"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

With only one more week until Lent begins, I’ve been preparing myself, mostly by thinking seriously about what I plan to do. The following passage from Isaiah 58 got me thinking…

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

This then led me to Matthew, where Jesus says:

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.”

Part of my focus over the next several weeks will be to do just that, to treat the “least” the way Jesus described. I realize this is an attitude and action that should be carried out regularly, but it is something I need to start doing more often. I am very, very blessed. There is food in our cabinets and fridge, we have money in the bank, plenty of clothing, two cars, a house, and all sorts of frivolous things—books, electronics, toys for Elijah, and so on. While I do not feel that we are “owned” by our possessions, I also do not believe that we give nearly enough to those who are less fortunate. I can only speak for myself, but I know I don’t give enough of my time, enough of my energy, enough of my resources, or even enough of my prayers. And it seems obvious that God wants his children to do things like feed the hungry, clothe the poor, visit the sick.

Every now and then I may clean out the closets and take some of our old clothes to the Salvation Army. I know you’re probably thinking, “But that’s a good thing to do; you’re helping people.” Yes, I am. But the real issue that I am tackling is that of the heart—what were the intentions of my heart? Was it to help people in need, or was it to get rid of some stuff that was taking up room in my house? Honestly, it is almost always the latter. You may be thinking, “What’s the difference? Either way, you gave.” The difference is in me, not in the outcome. It’s easy to give away things that I don’t need or want anymore; it’s much more of a sacrifice to give something that I could use.

Remember the story of the widow in Mark 12? When people were giving their offerings, those who were rich gave large sums of money. Then an impoverished widow came along and gave her offering, which was not even worth a penny. The sum total of her offering may not have been much, but the spirit with which she gave caught Jesus’ attention, and he told his disciples, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Now, I’m not suggesting that I will be giving away all my clothing, food, money, and possessions; I don’t believe that’s the point. The point is examining the reasons behind giving. Do I give because I need to get rid of excess? Do I give to show off what I can afford to get rid of? Those things would fall into the category of giving out of my wealth. However, if I give food, clothing, money, or even time that I really could use elsewhere, I am giving for the right reasons. Yes, it’s more of a sacrifice, but I feel that it is also much more meaningful—and much more along the lines of the kind of giving spirit that God desires.

So that will be one focus over the next few weeks—giving to others in a way that pleases God. I do a lot of talk about the necessity of helping the poor, but how often do I act on it? Not enough—and even less do I act on it with the spirit that God intends.

So what does this mean in practical terms? It could mean giving of my time by volunteering at the homeless shelter. It could mean cooking a meal for someone who is hungry or sick. It could mean going through my closet, not to get rid of what I don’t want anymore, but to give items that others need during this cold time of the year. It could mean giving money that I could use elsewhere to a worthy cause or to someone who needs it. Whatever I do, it may make me feel less “comfortable.” It may not be the most convenient thing to do. But that’s okay; I want to take the focus off of my own comfort and convenience and instead focus on giving to those who are less comfortable than myself.