“Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.”
I attend a church that once a year has what they call the benevolence offering. This is designed to put money aside for those who would show up with a need such as to pay rent, their utility bill, buy groceries, or a variety of other issues that arise when folks are struggling to make ends meet. It’s a great cause but I wonder if it relieves the sense of responsibility that we have as individuals to meet a need when we see it. The implication in this verse is about delaying what God leads us to give. The motivation for the delay is the issue. The concern is that even though God makes it apparent we are to meet a need, either through judgment or hardness of heart, we don’t really want to meet it so we put it off. It is easy to judge another at their point of need. We can determine that how they live their life or choices they’ve made have put them in the position of need. However, God has not called us to be that person. We respond when God prompts and leave motives and outcomes to him. I remember being in the car with some of my family and seeing someone in need. One of the people in the car said maybe we shouldn’t help them because they will probably just buy alcohol with what we give them. The five year-old in the car responded “but they look hungry. Can’t we just give them something to eat”. That is the heart of immediacy that Solomon is referring to, and that Christ prompts in his peoples. Today see the need, meet the need. #BeTheEdge
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Jesus
