“Whenever you give to the poor…” - Jesus
“The [leaders of the Jerusalem Church] asked only that we would keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.” - Paul
How does the church I help lead give to the poor?
The Jewish rabbi Maimonides (1138-1204) helps us see eight levels of giving:
We give unwillingly;
We give willingly but inadequately;
We give only after being asked;
We give before the request is made;
We give anonymously but the poor know the source;
We give to people we know, but they do not know we are the source;
We give but neither we nor the people we give to know the identity of the other;
We give in such a way that those we help are able to become financially secure.
Which number most accurately represents the reality of my church’s activity and financial records?
Of course, this assumes that my church is giving to the poor in the first place. And challenges us to learn again how to give in a way that becomes Good News to the poor (Luke 4:18).
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