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The Dubious Disciple

Book Reviews and Theological Rants of a Liberal Christian

The Dubious Disciple

Book Reviews and Theological Rants of a Liberal Christian

Proverbs 14:31, Respect the Poor

July 16, 2014

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

//Ever thought about the poor in this way? If you marginalize the poor, you show contempt for God. This same thought is repeated in another proverb:

Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. –Proverbs 17:5

It’s possible to read the instructions of Jesus and his great concern for the poor and attempt to spiritualize it all. We turn a concern for the needy into praise for the “poor in spirit.” Rather than help the poor in their need, we insist that what the poor really need is just to hear the gospel–and then, we forget what that gospel is. Jesus described his mission this way:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. –Luke 4:18

Some time, just do a concordance search on the word “poor,” and see if you’re able to ignore all of the references you find.

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  1. Folayan oluwabunmi Esther says:
    October 27, 2020 at 1:40 am

    Its interesting to know that there is a difference between poor in spirit and the poor in their needs

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