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What the Bible Says About Helping the Poor

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Submitted By Nikole4
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Jesus himself was poor, and had much to say about helping the needy. “When you give to the poor” Jesus said, you are not to call attention to yourself for your own good deed. Instead, your help should be so quiet and come so naturally from your heart that your left hand does not know what your right hand is doing. When we give secretly, God will reward us. Instead of judging others, we are to give to others. This giving we are to do generously, “for by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38). Jesus uses the illustration of someone pouring into your cup so generously that the gift overflows into your lap. Such generosity from God will come to us when we are generous to others.
The dividing line between the sheep and the goats on the Day of Judgment, Jesus said, was that the sheep had helped the people in need. In this way, they have served Jesus. The goats, on the other hand, had failed to help others and so failed to serve Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46). Even a cup of cold water given in the name of Jesus will not go unnoticed (Matthew 10:42).
Shortly before Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and crucified, a women anointed His head with expensive perfume. The disciples complained about the women’s actions, saying that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor rather than being wasted in this way. Jesus rebuked them for their thinking. She had done a beautiful deed for Him to prepare Him for burial. “You always have the poor with you”, Jesus said. There will always have be the opportunity to help the poor if someone desires, but there should be no price ceiling on serving Jesus. Serving the poor and serving Jesus are not mutually exclusive. Jesus said that the women’s loving, generous act would told wherever the gospel is preached. The story of Jesus and the story of the women’s generosity to One who was poor

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