God Loves Poor People

                That’s what I thought. It wouldn’t seem right for God to cater to the wealthy, would it? If he only noticed you when you reached a certain tax bracket, had the loans paid off, and could retire at 50, he wouldn’t seem like a likeable God. But what seems so obvious is not so obvious when you’re broke. 

                Are you broke yet? Our economy has collapsed like a house in Haiti and, for many of us, life has changed. A little-known Bible passage says, “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” Has your nest egg hatched and sprouted wings yet? The Wisconsin State Journal just reported 43.6 million Americans are now living in poverty. That’s the entire population of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota combined! 50.7 million people don’t have health insurance—add Nebraska, Montana, and Missouri to the list. Msn.com’s “Money” page says personal bankruptcies have doubled in the last decade. The average household carries $8,000 in credit card debt. 

And those sad numbers have sad faces. Your teenage neighbor can’t find a summer job. Your house has been on the market for over a year. Your dad pushes his retirement back…again. Intelligent college grads wear out their hands typing resumes that never work out. Parents work way too much to be good parents to their kids. The economy has messed with our lives.

                And it’s messed with our faith, too. While we all raise our hands and vote, “God’s love has nothing to do with our income,” I wonder if we really believe that. Here’s what I’ve seen: Our currency is stamped with the phrase “In God We Trust” and it’s a little easier to do that when you’re reading it off a one hundred dollar bill. But when your last George Washington is gone and you owe the next 600 to your landlord, your “trust fund in God” can go broke.

                One man wonders, “I try to put God first in life and I still lost my job. Why would he make my family suffer through this?” Another complains, “I’ve prayed hundreds of times for financial help and I have nothing. Does God even listen anymore?” One father decides, “I need to work more. I’ll pray and worship and serve and give and lead my family spiritually when the bills are finally paid. Since God isn’t going to do it, I guess I’ll have to.” Sometimes what we never would have believed when we were rich, we start to question when we’re broke. We start to believe the lie that when God loves, he gives money. And if we don’t have money, he must have stopped loving. 500 years ago, a church leader named Martin Luther noted the same problem. He wrote, “Money is the world’s favorite idol. One who has money … has a sense of security and feels as happy and fearless as if he were sitting in the middle of paradise. On the other hand, one who has nothing is as insecure and anxiety-ridden as if he had never heard of God. Very few can be found who keep a cheerful spirit and neither fret nor complain when they are without money.”

                That’s why we need God’s truth today. And his Word is the truth. Today God focuses our attention on what kind of people he loved enough to forgive and save. Before I read those verses, though, I want you to imagine if Jesus showed up in Madison on a mission to recruit new followers. Imagine if his first stop was Camp Randall on a Saturday afternoon. Jesus enters the stadium, walks past the student section, and works his way down to the 50-yard line, front row. He taps a few longtime season ticket-holders on the shoulder and tells them, “Follow me.” Jumping in the stretched Hummer parked outside, Jesus speeds off to Maple Bluff and knocks on the mahogany door of the biggest mansion on the block. “Follow me,” he says to the owner. Then Jesus drives up to the capital and stops by the offices of the most powerful people in Wisconsin and says, “Follow me.” If Jesus acted like that, what would you assume? You’d think God only loves the rich, right? Now play another version of the same footage. Jesus taps the 50-yard liners and says, “Follow me.” But then he invites the guy outside shaking the Styrofoam cup of change. “Follow me.” Then Jesus knocks on the McMansion and asks the owner to follow him down to the halfway house. Standing in a room full of ex-addicts and convicts, Jesus repeats the invitation. “Follow me.” If Jesus did that, what would you think about God? You’d understand Jesus is not too concerned about your tax bracket. He loves poor, weak, unknown people.

                Now listen to God’s Word from 1 Corinthians 1, “^{26 27 28 29 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.}Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. “Think of what you were,” God says, “when I chose you. You Corinthians were dumb, broke, weak, no-named kindergarten dropouts when I said, “Follow me.” You were standing on the fence because no one would choose you for the team, but I came and said, “I chose you.” You were nobody, but I made you somebody. I don’t just choose the best. I choose the worst and make them the best in Christ.”

                So please, please, please don’t believe the lie that God doesn’t care about you when have nothing. The cross of Jesus is the proof—that cannot be true. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Trust in God even when you can’t read the words off a stack of bills. In the next two weeks, we’re going to find God’s answers to our questions, his reasons for allowing poverty in our lives. But for today, I want to leave you with some homework. (And there was much rejoicing…) Here it is: Next time someone brings up the collapsing economy, bring up the un-collapsable promises of God. Here’s what that might sound like—“Wow, did you see the stock market drop today?” “Yeah. Man, I am glad God doesn’t change like those numbers do.” Or “It’s been nine months now looking for work. I’m falling behind on rent.” “Wow. I’m sorry. But isn’t it great that God loves you even if your landlord doesn’t?” Or “This economy stinks.” “I know. But God doesn’t stop looking out for us just ‘cause we’re broke.” If you did that, I think God could open up a lot of doors for you to tell of his unconditional love; to tell people about Jesus.  And all of God’s people who are rich in Christ can say, “Amen.”