Give to the poor. It’s one of those “easier said than done,” things, unfortunately.
Jesus tells the rich young ruler to do so in Mark 10. He also tells His disciples that they will “always have the poor,” after He is anointed before His betrayal. Put those two things together, it is a command that we will never fully fulfill. That shouldn’t strike us as odd. After all, which of Jesus’ commandments can we say, “Done!” to and clap the dust from our hands?
If you live in Tallahassee, it is probable that you see panhandlers throughout our city. You probably see at least one every week if not more. You probably also know enough to be skeptical of how helpful it is to give money to panhandlers. That said, sometimes, giving money to someone in active need is what you may feel called to do by Christ.
So in good Lutheran fashion, here’s some Law and Gospel about giving to the poor:
Law: Jesus said “give to the poor” and this is a discipline that is expected of you as a Christian. He wasn’t kidding or saying it was optional if you really wanted to. He told you to do it, and if you’re not, that is a sin of omission. If you are, then you are actively doing God’s will and helping your neighbor, which is awesome because it brings you closer to Christ.
Gospel: Jesus did not specify how you should give to the poor. There are all sorts of ways to fulfill this. You can give to that panhandler or you can give to an organization that serves the poor here in Tallahassee or beyond it. He also doesn’t specify how much for you. In Mark 10, He tells the guy to give all that he has – but that is a special case. You are given freedom to decide how much. Christ promises to fill up any righteousness that is lacking on our part. He does so with His own death on the Cross for us.
It isn’t easy, but it is a command. And just like every command that God gives us, it is something that shows us that our righteousness is lacking. When we see that our righteousness is lacking, it drives us to Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. As you consider how much you’re giving to the poor this week, may it drive you closer to Christ and to the Christians around you that are also giving to the poor with you.