Sermon - 15 September 2013 by Bruce McCallum

2. Where in the income distribution are you?
Percentile in the income distribution Monthly income per person in the
household (2012 prices)
10 (decile 1) R 281
20 (decile 2) R 419
30 (decile 3) R 599
40 (decile 4) R 793
50 (decile 5) R 1 066
60 (decile 6) R 1 443
70 (decile 7) R 2 098
80 (decile 8) R 3 351
90 (decile 9) R 6 693
95 (decile 10) R 9 613
97 (decile 10) R 13 579
98 (decile 10) R 17 021
99 (decile 10) R 25 360
Source: NIDS, wave 3, September 2013

3. Percentage of people living below the
poverty line
Population
percentage
% of people
spending
< R502 per
capita p.m.
in 2008
% of people
spending
< R924 per
capita p.m.
in 2008
African 79.3% 62.8% 79.7%
Coloured 8.9% 31.7% 52.7%
Asian/Indian 2.6% 16.7% 21.5%
White 9.2% 2.5% 3.4%
Overall 100% 53.3% 68.8%

4. Key Differences between Poor and Non-Poor Households
Poor Non – poor Overall
Mean Household
Size
4.8 2.9 3.9
Mean Household
Age
21.9 30.1 26.2
Household Head
Mean Education
6.0 9.3 8.2
Male Headed
Household
42.2% 68.8% 59.9%
Unemployment
Rate
53.6% 19.7% 31.1%

5. Where do you get your income from?
Source: NIDS discussion document no. 5, 2009

6. What do you spend your income on?
Source: NIDS discussion document no. 5, 2009

7. Education is really important
Source: NIDS discussion document no. 5, 2009

8. For more
information, visit
www.nids.uct.ac.za
Source: NIDS discussion document no. 5, 2009

9. "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour
to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The
expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on
him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

10. 1. Compassion & mercy to the poor are
not optional.
James 2:13-17 (NIV)
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to
anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs
over judgment! 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a
man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such
faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is
without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to
him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,"
but does nothing about his physical needs, what good
is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead.

11. 1 John 3:17 (NIV)
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his
brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the
love of God be in him?

12. 2. Mercy & Compassion for the needy is
not new --- it goes all the way back to
Eden!
Genesis 3:21 (NIV)
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and
his wife and clothed them.

13. 3. Job knew God required the providing of
food, shelter and clothing to the needy
Job 29:16 (NIV)
16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the
stranger.

14. 4. Law of Moses: God was building a
believing community where social
righteousness was required as much as
personal righteousness and morality.

15. 5. To ignore the needs of a poor man is a
sin against the Lord.
Proverbs 14:31 (NIV)
31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their
Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)
17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will
reward him for what he has done.

16. 6. A social conscience is the sign of true
faith.
Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)

17. 7. God is angry when we have one face for
him and another face for the needy
Isaiah 1:10-17 (NIV)
. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will
hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many
prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;
16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil
deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to
do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of
the widow.

18. 8. Mercy to the poor is an evidence of
true heart commitment to God
Amos 5:21-24 (NIV)
21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot
stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me
burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept
them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I
will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of
your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a
never-failing stream!

19. 9. Prophets predicted that when the
Messiah came he would be characterised
by mercy to the poor
Isaiah 11:1-4 (NIV)
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from
his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the
Lord will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the
Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord-- 3 and
he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not
judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by
what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness
he will judge the needy, with justice he will give
decisions for the poor of the earth. …

20. Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV)
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because
the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the
poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim freedom for the captives and release from
darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of
the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

21. 10. Jesus clearly associates with a gospel
to the poor
Matthew 11:1-6 (NIV)
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve
disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach
in the towns of Galilee. 2 When John heard in prison
what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask
him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we
expect someone else?" 4 Jesus replied, "Go back and
report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind
receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy
are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the
good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the
man who does not fall away on account of me."

22. 11. Mary and Joseph literally associated
Jesus with the poor at His circumcision
Luke 2:24 (NIV)
24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said
in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young
pigeons."
Leviticus 12:8 (NIV)
8 If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves
or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the
other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will
make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

23. 12. Jesus lived with and ate and
associated with the lepers and outcasts –
the lowest classes of society.

24. 13. Look how the early church dealt with
the issue of the poor

25. What are we to do?
1. Poor will always be with us (Matt 26:11)
2. Think about poverty from the perspective of the
Kingdom of God
3. Keep an open heart towards the poor!