January 17, 2016: A Special Place – Scott Oppliger

Jesus never glorified poverty for its own sake. However, Jesus did reflect God’s special heart and love for the poor. This is one reason why he tells the poor they are blessed (for the term “poor in spirit” see 1 QM 14:7, http://www.qumran.org/js/qumran/hss/1qm). They hold a special place in the heart of God, and we know this from the many commands in the Hebrew Scriptures given to the people of God to care for the poor. 

 

Over and over again, God’s interest is ensuring the widow, the immigrant, the orphan and the poor are provided for by his people. In fact, Jesus states one of the reasons he came to “proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4). If anything, this teaches us that we, as the people of God, ought to be those who have a special heart and love for the poor – just like God.

 

This is important, for we live in a day and age in which many who identify as Christians seem to have little concern for the poor at all. In fact, some even accuse the poor as being lazy or entitled or as though poverty is their own fault. Anytime we assign something other than mercy, compassion or love toward the poor we are not imitating the heart of God.