It\u2019s a question I struggle with too, simply because the need overwhelms my meager resources.<\/p>\n
On the one hand, I am coming to agree with Dorothy Day\u2019s pithy remark that \u201cThe Gospel takes away our right forever, to discriminate between the\u00a0deserving\u00a0and the\u00a0undeserving\u00a0poor.\u201d \u00a0I note that Jesus certainly confirms this by putting no qualifications on almsgiving and, in fact, coupling it with the troubling demand that we make a special point of being generous to people who are trying to rip us off:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have heard that it was said, \u2018An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.\u2019 39\u00a0\u00b6 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40\u00a0and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; 41\u00a0and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42\u00a0Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. (Mt 5:38\u201342).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But what about that business about \u201cIf a man will not work he shall not eat\u201d?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s Paul\u2019s command to the Church at Thessalonica and is directed to Christians within the household of faith. It is aimed at layabouts who are so focused on the Second Coming that they don\u2019t pull their weight and act with generosity out of their earnings. But Jesus is speaking of our approach to all those we meet in the wide world. He, very simply, tells us to give to *whoever* asks without any qualifications at all.<\/p>\n
Yikes.<\/p>\n
Of course, prudence very soon has to enter into how to do that since most of us aren\u2019t made of money. But it looks to me like calculations besides \u201cdeserving\u201d vs. \u201cundeserving\u201d are at the bottom of Jesus\u2019 thought. How to navigate that, I am not sure. But I think it needs to be wrestled with and I think it\u2019s good that Steve is doing so. He\u2019s a good man.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
with the question, \u201cWho\u00a0are the poor I\u2019m supposed to care for?\u201d It\u2019s a question I struggle with too, simply because the need overwhelms my meager resources. On the one hand, I am coming to agree with Dorothy Day\u2019s pithy remark that \u201cThe Gospel takes away our right forever, to discriminate between the\u00a0deserving\u00a0and the\u00a0undeserving\u00a0poor.\u201d \u00a0I note […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[656,20],"class_list":["post-56028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-almsgiving","tag-works-of-mercy"],"yoast_head":"\n
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