Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! (Psalm 41:1)There are two kinds of people: those who are kind to the poor and those who are not. It really is that simple.
Those who are kind to the poor are those who are generous. They are kind to people who can do nothing in return for them.
The others take advantage of their position in life.
When John the Baptizer was in prison, he got just a little worried. He knew his job was that of Elijah in Malachi 4, pointing out the Messiah. He wanted to know for sure that Jesus was the Messiah and that he was not in prison in vain. Things were heating up for him and he just wanted to make sure.
So, in Matthew 1:1-6, he sent his apostles to Jesus to ask him, Are you the Messiah? Jesus told them to go back to John and tell him that the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk and the gospel is preached to the poor.
Jesus said, in essence, by my fruits you will know me. all of the miracles were happening, yes, but above all, those who could give Jesus nothing were being ministered to.
It is always interesting when the media releases how much the presidential candidates give to charity and charity causes. Usually the richest give the least.
I believe that is primarily because they do not care. I have mine, so you go get yours. It is a life greed of sorts, a refusal to help those in need.
Now I do not believe in a wholesale give-away. I think that giving poor people things all the time just makes life-long poor people.
We gave away food on Monday nights in Tulsa and had a number of people come. But when I went to visit a neighboring church’s food program on another night, there were the same people. And I found out that their job was to go from free food give-away to free food give-away. They never bought anything.
And on the days they didn’t get food, they were visiting other places that paid their electricity and other utilities. They called each other on free cell phones and wore free clothing.
There was no reason for them to work. They got everything they needed. Everything, that is, except pride and self-respect.
But it is not the government’s job to feed the poor. It is ours. When the government does it, it just engenders a class of people who are constantly needy.
Help is good on a temporary basis, or if some calamity has befallen someone. It is never good n a permanent basis.
Oh, and I do not believe Social Security payments are help. For the most part, those have been paid in by the people who receive them. They are paid back, not given. There is a difference.
But those who give are marked by one thing: they are generous. There is a love and joy in their lives that is totally absent from those who do not.
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