Help the poor, even those who are unworthy...

“He who has God and everything else, has no more than he who has God alone.”


I was reading a letter from Martin Luther to John of Saxony (I always feel a little bit guilty reading other people's mail). What I found was very interesting. Luther said that John should help the poor, even those who are unworthy. I don't know what point John had raised, that this is seemingly written to answer, but the response is interesting.

Perhaps it is only interesting because this same point has been raised recently in discussions with my friends Linda and Bethany. They both love the poor people in Toronto, and in conversation we discussed the issue of giving money directly to the poor people that we meet. One person mentioned that some of the time they seek the immediate comfort of drugs or alcohol, and to give them money could mean that you are just giving them the means to buy some dope.

I am alright with this. Kindness does not go unrewarded, advocating for the poor is always a good investment, and in my opinion, giving a bottle of booze to a homeless person is a mode of kindness. Proverbs 31:6-9 seems to agree with this, saying:

Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute, speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

My friend Dan puts it this way(ish) saying that our first responsibility as followers of Christ is to give a man a fish. Next we must teach him how to fish, and finally, we must defend his right to fish.

I'm not sure what type of action this will mean for me, but I am glad that these thoughts keep returning to me. It would be antithetical to my faith to forget the needy, so I thank you God for your reminders.