August 4, 2022

Leviticus 19: 9, 10  (NIV)

“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’”

The intended, beneficial consequences of social policies are routinely overwhelmed by the unintended, harmful consequences they trigger.*

God made provisions for the poor and the foreigner: the farmer was commanded to be a little lax in harvesting his crops so that the needy could come along and glean for themselves. He did not tell the farmer to harvest his crops and then give some of it to the poor. We have forgotten this practice, instituted by God, of helping the needy by allowing them to help themselves. Somewhere in history, those who have the means and the heart for charity seem to have come to the conclusion that people in need must be taken care of. We may have done a disservice to those we are trying to help by allowing them to become dependent on us.

As a church, what can we do to help break the cycle of dependency? Most of us aren’t farmers so we can’t take these directions literally, but certainly we can find ways to apply the principles. The church I attend offers assistance through a variety of programs: Celebrate Recovery for those struggling with habits and addictions; Financial Peace University, which provides Bible-based strategies for getting out of debt and staying out; a partnership with iDignity, an organization that helps the disadvantaged to obtain the personal identification that is necessary for employment and self-sufficiency; and a community outreach program in which those “in transition” are provided a hot meal and a sermon every Sunday – because above all, those we help need to hear about the hope they can find in Jesus.

As individuals, we also have opportunities to help change lives. Programs cost money, so don’t neglect the offering plate. And charity doesn’t have to be mass-produced to be effective. Jesus ministered to people in large groups, in small groups, and one at a time. Never underestimate the value of the one-on-one encounter, whether in witnessing or in good works.

And amid all our efforts, we should never forget that programs help but Jesus saves!

The harassed and helpless are all around us – and not easily identified.*