Remembering the Poor
January 31, 2010
Luke 4: 16-21


Most of us grew up in a society where the old saying, “The one who dies with the most toys wins,” was all too true of our everyday life. Many lived their lives in a perceived scarcity, striving to get as much of the “good stuff” as they could, or at least as much of it as they saw that the others around them had. When I was a boy it was called, “Keeping up with Jones.”

As a public school teacher and administrator I witnessed this philosophy being transferred to children in the curriculum and instructional methods of the public school systems of the state and nation. Students were taught to believe that in order to be successful in the world they had to be the best at everything. In sports winning was not just the important thing, it was the only thing. Defeating those of lesser skill was imperative. Defeating those of greater skill was to be prized. Students were taught that success could only be achieved by climbing to the top of the career ladder in their chosen profession. Teachers made it known that the grade of “A” was to be coveted, and parents reinforced that concept with money. Success was rewarded, and failure was to be avoided at all costs. In the 1960’s competitiveness became a way of life for the American society. We were no longer trying to keep up with the “Jones,” but with Soviet technology.
Not much has changed since then or since 1997 when I retired from service to the public schools of Maine. For most, success is still measured by the car one drives, the size of the house one lives in, and the amount of money one has saved or invested. And it better be more that those folks who live in the big house down the street!

Jesus sets before us a different picture; an example of how we are supposed to live in accordance with God’s will and purpose for all God’s children. He tells the young man who asked about achieving eternal life, “Go and sell all you have and come and follow me.” He tells the crowds that follow him to do those things and gather the stuff that will store up treasure for them in heaven where rust and time cannot destroy.”

We are reminded by the scriptures we heard this morning that the poor are rich in the sight of God, and that those who give help to them and provide for their needs will be given a place in God’s heart. God loves those who are poor, for their faith remains strong even in the face of difficulty. We have seen that love reflected on the faces of the people of Haiti as news stories have shown them in worship and praise of God for life and health in the midst of tragedy. God also loves those who give with joy to help the poor; and we are called to honor God with our gifts of love for these, and for others who have suffered and are still suffering.

I call on each of you to remember the poor, not just today or when disaster strikes, but each day of your lives. To find a cause that you can give to regularly, and not just when the need arises, for the need is there all the time whether we see it or not.

There are many causes, and we cannot give to them all, but if we each choose one person or group to help, the number of those who suffer will be lessened. The folks in Haiti, the children of the Burma School Project, the folks who come to the local food cupboard are depending on us. What is in your heart? What will you do?

Let us all today make a commitment to live more cooperatively, and less competitively. Let us all learn to give and share of the blessings God has given us. Let us stop coveting the things of this world and begin to store up treasure in heaven, treasure that reflect God’s love in the world, treasure that will demonstrate our desire to follow where Jesus leads, in this world and in the next.