Pondering the Proverbs: Remembering the Poor

Proverb of the Week:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. (30:8-9)


Speak up and Remember...the Poor
They come to us in singles and pairs, holding signs or pushing carts. They come without showering, hungry, jobless, hopeless, and abandoned. They come in their campers, with a few belongings scattered about them. With lawn chairs to sit in and a few cans of beans to open. They come confused at times, not sure what to do or where to turn. They come willing to work, but with no one willing to risk their labor. They come wanting.

They are the poor.

In this recession, the town of Columbus and likewise the city of Billings has seen its own influx of poor. On many a corner and many a street, they sit, holding their small cardboard signs. They camp out by the river in their campers, anxious for even a minimum wage job to establish themselves again. They come without rich relatives and friends to take them in, without even shoes to cover their feet. Anxious for even a warm place to stay for the night.

They are the poor.

Today it's become harder to ignore their presence. We use to be able to look away or turn our head. We use to be able to avoid them. But today we cannot. Today they stand in our way on the streets, as we drive into our stores, and do our business. Today we mustn’t ignore them anymore...but address their presence here and now. And the question is: How?

The book of Proverbs has quite a bit to say about the state of the poor and our response to them. In more than one place, Proverbs councils us to remember the poor, to reach out to the needy, and to address their concerns.

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. (28:27)
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. (22:22-23)
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. (21:13)

Do you notice something about these proverbs? They’re really just the Golden Rule! Only they apply to us...and how we treat a specific group of people...the poor. How we treat them...is how we in turn are treated. The “do to others as you would have them do to you” Golden Rule applies especially to those in poverty. How we respond to their needs is how others, and God, will respond to ours.

So... how do we treat them? Not good...I’d say if conversations with fellow Christians is any indication. For there are many faithful believers in Christ, us included perhaps, who would rather avoid the poor than address them. They excuse their behavior by saying they all have a mental illness or they complain about their laziness. “If only they’d get off the streets and find a job...”they say. “Why don’t they work for a living!” They wonder aloud why their own relatives don’t take care of them more. They’ll moan, and groan, and complain and do nothing for the poor on their way to their next warm vacation spot.

This is not good! Not good at all!

We might try to excuse our behavior. After all, today there are just so many poor people around us. On every street corner they sit with their little signs. You help one, and two or three others take their place. It seems hopeless at times! There’s no easy answers. In our town, we are bombarded with transients. People who, for one reason or another, travel the freeway from Seattle to Minneapolis and back. And they always stop here! Sometimes we get repeat customers. Most times they’re just here one day. They’ll always promise something, always be a part of your church, and always be extremely grateful when you offer whatever help you can. But they’ll always be back. And they’ll always be more.

Still, though the poor have always been with us, and will always be with us, the poor are very important in our relationship with God! In fact, Christ tells us how we treat the poorest people among us is how we’ve treated HIM! If we’ve called them mentally ill...we’ve called Christ that too! If we’ve refused to help them...we’ve refused to help Christ! And though the task itself is too large for one person, for one family, to overcome, still we are called to wrestle with it.

The Bible holds the poor in high regard. And though we may not physically be able to help every single poor person that passes our way(though we are commanded to by Jesus who tells us: “Give to everyone who asks you.”(Luke 6:30), we can do something. We can speak out for them. We can defend them against their oppressors. We can step off of the sidelines and address the situation face to face! We can stand up to them against politicians and even fellow Christians who would demean and degrade them. We can call each other on our ignorance and demand more respect for the least respected in our world.

And we can do that anywhere! When we’re lounging on the beach, we can remember the poor in Columbus, Montana. When we’re vacationing at Disneyland or Sea World or wherever our fancies take us, we can say a prayer remembering the poor as we enjoy what they cannot. When we give our gifts to God we can remember the poor, for God is on their side and when justice comes, it will come favoring them. We can work to better their lives. We can elect politicians who remember them. We can think about what their needs are in the community. We can do something. Even a small something. Which is more than just doing nothing. We can stand up with the poor and find our blessing from God there. “Blessed are the poor...” Jesus says. “...for theirs is the kingdom of God.” May we find our blessing with the least, the little, and the lost. For Jesus sake! Amen.

Questions to Answer
1) Think about the state of the poor in your community. Has their situation improved since the recession? Or worsened?

2) Give an example of how you have remembered the poor? And an example of how you have forgotten and overlooked them.

3) God doesn’t ask us to solve the problems of the world. Only to join him in his struggle. What tangible steps can you take in addressing the state of the poor in your community?

A Prayer To Pray
Heavenly Father, your heart goes out to the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. May our heart follow yours. Help us to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves. Forgive us for our selfishness and stubborn pride. May we see your presence in the least of them, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.