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. Matthew 11:5
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” Luke 4:18
Looking at His disciples, He said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20
“In only three New Testament texts (Matthew 11:5 = Luke 7:22; Luke 4:18; and Luke 6:20) is the meaning of ptōchos in dispute. These are the texts in which Jesus announces ‘the privilege of the poor’. The ‘poor’ have the ‘good news’ preached to them (Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18), for the Kingdom of God is theirs (Luke 6:20).
How then are we to understand these ptōchoî, the privileged beneficiaries of Jesus’ preaching to whom the Kingdom of God is exclusively promised? Are they spiritually poor whose religious attitude of openness and trust disposes them to receive God’s love? Or are they the sociologically poor whose situation of social deprivation invites God’s saving action on their behalf?
Western exegesis, part of the immense ideological production of an affluent and intensely acquisitive society built on principles diametrically opposed to those of Jesus has tended to the first option, and has tried systematically to spiritualize the gospel understanding of the poor…
This tendency to spiritualize the poor of the Beatitudes which cuts across all denominational differences and brings together exegetes who would otherwise agree on scarcely anything else, is a good indication of the extent to which exegetical trends are in fact determined by the spirit of the times…
There may indeed still be scholars who would like to understand the poor of the New Testament, specifically those to whom Jesus promised the Kingdom, as the spiritually poor. But there is a growing consensus today that in the New Testament, even more than the Old, the word ‘poor’ is a sociological category in the three good-news-to-the-poor texts mentioned above.”
George M. Soares-Prabhu in “Class in the Bible: The Biblical Poor as a Social Class?” in Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World, ed. R.S. Sugirtharajah (Maryknoll: Orbis, 2006) 155-156.
Reading scholars from India and Asia really helps me understand how people in this context read the Scriptures. And I am learning new things from them. Consider for example, today’s meditation linked to these three Scriptures.
If you read the whole chapter (I am reading an online version in internet library to which I have access), Soares-Prabhu explains the use of this language in the OT points to the sociologically poor.
And, he also shines light on the bias of most scholars who tend to come from the Western setting and who tend to spiritualize these NT texts. In so doing, I think he’s right that though we may all agree, we miss the point.
In places with poverty, God hears the cries of the poor. He wants us, His people to minister to them. Think: Mother Teresa turning brokenness to blessing among the poorest of poor in the gutters of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India.
And consider with me the connection between sociological poverty and trusting God. Soares-Prabhu explains in his piece that the sociologically rich tend to hold on to and trust in money to care for them and meet their needs.
I (wrongly!) did this for years. People called it good stewardship. Yet, it requires no faith to stockpile wealth for yourself. Jesus calls it foolish because our heart always follows the money and reveals our misplaced trust.
Soares-Prabhu continues that the sociologically poor have no wealth to give them comfort or in which to place (or misplace!) their trust. So they cry out to God. And He’s there for them. He hears them.
Consider where you fit in the story. Are you sociologically rich or sociologically poor? Are you spiritually rich or spiritually poor? Be honest with yourself. Your eternal destiny may depend on it. Material blessings always come with a test.
They can turn us corrupt or allow us to serve as conduits of blessing. But most Americans try to have their cake and eat it to. They think you can be materially rich and spiritually rich.
They point to Abraham or other biblical patriarchs. In response, I always remind them that such people amassed wealth, but it was always for a purpose, to not stay with them but to be enjoyed and shared by those around them.
And being in India brings to mind the famous saying from Thornton Wilder: ““Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.”
I say that because often in India we see cows walking around or manure in the streets. Rather than taint my attitude, I am saying the quote to myself. We need to spread around the resources God gives us to help things grow.
If you have resources, spread them around. At GTP we will steward them to serve the sociologically rich (urging them to grow as conduits of blessing) the sociologically poor (teaching them to use faithfully whatever they have), the spiritually rich (strengthening their faith) and the spiritually poor (helping them grow in their grasp of accountability and generosity).
And consider GTP in your giving today. We still need $15,416 by 30 June 2024 to meet budget (and cover the cost of this trip) and we need about 50 more givers (of any size) to position us to apply for another major grant to add two staff. Give here today.
On Friday morning, Anand Joshua and I fly from Hyderabad (pictured above) to Delhi for high level strategic meetings regarding the future of peer accountability in India. And it will be hot there: 110°F / 43°C. Pray for us.