Property and Poverty
It is common in today’s culture to equate Western style capitalism with Christianity. However, those who want to equate capitalism with Christianity often struggle to show that God endorses such economic policies.
In his best-selling book Rich Christians in an age of Hunger Ronald J. Sider contends that modern capitalist and materialistic philosophies are not synonymous with Biblical teaching. Sider’s task proves to be a fairly easy one as the Bible is full of passages that show God’s concern for the poor and His disdain for economic oppression.
Consider the following passages from the Old Testament:
“If you truly execute justice with one another, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless, the widow ... and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever.” (Jeremiah 7:5-7)
“The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless ... You hear, Oh Lord, the desire of the afflicted .... defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. (Psalm 10:14-18)
“You trample the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offences and how great your sins.” (Amos 5:11-12)
God’s heart for the poor is also clearly stated in the New Testament.
Jesus reads the following passage from Isaiah to describe his Gospel ministry “(t)he Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” (Luke 4:18)
Jesus specially blesses the poor during the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are you poor, for your is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20.
Concerning the rich, Jesus said “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24-25)
James the brother of Jesus writes “Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5)
The Bible goes beyond condemnation for the rich and encouragement of the poor. The Bible includes economic policies intended to uplift and sustain the poor.
In the Pentateuch, God establishes laws designed to check and limit the uneven distribution of wealth among the ancient Hebrews. The two most striking instances of God’s anti-poverty policies are found in Leviticus 25 and in Deuteronomy 15.
In Leviticus 25, God sets out the requirements for the Year of Jubilee. Under this mandate one out of every 50 years is consecrated as the Year of Jubilee. During the Year of Jubilee liberty is proclaimed across the land, slaves are freed, and land is returned to all original owners who are too poor to redeem their land.
In Deuteronomy 15, God provides that all debts are to be cancelled every seven years. The influence of this provision can be seen modern bankruptcy codes which only permit individuals to file for bankruptcy once every seven years.
As a future advocates you must be ever mindful of your obligation not to oppress the poor and not to be ruled by a desire for wealth. The following passage from Proverbs is particularly noteworthy for future advocates: “Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their cause and will plunder those who plunder them.” (Proverbs 22:22)
Advocates will face situations where they represent clients that can afford the services of a lawyer against people who can only afford to represent themselves. As Christians we cannot be party to the abuse of the poor and the disadvantaged. We must always seek justice in all contexts.
Being an Advocate in an age of poverty presents great challenges. By turning to God’s word you will be armed with right instruction to guide you in facing these challenges.
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