Help The Poor!

Remember, whenever you are in a position to help someone in some way, be good and always do it. Because that’s God answering someone else’s prayers through you. Every act of helping others for the sake of Christ and His gospel will turn out to increase your treasure in heaven.

Our Lord Jesus said in Luke 16:9:

"And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

“Mammon” comes from an Aramaic word (mamona), the everyday language spoken by Jesus and His audience. It simply meant:

Wealth, money, possessions, or material resources.

So at a basic level, it wasn’t mysterious—it was a common term people used for what they owned or trusted financially.

‘Mammon’ means more than just money—it implies what you trust more.

In that culture, “mammon” didn’t just mean cash—it carried the idea of what you rely on for security.

So when Jesus used the term, He was pointing to:

• Money

• Property

• Assets

• Anything people depend on instead of God.

Why it is called ‘worldly’?

It belongs to this temporary world.

It’s morally neutral—but easily misused-not because all money is bad, but because it’s commonly used in wrong ways, for sinful pleasure, to win authority over others, to spend on self centred ways rather than glorifying God, etc.

It contrasts with “true riches” which are eternal and change the destiny of people.

It seduces people and distracts them from eternal riches.

It’s called “worldly wealth” because it’s temporary, earthly, and often misused—but still something you can use for good and eternal purposes.

What we have now is temporary—but how we use it has eternal impact.

Money itself is not evil—but it’s dangerous if it controls us.

When you use your resources to bless others, you’re doing more than being kind—

You are participating in God’s work.

Our Lord's statement about using “worldly wealth” to “gain friends” comes at the end of the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1–8). The suggestion of using “mammon” or “unrighteous wealth” to make friends in the world seems to us as improper.

In this parable all the characters are wicked—the manager and the master whose possessions he manages are both wicked characters. The Lord is not encouraging us to imitate these characters’ behavior; rather, He is trying to teach a spiritual principle.

The manager is using his resources in such a way that he will benefit out of them when he loses everything. He is telling the debtors of the master that he would reduce their debts, if they help him when he is out of job.

The Lord is exhorting us to use our temporary wealth to spread the gospel for the expansion of God’s Kingdom, to help the poor so that they come into the knowledge of Christ. When we leave this earth, we will meet them there in heaven. They will be thankful to you that you caused them to receive the gospel here on earth.

There are two lessons we can learn from the Lord’s statement.

1) Everything We Have Is Temporary

• -Our life is temporary

• -Our health is temporary

• -Our wealth is temporary

• -We have no guarantee for anything we posses- We will lose them one day!

1 John 2:17

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

We are warned here not to trust in the riches of this world. Because, they are not going to be with us forever.

2 Corinthians 4:18

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

We believe in things which are seen or experienceable. But the Bible says, they are temporal. But what is promised by God, though they are unseen today- but they are eternal and we will have them forever, if we possess them!

James 4:14

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Our life is as good as ‘mist’ in nature. They are ready to disappear. It doesn’t have a longer life.

Psalms 103:15-16

“The life of mortals is like grass… the wind blows over it and it is gone.”

We need to ask ourselves two searching questions.

“Can I trust God?” Is He faithful in what He has promised in His Word?

When we look at our life- right from the day we were born until now- without any doubt-we can say that God has been faithful!

Now the next question remains.

Can God Trust Me? Can God Trust You?”

Can God trust me in the things that He has entrusted to me? Am I faithful to Him?

This corresponds to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21).

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

Every act of helping others for the sake of Christ and His gospel will turn out to increase your treasure in heaven.

Someone’s life can change because of your generosity.

Remember, whenever you are in a position to help someone in some way, be good and always do it. Because that’s God answering someone else’s prayers through you.

That means your actions here have eternal consequences.

Imagine one day in heaven:

Someone comes up to you and says, “Because you gave… I heard the gospel.”

“Because you helped… my life was changed.”

That’s what Jesus is pointing to.

Eternal impact. Eternal reward. Eternal relationships.

When We Serve the Least, We Serve Christ”

2) Use Our Life With Purpose To Invest In The Eternity

Let’s reflect on something at the very heart of our faith: caring for the poor, the forgotten, and the vulnerable.

In the Gospel, Jesus makes a powerful statement:

Matthew 25:40

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Think about that for a moment. Every act of kindness—every meal given, every hand extended, every moment of compassion—is not just a good deed. It is a service to Christ Himself.

The world often measures success by wealth, power, and status. But God measures differently. God looks at the heart. He sees how we treat those who cannot repay us, those society overlooks.

So what does this mean for us?

It means we cannot walk past suffering and pretend not to see it. It means our faith must be more than words—it must be action. A kind word, a shared meal, generosity, advocacy—these are expressions of God’s love.

Helping the poor isn’t just charity; it’s obedience. It’s love in motion.

But let’s be honest—sometimes we hesitate. We think:

“I don’t have enough to give.”

“What difference can I make?”

Yet God never asks us to solve everything. He asks us to be faithful in something. Even the smallest act, done with love, carries eternal value.

Remember the story of the widow’s offering—she gave only a little, but Jesus said she gave more than all the others because she gave from her heart.

Mark 12:41-44

“………..Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

She gave almost nothing—and yet Jesus said she gave more than everyone else.

Why?

Because she gave from the heart.

Let us not harden our hearts. Let us be people who see, who care, and who act.

Because in the end, when we stand before God, it won’t be about how much we had—but how much we spent for God’s Kingdom.

Because Proverbs 19:17 says:

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.”

God is not obliged to anyone. He doesn’t owe anyone anything. He repays!

James 2:15–17 says:

“If a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food

and one of you says, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,’

but does nothing… what good is it?

Faith without works is dead.”

Yes, preaching is not enough. Sharing gospel is not enough. Put our so-called ‘love’ into action. Love is costly!

In Luke 6:38, He says:

“Give, and it will be given to you.”

We want God to bless us. But what do we do with the blessings that we have? We keep them all for us and our children. This is self-centeredness. God doesn’t like it. He spared all He had for our salvation!

And in Acts 20:35:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

This is the secret of blessings. Sharing a part of our blessings with others. That will never reduce ours’ but will increase instead!.

And 1 John 3:17 will echo in our hearts:

“If anyone has material possessions

and sees a brother or sister in need

but has no pity on them—

how can the love of God be in that person?”

Proverbs 21:13 warns us:

“Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor

will also cry out and not be answered.”

Isaiah 58:6–7 says:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to lose the chains of injustice…

to share your food with the hungry

and provide the poor wanderer with shelter?”

I remember a story…

In a small town, lived a man named Elias. Elias was a good man, hardworking and devout, who attended church every Sunday. He was comfortable and owned a sturdy, wool coat that kept him warm during the harsh winter months.

One freezing December evening, while walking home, Elias passed a poor man sitting on a park bench. The man was thin, shivering uncontrollably, and dressed only in a thin, worn-out sweater.

Elias stopped. His heart felt a small tug. I should help him, he thought. But then, another thought arrived: It’s too cold, and I have a long walk home. Besides, I only have this one coat. He hesitated, then walked away.

That night, in his warm bed, Elias couldn't sleep. The image of the shivering man wouldn't leave his mind. He remembered the verse from his church service that morning: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

The next day early morning, Elias returned to the bench. The man was still there, looking even weaker. Elias didn't hesitate this time. He took off his thick coat and placed it around the man's shoulders.

"God bless you, sir," the man whispered, tears filling his eyes.

Elias walked home in the cold, yet he felt a great warmth in his heart he hadn't experienced before. When he got home, he looked in his wardrobe and realized he had another, older coat he could fix up.

The Lesson:

Helping the poor is not about giving from our abundance, but giving from our hearts, often sacrificially. True Christian compassion requires action that overcomes convenience, treating the needs of the vulnerable as if they were Christ's own needs.

The Holy Spirit is exhorting the Church to take care of the poor.

Galatians 2:10

“All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along”.

This was the instruction given to the Church by the Apostles.

Luke 16:9

"I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, ou will be welcomed into eternal dwellings".

The Bible reminds us: we are stewards, not owners.

What we have is entrusted to us for a season. 

By Pastor Renji George

Scriptures: 1 John 2:17, 1 John 3:17, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Acts 20:35, Galatians 2:10, Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 58:6-7, James 2:15, James 2:15-17, James 4:14, Luke 16:1, Luke 16:9, Luke 16:1-8, Luke 6:38, Mark 12:41-44, Matthew 12:41-44, Matthew 25:40, Matthew 6:19, Matthew 6:19-21, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 21:13, Psalm 103:15-16, Psalms 103:15-16

Sermon Topics: Wealth, Blessing, Poverty, Help, Goodness, Worldly, Poor, Share, Mammon, Stewards, Wicked Servant, Treasure In Heaven, Making Friends, Heavenly Dwellings, Unrighteous Servant, Steward Parable