Relationship with the Poor
What can we do?
  
How do the images above make you feel? Do you feel upset? compassion? Maybe you feel annoyed or angry? Maybe you feel nothing?
What if I add to these pictures the fact that 52% of the world live on less than £1 per day, or that a child dies every 15 seconds from water-related diseases, or that there are 380,000 homeless people in Britain?
If you were to cut out all the verses in the Bible related to the poor or issues of justice and poverty, then your Bible would literally fall apart. But why is it we do very little about it? Maybe we're tired of such images or feelings? Maybe we're overwhelmed by such statistics? Or maybe we've forgotten just how important such things are to God? We get consumed with dealing with our issues, our sin, our suffering, that we forget that deep within God's heart lies a bigger concern.
At the last Bridge we focused on the story of the Good Samaritan as a helpful response for us today (please listen to the talk again on the Listen page), but let me just throw out 2 things to remember from the Bible that help us to respond to the needs of our world:
1. God has a special place in his heart for the poor:
“The LORD raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” – Psalm 113:7
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed” – Luke 4:18
Jesus felt compassion (meaning 'to suffer with') whenever he saw someone in need, showing again God's special compassion for those suffering.
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” – Matthew 14:14
2. We have a special job to care and provide for the poor:
God has given US the special task of doing all we can, sacrificing our time and money, in order to provide for these people. Sadly we have just provided for US instead...
“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” – James 2:2-4
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." – Matthew 25
The Challenge
For many of you the time is coming up when you have to start thinking about your future. What will you do with your life? What job will you get? Whatever it is, don't let it be one that neglects the poor and needy. Whether you make lots of money, do it in order to stop poverty and bring relief, or whether you get a job that involves caring, do it seeing Jesus' face in the poor you serve. In your lives, make a difference... not by pleasing rich and important people or getting 'Big', but by lowering yourself to the poor and needy, cos that's where God is found most clearly...in the faces of those who have nothing else but a God of compassion to hold on to.
But the challenge is...don't just wait till then...start now!
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