Homelessness
Homelessness strips away stability, privacy, and often dignity, and it can happen faster than anyone expects. Scripture speaks with unusual directness about the poor and the stranger without a place to lay their head - even Jesus himself, during his ministry, had nowhere permanent to rest. God's concern for those without shelter is not an afterthought but a recurring theme woven through both the Law and the Gospels.
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- Passages
- 5 key scriptures
Key Chapters
Key Passages
Nowhere to Lay His Head
Matthew 8:20
Jesus describes his own homelessness during his ministry - the Son of God had no place of his own to lay his head.
20nd Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
God Setteth the Solitary in Families
Psalms 68:6
God's care for the solitary and desolate includes bringing them into homes and community, not leaving them permanently without shelter.
6od setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
Entertain Strangers
Hebrews 13:2
The call to hospitality toward strangers is framed as an opportunity to unknowingly host angels - dignity given to the unfamiliar and unsheltered.
2e not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Bring the Poor to Thy House
Isaiah 58:7
True fasting, in Isaiah's description, includes sharing bread and housing the homeless poor directly.
7s it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
The Lord Preserveth the Strangers
Psalms 146:9
God's active preservation of strangers, the fatherless, and the widow includes those without a home of their own.
9he LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.