Investing in the Poor

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"He that has pity upon the poor lends to the Lord." Prov. 19:17

Two questions here:
1) What does "have pity" mean?
2) We are not "giving" to God but "lending"; what's the payback?

"Having pity" does not mean just feeling sorry for the poor, and is nothing to "loan" to God. "Having pity" means to do something practical for them. As James wrote in 2:15-17 'And if a brother or sister be naked and want daily food; and one of you say to them" Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled' yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit? So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself."

And what shall we give? If you have a computer to read this, you are wealthy by much of the world's standards, and can give money. But you can also give of youself. About 70 years ago Xiamen University leaders were praising a rich Chinese industrialist who had invested his great wealth in Chinese education, and the famous writer Lu Xun tossed a couple of pennies on the table and said (paraphrased) , "I have given more than him. I have given my life."


We can give the poor our time, our attention, our concern, our love. But which poor? Of course there are poor around us--in our neighborhood, and in our church, but Christ encouraged us to give to those who cannot repay us, for then we will be repaid by our Father, whereas if we are repaid now for what we give, we will receive no reward from our Father because the account has already been settled.

The admonition "We reap what we sow" probably has its equivalent in every language and culture. In the East, it is similar to Karma; what we dish out is served back to us. But unlike Karma, which says we will be rewarded or punished in another life, Christ said he came to give us a more "abundant life," meaning this life. I am not talking about "Prosperity preaching," but in my experience, those who give in this life are blessed in this life.

My parents were relatively poor when I was young, and yet they gave freely to those poorer than them--and we never lacked. And when I was in the military, I spent over half my income helping my parents and others--and I never lacked. The biggest test, of course, was giving up a six figure income in the U.S. and packing my family off to China to accept $90 per month teaching graduate business--and we have never lacked. On the contrary, our life is more blessed now than it was even when I was in business. We loaned our "lives" to the poor, and our Father has repaid us more than we could have asked.

Life is short. Don't waste the chance to make an investment that will yield rich dividends not just in eternity but now. Invest in the poor and reap the richest dividends.

Links: "These are the Magi--Gift-Giving in China"

"Half the Sky," about Lixi--a poor woman whom we helped, and who in turn as helped us and many others!