Helping the poor is a central theme in the Bible, reflecting God's compassion and justice. Scripture consistently calls believers to care for those in need, emphasizing that such acts are integral to living a life of faith and obedience to God.

Old Testament Foundations

The Old Testament lays a strong foundation for the care of the poor. The Law of Moses includes numerous provisions for the protection and support of the impoverished. Leviticus 19:9-10 instructs, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." This commandment highlights God's concern for the poor and the responsibility of His people to provide for them.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8 further emphasizes this duty: "If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs." This passage underscores the importance of generosity and open-handedness towards those in need.

The prophets also echo this call to justice and mercy. Isaiah 58:6-7 declares, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the homeless poor into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Here, true worship is linked with social justice and care for the marginalized.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament continues this theme, with Jesus Christ exemplifying and teaching the importance of helping the poor. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you" (Matthew 5:42). This teaching encourages a spirit of generosity and willingness to assist those in need.

Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) further illustrates the call to love and serve others, regardless of social or ethnic boundaries. The Samaritan's compassion and action towards the injured man serve as a model for Christian behavior.

In Matthew 25:35-40 , Jesus identifies Himself with the poor and needy, saying, "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 took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me." The righteous are commended for their service to the least of these, highlighting that acts of kindness towards the poor are acts of service to Christ Himself.

The early church also prioritized helping the poor. Acts 4:34-35 describes the communal sharing among believers: "There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need." This practice reflects the early Christians' commitment to ensuring that no one among them lacked basic necessities.

Apostolic Instructions

The apostles continued to instruct the church on the importance of aiding the poor. In Galatians 2:10 , Paul recounts the agreement with the other apostles: "They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." This highlights the ongoing commitment to caring for the needy as a fundamental aspect of Christian ministry.

James 1:27 defines pure religion as "to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." This verse underscores the importance of practical care for the vulnerable as an expression of genuine faith.

Conclusion

Helping the poor is a biblical mandate that reflects God's heart for justice, mercy, and compassion. Believers are called to emulate Christ's example by actively seeking to meet the needs of the impoverished, thereby demonstrating the love of God in tangible ways.Proverbs 19:17
He that has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again.
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Matthew 25:34-40
Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
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Luke 12:33
Sell that you have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that fails not, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupts.
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Luke 14:12-14
Then said he also to him that bade him, When you make a dinner or a supper, call not your friends, nor your brothers, neither your kinsmen, nor your rich neighbors; lest they also bid you again, and a recompense be made you.
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Proverbs 22:9
He that has a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor.
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Galatians 2:10
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
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James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
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Leviticus 19:9-10
And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
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On Helping the Poor.
... constitutions of the holy apostles. Book IV. Sec. I."On Helping the Poor.
Those Who Have No Children Should Adopt Orphans, and ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec i on helping the poor.htm

Whether Bishops Sin Mortally if they Distribute not to the Poor ...
... Consequently a man is to be commended if, there being no present necessity for helping
the poor, he spends the surplus from the Church revenue, in buying ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether bishops sin mortally if.htm

Aftermath
... He busied himself in constant works of charity, spending his great fortune in helping
the poor and in establishing hospitals and building churches. ...
/.../greater things the story of saint stanislaus kostka /chapter xv aftermath.htm

"One Thing Thou Lackest"
... So God now entrusts men with means, with talents and opportunities, that they
may be His agents in helping the poor and the suffering. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 57 one thing thou.htm

It Has Come to the Knowledge Of. The Holy Synod that Certain of ...
... latter part of the fourth century Zeno, bishop of Maiuma, wove linen, partly to
supply his own wants, and partly to obtain means of helping the poor (Soz., vii ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon iii it has come.htm

On the Church
... Lord instituted the Church to carry on the work He Himself was doing upon the
earth"teaching the ignorant, visiting the sick, helping the poor, forgiving sins ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 11 on the church.htm

Go into Peace
... there, and the voice from God was there, and the Shechinah cloud was there, all
were to be left, to go down and do the work of helping a poor, struggling child ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/go into peace.htm

Christ's Look
... He might have been absorbed in Himself, was His heart at leisure from itself, and
in divine and calm self-oblivion could think of helping the poor denier that ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/christs look.htm

Capital Punishment
... Then, according to His likeness we must behave. We must copy His love, by
helping the poor and afflicted, the weak and the oppressed. ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon vi capital punishment.htm

Light and Darkness
... appointed clothing, plain and simple, to bring up their children in the faith and
fear of God, and to spend their large fortune in helping the poor and needy. ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xli light and darkness.htm

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