
to keepand
oneself
from beingpurpose,
polluted by
world. cheerful heart - 2Cor 9:1,7
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
As we have opportunity, we have the duty to do
good unto all men - Gal 6:10
Gal 6:10
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
III. UNDERSTANDING THE POOR AND POVERTY
A.THOSE WHO ARE POOR...
1.Includes those who may have absolutely nothing,
Mark 12:41-44
little
- cf. Mk
41 Jesusorsatvery
down
opposite
the 12:41-44
place where the offerings were
put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple
treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper
coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this
poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty,
put in everything—all she had to live on.”
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. CAUSES OF POVERTY...
1. Sometimes it is due to sinful actions on the part
of the individual
a. Laziness - Prov 6:6-11
b. Refusing to heed correction - Prov 13:18
Prov 13:18 c. Pleasure seeking - Prov 21:17
18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and
d. Drunkenness, gluttony - Prov 23:21
shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. CAUSES OF POVERTY...
2 .Other times it is due to sinful actions of other men
a. High interest and extortion - Prov 28:8
b. Greed - Isa 3:14-15
c. Unfair labour practices - Jer 22:13
Jer 22:13
13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his
upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for
nothing, not paying them for their labor.
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. CAUSES OF POVERTY...
d. Oppression - Amos 4:1
e. Persecution - 2Cor 8:1-2; Heb 10:32-34
Heb 10:32-34
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,
when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of
suffering.
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and
persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who
were so treated.
34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted
the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you
yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. CAUSES OF POVERTY...
3. It can also be due to natural disasters
a. Plague, economic depression, war
b. Hurricane, earthquake, tsunami
4. It may be due to God's punishment
a. As was the case in Haggai's day-Hag 1:5-11
b. Again in the days of Malachi - Mal 3:8-12
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
B. CAUSES OF POVERTY...
5. It can be due to voluntary choice
a. As in the case of Jesus - Lk 9:57-58
b. As in the case of His apostles - Mk 10:28;
2Cor 6:10
One cannot assume that poverty
is due to laziness or wickedness
How should Christians respond to
Poverty and Hunger?
Poverty has many causes, and both Moses
and Jesus taught the poor would be with us
(Deut 15:11; Mt 26:11).
God hears the cries of the poor (Ps 69:33),
and it is interesting to note how He made
provision for them in both the Old and New
Testament...
Video on Miniature Earth
http://www.miniature-earth.com
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What do the poor suffers from?
1. According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day
due to poverty.
- And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages
on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the
conscience of the world.
-Being meek and weak in life makes these dying
multitudes even more invisible in death.”
# information based on http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
What do the poor suffers from?
2.Infectious diseases continue to blight the lives of the
poor across the world.
- An estimated 40 million people are living with
HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004.
- Every year there are 350–500 million cases of
malaria, with 1 million fatalities:
- Africa accounts for 90 percent of malarial deaths
and African children account for over 80 percent of
malaria victims worldwide.
# information based on http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
What do the poor suffers from?
3. Water problems affect half of humanity:
- Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries
have inadequate access to clean water
- 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.
4. Health of children Worldwide
- 2.2 million children die each year because they are
not immunized
- 15 million children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS
(similar to the total children population in Germany
or United Kingdom)
# information based on http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
Our responses should be....
1. Respond with compassion.
Having true compassion for the needy, as modelled
by Jesus (Mark 8:2), means
- we are aware of the need
- we care about the people involved
- we are ready to act on their behalf.
Having compassion on a needy brother is proof of the
love of God within us (1 John 3:1).
We honour God when we are kind to the needy
(Proverbs 14:31).
Our responses should be....
2. Respond with action.
- pray for those in need
- we should do all we can to alleviate their sufferings
- what about starting a “soup kitchen”
Examples:
- give to organisations with ministries in helping them
- who are the poor and marginalise in S’pore & near
us?
a. guest workers, domestic helpers, neighbours, HDB
cleaners
b. foreign students, pei-du mama,......
# Afternote. Individuals in BSC has been involved in giving to Cyclone Nargis and
earthquake in Sichun. Some individuals also went to the site to help as well.
Praise God for these individuals.
Our responses should be....
3. Respond with hope.
- we can act on behalf of the poor with the
confidence that we are helping to further God’s
work in the world:
“I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and
upholds the cause of the needy” (Psalm 140:12).
Believers labor with the hope that Jesus will return, and
“with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice
he will give decisions for the poor of the earth”
(Isaiah 11:4).
Our responses should be....
LetMatt
us25:35-36
sincerely consider today’s message.
For I speak
was hungry
and you
Let35God
to you
andgave
me.me something to
eat, Iiswas
and you gave me something to
What
mythirsty
response?
drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
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is our clothes
response
as clothed
a Church?
36 I needed
and you
me, I was sick
you looked
me, Iwhen
was in and
prisonhow
and you
Beand
specific
withafter
what,
you will
came to visit me.‘
want to fulfill what God has said to you.
Matt 25:40
40 "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever
you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.’