The Poor

The Poor
I was in the downtown of our city a while ago. The wind was bitter the temperature minus fifteen centigrade. A man in a dirty jacket was standing in between two doors that led into an office building begging for money.
Just inside the doors was a coffee shop and people were coming and going. Passing the man like he wasn’t their.  
I had no cash on me so I went in with the intention of at least getting him a gift card so he could buy a meal.
Before I could do it however a well dressed man walked out of the coffee shop with a hot coffee and gave it to the man. He then offered to drive him to the Salvation army where he could get a room for the night and a warm meal.
The man accepted and they left.
I wonder how many people that passed that man that day could have done the same thing but didn’t.
Our society seems to be becoming colder and colder. They seem to look down on the poor. They see a man or woman on the street begging or huddled in a doorway trying to keep warm and walk right past them.
Our politicians seem to ignore the issue of homelessness and poverty. Welfare here in Canada is far from adequate. The use of food banks are on the increase.
Even in Canada as good as the healthcare system is there are gaps that leave the poor short of some necessary medications and some medical devices.
Government ideas seem to rely on the idea of give tax breaks to the rich and the money will trickle down to the poor helping them get jobs.
That idea has been around as long as I can remember and I’m sixty.
Far from trickling down the poor are getting poorer and the rich richer according to latest statistics.
Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with being rich if you’ve earned it honestly. Bill Gates and other very wealthy men and women are shining examples of people who see the needs of the poor and are doing all they can to help them. But the need is great.
Our politicians need to start looking at their priorities. They need to be looking at those on the bottom rung of society and saying how can we do more to help.
The Jews have a concept called Tzadakah
I got the following definition of Tzadakah from a Jewish website it states,
“Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
The word “tzedakah” is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due.”
According to Jewish scholars there are various levels of Tzedakah,
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours
Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.
Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant. 
Jesus said,
Jesus Said,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” 
                                                                                          Matthew 25:34-36.
I strongly believe that there will be an accounting before God. That everyone will be judged according to what they did in this world. That they will be judged by what they were able to do but did not do.
While I still believe it is by faith in Jesus Christ that one gets to heaven. I firmly believe especially those who claim to be Christians and are in a position to change things for the better and do not. They will be judged justly put may hear the word,
‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Think about it.