Is God on the side of the poor?

"If God is passionate about the poor, does that mean that he is on the side of the poor?

Some speak of God’s bias, or preference for, or solidarity with the poor.

Is it appropriate to speak like that in this context?

First, God is not biased. ‘There is no favoritism with him’ (Eph 6:9)

God does not care more about the salvation of the poor than the rich.

Secondly, material poverty is not the biblical ideal.

Scripture upholds the ideal that there should be no poor in the land (Deut 15:4).

Thirdly, being poor and oppressed does not in itself make people members of the church.

The poor need to repent and be saved by God’s grace just as much as the wealthy.

God is concerned about justice,

and so, while God shows no partiality,

he is also not neutral in situations of justice.

Specifically, because God is not biased pursuing justice,

God favors the poor who are either victims of injustice

or find themselves in a position in which they are powerless to resist the oppression of the powerful.

In that sense,

God is on the side of the poor.

He has a special concern for them because of their vulnerability.”