Tags
Give, Homeless, Jesus, Jesus Manifesto, Jesus Sayings, Matthew 5
It is a challenge. I see the homeless. Do I give them some money? Won’t they just use it to buy drugs or booze? Why don’t they have a job, I think. I feel justified in not giving.
Jesus says ‘Yes’ it is your duty to give. It isn’t my job to judge why they are begging. God’s goal for me is to give. That is all I need to know.
What does Jesus think? This may run afoul of the “official stances” of the homeless social services organizations. They have great reasons for their logic. That isn’t Jesus challenges us to do. I am going to follow Jesus.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,[h] let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Source: Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV)
Homeless
I see no problem in giving. They only ask for loose change or maybe a couple of bucks. Heck, the local preacher asks for a lot more and even the politician wants much, much more. and of course, we can trust all of them to spend it wisely. Sure we can. give to the homeless. there is nothing lost.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well said. Maybe we could give even more. At least it gets in directly into the hands of the person who needs it. Be blessed. God is in a great mood.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not so positive on either side. I’m not sure that the guy holding a sign can be said to be working although I’m sure it’s not much fun to stand there. Best I can find out however, many of them get a lot of money in that way. Also some are placed there by a “boss” and they don’t get any of it. I’ve offered work and they have not been interested. I think money given to a worthy organization is better used. Am I making a judgement? Yes. And on occasion I go back and offer help. Thanks for visiting me today and leaving the like. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the great comment. I thinking it probably isn’t either give directly to the homeless if the ask OR give to worthy organizations (if they ask). I am going to go with Jesus on if either asks, GIVE.
Be blessed. God is with you.
LikeLike
I guess he did not limit that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wisdom is the art of doing more good than harm. Nothing wrong with trying to give wisely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Tom, I think Jesus is clear and so I am going to take his word as wisdom. If someone asks me to give them money, I will.
Be blessed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@ Michael Wilson
Wisdom is an art, not a science. What is foolish is not giving at all. How we give is debatable. So I don’t know if you are wrong. I just think that when we put our thoughts together we both benefit.
God calls upon us to be good stewards of what He has given us. When we give handouts to seemingly desperate people with their hands out at stoplights, is that what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:38-42? Or was Jesus talking about someone we know, someone we know needs our help, someone we know how to help?
No scripture stands alone. When we contemplate the scripture you quoted, shouldn’t we compare and contrast that passage with other passages that address the same topic?
Consider then the example of selfless generosity presented by The Parable of the Good Samaritan? Matthew 5:38-42 tells us what to do. Luke 10:25-37 shows us how one man did what his heart called him to do (I pray God helps me to be as generous.).
Note that the Good Samaritan did not give his money to a helpless man stricken by his injuries. He gave his cash to the innkeeper. Since scripture does not waste words, I don’t believe Luke 10:35 is just filler. I believe that verse is part of the lesson.
The picture you portray poses a similar problem. If you suspect someone is stricken with alcoholism or drug addiction, do you really want to help them buy more of what is killing them? When that addict cannot stop himself, do you want the fact you enabled such behavior on your conscience? On the other hand, if we run across someone who needs our help, someone we know is capable of managing the money we give them, then we agree we should share what we can.
Thank you for your post. When we drive, we all see people at stoplights and in parking lots asking for money. What should we do? I had worried about it, but until I saw your post I had not forced myself to think about it as much as I should. Thanks to you, it occurred to me that Matthew 5:38-42 and Luke 10:25-37 are related. We should give, but how we give makes a difference.
What do you think?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think your post https://onetahayes.com/2018/01/05/tween-god-and-me-coat/ is exactly what Jesus is talking about but they didn’t even have to ask you.
LikeLike
Tom, great series of questions. Of course, this is simply my opinion. I am not a theologian. As Forrest Gump would say, I am may not be smart but I know what love is. 🙂 🙂
Matthew 5:38-42 is part of what I like to refer to as the Manifesto of Jesus, i.e. Matthew 5 to 7. In the section this comes out of, there are a whole series of clarifications. Jesus challenges us around “You have heard it said” follow by the standard of Jesus.
This one is around ” You have it said ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ Jesus challenges us with a whole series of higher standards around this:
–Don’t resist the one who is evil.
–If struck on one cheek, turn the other cheek so they can hit that one as well.
–If someone wants your shirt, give them your coat as well.
–If someone wants you go one mile, go two.
–If someone begs, give to them.
–If someone wants to borrow money, loan it to them.
Luke 10:25-37 answers the specific question of the lawyer on how to love your neighbor and who is your neighbor. In this case, the neighbor is beaten and left for dead. Presumably he had money because they were robbers and hence, was not a beggar. At any rate it is about how to love and who is our neighbor.
I agree they are related topics but not different answers to the same question. Based on my understanding, I believe Jesus wants me to give if someone begs me for money. Yes, this is the guy under the bridge with a sign out. Jesus didn’t say give them money if you think they can manage it and aren’t drug addicts. Jesus simple challenges me to give. That is how I read it and I am reluctant to put more words into the mouth of Jesus.
When I first began to understand this, I was really challenged because I had a different attitude. I had a severe judgmental attitude. Through the grace of God, that is changing.
Blessings!
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Michael Wilson
It is our nature lo observe the same thing and see different things. There is a famous poem that illustrates part of the problem.
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-blind-man-and-the-elephant/
The poem illustrates how our limited perception causes us to reach different conclusions. Because you and I were raised and educated differently — because we focus on different things even now — we will sometimes reach different conclusions about the same Bible passages. Which of us is wrong? That usually matter less than following the dedicates of our own conscience. Why? I think our Lord is more concerned that we are trying to obey Him than whether we are obeying Him perfectly. Because we are imperfect — even have different imperfections — we cannot even imperfectly obey Him all the same way. Therefore, I don’t think our Lord cares whether we are consistent either.
Anyway, I encourage you to go with what you believe, not what I believe. When He judges us, it is our own conscience, not anothers, that our Lord will examine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This needs to be shouted from the rooftops.
LikeLiked by 1 person