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Helping the poor and those in need: what the Bible really says

Religion & Spirituality August 22, 2009 By: Richard Bean Subscribe

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Jesus says that the poor will always be among us. God's Word is very clear that we are to be generous to those in need, and it outlines how we can and should help others. There are quite a few misconceptions about the Bible and its description of Christian generosity.

1) "For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always." (Jesus speaking in Mark 14:7 NKJV)

Jesus teaches us that the poor are always going to be with us. Poverty and need is not a temporary phenomenon where, if we just work hard enough, it will go away. However, the permanent nature of there being poor in the world does not lessen in any way the responsibility of Christians to be generous and to provide for their needs to the best of our ability. Until the end of the world, we will always be called by God to provide for the poor.

2) "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:3)

This verse helps show the distinction in Scripture between simply providing for someone's needs and biblical giving. If you give everything you have, but you have not love, it does you no good. Why does it say it profits "me" nothing, as opposed to "them?" This will be covered under the point describing why God has us provide for the poor. But here in 1 Corinthians, it is important to note that giving should NEVER be separated from love. It must be from the heart of the giver. This is how God designed biblical provision for the poor.

3) "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'" (Matthew 19:21)

Here we see the purpose that God has in providing for the poor. Obviously, if God so chose, He could simply make manna fall from heaven like He did for those wandering in the Wilderness. God could easily provide every morsel of food, every drop of clean water, etc.. Why doesn't He? Two main reasons. The first is sin. Sin causes many of the conditions which cause starvation, famine, etc. God's solution for sin is faith in Jesus Christ. But this faith is not simply a belief in the mind, it involves sanctification (becoming more like Christ). God desires us to provide for the poor on His behalf as a means for us to become more Christ-like. Our sanctification is the primary reason that God commands us to provide for those in need. Look back at the verse, "If you want to be perfect." What does Jesus describe as the reason for giving to the poor? Does Jesus cite the benefit to the poor person? No. Jesus cites the sanctification and treasures in heaven. God commands us to provide for the poor for our own spiritual benefit first and foremost.

4) "The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up." (1 Sam 2:7)

Now that we have seen that the reason God asks us to give to the poor is for our sanctification, we also see in 1 Samuel 2:7 that it is God who makes both rich and poor. God either allows for and provides our success, or He allows for and provides in our need. It is not society which determines the blessings a person receives from the Lord.

5) "He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given." (Proverbs 19:17)

Another example of the spiritual nature of providing for the poor. We already saw that it is God who makes rich and poor, that we are to give for the purposes of our sanctification, and here we see that our giving is a spiritual investment with the Lord. It is entirely within the context of spiritual growth and blessing that we are to give.

6) "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard." (Proverbs 21:13)

This one is self-explanatory, but to reinforce this text, I have chosen to include several others here as well:
* "He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty." (Proverbs 22:16)
* "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor." (Proverbs 22:9)
* "He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses." (Proverbs 28:27)
Our giving to the poor is a spiritual opportunity to align our wills with God's. We have the opportunity to bless the poor with the gifts bestowed upon us by God. It is our spiritual responsibility to help the poor, but it is for our own growth and blessing that God chose to allow us to be part of this process of helping the needy.

7) "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Perhaps one of the most important points. We are NOT to give grudgingly OR of necessity. The Bible explicitly rejects giving in the form of compulsion. No one should force you to give. No one should compel you. No one should make you give grudgingly. Giving in these manners lacks love. Remember above, giving without love profits nothing. Forcing you to give without your consent is devoid of biblical support. If you do not give from your heart, with love, then you are not working on your sanctification--which is why God allows us to be part of the process of giving to the poor.

The citations could go on all day, but these illustrate the main points that the Bible makes concerning biblical giving. There will always be poor that we are to provide for with a cheerful heart, with love, in order to be sanctified as the Holy Spirit works within us. We are to be generous to the poor from our hearts, as a loving spiritual investment and desire to follow God's plan for us. Most importantly, it must be of our own desire.

In some of my other articles, I have been accused of not having read what Scripture teaches on this matter. Some have claimed that government should be in the business of providing for the poor through taxation and progressive programs. While it is very biblical to desire to help the poor, that model of government provision is anything but biblical. The government redistributing wealth ignores that God is the one who blesses through us. The government model makes giving devoid of love because it is compulsory through taxation. The government model is impersonal and is unrelated to God's intent for giving to be for our sanctification. Instead of being biblical, the government model creates people who grudgingly hand over money--developing a dislike for the poor as opposed to a genuine love and care for them.

Jesus never taught that the poor are to be provided for by anyone but individuals who give according to their own love and choice to give. God, far from endorsing government programs, denies their validity as they violate nearly every biblical principle of Christian giving.