The man was just standing there about 10 feet away from our car looking at us. Not talking. Not gesturing. Just staring.
He was somewhat disheveled looking and was probably aged somewhere in his 20’s. My elderly mother and I were in the car eating fast food. She is immobile so eating inside is not an option.
I couldn’t find the window button so I cracked open my door.
“Can I help you?”
I knew what was coming next. And so do you. He asked for a few dollars.
I told him I didn’t have any as I didn’t carry cash. I think that was true, except there was maybe a couple of dollars in my purse, I wasn’t sure. I kind of feel bad about that whether I was honest or not.
But then asked him if he was hungry. He said yes so I gave him one of the holders of french fries we had not yet eaten. It was fine with me as we had plenty. He took them and sauntered off.
I was glad to be able to give him something even if it was small. I immediately had a memory come back of once when my college roommate and I gave a homeless person some money and they immediately went out and bought Vodka. I learned that giving money is not always the answer.
And yet I certainly do the same with God. Oftentimes I ask for money for something rather than for the need that I have. And God oftentimes meets the need but not with money, but with something else.
As I’m blogging through the Old Testament consecutively and am in Ezekiel at this point, there is a theme that is undeniable. God cares so very deeply for the poor and needy. Deeply.
And yet the poor and the needy are easy to judge. I unfortunately often judge people in need. It happened recently.
Does that woman asking for money that comes regularly by the Walmart street corner really have three kids and is homeless?
It’s good to be “discerning” as anyone and everyone is quick to say. True. We most certainly must exercise discernment and not just throw open the doors to anything and everything. Most everyone in the world locks their doors. Everyone who says we don’t need boundaries are the same people who carry keys, keys to locks that are boundaries. Nor do we just give in such a way as dependency becomes a lifestyle. That can be toxic charity.
But sometimes we are so careful to be “discerning” and “wise” that we do not give people the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they really are poor, needy and hungry. What are we doing to help them? With both wisdom and love?
I also think of clothing and food drives. They’ve always been an irritant to me. They are good events and I think we should do them. But have you ever seen them? People give away their worst, not their best.
Their clothes are out-of-date and things no one would wear. Clearly someone has cleaned out their closets to get rid of what they don’t want. And the food. Have you seen it? It’s typically the food that no one would want in a household. Bordering on the expiration date.
Is this how we give to Jesus? Our left-overs? Our second-best? When I get rid of those at clothing closets, I tell Jesus I’m cleaning house and not giving these to him. He deserves better.
So yes. Judge me as I have judged not just the poor but the giver. I am not righteous in this.
But then we come to Sodom. Yes, that one of Sodom and Gomorrah fame that God destroyed with fire. People are quick to say their sin was homosexuality. I have had comments on one of my videos of this verse to prove it. And while their sexual behavior was not righteous, there was another sin. A sin that seemed to stand out to God:
“She and her daughters had pride, plenty of food, and comfortable security, didn’t support the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before Me” (v 49-50).
Yes, they were doing detestable things before God. And we read about those horrible events. But did you also see the other indictment against them? They didn’t support the poor and the needy. Worse, they had no excuse.
As I’ve read through the Bible, the poor and needy are fiercely on the heart of God. He loves them and wants to alleviate their suffering. Through you. Through me. In fact in the Sermon on the Mount has as one of the high ideals to “give to the one who asks and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Mt 5-7).
So we have to ask ourselves, are we supporting the poor and the needy in some way? Whether giving to the homeless shelter, buying hotel vouchers for bitter cold nights, seeing needs and providing things like furniture and food and goods?
The poor in this world are going to explode as the “lords” of the earth rake in money while the economy is collapsing on a global level. You can blame whoever you want, but the poor will be an increasing reality. Poor who really need help. And we must help one another.
When I look at my life I see that there needs to be a greater expression of love to the poor and needy that goes beyond French fries. I don’t know what that looks like right now but when I see Bible texts like this, I know I need to grow. Maybe you do as well.
It’s not always about giving money. Nor is just about the homeless. Unfortunately there are many way a person can suffer. But it is always about finding ways to lift one another.
Looking out for one another will need to grew more and more into the lifestyle we live.
We all, myself included, need to start practicing now how to do that.
