Day 19

"He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor."

Luke 4:18

The word poor appears many times in the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament, the poor have a special place in God's heart. In the Psalms, God rescues the poor, defends the poor, and hears their cry. Not surprisingly, Jesus places sharing the good news with the poor at the top of his priorities for ministry.

The devastating suffering of poverty causes God to weep.

Sharing God's grief means we act in whatever ways we can to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. In this way, we embody Jesus' good news for the poor.

Lent challenges us to examine how we relate to those who are impoverished. We can ask ourselves, Who do I know personally who suffers from poverty? What can I learn from the poor? How is God calling me to help in efforts aimed at alleviating poverty?

Questions like these lead us into a greater faithfulness to God whose heart is always turned toward the poor.

Daily Practice

As a practical expression of your desire to share God's heart for the poor, make a small donation today to a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works alongside the economically poor.