Ministering To The Poor
Ministering To The Poor
Dedicated to all the God-lovers of Christ's church
One of the things I would like to achieve in the writing of these various papers, essays, and/or treatises, is to address themes that I have not seen covered by earlier writers (even the great ones of the church). This is not meant to imply that these issues indeed have not been addressed--but simply that I have not come across them myself.
Today, I would like to talk about the important principle of "ministering to the poor." First of all, some Biblical definitions are necessary. Sometimes the Holy Scriptures refer to financially or materially needy people as "poor." Two splendid New Testament examples will suffice to prove this point. The first one comes from our blessed Savior's lips, as His words are found in Jn. 12:8a, which renders this: "For the poor you always have with you . . . " (ESV) The other one comes from Gal. 2:10, where Paul wrote this: "Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." (ESV)
So, I wish to make it clear, that I am in no way diminishing the reality of this aspect of "poverty" in this little paper. (In fact, I hope to address it more directly, toward the end of it.)
But, what I would like us to consider is what I believe is a deeper meaning of the word, "poor"; and the Scripture's primary meaning of this word (especially as it is found in specifically "spiritually-oriented" texts--such as Ps. 40:17 [where David, the wealthy king of Israel, calls himself "poor"]).
And the persons that I would like to define with this word "poor," are those human beings who are dearly and perfectly loved by God in Jesus Christ; and who, in return and response truly love God with all their hearts.
These people are the regenerated saints of Christ's church; and I would propose to you, that they are the truly "poor" of the earth. Someone might ask, "Well, how could those who have been given the very best of heaven and earth [1 Cor. 3:21-22] be considered 'poor'; are they not the 'wealthy' ones, who own all things in Christ Jesus?" And, the answer to this question, is, "Yes, that is true; but this does not negate the fact that they are also the 'poor' of the earth, in the most profound sense of the word."
Here is why I would (and do) propose that the true saints of God, those who sincerely and with all their hearts love God in Jesus Christ, are the "poor" of the earth. . . . The reason is because they are, by far and away, the most vulnerable, despised, hated, loathed, envied, scorned and mistreated of all the people on earth. Someone might say, "I do not see that; I do not believe that. Do not Christians have it 'easy' in this world: especially in the historically 'Christianized' nations?" And my answer would be, that this is to have a far too superficial understanding of the supernatural Christian life, authentic Christianity (in general); and of the truth and reality of the real "Kingdom of God."
Think about it this way: what people are the objects of Satan's rage, hatred, and violent and vicious attacks? Answer: the people who love Jesus Christ with all their hearts. Who joins the devil in holding, adopting, and executing these same attitudes (toward those people who love God in Jesus Christ)? The unregenerate people of the world, (some more/some less; and it is granted that common grace stanches much of this violence). . . . Also, it is readily-asserted that all of us who are in Christ today used to be among those who hated the people of God (whether we realized this, or not), (cf. Eph. 2:3/Titus 3:3).
Also, look at it this way: who did Jesus Christ come to earth to save? If our answer is, "sinners"; this is correct. But what kind of sinners? What are these sinners made, by grace, in advance of their regenerations? Are they not sinners who are made broken, contrite, destitute (of their own righteousness); and who are utterly and completely "undone" in themselves?
One famous Old Testament text will serve to make this point. It is Isa. 61:1, which particularly applies to Jesus' ministry; and it says this: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound . . . " (ESV)
So, what I would like to suggest, is that the truly-called ministers of Christ's church, along with all the saints of His covenant community, are to minister first to the most-profoundly"poor" of the earth--and these people turn out to be others just like them: the "poor" of Christ's atoned-for "pasture," His church.
I believe that doing this, is to exactly match the perfect pattern of our glorious Redeemer Himself. It is my personal, professional, and pastoral conviction that true Christians are to be first committed to meeting the needs of these "poor," the saints of the church.
Someone might be troubled by all of this; and ask: "But should we not first be seeking the well-being and salvation of the poor, lost world?" And the answer to this query, is, "no"; and "yes." "No," in that the operative word is "first," (and this cream must go to God's church); but, "yes," in that, when we actually do this (and in this order), we will and do reach the world for Jesus. How do we know this? Because we love Him; and everyone who knows and loves God evangelizes the world, (whether he or she realizes it, or not).
I believe it is only in this way that the church can minister to the lost world effectively.
It is popular among some Christians today, to be very much about meeting the needs of conventionally poor people. (By "conventionally," I mean the people that the world in general considers "poor.") And this can be and probably is a very good desire--one that I suspect in many cases is generated by the Holy Spirit Himself. But, when this is the case, I am virtually certain, that these generously-spirited saints have already done everything in their power to first minister to the most-profoundly "poor," the churched saints who have been made new creatures in Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17).
I suppose a paper like this could be considered a little bit "out there"; or maybe even somewhat "hard-spirited," or just plain not in tune with what is going on in the world (generally), or in the broader church (specifically).
I grant that this may be thought; but I sincerely hope that this judgment would not be so easily given in to. My earnest desire is that all the truly poor people of the world have all their needs met in the Lord Jesus Christ, His gospel of free and marvelous grace, and His redeemed (and yet imperfect-in-its-members) church.
In closing, let us remember that the most supremely "rich" human being in the universe is the Person of the God/Man Jesus Christ our Lord. But immediately after His incarnation He, our Messiah, ventured on a life and death of the most pronounced "poverty" imaginable. Here are Paul's words, from Phil. 2:6-7: "[Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (ESV)
Rev. Mark J. Henninger
Treatise #5
7 February 2025
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