GPiper
May 4th 2004, 06:32 AM
Today life will place before you the age-old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Anyone who is familiar at all with the Bible already knows the answer is yes. However, life will also place before you a question that is much harder to answer, “Who among you are poor?”
The dictionary on my computer defines “poor” in 9 different ways; Moderate to inferior in quality; Deserving or inciting pity; Having little money or few possessions; Characterized by or indicating lack of money; Low in degree; Badly supplied with desirable qualities or substances; Not sufficient to meet a need; Unsatisfactory; Yielding little by great labor. Is it any wonder Jesus said, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me?”
By dictionary definition, to a greater or lesser degree we are all poor which is, at times very hard for us to think of ourselves as poor. It is hard for us to realize that someone with all the food they need, wearing fine clothes, living in comfortable to luxury homes, with very productive careers as poor! One of the paradox’s I’ve encountered on my life’s journey is that we are rich and poor at the same time!
Before Jesus became a big part of my life when I closed my eyes and formed an image of a poor person it was always someone starving, raggedy clothes, living in a cardboard box, and begging on a street corner. Now when I close my eyes and form an image of a poor person I see the reflection of myself. Jesus once said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 RSV) That for me is a constant reminder that I am poor.
“Jesus, I thank you for the blessings of food, the clothes I wear, my job, the roof over my head, and the other material blessings I’ve accumulated. I also thank you I am poor in spirit because my need for the kingdom of heaven far exceeds any of my other needs. Amen.”
One more thought you will not find, “Thou shalt not be poor,” in the Bible.
Grace and Peace,
Gary
The dictionary on my computer defines “poor” in 9 different ways; Moderate to inferior in quality; Deserving or inciting pity; Having little money or few possessions; Characterized by or indicating lack of money; Low in degree; Badly supplied with desirable qualities or substances; Not sufficient to meet a need; Unsatisfactory; Yielding little by great labor. Is it any wonder Jesus said, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me?”
By dictionary definition, to a greater or lesser degree we are all poor which is, at times very hard for us to think of ourselves as poor. It is hard for us to realize that someone with all the food they need, wearing fine clothes, living in comfortable to luxury homes, with very productive careers as poor! One of the paradox’s I’ve encountered on my life’s journey is that we are rich and poor at the same time!
Before Jesus became a big part of my life when I closed my eyes and formed an image of a poor person it was always someone starving, raggedy clothes, living in a cardboard box, and begging on a street corner. Now when I close my eyes and form an image of a poor person I see the reflection of myself. Jesus once said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 RSV) That for me is a constant reminder that I am poor.
“Jesus, I thank you for the blessings of food, the clothes I wear, my job, the roof over my head, and the other material blessings I’ve accumulated. I also thank you I am poor in spirit because my need for the kingdom of heaven far exceeds any of my other needs. Amen.”
One more thought you will not find, “Thou shalt not be poor,” in the Bible.
Grace and Peace,
Gary