In the gospels, Jesus makes a rather sobering observation. "The poor will always be among you." (Matthew 26:11). Politicians, even Christians, are fond of quoting Jesus to push back against those concerned for the plight of the poor. The attitude is that, "Since there will always be poverty (and even Jesus said so) why try to eliminate it? Why fight it? The war on poverty is a hopeless cause." But is that true?
The past few weeks we've been studying the story of Ruth and Naomi. Naomi was a mother who... because of a severe famine in Bethlehem... left everything that was familiar to her, and migrated in a foreign land, known to be hostile to her own people. Her misfortune continued when, at a young age, her husband dies, and she finds herself widowed, as a single mom, left to raise two sons all alone, as a foreigner, as an immigrant, in a country called Moab. She raises her two sons, counting on their health and strength to secure her future. Her sons marry Moabite women (foreigners). She begins praying for kids and grandkids. But within a short time Naomi's two sons die!
I'm intrigued by the story of Ruth & Naomi, because it proves that poverty is neither God's will, nor anything we have to accept. You may not realize it, but when Jesus said, "the poor will always be among you" he was quoting Deuteronomy 15:11 which says, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your hand."
The reality of poverty isn't a license for us to shrug our shoulders. Rather, it's a call to be generous. Consider two others verses in Deuteronomy 15. Deut. 15:7 says, "If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard hearted or tightfisted toward them." Deut. 15:4 says, "there need be no poor among you, [because] in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you!"
God has abundantly blessed us... and there is so much overflow... there isn't any practical reason the poor should suffer. There is plenty of grain to feed every mouth. There is plenty of water, clothing, shelter. If poverty persists, it has nothing to do with God's character, will, or generosity. No, the problem lay with our approach to poverty.
This morning I want to explore four reasons poverty persists, and explore some practical things we can do, to eliminate (yes, eliminate) poverty.
Poverty persists because of a lack of personal initiative & responsibility.
Naomi made hard choices. When a severe famine hit Bethlehem. When her husband died. When her two sons died. Ruth, Naomi's daughter-in-law, also made hard choices. Should she cling to Naomi, or abandon her. Life is filled with hard choices. And for every choice there are very real consequences (positive or negative). Not everyone, but a lot of people plummet into poverty because of bad choices.
One of the most important choices we can make it to take personal responsibility for our situation. Naomi was initially bitter toward God, but give her credit, she came up with a plan. When Naomi and Ruth got to Bethlehem, Ruth found a field, and by the sweat of her brow, gleaned behind the harvesters, picking up any grain they left behind. She was a hard worker, only taking a brief rest, from sundown to sunset. Her hard work engendered the admiration, respect, and generosity of the other workers in the field, including the foreman, and the owner of the field. Ruth was humble. She was grateful. She was a realist. And I'll tell you what she wasn't... entitled.
A while back a verse in Galatians 6:7 really got my attention. It says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." We can try to defy reality all we want. But the reality is a person reaps what they sow. If a person will not work, they will not reap, they will not eat. Public aid is not a career. Social Security, Disability is not a career. I will speak the truth to you. I meet countless people who are doing everything in their power to get on disability. Young people... physically healthy people... are reaching to make every possible excuse and justification for not working. They shop for doctors, psychologists, and lawyers to do their bidding. It's epidemic.
To fight poverty, we have to be crystal clear about these things. Nobody can continually defy the law of God and prosper. In Ephesians 4:28 Bible says, "Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need." In 2 Thessalonians 3:10 Paul issued a rule to the church, "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." The Bible is perfectly consistent OT, NT on this stuff. Even in 1 Timothy 5, were commanded to show tremendous discretion over which widows might help! With some widows are bringing judgment on themselves by being idle!
We should never do anything that diminishes personal initiative and personal responsibility. A person has to be a working part of their own solution. God created us to work, and not just to provide for ourselves, but to have enough to share! And this is Ruth. Working hard, so hard, to provide for her own needs plus that of Naomi!
Poverty persists because of a lack of community empowerment.
Here is another hard truth. Some people are willing to take initiative, and personal responsibility. But sometimes they find themselves in double poverty. Double poverty is when you are poor, and everyone you know, is also poor. Everyone in your family. Everyone in your neighborhood and community. Poverty can be heavily concentrated in entire communities, effectively isolating people from networks where opportunity might exist. This is why a young mother might board on Amtrack with her babies and head south out of Chicago, hoping end up anywhere she might be able to make a living. Sometimes it's the community itself that's impoverished.
What we don't realize is that the Church itself is to be an empowering community. Israel, was called to be an empowering community. What I mean is that God has so generously provided for our needs, that we should have no trouble as the people of God, providing empowering opportunities for the poor. An empowering opportunity doesn't mean the church should be a Cash Dispenser paying everyone's bills in the community. No, we should be fostering opportunities that fosters a person's independence and stability.
In the story of Ruth, the community of God had a simple system. When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town learned about their story. And they had a plan. As you harvest your grain, leave some behind, and give these ladies an opportunity to work/provide for their own needs. Let's make sure no men harm these women. Let's make sure the other women, and workers, are gracious and hospitable to them. Let's make sure they have water, shelter, and a hopeful path forward.
You see, God has in mind that WE would be a working part of the solution too. Not just a person working for their own good, but God's people creatively, generously, providing help as well. Yes, it means giving. Every fifth Sunday we take up a special collection that helps the poor. If God has blessed you, give generously! But one of the greatest ways you can help is by giving people opportunities. Maybe you have temporary work. Maybe you can employee a person, or network them to opportunity. Maybe you can teach person job skills, give special training, mentor person in need.
Poverty persists because of a lack of family stability.
Nobody will say this, but the leading cause of poverty is the instability of families. In the story of Naomi and Ruth, the moment her son's die, Naomi instinctively prays a very specific prayer for her daughter-in-laws. She prayed, "May the Lord grant that each of you find rest in the home of another husband." (Ruth 1:9). Furthermore, when her daughter-in-laws contemplate clinging to her, Naomi warns them how bitter their lives would become if they didn't settle into new families (Ruth 1:11-13).
Naomi's greatest gift to Ruth was helping her resolve her marriage to Boaz. Here was a good, Godly man who'd taken notice of Ruth, was showing her favor, providing for her, and making sure no one harm her in any way. Still, Naomi made sure that Ruth explore any intentions Boaz had, and that she express her interest in him according to the customs of Hebrew culture. In the story, Boaz is older, and Ruth much younger, and he is surprised to see Ruth's interest in him. Boaz finds himself in a position where he can take advantage of Ruth, but as a man of integrity, he conducts himself with absolute integrity, truly looking out for the very best interests of Ruth and Naomi, honoring God in every way. Not only do they marry, but Ruth finds rest/stability in her marriage to Boaz! He's the kind of stable man build life around.
Marriage for marriage's sake isn't the cure of poverty. Just because you find a man, doesn't mean you'll find rest. So many men become the source of tremendous chaos and fear and instability for women these days. They say all the right things, and seem to send all the right signals, but once they get their prize, they abandon their responsibilities. They make no covenant. They pay no bills. They change no diapers. And then they're off. Some of these moms have 2-3-4 baby daddies, and not a single one around when their getting thrown out on the street for not having rent.
A major concern of Paul in 1 Timothy 5, is that young women not let their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ. It's that they not be so overcome by their needs, they desperately reach for just any relationships. No Paul instructs them to marry well, to have children, to manage their homes well, to not give the enemy an opportunity to slander them, to work hard.
To fight poverty we have to fortify families--helping young men become godly men, helping young ladies make wise choices about the kind of men they choose build life around. This was Naomi's gift to Ruth--to help her see kind of man Boaz was and find rest/stability that comes through a godly marriage. No fear. No chaos.
Poverty persists because of a lack of faith in God, our Redeemer.
When life seems unjust, we suppose God is unjust. Naomi supposed the Lord's hand was against her (Ruth 1:13). Naomi supposed God was the source of her pain and the very culprit to all her afflictions (Ruth 1:20-21). Ruth didn't know any better, she supposed that God would deal with her "ever so severely" if she didn't help her mother in law (Ruth 1:17).
What they both learned is that LORD wasn't against them at all. That the LORD was showing them kindness and favor. That the LORD was repaying Ruth, richly rewarding her for all that she'd done. Ruth and Naomi were learning that the Lord doesn't deal with us ever so severely, but ever so graciously!
You see God cannot be mocked, and neither should we be deceived. We reap what we sow. And the one who sows in righteousness, to please the Lord, is richly rewarded. As surely as the LORD is God, he will keep his word.
What is the cure for poverty?
(1) Personal initiative and responsibility. (2) A generous, empowering Church, that propels the poor forward with opportunity. (3) Godly, stable, restful marriages where husband and wife covenant to share the full load, and to be faithful to one another. (4) Deeper faith in the utter goodness and greatness of our God. He doesn't repay us as we deserve, but is slow to anger, abounding in love, gracious and compassionate, relents from sending calamity. He is God who redeems those who love him, trust him, obey.