“Give to anyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42
Those who read my blog hopefully has noticed that I start just about every post off with a quote. This helps me focus my writing. I am the kind of person that can easily get lost in my own thoughts and the quote is a way that I can bring myself back when that happens. You may also realize that I rarely use scripture as my quote. It can sometimes be found within the text of my writing but is hardly ever the leading quote.
There are a few reasons for this, none of them being that I feel scripture unworthy of being quoted. If anything its the opposite, I find it very daunting a task because I hold it in such high regards. Scripture holds so much substance, and can be taken so many places that it sometimes can make staying on task even harder, which as I said before is a problem. It’s mostly like this because if I am going to use a scripture, most times I like to use chunks of it, and not just a simple verse as I have done tonight. To me context is super important when talking about Scripture and I feel like we run the risk of doing it a great disservice when we only view it in small 1 or 2 verse pieces. Notice I say that we run the risk, I did not say that it always happens.
What I have noticed is that when this happens, when scripture is pulled from the pages a few at a time to justify a cause or an idea it is usually not a positive cause or idea. We have all seen Scripture used to berate people, to tell them how horrible they are or what awaits them in eternity if they choose to “live in sin”. (As if we all don’t “live in sin” everyday) Scripture has been used to justify things like slavery, segregation, even war like attitudes. And this happens because people choose to take a verse or verses out of the scripture and hold them separate as if they hold more divinity than others.
So why tell you this? Well, last night I was doing my daily devotion from the “Disciplines 2011″ and the scripture above as apart of it. I don’t intend to say that this one scripture stands alone from the other around it but because of its straight forward nature it caught my attention. Most notably the first part, “Give to anyone who begs from you,”. Wow, did Jesus really just say that? Yep, I even put it in red letters so you would know it too. 
Now I don’t know what Jesus said, I know that no one was there walking behind him writing down everything that he was saying. I know that it was a good length of time after Jesus’ death and resurrection when the stories of Jesus were written down. During that time it was passed from one person to another through word of mouth, through the stories of the life of this man name Jesus. So like I said I don’t know exactly what Jesus said, but what I do know is that this was something that was apparently important enough to survive the years of word of mouth to be written down. Any why wouldn’t it. This statement very much mirrors the way the early church operated. We read that the disciples sold all they owned and gave it to those in need. But it begs me to ask the question, really Jesus? Anyone?
Of course I ask this assuming that there could be a more straight forward way of saying it, but there simply isn’t. That is about as straight forward as it gets. Now, I have heard this sermon preached before, and I have heard groups of people talking afterwards saying things like “apparently we are expected to give away everything we have” (make sure to read that in a very sarcastic almost mocking tone, it will help with the effect) I sat in silence as conversations like these happened around me, thinking what if that was what he was saying? what if thats really the way we should leave? what would that mean to me and how I live my life?
Well for one it would mean that the next time I make a trip to the Russian Market near my house where women and children beg, that I would give to them. It would mean that when someone asks me for help, I help. I would mean that I not judge people and think to myself, well should I give to this person? what will they do with this money? I don’t know all this seems like a tall order but you know I feel like if I could pull off a lifestyle that follows these guidelines that my life would be blessed because of it.
So why not give it a shot. I am going to give this a real go. When someone begs from me, I am going to give. It may not always be in the form of money, maybe it comes in the form of a meal, or something useful, but it starts now. No more looking away hoping not to meet the eye line of a person who is asking for something. No more trying to deny they exist, from now on I look them in the eye, and I see them for who they really are, someone in need of something that I have to offer. If I can help I will, no questions asked. I fully expect fail at times, but when that happens I pray that I am reminded of this scripture.
We all have so much to give, and there is so much need in the world, God comes in the places where needs and gifts meet, God is found in the kindness of strangers, and in a giving heart. May we all do better to give not just out of connivence or to make us feel better, but to spread the blessings we have been given. And may our lives be blessed through giving freely of that which we have been given.
Posted on February 19, 2011
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