dear forum members, i received the following email today from a member of the body of Christ who visits the forum. the email is in regard to alex's thread about giving money to the homeless. i am posting the email here so that others might be able to read it and take it to heart. i will go on record saying i agree with everything written in the email to me.
--------------------------------------------------
A certain someone quoted the scripture about, "If a man will not work, he will not eat." Where is the second witness to that verse? It is a verse that is often used as a justification for people being hardhearted toward their fellow human beings, and it is a verse that self-righteous folks use to stand in judgment of others. For example, "he needs to get a job."
That same attitude was exhibited by the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.
Luke 15:25-30
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Sounds like the older brother was just a tad self-righteous, was he not? How is that attitude any different than those who judge the homeless man for not working, and consequently, would refuse to help him because he doesn't have a job? What did the Lord do for the 5,000? They weren't working. They were following him around, sitting like bums on the side of a hill, but did the Lord feed them? Yes, He did. Did the Lord demand them to “go get a job”? No, this is what He did:
John 6:5-13
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
The Lord didn't demand for those 5000 people to go get jobs. He didn't judge them for not working. If they were following Him, they weren't out working. Yet, the Lord fed them. Some who responded would dare to stand in judgment of the Lord because He gave food to “those lazy bums who refused to work.” They may not say it openly, but the attitude of their hearts is exactly that. They would condemn the Lord, so they could feel justified on their ivory towers. They are the servant in this parable:
Matthew 18:23-35
23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
For those demanding the homeless should “get a job,” God has shown them mercy in that they have a job, a roof over their heads, food in their bellies, and money to purchase food with, but they (having received all they have from God) would refuse to give to their fellow servant. God calls them a wicked servant, and they need to “examine themselves” because their attitude is WRONG.
Another witness from scripture: what was the real reason why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed? God does not provide the reason in the story itself. He gave it later through the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 16:49
49“ ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
The typical response is, “What if he/she buys booze with it?” First, what they do with the money is none of the giver's business. Second, one of the very reasons God made alcohol was for this:
Proverbs 31:6-9
6Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish!
7Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.
8Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
9Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
If God uses one of us to give money to a homeless person, so that person can go buy a beer, so be it. It is none of our business. Is that homeless person in poverty and misery? Yes. Why would some begrudge that man/woman a beer, so he/she could forget his/her misery for a time? To be blunt, if God has that person use the money to go buy alcohol, it is none of our business, and we need to keep our self-righteous noses out of it!
What about the parable of the Good Samaritan? The “holy” people left the guy to die on the side of the road. Who did God use to show that man mercy? A Samaritan.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'
You also never know when a homeless man/woman might be an angel.
Hebrews 13:2
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
And what about these scriptures?
Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Luke 6:30
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”
Luke 6:31
"Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Luke 6:32-36
"32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
Did God give any exceptions to these commands? Did God say we could choose who we give to and who we don't? Did God give us a list of conditions that we can use to determine whether a person is worthy of our charity? No. No, and No. Does God demand you earn His mercy and His charity? Why, then, do we demand that our fellow servants earn ours?
------------------------------------
Author
Topic: Ashamed of my conduct (Read 22084 times)