Scholars have widely agreed that the Gospel of Luke has a special focus on the concern for the poor. This concern for the poor and marginalized first becomes obvious in the account of Jesus’ birth. In the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12), it is the Magi, wealthy men from a distant country that come to worship Jesus, while Luke tells readers about shepherds- lowly men working in the fields coming to see the baby Jesus. Also, Luke has women, Elizabeth and Mary who as the focal point of the infancy narrative, while Matthew uses two men, Joseph and Herod the Great. The Gospel shows God being immensely concerned for those who were considered poor, and as a result was marginalized. Reading the Gospel, it becomes clear to readers that the author is elevating
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For examples, the use in the story of Lazarus and the beggar (16:19), and the local poor and beggars (14: 21, 23) in the story of the Great Banquet. However, for this paper, I want to use a different interpretation of the word φτωχός. Scholars such as Joel B. Green argues that the use of the word poor includes much more than those who were destitute and needed almsgiving. The word φτωχός occurs thirty-four (34) times in the New Testament ((Mk., 5t; Lk., 10t; Mt. 5t; Jn., 4t; Pauline, 4t; Jas., 4t; Rev., 2t). As shown, it appears ten times in Luke and the cases express more than economical situations. Green argues that the list of those who are considered ‘poor’ by Luke includes the vast number of persons who were excluded by Jewish authorities; the blind and oppressed (4:18), persecuted and mournful (6:20), leper and deaf (7:22) etc. (Green 81). Green concludes that “Jesus’ vocation of proclaiming the good news to the poor embraces not only the economically oppressed in particular, but also the excluded and disadvantaged of society…those on the margins of society” (Green …show more content…
The tradition of the OT claims possession to be a sign of God’s blessings. Walter Pilgrim argues that the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, which describe, often in great detail, the considerable wealth of Abraham, Isaac, or Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 13:2; 26:13; 30:43; 41:40) to highlight the favor of God (Pilgrim 19-20). In fact, the Wisdom literature also shows such negative view of the poor. Pilgrim writes that readers see familiar writings of the poor, “the poor are lazy (Prov. 6:6-11), or drunkards and gluttons (Prov. 23:21), or carefree spenders (Prov.21:17). And beggars, who shamelessly display their poverty, are much despised (Sir. 40:28), better to die than to beg” (20).This concept of divine protection of the poor is found nowhere else in the same degree in any religious literature of the ancient world. The poor are regarded as those socially and economically isolated from every aspect of the communities. These were typified by the figures of the exploited powerlessness: the widow, the orphan, and the refugee (Ex. 22:21; Deut. 19:18; Ps.:68:9; 149:9). It is the socially outcast that learns to trust solely in God as that’s their only option through their powerlessness. The book of Psalms seems to link the poor and religiously pious. In one sense, the poor and pious becomes synonymous terms as shown in Ps. 88: 1-2 “those who place their total dependence upon God”. Pilgrim
For examples, the use in the story of Lazarus and the beggar (16:19), and the local poor and beggars (14: 21, 23) in the story of the Great Banquet. However, for this paper, I want to use a different interpretation of the word φτωχός. Scholars such as Joel B. Green argues that the use of the word poor includes much more than those who were destitute and needed almsgiving. The word φτωχός occurs thirty-four (34) times in the New Testament ((Mk., 5t; Lk., 10t; Mt. 5t; Jn., 4t; Pauline, 4t; Jas., 4t; Rev., 2t). As shown, it appears ten times in Luke and the cases express more than economical situations. Green argues that the list of those who are considered ‘poor’ by Luke includes the vast number of persons who were excluded by Jewish authorities; the blind and oppressed (4:18), persecuted and mournful (6:20), leper and deaf (7:22) etc. (Green 81). Green concludes that “Jesus’ vocation of proclaiming the good news to the poor embraces not only the economically oppressed in particular, but also the excluded and disadvantaged of society…those on the margins of society” (Green …show more content…
The tradition of the OT claims possession to be a sign of God’s blessings. Walter Pilgrim argues that the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, which describe, often in great detail, the considerable wealth of Abraham, Isaac, or Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 13:2; 26:13; 30:43; 41:40) to highlight the favor of God (Pilgrim 19-20). In fact, the Wisdom literature also shows such negative view of the poor. Pilgrim writes that readers see familiar writings of the poor, “the poor are lazy (Prov. 6:6-11), or drunkards and gluttons (Prov. 23:21), or carefree spenders (Prov.21:17). And beggars, who shamelessly display their poverty, are much despised (Sir. 40:28), better to die than to beg” (20).This concept of divine protection of the poor is found nowhere else in the same degree in any religious literature of the ancient world. The poor are regarded as those socially and economically isolated from every aspect of the communities. These were typified by the figures of the exploited powerlessness: the widow, the orphan, and the refugee (Ex. 22:21; Deut. 19:18; Ps.:68:9; 149:9). It is the socially outcast that learns to trust solely in God as that’s their only option through their powerlessness. The book of Psalms seems to link the poor and religiously pious. In one sense, the poor and pious becomes synonymous terms as shown in Ps. 88: 1-2 “those who place their total dependence upon God”. Pilgrim