If you study the bible for any length of time,
you come to see an interesting thing.
God does not treat everyone equally.
He actually gives preference to the poor.
God takes the side of the poor,
throughout the Bible.
Any theologian can tell you that
God has a definite bias toward the poor.
You see scriptures like Pr 19:17Pr 19:17
English: World English Bible - WEB
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh;
He will reward him. NLT
If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD — and he will repay you!
Pr 14:31Pr 14:31
English: World English Bible - WEB
31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker,
But he who is kind to the needy honors him. TLB
Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God
Pr 21:13Pr 21:13
English: World English Bible - WEB
13 Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor,
He will also cry out, but shall not be heard. NLT
Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.
There are 2,000re 2,000
English: World English Bible - WEB
Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se za?ne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja! verses of Scripture that call upon us to respond to the needs of the poor.
This is at the core of the Christian faith.
Let me read you another one.
1 John 3:171 John 3:17
English: World English Bible - WEB
17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? NIV
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
The answer is, it can’t.
What this is saying is,
If you have no compassion for the poor,
you’re really not a Christian,
because the love of God is not in you,
Or if you are a Christian,
then at the very least,
you have hardened your heart toward God
in this area.
Because God tells us 2,000 times in the Bible
how a Christian reacts to the poor.
A Christian has compassion,
and helps them.
In fact, just based on what the bible tells us,
this is one of the key ways
you should be able to tell who’s a real Christian.
Do they help the poor?
When I talk about helping the poor, people often get the idea that this is a painful, agonizing sacrifice.
Let me ask you, “How do you think Mother Teresa got up in the morning?
Do you think she kind of dragged herself out of bed and said, “Well, here we go again, another lousy day on the streets of Calcutta.
I’ve gotta meet the needs of the poor again,
man I hate Mondays,
I wish I could sleep in.”
No. I don’t think so.
She jumped out of bed with excitement and enthusiasm. 
Those who knew her talked about the bubbling joy that radiated from within her.
Why was she so joyful?
Because she knew she was ministering to Jesus all day long,
because, Jesus comes himself to us through people who are in need.
And as we minister to them, the joy of Jesus comes into us and energizes us.
Jesus does not come to you through your checkbook.
Yes its good to support the poor financially.
You should do that.
But Jesus does not say,
For I was hungry and thirsty and you wrote a check to the Red Cross,
I was a stranger and you said, oh my taxes are paying for that homeless shelter, I needed clothes and you gave a couple bags of clothes to Goodwill,
I was sick and you sent a check to the American Cancer Society,
I was in prison and you sent money to Prison Fellowship.’
No, that is not what Jesus said.
If you do that, and effectively shelter yourself behind your checkbook,
and you never come in contact with the poor,
then you never get a chance to serve Jesus
when he comes to you in the poor.
So that response, of only writing a check, doesn’t cut it.
You know, It’s not enough, to just say you care.
It’s not just enough to say, “Oh, that’s so sad, to see people suffering. I really feel sympathy. I’ll pray for those poor people.”
Jesus says,
That is not enough,
go do something about it.
Jesus says,
I have to put feet to my feelings.
Notice what the Bible says, 1 John 3:181 John 3:18
English: World English Bible - WEB
18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. TLB
Let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.
Real love acts.
You say, “Oh, I’m a compassionate person.” Oh really? Prove it. What are you doing to help suffering people?
The Bible is so blunt, in your face about this whole area.
James 2:15James 2:15
English: World English Bible - WEB
15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, NLT
Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well” — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
The answer is nothing.
It does no good.
You’ve got to take action.
You’ve probably experienced this –
you’re in the airport,
walking down a narrow concourse, shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of people – you hear the beeping of the on-coming golf cart.
and all of the sudden, you’ve got to make a choice.
Are you going to dive off to the right side or dive off to the left side, because this things coming through. And you’ve gotta make a choice,
or you’re going to get run down.
That’s sort of what Jesus does, In the scriptures we read,
He says, hey you’ve gotta make a choice.
What’s it going to be, sheep or goat.
Remember he puts all the sheep on his right,
and the goats on the left.
He says,
You’ve gotta jump one way or the other.
Make your choice,
because I’m coming through on the golf cart,
and you’re going to get run down.
So choose.
Sheep or goat.
He says,
You’re going to have to make a decision because we’re talking about opposing world and life views.
Jesus says here’s how the Kingdom of God operates and here’s how the kingdom on earth operates. Here’s the values from My Father, here’s the values from the world.”
And so Jesus, like that golf cart comes at you
and makes you choose, which side you’re going to wind up on.
And how does he divide the sheep from goats?
Based on how you treat the hungry,
thirsty,
homeless,
naked,
sick,
and in prison.
So Jesus is in the golf cart and He is asking you the question: Sheep or goat?
How are you going to treat the poor and oppressed and suffering?
Let me ask you,
based on your activities of the past month,
are you a sheep or a goat?
How much time did you invest in helping the needy
last month?
It doesn’t have to be huge things,
it just needs to be something.
Matthew 10:42Matthew 10:42
English: World English Bible - WEB
42 Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most assuredly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.” NASU
Jesus says Whoever … gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”