Poverty and Wealth in the Gospel of Luke: A Model and Challenge for the Conventual Franciscan Friars in Kenya Today.
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Date
2006
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
There has been a lot of striving among the Christians to comprehend the real
meaning and value of poverty and wealth. Conventual Franciscans Friars and other
consecrated men and women are also struggling to understand the meaning and value of
poverty in their lives. We realize that on the one hand, there are several people in our
societies who suffer from povertyl while on the other hand there are rich people who
are able to sustain themselves and even have more than they need. In the same category
of the rich there are consecrated men and women who have professed publicly the vow
of poverty as one of the three evangelical counsels. Some of these religious men and
women place a lot of value on the vow of poverty although they have most of their basic
needs and wants catered for.
This research is aimed at helping us realize the meaning and value of poverty
and wealth in the context of the paradox that we have cited above. Our main
responsibility shall be seeking to comprehend the value of poverty and wealth under the
guidance of the Gospel of Luke and the Franciscan tradition. Method, Structure and Content of My Study
This essay is divided into three main chapters. In the first chapter we shall give a
background of poverty and wealth in the Old Testament. We shall discuss different lines
of thought about poverty and wealth and observe how the people of Israel viewed
poverty and wealth. We will also explore the Exodus story, which is portrayed as a
prototype of God's concern for the poor and then analyze the provision of the law for
the poor. We shall wind up the first chapter by evaluating the general understanding of
poverty among the prophets.
The second chapter will be the main basis for this study. In this chapter we shall
discuss poverty and wealth in the Gospel of Luke. We shall commence by presenting
the social and economic status of Jesus and his disciples from the infancy narratives.
Then we shall discuss his teaching by analyzing various aspects such as his mission
statement (Luke 4:18-19) and the sermon on the plain found in Luke 6:20-49. Finally
we shall analyze Jesus' attitude towards poverty and wealth and his instructions
concerning the dangers of wealth and the right use of possession.
With a concrete background of poverty and wealth derived from the Old
Testament and an elaborate meaning of poverty and wealth resulting from the Gospel of
Luke, we shall be in a position to apply our knowledge to the Conventual Franciscan
Friars in chapter three. We shall briefly explain the general meaning of Franciscan
poverty and demonstrate how the teaching of Jesus on poverty and wealth is an actual
model for the Conventual Franciscans in Kenya and at the same time a genuine
challenge for them.
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Keywords
Poverty, Wealth, Gospel of Luke, Conventual Franciscan Friars