Who Shall Feed Them?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 9:23AM 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."
BSFL Sunday School Commentary for the week of November 15, 2009
Treat Everyone Equally James 2
Differences. How often do we notice the differences in people rather than the ways we are alike? We notice differences in economic status based on where people live, what they wear, or what car they drive (or don’t drive). We notice differences in families, skin color, schools attended, career paths, and a multitude of other categories. But God is different. He doesn’t think the way we think or look at people the way we look at people. He doesn’t compare us with others. And He doesn’t play favorites. Instead, He sees each person as His unique creation and embraces the differences. For God, different is not bad because all can be reconciled to Him through Jesus. And Jesus wants us to be His ambassadors, connecting all people by leading them to reconcile with God.
God's Word explicitly commands those of us who share faith in Christ not to show favoritism. The Greek word refers to acts of partiality, respect of persons, snobbery, or any kind of preferential treatment based on external factors. James 2:2-4 gives a painful example of favoritism in the church. An obviously rich man is treated with special care while an obviously poor man is treated shabbily. In this case, people were treated based on socio-economic indicators rather than who they were in the eyes of God.
Poor and rich alike who have turned from sin, accepted God's forgiveness, and put Jesus in charge of their lives enjoy equal status in the Kingdom of God. We should not take these verses to infer that God prefers the poor over the rich (vs. 5). Scripture abounds with passages that invite whosoever will to come and be saved. However, scripture also shows that the wealthy too often look to their riches for fulfillment instead of Jesus Christ. No special position is given to the poor here, except that they are to be cared for by the church.
Poor and rich are not the only classes of people that receive differing treatment within a fleshly church. Black vs. white, English-speaking vs. another-language speaking, long-time member vs. newer member, faithful member vs. non-faithful member; the list could and does go on and on. Do you remember ever being left out of a game or gathering as a child? How did that feel? How deep was the hurt? Such treatment among God's children should never be!
We may choose to reject this important truth, but James minces no words calling such preferential treatment sin. Any sin breaks God's law and brings punishment. We may not steal or kill, but we steal the joy and kill the spirit of other believers when we shun them or treat them as lower than ourselves. Just as we have received mercy from God, we are to show equal mercy to all, regardless of race, color, language, economic standing, social standing, or perceived benefit or loss.
Listen closely to the song in the video below. Determine that with God's help, you will show His mercy and love to ALL.