Poor Care
Did you know that the difference between being righteous and being wicked may be in the way one acts toward the poor? King Solomon of Israel in the twenty-ninth chapter of the book of Proverbs delineated between those who care for the poor and those who have “no such concern.” Those who care for the poor are referred to as “righteous.” Those who are not concerned with the poor are called “wicked.” We certainly understand the difference between righteousness and wickedness. But do we clearly understand why a person’s perspective on the plight of the poor would put them in a righteous or wicked classification?
According to Solomon, it is righteous to “care about justice for the poor.” Well, I would expect most people to be on board with that righteous act. Who is not concerned about those who have less than us? According to the dictionary, the poor are those “lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or common.” Maybe not all are concerned about such people but the vast majority are concerned about the poor. Right?
Well, when answering this question let’s make sure we address it according to its true presentation. The Israeli king states that the “righteous” care about “justice” for the “poor.” What does justice for the poor mean? According to the dictionary, justice means to act in a just manner or to act according to what is morally right or fair. So the proverb proclaims those who care about acting morally right towards the poor are righteous. A wicked person does not care about this. It matters not whether the poor are treated justly or not.
Again, it would seem that righteousness in this particular matter would be almost unanimous among humans. If that be the case, what purpose does Solomon have in advising on the matter? Why waste a proverb on such a unanimously accepted principle? As with most things around wisdom, further inspection is needed to know if the nerve is struck. Some things to consider:
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. - Proverbs 29:7
What is justice for the poor?
If a person is not living according to the standard common in society, should giving them money be considered just? Possibly.
But is there justice in giving a person money so that they become dependent upon another for their standard of living?
Is there justice in making a person dependent on an organization of humans?
Should someone be considered caring for the poor because they give money?
Is a person caring for the poor because they talk about their plight?
Does a government act righteously because it establishes a welfare program to feed the poor?
The list of considerations is possibly endless. But the point can be easily seen - to care about justice for the poor is not as simple as giving money away or even talking about the needs of the poor. It could be stated that the most unjust thing ever done to the poor was establishing a program explicitly designed and utilized to keep them poor. Why would anyone do such a thing? Power. People released from the bondage of poverty have freedom. Free people are hard to control. Loss of control is loss of power.
Another couple of questions: is it wicked to keep a person poor to have power over them? Is it possible to keep people poor by giving them money?
The almost unanimous amount of people who care about justice for the poor seems to be declining rapidly. There may be plenty of people talking about justice for the poor, but who is truly acting to provide justice for the poor? Who is actively spending their time and energy to help those who cannot live according to common standards?
People may give to the poor. They may advocate on behalf of the poor. But giving money to the poor does not equate with justice. Advocating is only talk. The key factor in Solomon’s proverb is the sincerity of "care." The righteous “care about justice.” That care is more than talking or giving money.
Money can be given to the poor. Who doesn’t like getting money? But there is no justice in it. Justice requires action according to moral principles. Justice is genuine respect. It is loving the neighbor as one loves herself. It is looking at a human being and seeing a human being, not a means to an end.
If a person looks at the poor with derision because of their lack, he is not righteous. If a person promotes the poor for personal gain, to garner a vote, or to obtain power, she is wicked. Justice is not a social program. Likewise, justice is not shuffling the poor around in a society. The righteous person cares about justice for the poor.
There is a Person who definitely cared about justice for the poor. Based on the dictionary definition of “poor”, we, who once did not believe, were poor without hope of living according to the uncommon standards found in the Kingdom of God. But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, provided His own life so that we, the poor, might be justified, reconciled, and redeemed. There is no poor in the Kingdom of God. There are only those who believe in Him who saves, Jesus Christ. In Him is our righteousness. In Him we find the righteousness to care for justice for the poor. Let’s be more like Him, looking to bring true justice for those in poverty.