Now I Know...

A Victim of Oppression

Biblical Commands to the Oppressed

Who are the oppressed?
Those who lack the basic needs of life, including food, shelter, warmth, and security, as well as those who are attacked, verbally or physically for being who they are. The oppressed could be those who are put in their situation through birth, fate or by choice.

a. Don’t worry about your needs, for God will provide for all your needs.
Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25, 31-34

b. Do not envy those who are privileged, for they have a sad fate which awaits them.
But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked…. When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Psalm 73:2-3, 16-18

c. Do not be angry at the privileged, but trust in the Lord for justice.
Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Psalm 37:2-3,6-9

d. Do not rebel against the privileged, but take what punishment they give you.
But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:39-42

e. Treat those over you with respect and you will gain God’s honor
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. I Peter 2:18-19

f. Pray for justice.
Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'" Luke 18:1-5

g. Seek human justice, privately and then in community.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17

h. If you can’t get human justice, then seek God, for He is the final appeal.
You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. Exodus 22:22-27

i. Trust that God will give you justice in His time.
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Psalm 37: 3-4
And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Luke 18:7-8

j. Rejoice in your lowly state, for you are God’s chosen people.
Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:20-23

k. If you have suffered in this life in God’s righteousness, then God will give you a second chance through resurrection.
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5

God's Commands to the Privileged

Who are the privileged?
If you are reading this, probably you!

Those who have greater resources than anyone around them, whether through birth or fate or labor. Resources could include opportunities in wealth, education, prestige, relationship, and esteem through race, sex, social class, or any other level of status as determined by society. We should remember that we are all privileged in some way, so these commands apply to all of us in some areas of our lives. If we live in the United States, even if we are among the poorest who live here, we are most likely privileged above the majority of the rest of the world.

If you have two coats and another has none, you are privileged.
If you are able to be politically active and another is not, you are privileged.
If you have supportive relationships and another does not, you are privileged.
If you have a job and another does not, you are privileged.
If you have excess time or money and another does not, you are privileged.
If you have peace when you go to sleep at night and another does not, you are privileged.
If you have clean drinking water and another does not, you are privileged.
If you never have to worry about racial injustice and another does, you are privileged.
If you belong to the majority religion of your culture or nation, you are privileged.

So, now that we know who we are, what is our responsibility given to us from God?

a. Do not boast about your privilege.
“Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

b. Do not use your privilege for primarily your own benefit.
But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. Luke 6:24-26
"The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:16-21

c. Use what privilege and resources you have to benefit the oppressed.
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. I John 3:16-18

d. Surrender your material resources to benefit those who are needy.
Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:33-34

e. Set aside some of your privilege, so that God might raise you up.
When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:8-11

f. Use your privilege to make friends with the oppressed, God’s chosen, so that they might welcome you into God’s dwelling.
And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. Luke 16:9

g. Welcome the oppressed into the benefits of your privilege.
And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Luke 14:12-14

h. Use your privilege to create a context of justice for the needy and oppressed.
Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:3-4

i. Pay your workers their full wages on time.
Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. James 5:4

j. Do not cause those who are under your authority to be angry, but be at peace with all in as much as you are able.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger. Ephesians 6:4

k. Cheat no one, nor work for a company that cheats anyone of their wages. If you do cheat anyone of their meager resources, pay them back four times as much.
Do not defraud. Mark 10:19
Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. Luke 19:8-9

l. Repent of your sins—especially your misuse of your privilege— with tears.
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! James 5:1-3

m. Welcome the opportunity to be oppressed yourself, for then you will be of God’s people.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

n. Don’t worry if you become needy through obedience to God’s commands, for God will provide for all your needs if you seek His righteousness first.
Do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing…. And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Luke 12:22-23, 25-26, 31

o. If you have taken advantage of all of your privilege for your own benefit, then God will give you a second life in order to punish you.
And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.’ Luke 16:20-25

How To Be Saved, Though American Middle Class

Are you rich?
You may be thinking, “I wish I was, then I could pay off my bills.” But when the Bible talks about people who are rich, it isn’t talking about how much money you have, or how much income you have. Rather, it speaks of the lifestyle you have and the amount of possessions you have. You might have debts and barely squeak by each month with your income, but if you have plenty to entertain yourself with and more than enough food, clothing and warmth, then you would be counted as rich in the Bible. Let me ask the question in a different way: Are you in the American middle class or better? If you say, “Sure, we’re middle class,” then, according to the standards of the Bible, you are rich.

If that is the case, then I just want to be honest with you. You’re in trouble. At least, you are in trouble spiritually. Probably. I’m sure that you are living pretty comfortably, but as far as your place before Jesus, you are in trouble. “Hey, wait! I’m confident in my place in Christ. I’m doing well spiritually.” You probably attend church regularly and read the Bible. Perhaps you even lead a Bible study or pray on a regular basis. All of that is great. But, according to Jesus, you are still in trouble. Jesus’ statements are very clear: “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23).

Just how hard? Jesus says well nigh impossible. Below are the stories of three rich men in Scripture and what Jesus says about their eternal destiny.

The Wealthy Entrepreneur (Luke 12:16-21)
A farmer did quite well one year and he was determining what to do with his surplus. “I know!” he said, “I will take my profit and put it into savings. I will build bigger barns, so that I can store more grain and goods for the future and then I will be able to take it easy and spend the rest of my life in pleasure.” However, God spoke to the man and said, “You idiot! You are dead tonight! And now what will be done with your ‘surplus’? Who will enjoy it now?” Jesus’ point in the parable is that the one who does not use his extra possessions, wealth or income in the manner told by God, then they will have nothing at the end of their lives.

The Man with many possessions (Mark 10:17-27)
Jesus was walking along and a man ran up to him, asking him, “Teacher, what should I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus answered, “You know the commandments in the Law—don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t defraud, honor your father and mother.” The man said, “I’ve done all these things. Is that it?” Jesus looked at him and felt a love for him and so he said, “Yes—one last thing. Sell everything you have and give the proceeds to the poor. Then you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.” The man walked away sadly because he had many possessions.

This man was rich not because he had a huge income or because he had an enormous amount of money in the bank. Rather, he had a lot of possessions. That is a lot like most of us, I would say. This man was hoping for eternal life while keeping what he had, but Jesus said that the only way he could gain a future life was to give up the life he had. If he surrendered his possessions and gave it all to those who had nothing, then he would be able to follow Jesus unencumbered. However, when a person has so much to give away, the task seems daunting—even impossible. But even the rich person can be saved with God’s help.

The Man in Comfort (Luke 16:19-31)
There was a man living in wealth and comfort. Every day he had sumptuous meals, and he dressed well and comfortably. He had everything going for him. Outside his door was a poor man named Lazarus who would have loved to eat just a bite of what the rich man was eating, and had such inadequate clothes that there were sores on his skin. The rich man, however, paid him no mind. Both of them were pious, and considered Abraham to be their father. But when they both died, Lazarus was taken to Abraham, while the rich man was taken to agony in dark flames. When the rich man complained to Abraham about this treatment, Abraham replied, “Son, remember that while you were alive you received your comforts and feasts. Lazarus, on the other hand, received only pain and sorrow. Now the roles are justly reversed—you are in agony and Lazarus is being comforted.”

Jesus said that the same would be true of a disciple of his. Those of his disciples who are poor would receive the kingdom of God. On the other hand, those of his disciples who are rich, who took comfort in this life, who lived in pleasure and ran around concerned about the affairs of this world—they would not receive God’s comfort in the end. (Luke 6:20-26; Mark 4:18-19)

Other places of the New Testament make it clear that the place of the rich, who live in luxury and pleasure, is eternal torment:

James says, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” James 5:1-5.

The book of Revelation condemns the church who is rich and commands them to repent or they will be punished. Revelation 3:14-22.

The teaching of Jesus and the apostles are clear: The rich person who does not repent will not be with Jesus on the last day, but will be punished and sent to eternal fire. There’s no way to get around it. It really is impossible to be rich and to enter the kingdom. Jesus wasn’t just joking—he was deadly serious. He wasn’t just talking about the one who is greedy in spirit, like a miser—he was speaking about anyone who had what was extra. Jesus wasn’t just talking to disciples who lived long ago and far away—he is speaking today and he is speaking to us.

This will mean that hundreds of thousands of those who live comfortable lives in American churches today will end up in hell. There will be whole congregations of people who heard from their pastors that a person can live in pleasure and full contentment on earth and still gain salvation on the last day. I am here to tell you that it is a lie. I don’t want to condemn you or anyone else. However, God’s word is clear. Those who live for their entertainment, those who build up possessions for their own pleasure, those who store away for their future comfort—all of these people are condemned to die by Jesus. On the final day, perhaps you who are reading this tract will go before Jesus and he will say, “Go from me, I never knew you.” You will reply to him, “But, Lord, I received you as a child and believed in you my whole life.” And he will reply to you, “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ but you have never done what I told you to? If you really believed you would have acted for the sake of the poor.”

There is a solution. We can be saved. We can gain peace with God. We can gain the salvation of Jesus. But I’ll be honest with you—the path to salvation is hard for us. We will require God’s grace and Spirit and perhaps even a miracle from him to be able to accomplish this salvation. The path Jesus requires of us is to live a lifestyle of helping the poor.

Jesus said to all of his disciples, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor and make yourselves an unfailing treasure in heaven, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:33-34)

He also said, “Make friends for yourselves by using the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is gone, those friends of yours will welcome you into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)

On the final day, Jesus will welcome those who enter God’s kingdom by saying, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was a stranger and you gave me hospitality. I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “When did we do these things?” And Jesus will reply, “When you did it to one of my poor disciples, then you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34-40).

In the earliest days of the church, the apostles took in quite a bit of money from the disciples, but didn’t use it for a building program, but instead provided for the poor among them. (Acts 4:34-35)

Paul also firmly supported this way of salvation for the rich: “Timothy, teach those who have wealth not to focus on gaining more wealth, but to be generous and to share their wealth with the needy so that they will have security for eternity and gain true life.” (I Timothy 6:17-19)

Practically, how does one do this? How can we live a lifestyle of serving the poor? Scripturally, there are three models to do this:

The Disciples’ Model—
Renouncing wealth and the gaining of wealth (Mark 1:16-20; Mark 10:28-30)
Peter and James and John were fisherman with their own businesses. They made a living and were content. Then Jesus came along and said, “Come and follow me.” At that point they knew what they needed to do. They dropped what they were doing, quit their work, left their families and followed Jesus to go where he went. While they may have looked back on occasion (John 21:3), they knew that the way to follow Jesus was the way of renouncing what one had and the lifestyle of comfort and pleasure. Instead, they were to dedicate all of their time and energy in giving the gospel to whoever needed it. Peter referred to this, later in the ministry, and Jesus replied, “Everyone who has renounced their family, land and occupation for my sake and for the gospel’s will gain ten times as much in this life through my disciples—along with suffering through persecutions— and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Even so, we can live in this manner. We can renounce all that we have—sell all that we have, give to those who are in greater need than us and then not collect any more. Jesus said, “Do not store up treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven.” And he makes it clear that storing up treasures in heaven means continuing to give what you have to those in need (Luke 12:33-34). This seems like the hardest thing to do, but in some ways it is the simplest. Once you have renounced your wealth, you need not worry about it again.

The Zaccheus Model—
Continually giving to the poor from one’s income (Luke 19:1-10)
Zaccheus was a wealthy tax collector and he was hated by the Jews of his community. He was rich, he was powerful and he was clearly in sin, after all, he was the chief of all tax collectors in the region! When Jesus honored him by being willing to stay in his house, all of the righteous of the community complained. Zaccheus then summarized his manner of maintaining righteousness—he would continually give half of his income to the poor and if he cheated anyone, he would repay them four times as much. Jesus declared Zaccheus righteous and a true inheritor of the kingdom of God, even though he was a tax collector, because he was doing what was righteous.

Even so, we can live in this manner. If we receive a continuous income, then we can be generous of that income and give to the poor. Not just give to those who are already wealthy, but give to those in real need. And like Zaccheus, we must not think that a simple ten percent of our giving is enough—not if we can still live in luxury on even fifteen percent of what is left. Instead, let us give generously and continuously. We keep what we know we need to live on and then give away the rest. Also, whatever clothes or food that we receive but do not need, let us give it away to the poor.

The Philemon Model—
Providing hospitality for the poor from all of one’s resources (Philemon 1:1-22)
Philemon was wealthy—very wealthy. He had a large household to run and slaves to run it. But he was a strong believer and determined that what he had would be made available to the poor of the kingdom of God. He was known to show love to all those who followed Christ. He invited the church of his community to meet in his house, and whenever a church worker was passing through, he invited them into his house to stay there as long as they needed. Paul had used his house before and was planning to use it again.

Even so, we can live in this manner. Whatever we have: a house, a car, a spare room, extra clothes, extra food, room in our church, room in our garage, extra time—let us use all these things for the sake of the poor, especially the needy in our church. Let us consider what we have and think how it can be used for the poor.

These models seem difficult—and so they are. Jesus himself said that the way of salvation is difficult. But it is the way of salvation. There is no way out. If we want eternal life, we need to live a life of love, of justice and of mercy. We need to surrender our lives for the sake of God. And God asks us to surrender our possessions to the poor. Let us do so with joy, not with hesitation or complaining. For to do this is to gain more out of life now, and to gain life with Christ eternally.

Anawim: The Cross In Community

Jesus did not just come to teach and die for his own personal gain—just so he could be risen and lifted up to political heights. He came to establish a kingdom. He did not want to establish a kingdom made up of one person alone, but of a community that lives in and for God. He suffered for others, to create a place where God’s people can live in peace and security. But the big question for the Jews of the first century, as well as the Christians in every century since, is: What characterizes the people of God?

Jesus uses a number of terms for his people who participate his kingdom: “Little ones” (Luke 17:2), “little flock” (Luke 12:32), “my brothers” (Matthew 28:10) and more. Most of the titles he gives are diminutives, indicating the humble state of those who follow him. Some of the most curious titles he gives for his people, however, are those found in the Beatitudes—“The poor”, “The poor in spirit”, “the meek”. Again, these indicate the humility of those who follow Jesus, but they seem more extreme than those found in other places.

There is a single Hebrew source for these three titles (“poor”, “poor in spirit”, “meek”): the word anawim. It is used extensively in the Hebrew Scriptures, all of which the word would usually be translated “the poor”. In all of the contexts that the word is found, though, the poor that are indicated are the oppressed poor who cry out to Yahweh for deliverance out of their situation.

An excellent example of this is the passage Jesus quotes in the Beatitudes, and that might be the source of the theological concept of the Beatitudes—Psalm 37. Jesus quotes verse 11, “the anawim shall inherit the earth.” In this Psalm, it is described that though the righteous suffer and are oppressed under the hands of the wicked, yet the anawim should not take vengeance against the wicked, or do evil in any way to get themselves out of the situation. Rather, they are to trust in God, and God will arrange reality around the justice of their situation. The wicked will perish at God’s hand and the anawim will be raised up—granted land, provision and leadership.

This theological context goes hand-in-hand with the background behind the Beatitudes. Jesus is describing a people who are oppressed and suffer under hardship and persecution due to obeying the message he is teaching. Because of these circumstances, his people are poor, mourning and desiring justice. But they remain righteous in these circumstances, being merciful, completely devoted to God and creating peace in the situation. Because of this, God rewards these “poor” and exalts them, granting them all they need and even the rule of the world.

This “story” constitutes the foundation of Jesus’ answer to one of the great debates in the first century Jewish world. As many scholars have recently proclaimed, there was not one monolithic “Judaism” of the first century, but in fact many constructs on how to follow Moses’ approach to God. The differences between the various groups rest basically on one question: “What kind of people does God accept?” All the various debates about forgiveness, circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, separated or integrated communities and other arguments all rest on this one question.

Jesus’ answer to this question, as found in the Beatitudes and other gospel teachings, is summarized thus: The people of God is the anawim. They are the people so devoted to Him and so merciful to others that they are persecuted for it. God will see their suffering and cause them to be delivered from it.

More specifically, the community of Jesus is described as follows:

Pure in Heart: The Anawim is a devoted community
The basis of the community of God is to “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your mind, with all of your heart and with all of your soul.” (Mark 12) This is a complete devotion, the opposite of which is idolatry. But idolatry is not just concerned with traditional images of worship, but also untraditional ones, such as money, one’s family and possessions (Luke 12, 14, 16). Jesus warns that none of these things should stand before one’s devotion to God, if one wishes to be of the people of God. Also one’s obedience should be to God first, above the traditions of humans. (Mark 7). And traditional acts of devotion to God should be done for the purpose of devotion, not for one’s personal gain on earth (Matthew 6:1-)

Merciful: The Anawim is an ethical community
The community of God not only is devoted to God but is devoted to doing the actions of God. The primary action of God is mercy, or love. In other words, the Anawim are deeply involved in doing acts that benefit others. The benevolent acts of the Anawim are not exclusive, either, picking and choosing carefully those who deserve care or not. Rather, the Anawim do good to even those who do evil to them—no one is excluded. They give to the needy, they tell the truth to those who are ignorant, they heal the sick, they release the oppressed—all without charge or necessarily gaining anything back.

Kingdom of God: The Anawim is a political community
The community of God is the nation of God. This nation is a political entity, under authority and using authority. They have a king, the Messiah, the human representative of God on earth, who is appointed to sit at the right hand of the Father, ruling the heavens and earth (Matthew 28:18). The community of God acts like a political entity, a group with authority. They command powers on earth (Matthew 10:8); they pronounce whether one is acceptable or unacceptable before God (John 20:23); they make judgements as a court and punish those who refuse to repent (Matthew 18:15-17); they offer welfare to the needy (Luke 12:33; Acts 4:32-35); they have their own official messengers, delivering pronouncements from their king (Luke 9:1-2; Matthew 28:19-20); they have a police that provides security, if needed (Matthew 26:53; Acts 12:1-12).

The Earth: The Anawim is an ambitious community
Suprisingly enough, the Anawim has ambitions. They are in competition with the other nations of the world, vying for power. The ambition of the people of God is to rule the earth, under his Messiah, Jesus. Nevertheless, they are an alternative community, not having come unto their own yet. But soon, they are confident, the king will recognize them and raise them to the political authority they desire. But they know that the only way to obtain their rightful position, they must remain lowly and await their king’s justice. (Mark 10:42-45; Luke 18:7-8)

Hunger for Justice shall be satisfied: The Anawim is a dependant community
The Anawim recognizes that they will not gain justice in the world on their own. They desire to see wrongs righted and justice rule. But the justice they seek will not be gained by them manipulating positions and obtaining more and more power. The power they need is already available—it rests in God alone (Luke 18:7). The power of God is the “secret weapon” of the Anawim. Although they are outcast, although they are needy, although it looks like they have nothing to help them politically, in fact, they have the greatest political tool—the promise of the king of the universe that he will establish them to rule, if only they will be humble and cry to him. Thus, the Anawim continues to cry out to God, relying on him alone, and waiting for him to create justice.

Persecuted: The Anawim is a suffering community
The community of God is not like the communities around them. Others find them to be “judgmental” because they hold to a strict standard. But they can judge no person, they only do what they must to obtain God’s kingdom. Nevertheless, they are hated and rejected. Sometimes they are arrested and put on trial. And sometimes they are beaten and killed for their difference. But all of this is a part of God’s plan, and they trust in Him to gain greatness on the other side of the persecution.

The Poor: The Anawim is a community made up of the poor and outcast
The community of God is not made up of the great and powerful. Those have made their choices to obtain power by their own effort and the powers of this age and world. They do so for their own glory or their own ideals to be realized in this age. The Anawim are those who have given up the path of the world to take on the way of the cross. The way of the cross does not seek greatness straightforwardly, but via the way of humility, of downward mobility, of dishonor before honor. The way of the cross does not focus on one’s own effort or money or popularity, but depends on the power of God. The way of the cross does not uphold one’s own ideals, but the will of God.

Thus, all who follow the way of the cross, are the Anawim—the poor, those rejected by the powerful of the world. They are the ones who obtain blessings of God and the powerful take advantage of them to obtain such blessings. The anawim shrug their shoulders and say, “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Then they await God’s justice. The anawim give to those in greater need than they and depend on God to provide them with greater blessings than they can give away. The anawim are rejected and hated for all the wrong reasons, even the reasons that are technically correct. The anawim are idiots for taking the long route, for not getting what they can now, while they can. Certainly, this is how it looks to those without faith—but to the anawim, suffering and rejection is all part of the plan to obtain joy unceasing.

The Lowly Are Raised

“Jesus endured the cross, disregarding the shame for the joy set before him.” (Hebrews 12:2)

But what joy is there is taking up a cross, being mocked and beaten, and then suffocating to death? What joy is there in being rejected by one’s rulers and condemned to die by a Roman governor? What joy can there be in suffering, in being executed as an innocent? The good part of the cross is not what Jesus had to endure, but the great parts that come later.
Jesus said, “Whoever lowers himself will be raised.” (Luke 14:11). This was true of Jesus, who lowered himself to a death on a cross, and then gained resurrection and so much more. It is also true of us! If we lower ourselves to the faithfulness that Jesus himself displayed, then we receive the same benefits that Jesus himself received. “The promise by the faith of Jesus Christ will be given to those who are faithful.” (Galatians 3:22)

But what promise, what benefits? What are the wages the worker of the cross receives? There are seven major benefits:

1. Being accepted by God
The people of God are in exile. They are thrown out of God’s kingdom because of their rebellion against Him. While this was not true of Jesus—Jesus was always accepted by God and he had no sins to be forgiven—yet he still had to prove his obedience. Because of his obedience under trial, he was able to demonstrate his faithfulness to God, thus allowing him to be welcome in God’s court in heaven. (Hebrews 5:8-9). Even so, if we display the faithfulness that Jesus showed, then we too are able to be forgiven of our rebellion, enter God’s court, make requests of him and to listen to Him (Acts 26:18; John 15:7).

2. Overcoming powers
When Jesus accepted the way of the cross, he was dead to himself and his own desires—his desires no longer had control over him (Mark 14:36, 38). After he died at the hand of the rulers of God’s people, neither they, nor the Romans had control over him. Because one who had died can no longer be controlled by anyone (Romans 7:1-2). Even so, if we accept the cross, our desires no longer have control over us (I Peter 4:1-2). If we die in Jesus, all the powers of heaven and earth that try to control us no longer have control, because we are under Jesus’ authority alone. No other authority determines our destiny—even if they punish us, we are under Jesus and gain Jesus’ reward (Romans 8:35-39).

3. Resurrection
On the third day after Jesus was executed, he was raised from the dead by the power of God (Luke 24:6-7). Jesus knew that this would happen, for it was promised that the one who lowered himself for God’s purposes would be raised (I Samuel 2:7-8). And if this promise is true for Jesus, it is true for everyone who has faith like Jesus (Romans 8:17). Anyone who is in Jesus will be raised from the dead (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

4. Political Rule
Jesus not only was risen from the dead for his faithfulness, but he also was lifted up to heaven, above every power in heaven and earth, to sit beside the Father and to act as the greatest power over heaven under the Father (Acts 5:31;Hebrews 1:1-3). Even so, everyone who endures hardship and suffering for God will gain some measure of political power in God’s kingdom (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5,9; 16:24-28). And those who lower themselves the most will gain the greatest amount of authority in the kingdom (Mark 10:43-44).

5. Release of the Spirit
Once Jesus was resurrected, he was able to display his power as the Authority of God by releasing the Spirit of God to all who displayed the faith of Jesus (Ephesians 4:8; Acts 2:33). The Spirit is the power of God to do God’s word and to accomplish the promises of God on earth—even healings and resurrections (John 14:26; Mark 16:17-18). The one who has lived in the faith of cross also has the power of the Spirit in their lives (Acts 2:38).

6. Acceptance for others
Because Jesus died on the cross, he was able to create the kingdom of God and he provided a place for those who have his faith (Romans 5:6-11). He died not only for himself, but for the benefit of others (Mark 10:45). Even so, our faith of the cross is not only for ourselves, but also provides a way for others to live in Christ. Through what we endure in faithfulness, we provide opportunities for others to enter into the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:24; II Corinthians 5:18-21).

7. The Peace of God
God has promised his people a land to live where there is justice with no war; satisfaction with no theft; contentment with no greed; relationship with God with no sin (Ezekiel 36:24-38). But these promises are only for those who live the faith of Jesus—only those who have taken up the cross in their own lives will gain God’s promises (Matthew 5:3-12).


Life in God is ours—but only if we take up the cross!