Remember the poor

Galatians 2:10 The apostles all agreed from the earliest times to "remember the poor". They probably mostly meant poorer converts among them. But that is not what is says so I am very likely adding my own opinion here. The apostles were about helping the poor whenever they could as an act of charity and to show the compassion of God. Jesus remembered the poor too and the apostles knew Jesus and they were conscious of wanting be and act like he did.
I am struck by this verse this morning. Some, like me, of a more fundamentalist bent might wonder. I use the word "fundamentalist" for lack of a better word. I am not trying to broad brush fundamentalists who I have a lot of respect for. But some would say that we should preach the gospel and not get distracted by social work like remembering the poor. There is some truth there too.
But the apostles listed: James, Cephas, and John and Paul and Barnabas all agreed that their witness included remembering the poor. That is a phrase that could do with a lot of unpacking. It does not simply mean feed or clothe. It also means have compassion, be with, pray with (and for). That is how Jesus remembered the poor.
Interestingly, Paul uses the same word πτωχός in Galatians 4:9. This is my dangerous Greek knowledge again. He describes the main correcting point of this letter, that the Galatians want to be under the Jewish Law, as "weak and worthless" The world for worthless πτωχὰ is the same word used for the poor πτωχῶν.
It is not an accident that he uses the same word. Sometimes circumstances or our own actions put us into places where we need help. We are to be pitied. But that is not a place to aspire to. Paul is saying that wishing to go back to the law is a big mistake and one not to wish for.
Paul knows the Law is weak and worthless - unable to save. So this word /πτωχός/ carries a lot of meaning. Perhaps in 4:9, Paul is "coining" the word, using it in a way not normally seen. He is taking the word for poor and using it as an adjective. One who is poor is on the one hand to be pitied. On the other hand the poor are seen as inferior. Nevertheless they are to be shown compassion as Jesus did.
The apostles agreed to "remember the poor". Then in 4:9 Paul brings poverty home more personally by saying that is what they are thinking about doing, making themselves more impoverished by going back to the law. Only Jesus saves.
We can easily take on legalisms and begin to rely on them rather that the grace of God. That is a mistake and it impoverishes us.