Luke's Gospel and The Poor, By Tim Hurst

It seems to me that we as American society, Christians and non-Christians alike, struggle with how we view the poor around us.  Poor people in America have taken on a negative connotation among many of us - we often view them with fear, disdain, and apathy.  We can fear them because they are different; perhaps they are of a different race or of a different background than ourselves.  We can look down upon them with disdain because we feel that they've brought their condition upon themselves, haven't taken the proper steps to improve their condition, and as a result we may feel they're bringing pain upon our society.  And frankly, many of us do have a kind heart towards the poor but choose not to get involved because it's too ugly or too depressing.

Luke's Gospel deals with the poor more than any other Gospel, and they are a focal point of his writing.  The following are a few major messages which strike me as I study Luke's text regarding the poor:

Jesus came into the world poor.  Though many expected a wealthy king, Jesus was born the son of a carpenter, into a poor family.  Furthermore, rather than seeking wealth and fortune, he conducted his entire ministry as that of a poor man.

The poor are blessed.  Luke recounts Jesus' blessing of the poor in his recreation of the Sermon on the Mount.  The poor are blessed in their simplicity - it is easy for the poor to serve Jesus because their life is simple and void of the barriers we often face.  Their blessing is that they have a great reward awaiting them in heaven.

Jesus calls us to serve the poor.  The bulk of Jesus' ministry centered around serving those less fortunate.  In Luke, He proclaims His mission as bringing good news to the poor.  He calls us to invite the poor into our houses, to feed and to clothe them.  And in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, He lays out significant consequences for those who choose to ignore this calling.

Reading Luke's Gospel, it becomes obvious that Jesus has a deep passion for the poor.  He not only sides with them, but He also puts Himself in their place.  As Christians in America, Jesus calls us to throw aside our feelings towards the poor and simply serve Him by  loving and caring for the poor.  We also must carry with us a "poor" spirit - though we may not be outwardly poor, our decision to follow Christ should be simple and we should be ready to drop everything to follow His call!