The Least of these Brothers

Q: Hello, I was just wondering what the Christian's response to poverty and homeless people should be? What does Jesus mean in the parable when He talks about those going to Heaven who had done things to the least of these. Should a Christian help a homeless person they see who doesn`t ask for help. Is that not helping Jesus?

A: I believe it is in line with the character of a Christian and the character of God to help those less fortunate than ourselves. There is nothing that pulls at the heart strings of a person more than seeing another human being suffering through the effects of poverty and homelessness. Scripture reminds us to "not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:16)." Many charitable organizations have their roots planted in Christianity. The Salvation Army, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and Feed the Children are just a few of the many Christian organizations dedicated to spreading the message of the Gospel by ministering to those in need. Jesus Christ, Himself, told us to give to the poor (Matthew 19:21) and give to those who ask (Matthew 5:42). And later on the Apostle Paul said he that one thing he was eager to do was "to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10)." There is no better way to share the love of God with others than by assisting them when life has got them down.

In the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus is using the two animals to illustrate a picture of the difference between Christians, the sheep, and unbelievers, the goats. The sheep will inherit their portion of the Kingdom of God because as Jesus says, "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 (Matthew 25: 35-36)." The unbelievers will be cast into hell because they did exactly the opposite. "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 (Matthew 25: 42-43)." At face value, one thing you can take from the strong words of Jesus is that God looks kindly on people who help those in need and looks harshly at those who don't help those in need. However, there are plenty of non-Christians who feed the hungry, cloth the naked, look after the sick and visit the imprisoned. So, what does Jesus mean in this parable?

Jesus would go on to say, in the very next chapter, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me (Matthew 26:11)." This hints at a deeper meaning He was driving at in the parable. We know that only faith in Jesus Christ is what grants a person entrance into Heaven. Therefore, simply practicing good deeds towards the unfortunate can't possibly be what determines who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. And if the poor will always be with us does that not make it seem that there are some of them who will have no chance at heaven? Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor (Luke 4:18)." The poor, or the least of these brothers, Jesus was speaking of is not just those in poverty or who are homeless. The poor is every human being on the planet. All mankind is poor because we are born into the world spiritually dead to God in our sins and in need of the saving life of Jesus Christ. The sheep, those who have been born again of the spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, look after the sick and visit the imprisoned by sharing the Gospel message with all those they encounter.

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life (John 6:48)." By proclaiming this truth to the lost we are feeding the hungry. Scripture says that "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27)." A Christian, formerly naked in unbelief, but now clothed in Christ, can cloth the naked by presenting the message of salvation to those who need it most. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22)." The ultimate sickness that needs healing is that of spiritual death. When a person accepts Christ as their savior they are made alive by being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the family of God. Their sickness is now healed becaue the life of God, lost in Adam, has been restored by Christ. "But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin... (Galatians 3:22)" Because of the Fall of Adam, we are all born into this world a prisoner of sin, separated from God. Thankfully, through the shed blood of Christ on the cross our sins are no longer an issue between man and God. We can, therefore, proclaim to the world that their sins have been forgiven and that they are now free to come to Christ by faith to receive eternal life. That is why Romans 6:22 says, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

In conclusion, a Christian can and should help the impoverished and the homeless wherever possible. We did not ask God to send Jesus to live a sinless life, die for our sins and be resurrected from the dead to offer us eternal life. Therefore, we don't have to be asked in order to help someone in need. Just remember that when we do help someone in need it is a picture representing what God did for all mankind, in Christ. Everything a Christian does should be as a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to live through them. By doing this we are helping Christ because our spiritual act of worship is to make ourselves living sacrifices to be used by God in the manner He deems necessary. God produces His fruit through us. Our job is to simply bear that fruit and present it to those in poverty, those who are homeless and to anybody else that God puts in our paths. Amen.