Scripture tells us that if a man has two coats, he must give one to the man who has no coats.
Scripture tells us that it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
Scripture tells us that God will give good things to the poor, and the rich he will send away empty.
Scripture commands us to care for the needy. Scripture says that those who do not will be sent to the lake of fire. That punishment is not reserved for anyone else, not even homosexuals or abortionists. Yes, those who do not care for the poor are worse than perverts and atheists.
Neither the prophets nor Jesus ever say, "Well, why are you poor? You should just pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. You're only poor because of your own poor choices. If you made better choices you would be rich, and wealth is a sign of being blessed."
Such thinking is completely antithetical to the message repeated, over and over again, throughout both Old and New Testament. Yet I hear these exact words from the mouths of many people who claim to be Christians.
Many Christians (not all ... but many, even on these very boards) are quick to condemn the gays, and the scientists, and the worldly, but there are thousands more verses about the way poor people are treated, verses against the misuse of wealth.... and don't even get me started on immigrants.... Yet too many Christians ignore these, and partake in the very behaviors denounced in Scripture. How is it okay to be haughty but not okay to be gay? Are both not equally evil in God's sight?
Or do you only condemn things that you're not guilty of yourself? After all, it's easy to condemn homosexuality, because you think it's gross, and you would never be tempted to do that yourself. But wealth? Well, that's harder to condemn, because you like having money, and you don't want to condemn that, because that means you can't seek money.
But this makes you a servant not of God, but of Mammon.
Choose this day whom you shall serve.
As for me and my house, we shall serve JHWH