The Poor are God's Hands

The Poor are God’s Hands

There are many instances where those who have fallen into the realm of poverty are in need of anyone who can assist them.  Some become penniless or must seek charity because of losing a job, or injured to the point of being incapacitated, and still others who were born into a family that has been destitute for years.  Each one can fit the pattern of poverty in its lowest form of isolation from the simple things in life.  

Then we find a growing number who choose the other side of poverty, the scenario of taking the poor and loving them beyond just dropping money in a donation bucket as the Salvation Army sets up at Christmas.  This type of poor has a deeper meaning and goes beyond a simple give-to-them some of your goods.

We may understand this philosophical tenure as one that exists for any particular reason and is there primarily for you and me to have its promotion as part of our own ministry.  

Think for a moment if God had sent Joseph and his wife Mary to an area where the wealth of the world was plentiful, and her birth of Jesus occurred in a well accepted setting without the occasion of the poor class attending, such as shepherds who were at the bottom of the social ladder.  Instead, the Holy Family began as part of God’s plan to have His Son begin as a poor man for the poor.

“The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”  Lk. 4: 18).

“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.”   (Lk. 6: 20). 

“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”  (Lk. 7: 22). 

As we just celebrated the Resurrection of a man who was born poor, taught those who were poor, and died for the poor who have no one to speak for them, it is a glorious sign from God to hold a banquet for us who were poor in sanctity, until the cross at Calvary.

“When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.  For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”  Lk. 14: 13 - 14). 

Luke’s gospel is known as the gospel of the poor.  His beginning was born in poverty and his ministry was well covered for the poor.

What is the crux of our being sent to evangelize those who are spiritually poor, to use God’s hands for the poor.  Whether we realize it or not we are God’s hands clarifying the ability to live for the poor which are his hands waiting for us to reach into their soul with God’s love.

Ralph B. Hathaway, Jesus, born poor for us who are poor for him.