What Should Our Response Be To The Poor and Homeless?
In the book of Deuteronomy when God is giving instructions for the Sabbatic Year, He says some interesting things about the poor among the Israelites:
“If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. “For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’” Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Does this describe our hearts toward the less fortunate? Unfortunately many readers will disregard my question, citing that the context is the Old Testament; and we are now in the New Testament under Christ, and are not followers of Judaism, and so we are not obligated to fulfill the law. Be careful of your hearts!
Jesus tells us the two greatest commandments are to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” and went on to say the second greatest commandment was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus gives this answer in Mark 12:28-31 to a scribe questioning him about the greatest commandment.
Interestingly, at another time, an expert on the law asks Jesus “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). Jesus, in true rabbinical fashion, answers the question with another question: “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” (Luke 10:26). The answer this lawyer gives is the same answer Jesus gave in the Gospel of Mark. What should grab our attention however follows next in scripture: The parable of the Good Samaritan.
In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus tells a story about a man who is robbed and seriously injured, and laying on the side of the road. Both a priest and a Levite pass him by with no offer of help. Ultimately a Samaritan provides help abundantly. It is interesting that Jesus used a Samaritan as the hero of this story, in contrast to the priest and Levite, because Jews disliked Samaritans. This can be gleaned from the anecdotal information in John 4:9 which reads “(for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)”.
So what does a Samaritan have to do with a homeless person? Jesus’ point above is to show the lawyer asking him that even those you dislike are your neighbors. The lawyer wouldn’t even say the word “Samaritan”, and instead uses the more elusive response: “The one who showed mercy toward him.” In other words, He is saying you are not truly being a neighbor if you are unwilling to help.
Consider the sheer weight of the context in which these words are provided: It is referred to by Jesus as the second greatest commandment, second only to loving God, and it is also given in direct response to the question “what may I do to inherit eternal life?”
I am a firm believer that the Hebrew scriptures are a parallel to the New Testament. Jesus’ words directly echo the heart of the text of Deuteronomy. However if you still dismiss this and say “Yes, but Jesus was talking to a Jew who thought he had to fulfill the law, that does not apply to me.” Then again I say, be careful of your heart!
