We will always have the poor among us.
By Beth Bruno | May 20, 2008
“We will always have the poor among us.” Matthew 12:8
A friend recently muttered this as a half-hearted justification for not knowing what to do with the homeless population in Seattle. I could tell she knew it was a lame excuse, but felt let off the hook because she was quoting Jesus after all. Honestly, I immediately envisioned all of the beggars who came knocking on my car window in Istanbul, most of whom were children. I can still hear Aidan and Ella’s questions, “Mommy, what do they want? Where are there parents?” I never knew what to do. I felt uneasy, but had nothing to add to my friend’s comments.
In Matthew, Jesus is quoting a portion of Deuteronomy 15:11. It’s interesting how few of us know what the rest of the verse says, “That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.” In fact, back in verse 4, it says, “There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession… If there are any poor people in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need.”
I wonder how that applies today. One third of the world’s population lives in prosperity, while 2/3 of the population lives in poverty. The top 1% of the population own 40% of the wealth. The top 5% own 70% of the wealth. Two billion people live on less than $2 a day. These are staggering numbers. This is extreme poverty.
A few nights ago, Chris and I were able to attend a benefit for International Justice Mission and hear the president, Gary Haugen, speak passionately about their fight against injustice. He said that the main source of the poverty they combat is violence. Often, the child is homeless because they chose the street over sexual abuse in the home. Women have AIDS because they were inflicted with the disease through perpetual rape. Villages are illiterate because they are forced to slave in a brick factory 7 days a week.
More than weather, famine, bad luck, and bad choices, the poverty IJM battles exists because of intentional violence. And before food, shelter, education, and micro-loans can be put to good use, these people need their freedom!
This was a different perspective for me to consider. And yet, of course oppression would lead to poverty. It’s only natural then to connect freedom with prosperity. Jesus came to set the oppressed free, to loosen every yoke. Yes, we will always have the poor among us. But we don’t have to!
As believers in a prosperous powerful country, I believe we have the privilege of “sharing our resources freely with the poor” and not being “hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.” Whether they are poor in spirit, poor in nourishment, or poor in justice, it’s a blessing to respond. We get to join God in loosening the chains of injustice and setting the oppressed free. (Isaiah 58:6-7)
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Well said, Beth.
Phil
I hope many read this. Thanks Beth