The Bible explicitly calls us to help those who are economically disadvantaged.

Putting a Face on “The Poor”

“The poor” in the Bible are those without land or without the economic, legal, and political resources to be self-sustaining households. The poor are a diverse group of the disenfranchised: subsistence farmers, day workers, indentured slaves, beggars, widows, prostitutes, the chronically infirm, and resident aliens (Exodus 22:21; 23:9; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; 24:17-22; Leviticus 19:33-34).  

Calls to Help the Poor

Giving material assistance to the poor is a central ethical principle in the Bible, which applies to both individuals and communities. Israel’s constitution (the Torah) establishes a social safety net for the poor: wealth and food should be redistributed (gleaning: Deuteronomy 23:24-25; 24:19-20; Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22; third-year tithes: Deuteronomy 14:22-29; 26:12-15); debts should be relieved on a routine basis (Sabbath year: Leviticus 25:1-7, 21-22; Exodus 21:1-11; Deuteronomy 15:1-11, 12-18); the working conditions of day laborers should be regulated (wages: Deuteronomy 24:14-15; Leviticus 19:13; rest: Sabbath day: Exodus 20:8-11; Sabbath and Jubilee years: Exodus 23:10-11); financial requirements for sacrifices and legal obligations should be on a sliding scale (sacrifices: Leviticus 5:7, 11; 12:8; 14:21-22; criminal fines: Exodus 22:2; Leviticus 27:8); and finally, legal justice should be impartial to the wealthy and the poor (Leviticus 19:5; Exodus 23:3) as well as the Israelite and the alien (Numbers 15:15).

Israel’s prophets frequently spoke out on behalf of the poor. They explicitly called both rulers and citizens to uphold the cause of the poor and needy (Jeremiah 22:16; cf. Zecheriah 7:10) and to “see that justice is done, defend widows and orphans and help those in need ” (Isaiah 1:17, CEV). All of Israel was called to “see that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God” (Micah 6:8, CEV; cf. Amos 5:24) precisely because it is God who will ultimately champion the cause of the poor (Isaiah 11:4; 25:4; 29:19; 58:6-7; 61:1-2; Jeremiah 20:13; Habakkuk 3:14; Zephaniah 3:12). 

Jesus offered explicit instructions on what his disciples should do with the possessions they renounced to follow him: sell them and give alms to the poor (Luke 12:32-34; Mark 10:21; cf. Luke 11:41; Matthew 5:40-42; 6:1-4; Luke 6:29-30; 10:25-37; 19:1-10; and possibly Mark 12:41-44). Providing for the material well-being of the economically disadvantaged, no matter their allegiance to Jesus, represents a central practice of those who themselves hunger and thirst for the righteousness that characterizes the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims.

Paul reminds his congregation that Jesus himself modeled generous giving because “our Lord Jesus Christ was kind enough to give up all his riches and become poor, so that you could become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9, CEV).

Critiquing Economic Exploitation and Excessive Faith in Possessions

Many biblical texts speak out against the exploitation of the impoverished by the wealthy and powerful, and critique the idolatry of placing one’s trust in material possessions instead of God.

Surveying situations of economic injustice not unlike those of today (Jeremiah 2:34; Ezekiel 16:49; 18:12; 22:29; Amos 4:1), outspoken prophets decried specific abuses: urban traders buying up the land of poor peasants in violation of property inheritance laws (Micah 2:2); merchants getting rich by business practices that defraud the poor (Hosea 12:7-8; Amos 5:11-12; 8:5-6; cf. Ezekiel 45:10-12); creditors unethically foreclosing on debts (Amos 2:6-8); employers denying workers their pay (Malachi 3:5); citizens refusing to pay the tithes that support the needy (Malachi 3:10); creditors failing to observe Sabbath years that protect indentured slaves (Jeremiah 34:8-22); and wealthy citizens miscarrying justice and stealing the property of the poor (Isaiah 3:14-15; 10:1-2; 32:7; Jeremiah 5:27-28; Amos 5:12; Micah 7:3).
 
Jesus frequently criticizes the injustices perpetrated against the poor by the wealthy elite preoccupied with their own security and desire for profit. He berates those who exploit the resources of widows (Mark 12:38-40; cf. Luke 3:10-14; Isaiah 10:1-2; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5) and condemns religious leaders who steal from the people (Mark 11:15-17; cf. Jeremiah 7:8-11). Similarly, he expresses outrage at those who cold-heartedly ignore their obligations to those in need (Mark 3:1-6; 7:9-13; Luke 11:37-42; 14:1-6; cf. Luke 16:4, 19-31). Like the prophets, he also decries both those who are over-anxious about their wealth (Mark 4:18-19; Matthew 6:24, 27, 33) and those who are overconfident about their financial security (Luke 6:24; 12:13-21), even though he also approves of the shrewd use of money to help the poor (Luke 16:9) and sometimes enjoys the luxurious banquets of the wealthy, but usually as an opportunity to question their assumptions about how a person’s socioeconomic status among people relates to their spiritual status before God (Luke 7:36-50; 11:37-54; 14:7-11, 15-24).