Jesus, Ideologies, And The Poor

Last updated on: November 2, 2020 at 4:06 am by Henry Karlson

Jesus, Ideologies, And The Poor 2020-11-02T04:06:41-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Alejandrofsc: Statue of Homeless Jesus /Wikimedia Commons

A few minutes after a statue a statue of Jesus, depicted as a homeless man sleeping man on a park bench, was installed, police in Cleveland received a phone call telling them what they saw: a homeless man sleeping on a bench in a rather wealthy side of town. When the police arrived on the scene, they realized that what someone thought was a homeless man was actually a statue. The statue represents in a visual form what Jesus had told his disciples: that he was one with the poor and needy, and what is done to them, is done to him (cf. Matt. 25:31-46). Or, as Paul said, Jesus came to us by becoming poor: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2Cor. 8:9 RSV). There can be no better representation of this fact than the reaction given to the statue. What was done for a potential homeless man was done to Jesus. But, it must be made clear, it does not seem that the call was made out of malice: rather, it seems that the caller was concerned, thinking they might have seen someone in extreme need of help, and they hoped that the police would know what to do. The anonymous caller was concerned about the welfare of the person they thought they saw on the bench. By attempting to look after a man who might have been in need, they sought to help Jesus himself.

If we want to show our love for Jesus, Jesus told us what to do. He made it clear. We are to be concerned about the poor. Not only should we do what we can when we come upon those in need, we should be so concerned about those in need, we will find out what has caused them to be in such need and try to fix the situation for them. For, if we truly care about the poor, we will care about changing the system which made them poor. The two go hand in hand.

If we truly care for Jesus, we would care for his presence in the poor; and if we care for his presence in the poor, we will care for the poor. When we discern what has made them poor, what has forced them into poverty, that is, when we see the structures of sin behind their predicament, we will do what we can to fix the situation. We will try to overturn those sinful structures. We will work to put up social safety nets so that people in need will have a way to have their needs met. However, if we don’t really care about those in need, we might still give them some charity, some alms from our excess, not because we are concerned about their well-being, but rather, we are concerned about what others think of us. We will not be concerned about fixing the situation, but rather, making sure the structures of sin remain in place so we can continue to act as if we were great philanthropists whenever we gave a few alms to some needy person. Though it might look charitable, since it is not of the heart, it is far from true caritas – if we give millions because we have made billions off of the backs of the poor and needy, we remain reprehensible. Jesus will not be fooled; he has already told us he will not look favorable to such false charity: “Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Lk. 6: 26 RSV).

We must be concerned about the poor. We must, like Jesus, find ourselves in solidarity with them, seeking to work on their behalf, doing what we can to change the system which has caused them harm. We must, as Henri de Lubac explained, look after the poor beyond all ideologies:

When we choose the poor, we can always be sure of not going wrong. When we choose an ideology, we can never be sure of not being at least partly wrong.

When we have complied with an ideology, we can never be sure of having taken the right course. When we choose the poor, we are always sure, doubly sure, of having made a good choice. We have chosen like Jesus. And we have chosen Jesus. [1]

Do we choose Jesus, or do we choose ideology? Do we work to promote Jesus and his cause, or do we work to promote structures of sin which undermine his work? Jesus gave his blessings to the poor and needy, even has he gave harsh warnings to the rich. Do we take Jesus seriously? Or do we think we can ignore him when he says, “But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep” (Lk. 6:24-25 RSV)? Jesus told the poor that the kingdom of God will transform the world, and then the world will be theirs.

Have we paid attention? Do we fight against Jesus in support of the rich and powerful, promoting those ideologies which stand in stark contrast to Jesus, or do we take seriously his words about wealth and poverty? Do we think we can ignore his stand with the poor if we speak out against sexual vices? James warns us against such a train of thought as he tells us we must first be concerned with our neighbor and their welfare:

If you really fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors (Jas. 2:8-9 RSV).

Every time we find an excuse to ignore the plight of the oppressed, every time we find an ideology which we hold onto instead of the teachings of Christ, we find ourselves fighting against Christ himself. Do we understand what can be learned from what happened with the statue of the homeless Jesus? Do we not see how Christ identified himself with the homeless, and so we, too, should look at them and treat them with the respect we would show Christ himself? If we find any excuse to neglect them, if we try to justify oppression by saying the victims did it to themselves, we stand with those who mocked Christ on his way to his crucifixion.

Will we choose ideology or Jesus? Will we ignore the poor for the sake of ideology, or will we finally realize Jesus meant what he said and look for him among the poor and help them by changing the system which oppresses them? Will we stand with Jesus, or will we stand with the rich and powerful who game the system to oppress the poor and needy?

[1] Henri de Lubac, Paradoxes of Faith. Trans. Paul Simon, Sadie Kreilkamp and Ernest Beaumont (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1987), 135.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

Previous Post

November 1, 2020

Appreciating All The Saints

Next Post

November 5, 2020 Just Because It Isn’t Capitalism Doesn’t Mean It Is Socialism

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz