Introduction
If we truly desire an end to the attacks against the Church and its leaders, then the next crucial step is simple and scriptural:
Stop the desecration of the poor in the name of the gospel.
Christ’s love for the poor was not just a message — it was His lifestyle.
From throne to manger, from manger to Egypt, from Egypt to Nazareth, from Nazareth to the fields, from the fields to the Cross, from the Cross to the grave, and from the grave back to the throne — Jesus lived through poverty so that all might be rich in grace.
Christ’s Love for the Poor
Jesus once hungered and found no fruit on the fig tree. He faced taxes, rejection, and hunger — He understood poverty firsthand.
When He fed the 5,000 and later the 4,000, the miracles were not just about power — they were about compassion, love, and concern for the poor.
If today’s church leaders carried this same heart for the hungry, many would no longer remain poor. Sadly, the modern church often emphasizes the miracle instead of the message of mercy.
God Chooses the Lowly
Christ deliberately chose ordinary, struggling people as His disciples — Andrew, Peter, James, and John — all fishermen with failing businesses.
He noticed Nathanael under the fig tree, seemingly jobless, and called him. Even King David, one of Christ’s forefathers, once ruled in the Cave of Adullam, surrounded by the poor and distressed.
God’s love for the lowly has never changed.
In the book of Acts, the early church leaders loved the poor so much that “they had all things in common.”
No one was neglected — the rich and poor shared life and resources together.
Even in early Nigerian Christianity, the poor were honored and supported by the rich. If that pattern had continued, would there be so much anger and attack against church leaders today? Certainly not.
Who would insult or mock the friends and fathers of the poor if the poor were loved and lifted within the Church?
How the Gospel Was Twisted
The shift from love and concern for the poor to neglect and exploitation is one of the major reasons the church faces criticism today.
Common preaching slogans such as:
- “If you give to the rich, you’ll be rich.”
- “If you sow into a fruitful life, you’ll be fruitful.”
- “If you bless those above you, you will rise.”
These sound spiritual, but they are indirect attacks against the poor — an outright desecration.
They send a dangerous message: If you give to the poor, you will remain poor.
As a result, the rich avoid helping those below them and prefer to give only to church leaders — thinking that’s the path to blessing.
Some even preach that poverty is a sign of ungodliness or sin.
That is not the gospel of Christ; it is spiritual discrimination.
God’s Justice for the Poor
Those who demean or ignore the poor forget that God is the defender of the fatherless and the needy.
Perhaps the growing attacks and criticisms against church leaders are not mere coincidences — maybe they are the voice of justice, God’s own way of defending the poor.
If the Church restores compassion and balances its message — teaching both giving to God and giving to the poor — the critics will lose their fire, and the Church will regain respect and beauty.
Conclusion: Make Christianity Attractive Again
Let the Church rise again as a place of love, fairness, and mercy.
Let the welfare of the poor become a priority in every denomination.
Only then will the Church silence its critics and once again reflect the beauty of Christ.
God bless you. Amen.