Abby Schogel

Dr. Sutter
Race, Poverty and Reconciliation
11/4/16

Despite the stereotype that modern evangelicals care little for the poor, the

Bible is very explicit about Gods expectations for how we are to care for the

marginalized and needy. In addition to outright commands to serve the poor,

God expresses His love and Jesus demonstrates this love for them as well. Within

each passage there is a different context and though it is important to study the

factors that play into the context, it is also important to take such simple

commands and statements at face value, especially in such a short essay without

space to deeply analyze each passage.

Gods Word provides many instances in which the Lord proclaims his love

for the poor. The poverty of his people, through lack of freedom and land is a

great example of his unending love for those who are marginalized. Even while

they were slaves or wandering in the dessert, he never deserted them. He

displayed his love and care through the leaders he sent for them in Moses and

Joshua, using them as tools for his love and care. Exodus 3:7-10 says,

Then the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people
who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of
their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to
deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up
out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk
and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites,
the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the
cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen
the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will
send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of
Israel, out of Egypt.
Abby Schogel
Dr. Sutter
Race, Poverty and Reconciliation
11/4/16

The Lords care for his people is unending, especially in the face of their

hardship. He promises to deliver them from their oppression but more

importantly, he never abandoned them. He was watching over them and

heard their cries, a promise we can apply to those who are suffering today.

And though there is no one divinely appointment redeemer for those who

are poor and oppressed today, our call as Christians can and should mirror

the faith Moses has in the Lord to bless our attempts to serve those he loves.

Furthermore, he proclaims his love throughout the Psalms and Proverbs.

Proverbs 13:23 says, "I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and

upholds the cause of the needy," and Psalm 72:12-13 says, For he will deliver the

needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the

weak and the needy and save the needy from death." This theme does not just

apply to the Israelites in the Old Testament, these verses point to the Lords

mercy shown to all of those who are afflicted and needy. Today, we are to be

Gods vessels to enact this justice and deliverance.

In the gospels, there are countless examples of Jesus living out this love

through his life. Not only did he share the good news with the marginalized (a

profound concept at that time that the Lords love is for all people, not just the

Jews) but he embodied his love. In Mark 1, Jesus heals a man with leprosy. When

studying the passage further, we can deduct that Jesus would not have been in a

good part of town to have come in contact with this man. As lepers were out
Abby Schogel
Dr. Sutter
Race, Poverty and Reconciliation
11/4/16

casted from society, Jesus would have had to enter their space intentionally. His

compassion was demonstrated immediately as the man begged for healing and

proceeded to touch him, despite the cultural taboo and illness that are implied by

this action. Jesus demonstrates incarnational ministry through this actlowering

himself through proximity to be in contact with the most marginalized people

group of society.

These same kinds of actions are displayed throughout Jesus entire

ministry. He never elevated himself above those he was serving, but welcomed

the presence of the poor, sick and sinful. He eats with those who the religious

leaders viewed as undeserving and praised the sincerity of the needy. In Mark 12,

Jesus commends the poor widow who gives all she has and acknowledges the

genuine spirit she displays in comparison to those who can give without it

hurting. We can learn a lot from this kind of ministry and teaching. He focused

primarily on those who were in the most need while teaching those who were

privileged to sell their possessions, have compassion, and love through action.

This theme of loving through actions is explained thoroughly in James 2.

James warns against the sin of partiality saying, 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, 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, have you not then made distinctions among
Abby Schogel
Dr. Sutter
Race, Poverty and Reconciliation
11/4/16

yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (verses 2-4). Just as Jesus

lived his life, James commands that we as Christians must treat all people with

love and respect, despite differences, status, race or gender. If we treat some

better than others, we fail to live out the greatest commandment. James

continues in the chapter to say, What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he

has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister

is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead,

(verses 14-17). We cannot claim to love God and love others if we do not display it

through our lives and actions. The idea of giving or serving until it hurts is so

applicable to this verse, as we are called as Christians to be uncomfortable and

think of others needs before our own. We cannot fulfill this idea if we refuse to

give of our means and time and we cannot be justified in our faith if we chose to

ignore the needs of the poor and marginalized.

Finally, the most common idea in the Bible is to love one another. Jesus

states that the most important commandment throughout the Bible is to love God

first and love our neighbors as ourselves. The Bible also repeats that to love

others is to love God. To fulfill the most important commandment, we must love

the oppressed, poor, sick and needy. This love cannot just be through words, as

James says, but through our actions. We must be willing to be in the presence of

those who are hurting and serve them in a way that not only addresses their
Abby Schogel
Dr. Sutter
Race, Poverty and Reconciliation
11/4/16

spiritual poverty but their physical poverty as well. Just as Isaiah 1:17 commands,

we must learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the

fatherless, plead the widows cause.