Resources

The following are a collection of Bible studies, quiet time materials, scripture references and recommended readings to deepen your understanding of God’s heart for our neighbors who are materially poor or in need and his desire for all of us to serve those who are oppressed.

As you read through this content, you may notice that some of the terminology may seem out of date.  We believe that words matter very much, and that showing appropriate respect to our neighbors who may be needing support from, even in the terminology we use, is top priority. Some of the studies below were written many years ago. We wanted to include them, as they contain excellent Biblical material and training; however, in some situations, the terminology has been updated to communicate a greater level of mutuality and respect in today’s context — highlighting our neighbors’ humanity, respecting them as our neighbors, remembering that any of us could be in the same situation and that we have much to learn from everyone, serving them in ways which protect their dignity and, when possible, allowing meaningful exchange rather than one-way giving. If you are not familiar with these concepts, check out the book When Helping Hurts – The Small Group Experience (Corbett and Fikkert) or Toxic Charity (Lupton), and don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions or comments. Thank you and enjoy!

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Podcast and Bible study by Douglas Jacoby

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Podcast Introduction

Mission:

• Just as disciples of Christ are called to spread the word—to seek and save the lost—so we are also called to seek and serve the poor. Both are part of what it means to follow Christ.
• Some Christians know this and in fact live such a life. But all too often the world dictates our priorities; serving the poor becomes an afterthought. Or maybe it becomes something we “outsource.” That is, though willing to donate money to worthy causes, we aren't personally involved with the poor.
• How unlike Jesus this is. He interacted regularly with persons in all strata of society. In fact, he sought them out!

Qualification: Poor is not the same as needy. A needy person does not have his basic needs (as in Matthew 6:25ff) met. Most Christians are poor, since most people in the world are poor. (Acts 4:34, 2:45)

With all these things in mind, a new study has been constructed. Its purposes: 

• To highlight the biblical imperative to serve the poor.
• To confront excuses that tend to isolate us from the needy.
• To illustrate how such service is part of what it means to follow Christ.

A new study – Serving the Poor

Psalm 82:3-4 

• So many passages in the Old Testament urge God’s people to compassion and action on behalf of the poor. See, for example, Isaiah 58. 
• God’s people are called to care because God cares (Exodus 34:6, Psalm 113, etc.). In Psalm 82 defending the needy is commended.
• We need to do something!
• But is this just an Old Testament teaching?

2 Corinthians 8:9 

• God’s care is exemplified above all in the incarnation of Christ. 
• He sacrificed position and status, connecting with the poor. In Jesus’ lifestyle he reached out to people of every social stratum. In him there was no favoritism (James 2:1-13), nor should there be among his followers. 
• This passage lies at the heart of Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians to have a heart for the poor – in this case, needy Christians in Judea. 
• So…caring for the poor is not only Old Testament doctrine, but a thoroughly biblical teaching!

Luke 10:29 

• All of us should love others. Both testaments teach we should love God first, our neighbor second. 
• And yet we can define and redefine “neighbor” to the point that we’re scarcely involved with the needy. Jesus challenged such thinking in the parable that follows: The Good Samaritan. 
• As happens so often in the Bible, it is not the “insider” who “gets it.” It is the outsider. Which is why Jesus told the parable. In this case the neighbor is an enemy…  Should we do good to our enemies? That’s what the Lord taught.
• The truth is, there are no valid excuses. Anyone is potentially a “neighbor.”

James 1:27 

• Not all human beings are equally needy. In scripture there is a special place for the hurting—those who have suffered significant loss. Such persons include orphans, widows, foreigners, and the oppressed.
• Our religion is unacceptable to God if we do not share this concern. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.”

Galatians 2:10 

• The apostle Paul is known as a powerful evangelist, taking the good news where it had never been proclaimed before and establishing communities of believers. 
• And yet, like Jesus, he had a passion to change the world: to preach the gospel and to encourage the poor. 
• When he met with the Jerusalem leaders, their concern was the same as his. See what he wrote in Galatians 2, in 48 AD.

Further passages on poverty and materialism: 

• Psalm 39 – Chasing riches is a vain pursuit. Don’t be lured by the materialistic message of the world.
• Proverbs 19:17 – One of many passages noting that the Lord blesses those who remember the needy.
• Ezekiel 16:48-49 – Materialism numbs our social conscience and blinds us to the needs of others around us.
• Matthew 10:8b – Since we have received freely, we ought also to give freely. 
• 1 Timothy 6:17-18 – While it is not necessarily wrong to be rich, those with wealth must be generous, not stingy. After all, Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23). To be balanced, however, all of us are called to share what we have, not just the rich (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32). Selfishness and materialism are not only a disease of the rich. The poor are affected, too.
• Hebrews 13:5 – When we keep our lives free from the love of money, we will be in a much stronger position to be a source of spiritual and physical blessing to others.

Some areas in which we can serve:

• Feed the hungry. Both testaments urge us to see to this need, even when the hungry person is our enemy!
• Visit prisoners. Hebrews 13 — presumably Christians in prison for their faith, though compassion for fellow human beings is never limited to people of faith.
• Clothe the naked. Naked means insufficiently dressed.
• Help build a house. Groups like Habitat for Humanity are doing a great job in this area.
• Adopt a child. There are approximately 150 million children ready to be adopted, and perhaps as many again who need adoption but are not in the system.
• Encourage the elderly. Needs will only increase as many western nations see aging populations with increased longevity.
• Sell possessions and give to the poor. 
• Visit a country in the developing world. Why not take a week or two out of your schedule this year and devote yourself to serving the poor or preaching the gospel in a poor nation?
• Take your children with you on such a visit. Escalates their world vision and gratitude.
• Assist in disaster relief. Every month there are several opportunities.
• Invite the poor into your home.
• Fast and pray for the needy. This is in the spirit of Isaiah 58.
• Comfort widows.
• Provide medical care to the poor.
• Reach out to refugees.
• Offer children foster care. 

Piercing questions:

• Do you think the Lord is pleased with us when always we serve the poor at a distance? To what extent can giving money to a good cause substitute for active involvement?
• Do you agree with the statement, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”?
• When was the last time you ate in a poor person’s home? Or had a disadvantaged person into your home?
• Are you ready to study out what the Bible says about this essential topic? Be sure to read Luke and Acts, as poverty and possessions is one of the major themes of these books. See also Proverbs, as well as the prophets.
• Are there any lifestyle changes you need to make as a result of this study?

“I WAS HUNGRY!”

• You fed my food to your pigs
• You blamed it on the markets
• You blamed it on the Marxists
• You told me the poor were blessed
• You really did mean to write to your congressman
• You used me as a dumping ground for your food mountain
• You promised to pray for me
• You were sure I could manage on welfare
• You switched the channel to avoid the sight of me
• You paid a pittance for my harvest
• You sold my government arms to keep me quiet
• You used my land to grow flowers for your table
• You told me to get lost.
• (I Was Hungry, a British poem, has been adapted for a primarily American readership.)

Final notes:

• In a number of ministries I have visited, people are not accepted as church members if they are unwilling to help the needy – to personally serve the poor. (Even poor members are expected to actively serve others.) This is phenomenal!
• Few congregations, however, have such high expectations. If you have a conviction about these matters, please speak up. But first, study the scriptures, come to your own convictions, and pray.
• When this is part of our evangelism, our church life, and our personal lifestyles, then the gospel message, lived out in the disciples of Jesus Christ, will make more sense to the watching world. It will be the good news today just as it was in the days of the birth of Christianity.

A Bible Study

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My first experience with extreme poverty was in 1985 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. I stayed with a family there for six weeks.

Is there a mandate or an imperative in the Bible that calls to Christians to serve our neighbors who are materially poor? Deuteronomy 15:11 says, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” (ESV—all scripture references are from the ESV unless otherwise noted). Moses understood that there were going to be inequalities among the Hebrews. He did not just call the Hebrews to a standard of generosity, largesse, and love; he commanded it.  

Leviticus 19:10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. 

Remembering the poor was not just a good idea; it was built into God’s covenant with his people.

The driving force in serving the poor is compassion. Not pity, guilt or fear, but having a sense of empathy and care for what others are going through and the determination to do something about it.   Compassion does not stop at a feeling; it prompts us to action. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10? The Samaritan was the sworn, ancient enemy of the Jewish guy who got beat up by bandits. Yet he is the one whose compassion moved him to help the man and even pay for his food and lodging.  

Luke records a beautiful story in Chapter 7:11-15 of a widow (a disenfranchised woman) whose only son (and therefore likely her only means of support) had died. It must have been terrifying for her.

Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 

Jesus knew this woman who had no husband, and now had no son, was soon going to be a marginalized member of her community. Her tears and her plight touched his heart. Luke uses an awkward-sounding Greek word when he describes Jesus’ compassion:  

Σπλαγχνίζομαι ➭ splagchnizomai ➭ splangkh-nid'-zom-ahee

Splagchnizomai means “to have the bowels yearn, that is, (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity, have (be moved with) compassion.” It is more than just feeling sorry for someone. It is feeling something stir inside of your heart (guts) that moves you to do something. Jesus did not just feel sorry for the woman and move on to the next thing (something I know I have done). He was moved to help her. Resurrecting her son surely encouraged her heart.

Paul uses this same word for compassion when writing to Philemon about his runaway slave, Onesimus.  “I am sending him back to you, sending back my very heart.” Vs 12. Paul does not use the common Greek word for heart (kardia); he uses splagchnon, the noun form of the verb above (equally hard to pronounce). He is sending back to Philemon his very guts. His heart. His soul. Someone deeply important to him. 

I am guilty of hardening my heart (my guts) toward my neighbors who are in need. I do not want to process the emotions I feel when I pull up to a stop light and there is a homeless person or a family on the median strip looking into each car window hoping for some help. I am careful to avoid making eye contact. If I do, I use gestures to assure them I have no money to give them, even when I do. I feel guilty, awkward, and ungrateful. I harden my heart and reassure myself that they can get a job or somehow figure out their lives. My three dollars will not make a difference. Thank goodness the light turns green.

There are other small, almost tangential references in different parts of the New Testament regarding the poor. The references have little to do with the main context of the story or letter where they are found, and yet the fact that the writers chose to include them and retain them in the text speaks to the mindset of those times. All three Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ recommendation to the rich young ruler’s question, “What do I lack?” in roughly the same way: Sell all that you have and give it to the poor. Not just sell it. But sell it and give the proceeds of the sale to the poor.  

In Mark 14: 3-9, Luke 7:37-39 and John 12:1-6, the gospel writers recount the story of a meal Jesus was sharing with Simon the Leper. There were many others present at the table. A woman enters the room and pours a flask of costly ointment over Jesus’ head. Matthew’s gospel records that the disciples were indignant that this ointment was not sold, and the money given to the poor. The destination of the money is not at the heart of the story, but it is telling that almost all the gospel writers retain this key point.  Giving money to the poor was an expectation. It was on their hearts.

Paul writes a powerful and passionate letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. It is laden with emotion and even bewilderment. Partway through the letter (Chapter 2) Paul describes to them a meeting he and Barnabas had in Jerusalem with Peter, James (the Lord’s brother) and John years after Paul’s conversion on the dusty road to Damascus. The timing of these different events is not particularly easy to untangle, but this could have been a reference to the same mission that Luke mentions in Acts 11: 27-30. There was a significant regional famine, and Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by the church in Antioch to bring relief to the Christians in Judea. While in Jerusalem, Paul met with the top leadership group because he wanted assurance that what he believed and was teaching and preaching was accurate and acceptable to the leading Jewish Christians. Paul and Barnabas got the assurance they needed and received their blessing to go and preach to the Gentiles. The three men, who were reputed to be pillars in the faith, also asked Paul and Barnabas to remember the poor, the very thing they were eager to do. Why does Paul remember that years later and insert that into his letter to these churches? It must have made quite an impression on him, and it must have been an essential and ongoing focus of the Jerusalem church. Remembering the poor. It really had nothing to do with Paul’s argument or position in the letter. But the fact that he remembers that encounter and those words speaks volumes about the heartbeat of the early Christian churches. 

I do not believe that my heart or most of our hearts beat in that same way. We struggle with the imperative to serve the poor because most of us have full plates in our lives already. Full plates. That is an interesting metaphor and maybe the whole point. The challenge is to take something from our full plate and give to others whose plates are empty. Serving the poor cannot just be one more thing that we have to do, as it is part of being a disciple of Christ. Giving to others who do not have. Serving them in some way. It is hard for us to embrace that this is part of being a Christian. Matthew’s gospel contains Jesus’ instruction to his outbound disciples as they were preparing to go and preach in the countryside: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay” (10:8). I am proud to be part of a group that takes that seriously. But it cannot be an umbrella, a group effort that some do and all take credit for. “My church serves the poor.” Or, “We send money to natural disaster victims.” Do I serve the poor? Do you serve the poor? It cannot be a distant, detached offering given once a week. Certainly, that money is needed and helpful, but it is no substitute for being face-to-face with people in need. Our lives and the lives of the poor change when we come in contact with each other. Their immediate needs are met; our hearts are softened and filled with compassion and gratitude. Those cannot happen from a distance. 

What can we do? Get involved. There are many opportunities in most communities to reach our neighbors who are in need of support. Most are nonprofit efforts and require nothing but our willingness to sacrifice a few hours of our day. You will be tired and will get nothing out of it except the satisfaction of having met the needs of others. That can be disorienting but very gratifying. We cannot meet every neighbor’s needs. But if a lot of us do a little and do it consistently, it will make a difference.

We can serve and care and love. We can have splagchnizomai for others and for a few hours feel what they experience every day.

A Bible Study

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My mother was on the phone speaking to her doctor while tears were streaming down her face because of the pain she was experiencing. As a young girl I felt powerless to help her and wished desperately that I could do something to take away her pain. I’ll never forget that, such a strong desire to relieve the suffering of someone I love. Now that I’m a mom, I feel it even more strongly toward my children when I see them hurting. I often remind myself that if I feel that way about my own children and family, imagine how much more God must feel that for His.

The Bible often tells us that God hears the cries of the oppressed and suffering. That should move our hearts to hear them, too, but the world can distract and deafen us to those needs. However, if we let the word of God soften our hearts, we can be moved to remember and act.

God Hears and Moves:

Time and time again the Bible tells us that God hears the cries of His people, and it moves Him to respond. He knew what He needed to do to help them, and He did it. He showed His love and concern. The cries of His people moved God’s heart!

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.   And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel – and God knew.

-Exodus 2:23

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

- Exodus 3:7

And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea

- Nehemiah 9:9

...so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,

    and he heard the cry of the afflicted—

- Job 34:28

God did uphold justice for those in need, but He did not stop with just His acting to help. He also called His people to act. He linked caring for those in need with being able to dwell in the land He gave to His people. God wanted the hearts of His people to be moved as well. Without the heart to care, God’s people would miss out on the land He gave them!

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 

- Deuteronomy 10:18-19

...if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

- Jeremiah 7:6-7

It is amazing how often God mentions taking care of the alien, the orphan and the widow. One cannot walk away from the scriptures without understanding this was of special interest to God, and it teaches us something about God’s heart. God is an amazing God of compassion and patience, truly the ultimate shepherd! God wants us to have that same heart.

The World Distracts and Deafens:

Contrast God’s heart with the hearts of the pagan leaders in Biblical times – the pharaohs and other pagan kings – who ruled by force and oppression. To the pharaohs, life was about controlling and conquering; ruling and being served; taking and acquiring (Ex 1:10-11), and that is what life came to be for their people. Oh, how I can feel those exact temptations today!

It’s so easy to buy into what the world is selling: I should achieve more, acquire more, and succeed more; I won’t be happy unless I have more, do more, and accomplish more (Luke 12:15-21). This is a constant battle for me. I often find myself tempted to focus on improving my home and possessions. Now that we are getting closer to retirement, I find myself often wondering if we will have enough and more than that, will I ever feel I have enough? The temptation to keep more and save more is great. But it is also not a new battle for me. When I was in school, I always wanted to have the best grades. When I went into the labor market, I wanted to be the best employee and have the greatest success. The stress I put myself under to achieve those things would make me cry – for myself – but completely distracted me and deafened my ears to any cries of others in need. I exchanged what God found truly valuable with what the world told me was valuable.

He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

- Luke 16:15

When all we hear are our cries for more, we do not hear the cries of those who are in need. That is not God, that is not godly, nor is that how God meant us to live. It is what lies at the root of Satan’s greatest deception – what God has given us is not enough and God is withholding good from us so we need to go out to grab it ourselves (Genesis 3:4-5). When we are discontent with our lot and focused on ourselves, we are more like Satan than God.

We Need to Remember and Act

God wants something different for His followers. He wants them to experience life another way, the way He meant life to be. To the followers of God, life should be about serving and caring; listening and trusting; family and community.

God reminds His people how they were once aliens themselves and calls them to never forget where they came from. He gives His people an opportunity to learn to be like Him. I am truly humbled when I remember what I was like, and can still be tempted to be like, without God in my life. I was self-centered, and although I had those I cared about and could be moved by seeing injustice on the world news, I did very little for anyone else. I am still challenged by that and so grateful for the grace of God. It moves me to want to do more to help others. I can still struggle with thinking God cares more about people’s spiritual well-being than their physical, but now I see in the scriptures that God does not separate the two. God knows we need to care or we will never have His heart. We will end up believing the world’s lies, Satan’s lies, and that will endanger our own souls. Yes, it is that serious.

Are we buying into the world’s lies? And are those lies causing us to ignore the cries of those who need help?

Or are we listening to the voice of God reminding us that we have enough, that we need to trust Him. Are we remembering where we came from and realizing we deserve nothing and will therefore have compassion on those who have little? Without that, we will never become imitators of God and also hear the cries.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

     And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly with your God.

- Micah 6:8

I hope you will join us as we work on our own hearts. We are far from where we need to be, but we can all strive to have the same care and compassion of God, becoming more like Him and being moved to action by the cries around us. God hears the cries. We should too.

A Quiet Time Series by G. Steve Kinnard

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To accomplish anything in life, we need proper motivation. An important ingredient in proper motivation is that we must understand why we do what we do.

This series of quiet time studies will help us understand why we should have a heart for the poor.

Day One:

Why Help the Poor? Because God 

Has a Heart for the Poor

I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. 

- Psalm 140:12              

For You have been a defense for the helpless,

A defense for the needy in his distress…

- Isaiah 25:4 NASB

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.

- 1 Samuel 2:8

Based on what you read in these verses, answer the following questions:

What do you learn about God’s heart for the poor?

List specific ways that God helps the poor.

If you were poor, how would you be comforted knowing that the Lord is your defense?

What do these verses teach you about how you should respond to the needs of the poor?

What are some practical ways that you can work alongside God to “maintain the cause of the afflicted”?

God defends the cause of the poor, the needy, and the afflicted. God has a heart for the poor. When we help the poor, we stand alongside God to defend those who can’t help themselves. This is a noble call.

God, you provided for the poor.   Psalm 68:10

Challenge:  Before you go out and do something for the poor, begin by checking your motivation. Pray for God to work on your heart. Pray to God and ask him to give you his heart in connection with helping the poor.

Day Two:

Why Help the Poor? Because

God Hears the Cries of the Poor

The poor and needy search for water, but there is none;  their tongues are parched with thirst.

But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

- Isaiah 41:17

They caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he heard the cry of the needy.

- Job 34:28

What characteristic or characteristics of God do you see demonstrated in these verses?

If God hears the cries of the poor, then shouldn’t we be attentive to their cries?

How can we hear the cry of the poor in our society?

What are the greatest needs of the people around you? Do you hear the cries of those who are poor and hurting near you? How can you respond to the tears of the poor?

God hears the cries of the poor, the thirsty, and the hungry. Do we hear their cries? Today, many people stay insulated from the cries of the poor. Sometimes this is by choice. Other times it is because life is so frantic that we don’t take time to hear the cry of the poor. It’s like we live in a soundproof booth, shielded from the hurts and needs of the world around us.

Do we hear the cry of the poor? When you see an appeal to feed the hungry on television, what is your reaction? Do you quickly turn the channel? I know I have. It is easy to grow deaf and callous to the needs of the poor. But God isn’t deaf or callous to their cries. He is attentive. God has a heart for the poor.

My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

- Psalm 35:10

I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

- Psalm 140:12

Challenge:  Search online and look at the faces of people who live in material poverty. Imagine that you are hearing their cries. Put yourself in their place. Now pray to God and ask him to help you hear the cry of the poor in the same way that he hears their cries. Look for the cries of the poor in your community. Find ways to help the poor within your local setting.

Day Three:

Why Help the Poor? Because Jesus Did

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

- 1 Peter 2:21

Why help the poor? If I were to give only one answer to this question, it would be this – because Jesus did. Jesus had a heart for the poor. He touched lepers. He gave sight to the blind. He caused the lame to walk. He fed the hungry. He preached good news to the hapless, and the hopeless. Jesus had a heart for the poor.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news

of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about 

him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, 

those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; 

and he healed them.

- Matthew 4:23-24

Take a look at the ministry of Jesus:

Verse 23 models the ministry of Jesus. What three actions are modeled in his ministry? Identify three participles (verbs ending in “ing”) in verse 23.

Does your ministry contain these three characteristics of the ministry of Jesus (teaching, preaching, and healing)? If yes, how? If no, how can you develop those characteristics in your ministry?

Many people were brought to Jesus. Describe some of these people.

When these people were brought to Jesus, what did he do for them?

The ministry of Jesus can be summarized in three words:  teaching, preaching, healing. We teach when we open the Bible and share the meaning of Scripture with people. We preach when we share the good news of the gospel with people. We heal when we help people overcome obstacles in their lives that keep them from living a qualitatively good life. (For example, I see our chemical recovery ministry as a healing ministry.)

Jesus healed people of various diseases. It is within our power to help God heal people with disease today. In the next five minutes, nineteen people will die of disease due to poor sanitation, eight people will die from malaria, three will die from AIDS and eight more will contract the HIV virus, seven will be diagnosed with leprosy, four will die from measles, eight will die from chicken pox, and three will die from heartworms. All of these are curable or treatable diseases. God has given us the resources to help heal disease across the world today.

Challenge: Think of one way that you can qualitatively help a neighbor who is in need. Now reach out and work to find such a person and help them.

Day Four:

Why Help the Poor? Because the Early Church Did

Around AD 49, leaders of the church in Jerusalem met with Paul and Barnabas to discuss their mission to the Gentiles. This is often referred to as the Jerusalem Council. The Jerusalem Council decided that Gentiles could become Christians without following Jewish ceremonial laws. The Council sent Paul and Barnabas back to the Gentiles to continue their mission.

Paul summarized this event in Galatians 2:9-10 by writing:

James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the

right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that 

we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that

 we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

- Galatians 2:9-10

When Paul and Barnabas left Jerusalem, the Council could have asked anything of them. They could have asked for monthly reports. They could have asked for revenue to be sent back to Jerusalem. The Council asked them to remember the poor (something that Paul was eager to do). Notice that mission work and service to the poor are complementary ministries. Paul was a missionary who was eager to remember the poor.

What is the one thing the Jerusalem Council asked that Paul and Barnabas do?

How did Paul feel about this request?

Are you eager to remember the poor? is your ministry group eager to remember the poor?

How would you define pure and faultless religion?

I might have tricked you with that last question. The definition isn’t found in Galatians 2. Pure and faultless religion is defined by James (yes, the same James of the Jerusalem Council). James 1:27 states, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James had the poor on his heart.

Church historians record that the early church was known for its compassion. In the Greco-Roman world, when someone didn’t want their child, they practiced infanticide. The adult usually placed the child outside the city limits at night exposing the child to the elements. The early church was known for going out at night in search of babies who had been left to die. The disciples would take these babies into their homes, care for them, and raise them as their own. This is one way the early church practiced pure and faultless religion.

Challenge:  Is there a widow or widower who lives close to you? Do something nice for this person today.

Day Five:

Why Help the Poor? Because When We Love Others,

We Are Good Neighbors

I’m sure we have all heard the adage, “People don’t care how much you know until you show them how much you care.”

How does this statement apply to Jesus’ healing ministry?

Read Luke 10:25-37, the story of the Good Samaritan.

Take a moment to picture the victim in this story. How did he look? Try to see his wounds. What might he have said to people as they walked by?

What are some excuses the priest and Levite might have given for not stopping to help the man in need?

What are some excuses the Samaritan could have given for not helping?

Name specific ways that the Samaritan helped the victim.

Answer Jesus' question in verse 36: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

What is the last exhortation that Jesus gives to the expert of the law in verse 37? How does this exhortation apply to you?

I read a story of a boy living on the streets in one of our big cities in the northeastern United States during the winter. The boy was standing near a heat exhaust vent to warm himself. The owner of a clothing store saw the boy and thought about offering him some help. Before he made the offer, a customer interrupted his thoughts by asking for assistance, and the store owner forgot about the boy. He left the boy in the cold.

Later, the man saw the boy in his store. He was with a woman who had invited the boy into the store to purchase him clothes. She was buying the boy new shoes, new gloves, and a new coat.

The store owner overheard the boy ask the woman, “Are you God’s wife?”

The woman answered, “No, I’m just one of his children.”

The boy said, “Well, I knew you were related to him somehow.”

Who was the neighbor to the little boy?

Challenge:  Think of the needs of neighbors in your town or community. How can you be a Good Samaritan to someone today? Now “go and do likewise.”

Day Six:

Why Help the Poor? Because When You Help the Poor, 

You Help Yourself

It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,

but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

- Proverbs 14:21

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.

- Proverbs 22:9

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;  then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

- Deuteronomy 15:10

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.

- Proverbs 19:17

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

- Acts 20:35

What happens to the person who gives generously to the poor?

Proverbs 19:17 states, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” Imagine in your mind’s eye God smiling at you when you are gracious to the poor. Carry that image with you throughout the day.

Think of a time when you have given to the poor. How have you been blessed because of that act?

Every time I have taken time to give to the poor, it has helped my own heart more than I have helped the needy. Paul quotes a saying of Jesus that is not found in the gospels, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The word “blessed” can also mean “happy.” Jesus states a truth here. “We are happier when we give than when we receive.” I feel happy when I help the poor. Whether I’m washing dishes at a soup kitchen, teaching martial arts at a HOPE worldwide school, or delivering food to seniors, I come back from those activities feeling like I’ve done something that has brought glory to God. The more I give, the happier I am. Why? Because when we give, God blesses our hearts.

Challenge: Perform one “random act of kindness” to someone today. Be a giver. When you give, pay attention to the joy the act of giving brings to your life.

Day Seven:

Why Help the Poor? Because When We Help the Poor, We See That Possessions Are Not Important

Whenever I am with the poor, I am reminded of how much my life is cluttered with stuff. The poor live with so little. They teach me that life can be lived without rooms full of stuff.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

- Ephesians 5:3

Paul names three specific vices in this passage that we must not allow even a hint of into our lives. Name them.

Why must we be vigilant against these three vices?

In what ways are you tempted with greed?

How do you act on that temptation?

How do you fight against that temptation?

Read the parable of Jesus in Luke 12:6-21.

What are the ways that you store up things for yourself?

How can you become rich toward God?

In our culture, we don’t necessarily buy bigger barns; we just rent a storage space for all our excess stuff. We fill our attics and garages. So we do build bigger barns – today they are called self-storage units.

Most of the world could live and would love to live on what we throw away – and many would love to have a living space the size of a storage unit to call their own. We need to take a good look at our lifestyles. Where does all our stuff get us? Do things satisfy? We want more. The bills pile up. The stuff accumulates, so we get more space. Indirectly, we teach our children that things will make us happy. But we don’t find true happiness in things. Isn’t it time for us to simplify our lives? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to live on less so that others might simply live?

Challenge: Remove clutter from your life. Find something that you haven’t used in years and give it to someone who can use it.

Day Eight:

Why Help the Poor? Because If You Don’t, Then Beware

When you drive, you pay attention to the warning signs. Falling Rocks! Dangerous Turn! Construction Ahead! Slippery Conditions!

The Bible gives warning signs. The Word gives many stern warnings for people who callously overlook the needs of the poor and needy, such as:

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.

- Proverbs 21:13

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

- Proverbs 28:27

What happens to the person who shuts their ear to the cry of the poor?

What happens to the person who closes their eyes to the poor?

Let these words from the Proverbs ring in your ears. There are repercussions that come from allowing your heart to become callous to the cry of the poor. God hears their cry; we need to stay attuned to it as well.

The Bible also issues warnings to those who are rich in this world. With riches comes responsibility. 

Read the words of Jesus in Luke 6:20-25.

List the blessings of the poor, the hungry, the grieving, and the hated.

List the woes pronounced against the rich, the well-fed, and those who laugh now.

Why did Jesus paint such a stark contrast between the poor and rich?

Allow me to give you one last warning. This one is stated in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Jesus says, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

Why would Jesus make this statement?

Jesus issued some strong warnings against the rich. He followed the tradition of the prophets of Israel in condemning people who covetously clung to their wealth while others around them barely survived. God expected those of us who are rich to have compassionate hearts toward the poor.

Challenge: Pray. Pray for the needs of the poor around the world. Pray for the needs of the poor within your local community. I often don’t know what to do with the overwhelming feeling that no matter how much I do for the poor it seems like it is too little or too inconsequential. But there is always one response that is appropriate – prayer. 

Day Nine:

Warning: Beware of Riches

The Surgeon General of the United States has posted a warning on the packages of cigarettes that smoking is hazardous to your health. If you travel in parts of Europe, pictures of charred, blackened lungs often accompany these warnings against smoking. It’s amazing to me that after seeing these pictures, people still choose to purchase cigarettes. But that’s the price of addiction.

What if warnings came with the accumulation of riches? Given the number of times the Bible warns us of the harmful impact of riches on our spiritual lives, it seems appropriate.

Consider these verses:

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

- Proverbs 23:4-5

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

- Proverbs 30:8-9

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.

- Ecclesiastes 5:10-15

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.

-Mark 10:25

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 

-Luke 6:24

But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is 

comforted here and you are in agony.’

- Luke 16:25

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

- 1 Timothy 6:9-10

What do you think of these verses?

How do they serve as a warning against the accumulation of wealth?

Is there a hint of greed in your life?

Challenge: Find something in your life that you can give up or sell and contribute the finances from that sacrifice to the poor.

From Jesus and the Poor

© 2017 by G. Steve Kinnard and Illumination Publishers

Used with permission

A Scriptural Overview of Poverty

This section is a useful resource for building your own Bible studies. All verses are from the New International Version, 1984, unless specified otherwise.   

Old Testament

Note: This does not include an exhaustive detailing of the specific laws given to Moses around poor offerings and additional protections of the poor.

Exodus 22:25-27 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. 26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, 27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

Leviticus 19:15, 18 “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly…Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 10:16-19 “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. The Lord your God is God of all gods and Lord of all lords. He is the great God, who is strong and wonderful. He does not take sides, and he will not be talked into doing evil. 18 He helps orphans and widows, and he loves foreigners and gives them food and clothes. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” 

Deuteronomy 15:10-11 “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”

Deuteronomy 27:19 “Anyone will be cursed who is unfair to foreigners, orphans, or widows.

Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’”

1 Samuel 2:8 “He [the Lord] raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.”

1 Chronicles 29:11-14 “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power

    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;

    you are exalted as head over all.

12 Wealth and honor come from you;

    you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power

    to exalt and give strength to all.

13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,

    and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? 

    Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

Job 29:12-17 “…I saved the poor who called out

    and the orphan who had no one to help.

13 The dying person blessed me,

    and I made the widow’s heart sing.

14 I put on right living as if it were clothing;

    I wore fairness like a robe and a turban.

15 I was eyes for the blind

    and feet for the lame.

16 I was like a father to needy people,

    and I took the side of strangers who were in trouble.

17 I broke the fangs of evil people

    and snatched the captives from their teeth.”

Job 31:13-28 “If I have been unfair to my male and female slaves

    when they had a complaint against me,

14 how could I tell God what I did?

    What will I answer when he asks me to explain what I’ve done?

15 God made me in my mother’s womb, and he also made them;

    the same God formed both of us in our mothers’ wombs.

16 “I have never refused the appeals of the poor

    or let widows give up hope while looking for help.

17 I have not kept my food to myself

    but have given it to the orphans.

18 Since I was young, I have been like a father to the orphans.

    From my birth I guided the widows.

19 I have not let anyone die for lack of clothes

    or let a needy person go without a coat.

20 That person’s heart blessed me,

    because I warmed him with the wool of my sheep.

21 I have never hurt an orphan

    even when I knew I could win in court.

22 If I have, then let my arm fall off my shoulder

    and be broken at the joint.

23 I fear destruction from God,

    and I fear his majesty, so I could not do such things.

24 “I have not put my trust in gold

    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security.’

25 I have not celebrated my great wealth

    or the riches my hands had gained.

26 I have not thought about worshiping the sun in its brightness

    nor admired the moon moving in glory

27 so that my heart was pulled away from God.

    My hand has never offered the sun and moon a kiss of worship.

28 If I had, these also would have been sins to be punished,

    because I would have been unfaithful to God.”

Job 34:28 “They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,

    so that he heard the cry of the needy.”

Psalm 35:10 “My whole being will exclaim,

    ‘Who is like you, Lord?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,

    the poor and needy from those who rob them.’”

Psalm 41:1 “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;

    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.”  

Psalm 68:5, 10 “God is in his holy Temple.

    He is a father to orphans,

    and he defends the widows…

    God, you provided for the poor.”

Psalm 140:12 “I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the

    needy.”

Psalm 145:9,17 “The Lord is good to all;

    he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 146:7-9 “He does what is fair for those who have been wronged.

    He gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free.

8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.

The Lord lifts up people who are in trouble.

    The Lord loves those who do right.

9 The Lord protects the foreigners.

    He defends the orphans and widows,

    but he blocks the way of the wicked.”

Proverbs 3:27-28 “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

    when it is in your power to act.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,

    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—

    when you already have it with you.”

Proverbs 14:21,31 “It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the

    needy…Whoever mistreats the poor insults their Maker,

    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

Proverbs 19:17 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,

    and he will reward them for what they have done.”

Proverbs 21:13 “Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor

    will also cry out and not be answered.”

Proverbs 22:9 “The generous will themselves be blessed,

    for they share their food with the poor.”

Proverbs 28:27 “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,

    but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”

Proverbs 29:7 “The righteous care about justice for the poor,

    but the wicked have no such concern.”

Proverbs 31:8-9 “Stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves;

    defend the rights of all those who have nothing.”

Isaiah 1:17 “ Learn to do right; seek justice.

    Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

    plead the case of the widow.”

Isaiah 41:17-20 “The poor and needy search for water,

    but there is none;

    their tongues are parched with thirst.

But I the Lord will answer them;

    I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,

    and springs within the valleys.

I will turn the desert into pools of water,

    and the parched ground into springs.

19 I will put in the desert

    the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.

I will set junipers in the wasteland,

    the fir and the cypress together,

20 so that people may see and know,

    may consider and understand,

that the hand of the Lord has done this,

    that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

Isaiah 25:4 NASB “For You [the Lord] have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress.”

Jeremiah 22:3 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do what is fair and right. Save the one who has been robbed from the power of his attacker. Don’t mistreat or hurt the foreigners, orphans, or widows. Don’t kill innocent people here.’” 

Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Ezekiel 16:49 “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”

Ezekiel 22:29 “The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.”

Daniel 4:27 “Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

Micah 6:8 “The Lord has told you, human, what is good;

    he has told you what he wants from you:

to do what is right to other people,

    love being kind to others,

    and live humbly, obeying your God.”

Zechariah 7:9-10 “This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘Do what is right and true. Be kind and merciful to each other. 10 Don’t hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor; don’t even think of doing evil to somebody else.’”

The Gospels

Jesus led by example:

·   Matthew 4:23-25 He healed people from all over the region (not just Jews)

·   Matthew 9:13, 35-37 He came for sinners

·   Luke 7:11-16 He raised the son of a poor widow

·   Luke 7:36 He showed great respect to an immoral woman

·   John 4:27 He spoke with women

·   Luke 10:26 He spoke highly of Samaritans

·   Luke 4:25-27 He preached God’s love of the Gentiles

·   Luke 18:15 He cared about children

·   Mark 1:41, Luke 5:13 He cared for lepers and even touched them

·   Matthew 20:18, Mark 10:45 “I have come to serve.”

·   Mark 12:42-43 He cared about the poor

·   1 Peter 2:21 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

Matthew 6:1-2 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 11:4-5 “Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’”

Matthew 19:19 “Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Mark 12:38-40 “As he taught, Jesus said, ‘Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.’”

Luke 4:17-18   17…and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written [Isaiah 42:1-2]:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,”

Luke 7:22 “So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’”

Luke 10:30-37 ”In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said,‘ and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 11:42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”

Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

Luke 14:12-14 “Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’”

Luke 16:19-25 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.’”

Luke 18:22 “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”

Note:  Zacchaeus gave ½ of all his wealth to the poor and was commended. Jesus does not call everyone to sell everything.

New Testament

Acts 2:44-45 “All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Acts 4:33-36 “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.  36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Romans 13:9 “The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: ‘The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.’”

Galatians 2:10 “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.”

Galatians 5:14 “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

James 2:8 “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.”

James 2:14-17 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

James 5:1-6 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”

1 John 3:16-17 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”