The seeds of Our Lord’s social teaching were given in God’s revelation to Israel, the Old Testament. Here is an example from the Book of Proverbs and St. Matthew’s Gospel.
To start, we see many verses in the Book of Proverbs that promise blessings to those who are generous to the poor and curses to those who are not:
- He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. Proverbs 28:27
- He who despises his neighbor is a sinner, but happy is he who is kind to the poor. Proverbs 14:21
- He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard. Proverbs 21:13
- The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2
- He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Proverbs 22:9
- He who oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to want. Proverbs 22:16
- Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord will plead their cause and despoil of life those who despoil them. Proverbs 22:22-23
- He who augments his wealth by interest and increase gathers it for him who is kind to the poor. Proverbs 28:8
- A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge. Proverbs 29:7
- If a king judges the poor with equity his throne will be established forever. Proverbs 29:14
The inspired author of Proverbs goes further, and explains that how one treats the poor is how one treats God Himself:
- He who oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him. Proverbs 14:31
- He who mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. Proverbs 17:5
- He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17
Our Lord appropriates this teaching, including the blessing and curses, and brings it to full fruition:
31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
One can clearly hear the blessings and curses in Our Lord’s words. And consider His words, “…as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” A first century Jew familiar with the Scriptures and who knew the proverbs would be shocked by this statement as Our Lord is identifying Himself with their Maker!
