Jesus Loves the Poor and Needy

Psalm 113:4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

Psalm 113 opens with great praise to the awesome God, who sits enthroned in the highest places above and beyond all the universe. Yet this is a personal God, One who stoops down (such condescension!) to look upon the heavens and the earth which He created.

And upon what does He look when He so stoops? Verses 7-9 tell us that He looks upon the poor and needy. But He not only looks upon the poor and needy, He also acts on their behalf--

Psalm 113:7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. 9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.

Everywhere in scripture we read that God loves the poor and needy. Jesus loves the poor and needy.

When Jesus cried out in Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?", He Himself was poor and needy.

Though Son of God, very God of very God, Jesus the man was always poor and needy. Born in a stable of very poor parents, working with His hands as a carpenter, abandoned by His disciples, spat upon, tortured, scorned, mocked, nailed and hanging naked upon a wooden cross, He represents everything from which we with our human natures recoil in shame.

What manner of God is this? The Bible teaches that God created the heavens and the earth. By His own Word He created them. He, Christ, the Word of God, born here on earth as one of us, tortured, despised, alone, rejected. Who in their right mind would ever in a million years have dreamed up such a story as this one?

No one but God could think of such a tale of anathema to all the natural pride that fills the human heart of man.

But there is another side to this story--

Philippians 2:5...Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Oh brothers and sisters, have you discovered for yourselves why Jesus bore the shame? It was so that everyone who calls upon His name might be saved. Saved from the enemy, saved from sin, saved from our own personal, detestable sins, saved from hell and damnation, a just judgment by God the Father against whom alone we all have sinned.

God who created us has also died for us to bring us back to Himself and give us eternal life in the Son of His love, Jesus Christ.

This Sunday, do not turn your face away, as did the crowd at the foot of the cross, but look into His face, and see if those eyes don't bore right into your heart. You only have one life to lose; why not lose it today, lose it in the vast ocean of eternal love which is our God.

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Father, none but a father of very great honor and esteem, would ever go through what you went through to save the very least of the least of the lost among the human race. But You did, in the life of Jesus Your only true, begotten Son. I pray, Lord, that by Your grace, and Your grace alone, You would turn someone's heart today away from the lie, the deception, and into the loving arms of Your grace. Thank-You for Your Word which teaches of Your great love and wonderful plan of redemption for all. Thank-You, Jesus, my Lord. In Your name I pray, Amen.