Poverty Matters

Jesus Weeps over JerusalemLiving in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
September 11, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 14:1-12

 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. — Romans 14:4-6

The Body of Christ is being rendered week because we fight among ourselves. When I hear about church break ups and the fighting among Christians in our time over the wedge issues that divide us, I often picture Jesus sitting on the hillside weeping over Jerusalem and saying How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! –Matthew 23:37b. I believe he would say the same thing today looking at the USA.

In this scripture Paul is dealing with the even smaller issues that divide. I almost think we preferred to be divided. It is a ploy you know. By keeping us fighting about things that do not matter to the powers that be, we never deal with the things that do matter. Poverty matters.

First we must understand that the so called “poverty level” measure used in our country as an assessment of financial security has been out of date for at least 30 years, has never been static data for every part of the country because of the differences in cost of living, and at best is a measure of the most severe state of our citizens. There have been many attempts to define what a living wage would be. With the ready availability of computers now using a living wage measure makes much more sense. For just one example of how a living wage measure would work see http://livingwage.mit.edu/

Jesus recognized the need to feed the hungry and clothe the naked in Matthew 25. I think he would add house the homeless to a list for us today.

 Oklahoma Fact: in 2014 Oklahoma ranked 30th among the states in Economic Well-Being

Prayer: Gather us together Lord, write on our hearts those things about which we can agree in addressing poverty and instill in us the will to do them. Amen.

 All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.