While on the subject of evaluating the messages being preaching amongst the Christian church, I cannot help by mention and critique a prevalent thought making its rounds through Christian media and print. It seems that everywhere you go you hear words such as "compassion," "justice," and the like. Sadly, the reasoning behind this movement is not as pure or as biblical as they are currently being communicated.
Quite simply, being poor and needy does inherently make you closer to God or more valuable in His sight. We must not allow the hidden message of the “Social Justice” to prevail that somehow God always sides with the poor (See also “Liberation Theology”). Yes, God does command a love and justice towards the poor, but this is not favoritism, it is mercy. We are directed to care for the poor and needy because this is the posture of God towards all humanity. Every one of us is spiritually depraved and incapable of saving ourselves; we need the mercy of another. By caring for the hurting, we demonstrate the mercy of God towards humanity and encourage an attitude of gratitude inside of us towards God.
Please care for the sick and poor, but do not equate their suffering with inherent righteousness. The only reason why the poor were more quickly to receive the message and ministry of God was that they KNEW they needed help. It was not because they were poor or sick. The religious, on the other hand, largely ignored the Gospel and suffered rebuke, not because they may have been wealthy or middle-class, but solely because they felt that they were either entitled to God’s favor or did not need His assistance.
We are all poor, and we are all called to model the ministry of God. No one is better, or more inclined, to the favor of God.
