Contrast Matthew 6:3-6 with Matthew 5:14-16 and maybe you'll be as confused as I am about this topic.
"When we administer necessities to the needy, we give them what is their own, not what is ours; we pay a debt of justice, rather than a work of mercy"
I think this is getting a little carried away. Feeding the poor is considered a corporal work of mercy by the Church. And convincing the masses that they are owed the necessities of life is a perfect justification for the welfare state and UBI. We are bound by God to feed the poor, but when this duty is commandeered by the state, hell is unleashed.
ATL, I find this topic - how to live Christ-like toward the poor and toward the church in deeds and in giving financially - a very difficult one.
Regarding the Church...the Old Testament gave some guidance via the tithe. But the tithe wasn't the only gift to be given to the temple or the priests. I have never added all the various givings, but I suspect it came to multiples of ten percent.
Christians debate if the tithe is even applicable to Christians, yet, as noted above, this strikes me as irrelevant. If we are to look to the OT for guidance, the tithe was just the beginning, not the end.
As for the poor? First of all, there is no limit to the needs of the poor - so, where does this lead? In the NT, one could take Jesus's commands to give 100% of everything - as He told the rich young man who wished to follow Him (BTW, a recent Nathan Jacobs podcast on the topic of the wealthy being saved offered an interesting take on this episode). Or, if you have two coats, give one to him who has none. Well, what if you have two hundred coats? Give away 199?
And, do it without anyone knowing yet let your light shine bright.
As for the quote, yes, it is all God's. it is not our own. With that said, we are told to be good stewards, we are told that he who does not care for his family is the worst of sinners (or something like this).
Put it all in a blender and figure it out. In the end, pray that God grants guidance and shows His will.
"Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me"
This one haunts me sometimes. How many needy people have I encountered in my life that I did not help? Too many to count. I have helped some. But is it enough that Jesus would recognize me when I meet Him?
I agree that all property is God's and even all people. But aren't we given different amounts to steward by fortune, the grace of God or hard work (or a combo)? I have to think that Jesus had a different standard in mind for His Apostles than for the layman like me. Am I supposed to not bury my father and follow Jesus? Hate my parents? Leave my wife and kids, give away all my possessions and become a monk? What would a world look like where nobody worried about their next meal? There are many difficult passages in Holy Scripture. I think that is why it is so important that we have a tradition of the faith that stretches back to the Apostles and Christ Himself that can help us answer these questions.
Contrast Matthew 6:3-6 with Matthew 5:14-16 and maybe you'll be as confused as I am about this topic.
"When we administer necessities to the needy, we give them what is their own, not what is ours; we pay a debt of justice, rather than a work of mercy"
I think this is getting a little carried away. Feeding the poor is considered a corporal work of mercy by the Church. And convincing the masses that they are owed the necessities of life is a perfect justification for the welfare state and UBI. We are bound by God to feed the poor, but when this duty is commandeered by the state, hell is unleashed.
ATL, I find this topic - how to live Christ-like toward the poor and toward the church in deeds and in giving financially - a very difficult one.
Regarding the Church...the Old Testament gave some guidance via the tithe. But the tithe wasn't the only gift to be given to the temple or the priests. I have never added all the various givings, but I suspect it came to multiples of ten percent.
Christians debate if the tithe is even applicable to Christians, yet, as noted above, this strikes me as irrelevant. If we are to look to the OT for guidance, the tithe was just the beginning, not the end.
As for the poor? First of all, there is no limit to the needs of the poor - so, where does this lead? In the NT, one could take Jesus's commands to give 100% of everything - as He told the rich young man who wished to follow Him (BTW, a recent Nathan Jacobs podcast on the topic of the wealthy being saved offered an interesting take on this episode). Or, if you have two coats, give one to him who has none. Well, what if you have two hundred coats? Give away 199?
And, do it without anyone knowing yet let your light shine bright.
As for the quote, yes, it is all God's. it is not our own. With that said, we are told to be good stewards, we are told that he who does not care for his family is the worst of sinners (or something like this).
Put it all in a blender and figure it out. In the end, pray that God grants guidance and shows His will.
"Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me"
This one haunts me sometimes. How many needy people have I encountered in my life that I did not help? Too many to count. I have helped some. But is it enough that Jesus would recognize me when I meet Him?
I agree that all property is God's and even all people. But aren't we given different amounts to steward by fortune, the grace of God or hard work (or a combo)? I have to think that Jesus had a different standard in mind for His Apostles than for the layman like me. Am I supposed to not bury my father and follow Jesus? Hate my parents? Leave my wife and kids, give away all my possessions and become a monk? What would a world look like where nobody worried about their next meal? There are many difficult passages in Holy Scripture. I think that is why it is so important that we have a tradition of the faith that stretches back to the Apostles and Christ Himself that can help us answer these questions.