What do sin and grace have to do with caring for the poor? What does the Lord Jesus mean when he says that he has come to proclaim good news for the poor (Luke 4:18)? One answer goes something like this: our world is broken because of human sin. Poverty is a consequence of this brokenness. In his grace, God rescues us and sends us into his world to make disciples and to care for the poor.
There are lots of things that are true in this answer. But the implications of both sin and grace go deeper than we realise. In order to understand how wonderful God’s grace is in the context of poverty, we need to know who the poor are in the Bible.
Poverty in the Bible is fundamentally a relational category. The Old Testament often uses “the widow, the orphan and the alien” as a synonym for the poor. For each of them, a relationship is broken – the widow has lost her husband, the orphan his parents, the alien their people. In the Old Testament, the poor are those who are disconnected from their community and from their land, and therefore cannot provide for themselves. They are also frequently the victims of oppression, violence and injustice. As Victor Hugo says in Les Misérables, It is the sad fact about poverty that the moment comes when it destroys relationships.
The Old Testament’s answer to poverty, built into the shape of the covenant, is relational. The poor are relationally included in a way that allows for their material provision. The book of Ruth tells the story of two widows, Ruth and Naomi. Ruth is also an alien. Boaz, a righteous man, includes Ruth into the community of his harvesters and therefore into the social life of Bethlehem. He puts into practice the laws of gleaning with liberal generosity, providing food for Ruth and Naomi. He then fulfils his responsibility as a kinsman-redeemer to complete the incorporation of both women into the community. Boaz’s righteous integrity and care shows how God designed the covenant to address poverty.
We see the early church working out what it means to put these Old Testament principles into practice. Their context is quite different. They live under a new covenant; their environment is considerably more urban. Despite these differences, the apostles ensure that widows and orphans are included in the community of the people of God, the church, and are generously provided for (1 Timothy 5:3, James 1:27). Care that was once provided in a rural village is now offered through an urban church.
But why is the gospel good news for the poor? If we understand that poverty is fundamentally relational, the answer is obvious. The proclamation of the gospel itself is wonderful news for the poor. It heals their broken relationship with God, with other people and with the created order. Of course, these things are also true for the rich. But because the rich are comfortable and materially secure, they tend to be middle class in spirit. Because they’re not poor in spirit, they’re not ‘blessed’ (Matthew 5:3) – it is harder for them to repent and believe the good news. The New Testament imagines that as the gospel is proclaimed, the poor will hear and receive good news. In God’s grace, they will be gathered into a new community that loves, cares and provides for them.
By David Williams, serving with the Church Missionary Society of Australia (CMS-A) in Melbourne, Australia.