There’s no shortage of opinions about how Christians should respond to poverty. Many projects and campaigns insist that if we don’t get involved, we’re uncaring or heartless. Too often, the conversation divides people into “us” and “them.”
History shows that when poverty becomes detached from the gospel, the message quickly loses its power. So the question is: What authority do we listen to, and what should helping the poor actually look like in practice?
Jesus Was Poor
Jesus never patronized the poor—because he was poor himself.
-
His mother faced disgrace during her pregnancy.
-
He was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough.
-
His parents could only afford a pigeon for his circumcision offering.
-
As a child, he became a refugee.
-
He grew up in Nazareth, a place despised by many.
-
As an adult, he had no home and relied on others for support.
-
He died penniless, naked, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Jesus understands poverty not as an outsider but from lived experience. And yet, this same Jesus is the One in whom are “unsearchable riches” (Ephesians 3:8).
What Did Jesus Say About the Poor?
Jesus preached the gospel to the poor. When they believe, he adopts them into his family. He calls them brothers and sisters. His Father becomes their Father. They are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
Jesus came not to offer charity alone, but to raise the poor from sin and make them children of God.
The Apostles Knew Poverty Too
-
John the Baptist lived simply in the wilderness.
-
Peter and John admitted they had no silver or gold.
-
Paul often went hungry, cold, and without basic needs.
Yet they all preached Christ crucified. They loved every church that proclaimed Jesus as Lord, because in him there is hope for everyone—rich or poor, slave or free.
In the early church, slaves and masters stood on equal ground in Christ (Colossians 3:11). That unity was revolutionary.
The Church: Where Poverty Meets Hope
At Pentecost, we see how the gospel shaped community. Believers shared their possessions so that no one was in need (Acts 2:44–45).
This was not driven by academics or outside campaigns, but by ordinary Christians in daily church life. They lived out love by serving, giving, and bearing with one another.
Paul captured this vision perfectly:
“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Colossians 3:11).
Only Jesus Christ can unite us like this. Only he can make us all children of God.
How Should Christians Help the Poor?
The answer is simple: listen to Jesus.
-
Obey his words.
-
Preach his gospel.
-
Be part of a church where unity in Christ is lived out.
-
Serve one another, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3).
Jesus alone has all authority and power. His way cannot be twisted or replaced by human agendas.
As the hymn reminds us:
“None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good.”
And what incredible good he can do—for the poor, for the church, and for us all.
So pray for churches. That’s where the real action is.
