A central theme of Christian philosophy is helping the disadvantaged. Jesus spells it out very clearly in Matthew 25:34-36: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you gave me clothing, I was sick, and you took care of me, I was in prison, and you visited me.”
However, there is a big difference between the teachings of Jesus Christ and what you’ll find between denominations and houses of worship. A big question is: does Jesus’s call to charity mean it should be given as individual philanthropy or used for societal transformation?
What does the Bible say about being charitable?
Sociologist Samuel L. Perry got to the bottom of the question by analyzing responses to the 2022 Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings Christian Nationalism Survey. The survey included a question on what Jesus and the prophets meant by caring for people experiencing poverty. The survey provided two answers:
A.) Biblical teachings on the poor primarily refer to charitable acts by individuals
B.)The teachings refer to an obligation to create a more just society
These are two very different ways of looking at charity. In the first example, individuals give to others on a case-by-case basis, aiming to help without interfering with the overall economic system. This would be like donating to a needy family or giving clothes and food to a private charity.
The second option says the teachings should push Christians to reform society to make it more just and to fix systemic inequalities that have created an economically stratified society.
How do Christians view charitable giving based on income level?
Perry found that people tend to answer the question based on their income level. He found that those who make $100,000 or more believe the Bible teaches that charity should be done through individual charitable acts. Those who made $50,000 and below believed the opposite. They think that the Bible demands that charitable works should go towards creating a more just society.
There are a few ways to look at this big discrepancy. Those with higher incomes may value personal achievement more, so they believe charity should be an exchange among individuals. Cynically, one could also believe that those who make more money are less interested in transforming a society in which they’ve flourished.
Those with lower incomes have a greater reason to push for societal transformation because they’re at the bottom of the social totem pole. They may also believe more strongly that economic inequality stems from a systemic imbalance.
Simply put, those who’ve benefited from the system believe Jesus would want us to keep it in place; those who haven’t believe Jesus would work to change it.
Regardless of whether one is on the economic totem pole, Jesus told everyone that their true treasure awaits in heaven. He told the rich man to “sell what you own, and give the money to the poor,” and he told the poor they are blessed “for yours is the kingdom of God.” Ultimately, there may be no clear scriptural answer, but Jesus urged everyone always to do right by the disenfranchised because “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”
