Who Shall Feed Them?

Who Shall Feed Them?

Whose Responsibility is it to Feed the Poor & Needy?

"The righteous person knows the rights of the poor, but the wicked one does not understand these concerns." Proverbs 29:7 (HCSB)

The following excerpt is taken from The Baptist Faith & Message of 2000, a statement of faith and belief adopted by Southern Baptists.

Article 15: The Christian and the Social Order

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 12–14; 1Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.

Reprinted from: http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp

(Emphasis mine).

According to this statement of faith, which I believe reflects the teaching of Scripture, it is the Christian's duty to defend the rights of the poor and to work to provide all possible assistance. In fact, Christian agencies spend millions of dollars each year on feeding the hungry, the orphaned, the destitute, and those affected by personal disaster. Some examples are:

• The SBC World Hunger Fund - see http://www.worldhungerfund.com for more information or go here for an explanation of how the funds are used.
• SBC Disaster Relief - go to www.namb.net/dr for more information.
• SBC Missions efforts. A large and effective platform for missions worldwide is the introduction of fresh water and farming technologies that indigenous peoples can replicate themselves. See www.imb.org.

I also believe that in the statement of faith above, cooperation with government action in this arena is assumed. It is the duty of all men to help those who cannot help themselves. The way we often do that is through our government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We make our wishes known to the government and provide the means through taxation for the government to provide assistance for the poor.

However, working with government will always have its drawbacks and pitfalls for the believer. Our government is no longer managed by Christian people or by biblical values and principles. The last statements I emphasized in the statement of faith above is to be our guide. We should work with all people of like-minded concern to assist in the work of caring for the poor, including personal involvement and political action.

Government can only accomplish a limited amount. Churches and individuals must be involved through ministries that not only provide immediate assistance, but also provide long-term assistance. Literacy and job training, budget planning, assistance with job placement, and other long-term assistance will enable the poor to help themselves in the future. Our goal should not only be to provide for immediate needs, but to prepare the poor for the future as well. The old adage still rings true: "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime."