THE POOR IN OUR MIDST ‘For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in the land” (Deut.15:11). The theme for this week meditation gives us different challenges, as a nation, church, societies in the church, and individuals on how to take good care of the poor in our midst. The Book of Proverbs 22:2 says, “The rich and the poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of them all”. Therefore, God makes sure that the poor in the society are adequately taken care of by the rich whom He had blessed abundantly. In the Old Testament, peculiar provisions were made by God for the care of the poor in several passages which still remain valid till today, most especially in the Book of Deut.15:7,11, 24:19-22 and Exodus 23:11. God Himself indicates that the poor will remain in the society and be catered for. In addition to this special care, the rights of the poor in all the entirety should also be safeguarded (Exo. 23:6). In the New Testament as well, the same treatment was given to the poor by our Lord Jesus Christ. He reminds the people of his day and our own generation too that our service to God is best determined by our service to our neighbours and less privilege (Matt. 25:31ff; Rom. 12:13). Jesus Himself practically demonstrated this by the example of His own life in John 6:1-14. This action demonstrated by Jesus inspired Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Timothy in 1 Tim. 6:17-18, which read thus: ‘‘As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, labera and generous’’ Furthermore, Apostle James reminds that the care of the poor should not be limited to material provisions, but it should be all embracing including honouring them as carriers of God’s image, recognizing them as humble and God fearing people(James 2:1-7). The vital point of the matter is that the poor in our midst should be catered for genuinely and be regarded with dignity in spite of their status in the society (John 12:8, James 2:8-9). In conclusion, the Bible says: “If you oppress poor people, you insult God who made them, but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship’’(Prov.14:13). Therefore, as a Christian change your attitude towards the poor around you now! AWON TALAKA TO WA LAARIN WA “Nitoripe talaka ko le tan ni ile na; nitorina ni mo se pase fun o, wipe, ki iwo ki o la owo re fun arakunrin re, fun talaka re, ati fun alaini re, ninu ile re” (Deut. 15:11). Akori asaro wa lose yi fun wa ni orisirisi ipenija gege bi orile-ede, ijo awon egbe ninu ijo, ati enikookan bi a se le fun awon talaka to wa laarin wa ni itoju to peye. Iwe Owe 22:2 wipe, “Oloro ati talaka pe jo po, Oluwa ni eleda gbogbo won”. Nitorinaa Olorun ri pe awon talaka ti o wa lawujo wa nipo abojuto ti o peye lati owo awon oloro ti O bukun fun lopolopo. Ninu Majemu Lailai, opolopo ibi kika ni Olorun ti fi aye sile pato lati se itoju awon talaka ti o si wa be titi di oni, ni pataki julo, ninu iwe Deuteronomi 15:7,11; 24:19-22 ati Eksodu 23:11. Olorun lo funrare toka si pe awon talaka ti a o maa toju ko le se alaiwa l’awujo wa. Ni afikun fun itoju pataki yii, a gbodo pa eto awon talaka mo ni gbogbo ona (Eks. 23:6). Ninu Majemu Titun bakannaa, iha kan naa ni Jesu Kristi Oluwa wa ko si itoju awon talaka. O ran awon eniyan ti o wa lakoko ti Re ati lakoko tiwa naa leti pe, ise isin wa si Olorun nfi ara han daradara to beege nipa sisin omonikeji wa ati awon ti o ku die kaato fun (Matt. 25:31ff; Rom. 12:13). Jesu funra Re fi eyi yan nipa apeere igbe aye Re ni Johannu 6:1-14. Ohun tu Jesu se yi ni o fun Aposteli Poolu ni imisi ni episteli r si Timoteu ni I Tim. 6:17-18 ti o ka bayi: “kilo fun awon ti o loro li aiye isisiyi, ki nwon mase gberaga, beni ki nwon mase gbekele oro aidaniloju, bikose le Olorun alaaye, ti nfi ohun gbogbo fun wa lopolopo lati lo, ki nwon ki o maa soore, ki nwon ki o maa po ni ise rere, ki nwon mura lati pin funni, ki nwon ki o ni emi ibakedun”. Siwaju si, Aposteli Jakobu ran wa leti pe itoju awon talaka ko gbodo da lori ipese awon ohun-elo tabi nkan ti ara nikan, sugbon, o gbodo je ni gbogbo ona ati ni bibu ola fun won gegebi aworan Olorun, ni riri won gegebi awon eniti o ni nkan ti won le fi sile ni irele ati iberu Olorun (Jakobu 2:1-7). Ohun ti o se pataki ni pe a gbodo se itoju awon talaka to wa laarin wa lotito, ki a si ri won gegebi eni iyi bi o ti wu ki ipo won ri lawujo (Joha. 12:8; Jak. 2:8-9). Lakotan, Bibeli wipe, “Eni ti o ba nni talaka lara o gan Eleda re; sugbon eniti o saanu fun talaka o bu ola fun u” (Owe 14:31). Nitorinaa, gegebi Kristieni, yi iwa re pada si awon talaka ti o wa layika re nisisiyi!
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 07:25:21 +0000
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