The Poor vs The Unbeliever

I am doing something interesting as I start the New Testament over.  I am categorizing everything Jesus said.  One of the greatest Bible study tools I have found is Microsoft One Note.

I set up a new tab for topics that Jesus addresses.  Then when I read something Jesus said I either paste it to a topic or I make up a tab for the new topic. 

Some of the topics are pretty basic.  Things like love, faith, etc.  But some of them are a bit deeper.  Things like Sowing and Reaping.  Do Jesus and God Purposely Exclude  Some People?  Jesus and Unbelievers.  Jesus and the Poor.

The last two I find particularly interesting.  I think there is a tension in the Bible between the two.  Here is what I mean.

There are many places in the Bible where Jesus seems to favor the poor.  We are told to care for the poor.  We are told to feed the poor.  We are told the poor will inherit the earth.    There is so much focus on the poor in the New Testament that the poor seem to take on their own brand of sainthood among some Christians today.  There are some Christians that seem to think that the poor are even morally superior because they are poor.

Here is where the tension comes in.  Look at some of the things Jesus says about unbelievers.

Matthew 13:57-58(NKJV)

57So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 

58Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Look at that.  Because of their unbelief, Jesus purposely withheld many of his blessings from these people.  So here is one Scripture that tells us that even Jesus recognized that not everyone was entitled to His blessings. 

Matthew 13:11-17(NKJV)

11He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 

12For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 

13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 

14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:      ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,     And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15    For the hearts of this people have grown dull.     Their ears are hard of hearing,     And their eyes they have closed,     Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,     Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,      So that I £should heal them.’ £

16But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 

17for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

So here we have Jesus explaining that not all are intended to understand and benefit from God's plan.  That God had Jesus purposely speaking in code so to speak so that only believers would understand and benefit.  Jesus also explains that those who have much will be given more and those who have little will lose what they have.  Notice he doesn't condemn it, He explains that it is the system in place.

There are also plenty of Scripture that tells us that believers are heirs with Christ. 

Matthew 13:47-50(NKJV)

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 

48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 

49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 

50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Here we have Jesus explaining that during the end times God will separate the wicked from the just and the wicked will fry.

So here is my question. 

Does the fact that someone is poor trump the fact that they are unbelievers and entitle them to all of the benefits that God promised to believers?

I'm looking forward to digging deeper into this issue and I'll let you know what I find.