Jesus Helping the Poor – Did Jesus See Helping the Poor as Important?
Jesus helping the poor is something we see mentioned numerous times in the Bible. Jesus Himself lived as a poor man—He didn’t have a home or a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). His followers were financially poor as well, having given up everything to follow Him. They placed their full trust in Jesus to provide whatever they needed.
Let’s look at some prime examples of when Jesus spoke of the poor:
Jesus brought Good News to the poor.
In speaking to John the Baptist’s disciples, Jesus answered their question about whether He is the Messiah:
“Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” – Matthew 11:4-6
Jesus said the poor and outcasts are invited into the kingdom of heaven.
He used the illustration of a banquet, telling the host that he should invite those who cannot repay him. Jesus said,
“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” – Luke 14:12-14
Jesus describes the temporary nature of wealth.
He showed this in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). In the parable, the rich man enjoyed great luxuries, but he spent eternity in hell. The other person in the story, Lazarus, suffered through extreme poverty on earth but was comforted in heaven forever.
Jesus left His throne in heaven to take on a lowly form as a poor man.
It is important to remember that Jesus is a wonderful example of sacrifice. He left His throne in heaven to take on a lowly form as a poor man. Paul summed it up nicely:
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:9