In the post of March 25 I had an extensive quote from Gene Veith's book which showed how society perpetuates poverity rather than solve the problem. Poverty is really a religous problem. Chrysostom said, "not to give to the poor was to commit robbery against them." Augustine said that not to give to the poor was akin to fraud.
Christians have a responsility to the poor. Jesus said that if we do not give to the poor we have not given to Him. "For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’" Matthew 25:42 - 45
Moses instructed the people, "At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands." Deuteronomy 14:28, 29
Could it be that we are missing the blessing because we are not caring for the poor?
No comments:
Post a Comment