The Bible and concern for the poor
The Old Testament
The Old Testament says God wants people to care for the poor and treat them with justice. Loving God involves keeping God’s commandments. Christians should respond by caring for each other, especially those in need.
There will always be some people who a poor and in need, and so I command you to be generous to them. Deuteronomy 15:11
New Testament
Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are:
“Love the lord your God with all your heart and with your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength… love your neighbour as yourself.” Mark 12:30-31
Jesus told the parable of The Final Judgement (the parable of the Sheet and the Goats):
At the final judgement, God will say to the people he wants in Heaven: “come into my kingdom… I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and gave me drink… When you did this for the least of my brothers, you did it for me.”
Matt 25:35-40
Jesus reached out to the poor, blind, diseased, oppressed, unwanted and unloved. He did not just ignore them and pray about the situation – he did something. If Jesus did this, Christians should do the same.
When there was a famine in Judea, the disciples' response was immediate: So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. Acts 11;2
