Browsing by Author "Chizoba Udenze, Franklin"

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    Jesus and the Poor in Luke's Gospel (Message for and About the Poor In Nigeria)
    (Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Chizoba Udenze, Franklin
    In the world today, the poor are among the most unfortunate, disregarded, marginalized and oppressed people in society. Through this mistreatment, they have been rendered weak and voiceless. They are not weak or voiceless because they cannot help themselves or speak for themselves, but because the social, economic and political structures have made them to be so. And so they are permanently poor and vulnerable. However, one unfortunate fact about this issue is that those who help to sustain the structures that perpetuate poverty are the rich or the well-off. Some of the people in this category are Christians. So, in this paper, I would like to show how Jesus, in his time, treated and interacted with the poor as presented in Luke's gospel. Precisely, this involves showing how Jesus criticized the unjust structures of his time and how he went against the Jewish authorities in order to preach, to heal, to help and to liberate the poor in their pain, isolation and marginalization. From this point, I will then show how the teaching and the attitude of Jesus towards the poor of his time consoles the poor in Nigeria in their problems, and urges them to live an exemplary life for all Christians to follow. I will also show how the rich Christians or the Christian elite in the country can help the poor and the less privileged and what the Church and the state can do to alleviate the structures that foster poverty and the oppression of the poor in Nigeria.