What did Jesus say about the poor?

Jesus said he was anointed to 'preach the gospel to the poor' (Luke 4:18) and blessed them: 'Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God' (Luke 6:20). The poor and overlooked are given a special place in God's Kingdom.

Who are 'the least of these'?

In Matthew 25:31-40 Jesus describes the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned as 'the least of these my brethren,' and says that whatever we do for them we do for him. The King is present in the overlooked.

Does the Kingdom of God favour the poor?

Jesus repeatedly blessed the poor, the mourning, and the meek, and warned the comfortable and self-sufficient. The Kingdom has a bias toward those who know their need of God and are overlooked by the world.

The Kingdom of God

The Poor and the Least

Jesus opened his ministry by reading that he was anointed to preach good news to the poor, and he meant it. ‘Blessed be ye poor,’ he told the crowd, ‘for yours is the kingdom of God.’ And he taught that the King himself is hidden among the hungry, the stranger, the prisoner: whatever we do for the least of these, we do for him. The Kingdom of God has a bias toward the overlooked.

What Jesus said

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

Luke 4:18

“Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Luke 6:20

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.”

Matthew 25:35

“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Matthew 25:40

A reflection

There is something tender and startling here. The King of the Kingdom does not merely command us to help the poor; he identifies with them. He says that when we feed the hungry and welcome the stranger, we are feeding and welcoming him. The face of Christ is turned toward us in every person the world walks past.

This is why love of God and love of neighbour can never be separated. To seek the Kingdom is to go where the King is, and he told us plainly where to look: among the least of these. Not as a burden, but as a place of meeting. Mercy shown to the smallest turns out to be worship offered to the Lord.

Frequently asked questions

What did Jesus say about the poor?: Jesus said he was anointed to 'preach the gospel to the poor' (Luke 4:18) and blessed them: 'Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God' (Luke 6:20). The poor and overlooked are given a special place in God's Kingdom.
Who are 'the least of these'?: In Matthew 25:31-40 Jesus describes the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned as 'the least of these my brethren,' and says that whatever we do for them we do for him. The King is present in the overlooked.
Does the Kingdom of God favour the poor?: Jesus repeatedly blessed the poor, the mourning, and the meek, and warned the comfortable and self-sufficient. The Kingdom has a bias toward those who know their need of God and are overlooked by the world.

One step deeper: What does the Kingdom say about justice and mercy? →

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Come and see the King

The Kingdom of God is not finally a subject to be studied but a King to be met. Jesus opened his ministry saying the Kingdom had come near, and he still draws near to everyone who turns to him with an open heart. Read his own words, watch what he does, and see. The Gospel of Mark, where he first cries ‘the kingdom of God is at hand,’ is a gentle place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

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