By“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;” — Luke 4:18 NKJV
When Mary once anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume in John 12, Judas Iscariot complained about her action. But Jesus replied to him and said, “…Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” (John 12:7-8 NKJV)
That means no matter how good any country’s economy is, there’ll still be some poor people in this world. And because this is permanent, some of them resort to seeking help from the Church. Jesus knew this, so he quoted what He’ll do to them as part of His manifesto in Luke 4:18.
He said, “…because He had anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” So for Jesus, the core solution to poverty isn’t in the provision of money but the preaching of the gospel. Why is this so?
Poor people usually have little knowledge concerning many areas of life, particularly finances. When others give them money without the gospel, the probability that they’ll use that money wisely is very low. So, in essence, it’s the preaching of the gospel that will teach them what’s true and transform their lives altogether.
Dear Christian, you don’t need to always give to the poor before asking them why. Some have filthy mindsets, while some really need money for good reasons. Yes, sometimes, it’s hard to discern. But one thing is sure: when you preach before giving to the poor, the Word of God is potent to clean every filthy thought in their minds, especially concerning what they’ll do with the money you’ll give them.
Don’t stop giving just because there are many evils in society. Give, and you’ll receive more in return (Proverbs 11:24). However, discern to know why a poor person you’ve encountered needs your money before giving. By so doing, you’ll tell them about Jesus before they get your resources.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me sustain my discernible spiritual eye and ear; so that I’ll know what it is to preach the gospel before I give to the poor.
Devotional Code: KGD // 2022 – 187
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