Poverty and Wealth in the Gospel of Luke (part 1)
Written by: Dr. John T. Carroll
One of the books of the Bible that is an especially rich resource (pardon the pun!) for Christian thinking and practice in relation to wealth is the Gospel of Luke. In this and a companion piece, we will explore two aspects of Luke’s presentation of this theme. What does faithful use of possessions look like?
The focus in this essay is the upside-down reversal theme that is so prominent in Luke, beginning with Mary’s Song in 1:46–55. The mother-to-be of Jesus praises God for bringing salvation, and what a provocative picture she paints! God, she declares, “throws down the powerful from their thrones and lifts up the lowly . . . [God] fills the hungry with good things, but sends the wealthy away empty” (vv. 52–53; my trans.).
Jesus picks up this theme in two speeches at the start of his ministry. In an inaugural address setting forth the primary aims of his mission, he announces: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and so he has anointed me; he has sent me to declare good news to the poor: to proclaim release to the captives and restoring of sight to the blind, to send the oppressed away in release, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (4:18–19, quoting from Isaiah 61:1–2 and 58:6; my trans.). It is time for Jubilee liberation from debts and other oppressive burdens! Jesus affirms God’s special concern for persons who experience poverty, disability, and oppression.
Then the sermon on the plain begins with balanced declarations of blessing and warning (6:20–26). The message reinforces the imagery of reversal already highlighted in Mary’s Song: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the realm of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. . . . But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry” (6:20–21, 24–25; NRSV adapted). Jesus brings hope-inspiring good news to the impoverished. The other side of the coin? Warning to the privileged and comfortable.
A vivid and dramatic parable about two men on opposite ends of the money spectrum clinches the point (16:19–31). The story portrays a conspicuously rich man who, day after day, week after week, ignores the desperate need of an emaciated, destitute man lying at his gate. The poor man’s name is apt: Lazarus, short for Eliezer: “God, my helper.” Jesus imagines a scene with which we, too, are familiar today—the very wealthy and the very poor living in close proximity. The rich man know Lazarus’s name: he is aware of his desperate need, but does nothing for him. After death, though, the two trade places. Lazarus is comforted and blessed, while the rich man suffers. The parable closes on a note of warning for the rich man’s still living brothers. Is there still hope for them? This parable of reversal offers reassurance to those who are poor and also challenges listeners who enjoy material blessings to share generously for the sake of others in need. There is still time and opportunity for us to do well—to be faithful—with what we have been entrusted.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you respond to Jesus’s challenging picture of a topsy-turvy realm of God where the rich and the poor, the privileged and the disadvantaged, change places?
- Do you think it is a matter of the first becoming last, and the last first—of the wealthy and powerful being brought low while those who lack resources and power rise to the top? Or is God’s realm a place where all are equally welcome, where all are brought to the same level?
- How might the faith communities that you know and in which you participate put into practice this vision of God’s commitment to the poor?
