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"The Least of these my brothers"

Akita Suggagaki

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Matthew 12:40
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Look around today. Who is Jesus identifying with?

Is it the homeless? The undocumented immigrant? The drop outs? The panhandlers?

Who?

And how are we to respond? Without limit? Without qualifications?
 
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Adam56

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Agreed. Who else?
Other homeless people, even if it’s from drug addiction or dropping out, given that they’re willing to work.


Homeless people face difficulties getting jobs and not many people know that.

An old adage is “give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

With homeless people, food and water can help, but it’s also important to get them jobs to take care of themselves.
 
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FutureAndAHope

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I cut and pasted this from one of my other posts. But it has a partial answer to your question. Note Jesus always spoke of giving to the poor. Now for the quote:

There are always monetary needs for the poor. As Jesus said, “you will have the poor with you always”. I came across something in the Early Church Writings that I have always believed but I found profound regarding giving to the needy.

If you have read Isaiah on fasting you will notice he says that dealing our bread to the hungry should be a part of fasting:

Isa 58:5-8 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

I have always understood this to mean that when we fast we should set aside what we save (in food cost) and give it to the poor. I was pleasantly surprised to see one of the Early Church Fathers said this of fasting. Hermas (150 AD) had a series of visions which he wrote down, in one of these he said:

This fasting,” he continued, “is very good, provided the commandments of the Lord be observed. Thus, then, shall you observe the fasting which you intend to keep. First of all, be on your guard against every evil word, and every evil desire, and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you guard against these things, your fasting will be perfect. And you will do also as follows. Having fulfilled what is written, in the day on which you fast you will taste nothing but bread and water; and having reckoned up the price of the dishes of that day which you intended to have eaten, you will give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to some person in want, and thus you will exhibit humility of mind, so that he who has received benefit from your humility may fill his own soul, and pray for you to the Lord. If you observe fasting, as I have commanded you, your sacrifice will be acceptable to God, and this fasting will be written down; and the service thus performed is noble, and sacred, and acceptable to the Lord. These things, therefore, shall you thus observe with your children, and all your house, and in observing them you will be blessed; and as many as hear these words and observe them shall be blessed; and whatsoever they ask of the Lord they shall receive.”

Notice how he said when we fast we are to only eat a little bread and water. Which fits with Isaiah who said “[is it really] A day for a man to afflict his soul”. He then said we are to give the money value of what we save, in not eating fancy to the poor. Not only that we were to do it with our whole house, that means the kids, too. In a consumer world, which is all about spending on self, it teaches our kids the importance of giving to the poor.
 
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Neogaia777

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Other homeless people, even if it’s from drug addiction or dropping out, given that they’re willing to work.


Homeless people face difficulties getting jobs and not many people know that.

An old adage is “give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

With homeless people, food and water can help, but it’s also important to get them jobs to take care of themselves.
Some people develop mental health issues from being on the street, and with a few of them, so severe that they are not even no longer normal, don't even know how to get help for themselves, are not even entirely conscious of that anymore even, among other things, etc.

They develop Schizophrenia for example, start hearing voices and talking to themselves, or screaming at the sky, hitting or injuring themselves sometimes, etc, all from just all of the stress and pressures of being homeless, or being alone, or winding up on the street, etc. I've seen it happen sometimes, and know about it/this personally, etc.

They literally become like feral or rabid animals, just from all the stresses and pressures of being homeless, developing mental health issues like Schizophrenia, or being on the street, etc.

So what about those?

Should they have to work?

Because I have Schizophrenia, and am on disability, and no longer work, and have been homeless or living on the street, and there is not a whole heck of a lot separating me from them, etc, except for my environment/living situation now, and the fact that I was able to get out of it before I completely lost it like them, etc. But there is no absolute cure for Schizophrenia however, etc, and I still suffer from it greatly still down to this very self-same day still, etc.

And I don't think you have any kind of clue of what any of this is like either, not unless you've heard/hear voices, or have been homeless, or living on the street, etc.

God Bless.
 
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bèlla

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I rely on the burden the Lord places upon me. There was a time when I ministered to the homeless and the needy and those He brought to my attention through divine appointments. But now I feel inspired to help the ones no one discusses. They're not rock bottom but they're the hardest hit of the bunch. The tax hikes and economic hardships land in their lap. They have enough but not a lot and don't qualify for the benefits others receive. The middle class is my focus now.

~bella
 
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Neogaia777

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I rely on the burden the Lord places upon me. There was a time when I ministered to the homeless and the needy and those He brought to my attention through divine appointments. But now I feel inspired to help the ones no one discusses. They're not rock bottom but they're the hardest hit of the bunch. The tax hikes and economic hardships land in their lap. They have enough but not a lot and don't qualify for the benefits others receive. The middle class is my focus now.

~bella
I don't at all mean this in any kind of snarky or angry or mean or malicious kind of way, but seriously, etc, but you might want to talk to them about not going into debt, or at least not taking on any kind of new debt, or trying to always live above or beyond their means, etc.

I only qualify for disability, and that's it, and it's not a lot, or not much, etc, and the only one thing that really helps with that is living in a low income apartment building, etc, and although it is only a studio apartment in the worst part of town here, etc, I still consider myself blessed, as I might not be able to afford a place otherwise. I do not qualify for anything else however, not this states free medical plan/care, no dental, and don't qualify for EBT, or food stamps, so I have to pay for those, or am completely on my own in those areas, etc. But I do manage, etc. And I think most of the middle class could in their areas as well, etc. If they didn't take on any new debt, made an effort to pay old debts down, and stopped trying to live above or beyond their means, etc. Forget the joneses IOW's, etc.

God Bless.
 
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David Lamb

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Matthew 12:40
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Look around today. Who is Jesus identifying with?

Is it the homeless? The undocumented immigrant? The drop outs? The panhandlers?

Who?

And how are we to respond? Without limit? Without qualifications?
(I think you meant Matthew 25:40: “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of the least of these My brethren, you did [it] to Me.’” (Mt 25:40 NKJV)

I've seen some answers here, including homeless people, especially ex-soldiers suffering from PTSD, and starving children. But the King in the parable is Jesus Himself. When He talks of His "brethren", He is referring to His followers, disciples, Christians. For example:

“Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go [and] tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."” (Mt 28:10 NKJV)

He certainly didn't mean, "Go and tell starving children or homeless veterans."
 
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bèlla

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I don't at all mean this in any kind of snarky or angry or mean or malicious kind of way, but seriously, etc, but you might want to talk to them about not going into debt, or at least not taking on any kind of new debt, or trying to always live above or beyond their means, etc.

I think you should consider removing your response. It comes off as mean spirited and entitled. To suggest another is less deserving on a thread related to giving is the epitome of hypocrisy.

~bella
 
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Neogaia777

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I think you should consider removing your response. It comes off as mean spirited and entitled. To suggest another is less deserving on a thread related to giving is the epitome of hypocrisy.

~bella
What in the heck are you talking about???

Mean spirited and entitled???

I suggested someone else was "less deserving???"

Epitome of hypocrisy???

What in the heck are you talking about???

I was only trying to help, and I explicitly told you it was not at all about any of that, etc.

But and/or anyway... "What???"

Anyway, I'm not removing it. Report me if you like.

And I can't believe that you don't think that would help?

If you took offense, then there was probably a reason for it.

I know people who are middle class that have done this, and are doing quite, quite well for themselves now, etc.

Their debts are gone, they've got money in the bank, everything else is taken care of/paid for, and they are happy, etc.

And it all started/happened when they stopped trying to keep up with the joneses, and stopped being jealous or envious with what everyone else around them had, etc.

It is possible for them if they are willing to do what it takes for a time, etc. I've seen people who were of their class, but who fell into all of the atypical trappings of that/their class, fully get out it, by doing things like this, etc.

God Bless.
 
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