Command 37: Bring In the Poor
Study Question
Q: Every community has poor people who are capable of getting a job but refuse to work. Scripture commands that if any will not work, neither should he eat. Should people who refuse to work be invited to a feast? (See II Thessalonians 3:10.)
A: There are several categories of poor people identified in Scripture, including those who are poor because they refuse to work. Paul instructed that if a fellow believer is in this category, he should not be given food.
“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread” (II Thessalonians 3:10–12).
However, there are people who, for reasons beyond their control, are placed in a condition of poverty. It is this group to whom God refers in the command to invite the poor as guests to our feasts. (See Luke 14:13–14.)
The purpose of a feast would be to demonstrate the love of Christ to those who are in special need and to honor them. However, in the process of providing food, opportunities should be taken to learn about other needs that our guests may have. “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor” (Proverbs 29:7).
The poor need more than a meal—they need friends who accept them. We are the representatives of the One Who wants to be their best friend—the Lord Jesus Christ. Our response to the poor will give them hope and confidence that God loves them and will care for their needs.
This study question and answer is adapted from the Commands of Christ, Series 6, book. For further study, this book may be purchased from our Online Store.