Caring for the Poor

November 24, 2022

Proverbs 29:7 

The righteous considers the cause of the poor; but the wicked cares not to know it.

Too many people do not prefer to know the cause of the poor. While living in their own gated communities, they assume that the government is taking care of the poor. Their churches have very little contact with the inner city, and if a poor single mother happens to attend one of their churches, she is referred to the welfare agencies. But do the government bureaucrats working on the fourteenth floor of some public building in New York City truly know the state of the poor? Do they really know their spiritual needs? Are they familiar with the needs of the fatherless? Is there a public employee who can provide spiritual leadership for the young men who have no father? Will he take them fishing or hunting a couple of times a year? The wicked doesn’t want to know what is happening to the poor in his community. It’s too complicated. It might require time and resources out of his reservoir. It might require true compassion and selfless love. These are burdens to bear that he would rather not bother with. 

The righteous knows that he will never entirely solve the problems of the poor even as he cannot solve the problems of disease, death, spiritual sickness, sin, and conflicts in this world. But the righteous doesn’t mind rolling up his sleeves and getting involved. He will understand that there are no simple solutions and that he cannot solve these problems by money and by sheer governmental power. But he can get involved. The righteous man can assess the problems from both a material and spiritual perspective and provide time and resources to alleviate some of the issues. Of course, as he provides some material help and brings spiritual teaching to address the spiritual needs, the righteous man will trust that God will work the major work of grace that is needed in the life of every person, whether rich or poor (Jam. 2:5). 

Family Discussion Questions: 

1. Why do the wicked shy away from getting involved in the needs of the poor? 

2. How do you solve the problem of the poor? What is your responsibility in regards to the poor?