“Who is like the Lord our God, enthroned on high, who humbles himself to see” all of us here on the earth?” (Ps 113:5-6). “He raises the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap, making them sit with princes” (Ps 113:7-8). Jesus embodies this humbling of himself and compassionate way of seeing. He invites us as his disciples to join him.
Paul invites us to “have this attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus, who though in the form of God he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8).
What does it look like for us to join Jesus in humbling himself and raising up the poor and needy? We can start by trying to consciously notice who we notice. We can take another deliberate step by asking Jesus who he wants to raise up, how we can initiate contact, and where to go from there. As we do this, we enter a process of mutual transformation alongside whomever we’re drawn to.
As we approach a person we remember to treat them with the highest respect—not offering a fix, pressuring them to do anything or even a suggestion of any kind of a solution.
Attunement to our own anxiety and consciously receiving the love and peace of Christ for ourselves helps us pass on that love and peace as we talk or sit with someone. Sitting with people in their pain, listening to them, refusing judgement or any agreement with self-accusation will establish trust.
When a person trusts us enough to share their story, we hear details that begin to give us a picture of their lives that will change ours. Lately I’ve been seeing many who fit in the category of poor and needy stuck in a low place, seemingly blocked from being lifted up.
Often the poor and needy are themselves rescuers who have been used and even preyed upon by people they’ve tried to help. Other times they’ve been the objects of countless rescue efforts. Some have been abandoned repeatedly as unredeemable. Their failures to rescue others (or be rescued) have left them feeling like failures. Many are stuck in emotionally anguish, suffering psychological and physical pain born of deprivation, abuse and other traumatic events. Many people turn to alcohol and drugs to ease their pain, which has led to incarceration, homelessness and criminal lifestyles.
People often feel unworthy of being lifted up by anyone, including God, because they blame themselves for their failures. They may feel shame for sacrifices they’ve made for others that were not acknowledged or successful—or for other people’s failed sacrifices.
They may have internalized guilt, blame and shame that have gone so deep, resulting in low self-esteem and even self-hatred, sometimes leading to self-harm, overdose and suicide attempts. As we hear people’s life stories, we may begin to see our own story with new eyes.
We may find that people are punishing themselves, refusing God’s elevation. As we encounter people in these states, we may see that we ourselves are in a similar place, rescuing others as a kind of subconscious penance, a way to feel better about ourselves– rather than from a place of truly knowing God’s unconditional love and acceptance.
We may find that we identify with people’s refusal to let Jesus raise them up—because we too are refusing this for ourselves. We feel more comfortable being down with those who are down—as we subconsciously believe this is what we deserve. This may be why we are drawn to the poor and needy—because we identify with them. We too are poor and needy. Are we too in need of Jesus to raise us up?
We may come to see that we, like those we seek to raise up, are out to save others. We may learn that we do this out of a kind of rescuer identity that we learned in our family of origin—and not always (or rarely) because Jesus sent us. Will we let him save us and send us? Or do we feel too uncomfortable on the receiving end of Jesus’ saving love? Maybe we are afraid to let him love us into a new identify that we are not familiar with, that we feel we don’t deserve.
Are we afraid of elevation? Many people don’t want to be seen as better. Some of us already feel like people see us as better than them. We may wonder whether certain people think we secretly think that we are better than them— and some may not be able to imagine that we see them as equal or better.
And then there is survivor guilt. We feel we must now work hard helping others at risk, in order to justify our own existence. Some of us may think: “To the one who has been given much, much is required.” We cannot rest. We drive ourselves to the point of burnout, exhaustion, ill health, death…
People (myself included) are often more comfortable being down and staying down– afraid to let themselves be loved, forgiven, and elevated. We come to see that the poor and needy struggle to receive God’s powerful, unconditional love. But we see too that we ourselves have the same problem! As we seek to lift someone up who is resisting our love, we come to see that we too need to receive Jesus’ love for ourselves. In fact, if we don’t, we will have nothing to give.
We encounter people who do not seem to want to be lifted up, as it would mean leaving their comfort zone— a place with others like themselves where they have a sort of community. Or a place of co-dependency where they are used, rejected, stomped on, and in other ways mistreated—which strangely they may feel they deserve.
As we serve and encounter resistance, we see that we need to invite certain people to flee their downtrodden state. But when we see them resisting, we wonder whether they maybe haven’t yet bottomed out—to the point of saying:
“I’m done!— with sacrificing myself (often for others) as my core identity to the point of self-harm. Now I finally surrender to Jesus and accept his unconditional acceptance!”
People who are downtrodden need to hear how and why they are beloved, valued, and precious in God’s sight just as they are. This message will be more believable if it is delivered by someone who has deeply received it and believed it for themselves! The messenger must themself receive a message inspired by the Creator—who alone knows the messenger and the receiver fully. It is only the Spirit who can reveal a life-giving message that is tailor-made for each person.
“For to us God revealed through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among people knows the [thoughts] of a person except the spirit of the person which is in him/her?” (1 Cor 2:11).
When our message is inspired by the Holy Spirit, it will more easily be received through faith by the hearer.
This message must be embodied by someone who shows God’s love through physical presence and other concrete acts of service, advocacy and words. Through our respectful, dignifying presence people can experience their belovedness.
When someone chooses to trust us, to open their heart and receive from us, something sacred happens. We experience what Jesus tells his disciples: “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives him who sent me” (Mt 10:40). This experience of mediating the Divine Presence is what we are created for. But as John the Baptist was not himself the light, but bore witness to the Light (Jn 1:7-8), we too are not the Savior. We point away from ourselves to Jesus, to whom people can directly connect with themselves.
Another person’s faith cannot be sustained if it is only placed in us, our church or organization. We cannot be there for people 24/7. Human saviors will always be inadequate—creating unsustainable dependency that finally disappoints. The living, resurrected God—Jesus, is who they (we) need. He alone can bring them up and out of their darkness and chaos into a new place where they can experience the fullness of life.
Being raised up by Jesus happens when we open ourselves to letting him love us 100%, forgive us for all our offenses, receive his offer of unconditional acceptance, and accept the Holy Spirit to comfort, empower and guide us into our truest vocations as active participants in his mission. We can step into his movement now, which includes a promise of provision and eternal security as we seek first his kingdom and righteousness. We are offered continuous spiritual formation as he continues to teach through his Word and Spirit.
Let us join Jesus in his raising up the poor and needy, which starts by letting him elevate us! As we surrender to God’s love may we learn to love ourselves as God loves and cares for us— mind, body and spirit. Let’s seek a lifestyle that models what we hope for those we seek to raise up: Getting enough rest and exercise, eating well, spiritual practices and study that sustain us, and even going on vacations!
Jesus wants you and me to join him in his mission—a global mission that involves making disciples who will continue the work of raising up the poor and needy. As you abide in his love you will have the strength to endure—to bear fruit for his kingdom, entering into his eternal joy.