An Unnerving and Unpopular Command

September 9, 2022

Jesus: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:42-45 NIV

These words of Jesus are found several times in the four gospels. But the command to live and give this way is unnerving and unpopular. We scoot over it. Very few memorize these verses. Deciding ahead of time to give to the one who asks you is a decision few of us are willing to make. It’s not a question of whether we have it. It’s our want-to. I have several friends who have told me they never carry cash, and that is one of the reasons. They want to be able to say to that man on the corner “I don’t have any money” or to the woman with pleading eyes, seeking diapers for her baby, “I can’t help you today.”

I regularly meet beggars and borrowers. I’m very familiar with all the common reasons not to give. You have no idea what they will really do with the money. They are probably practiced at deception. You don’t want to contribute to substance use or the cycle of poverty. This is only temporary—they need a job. Yep. There IS all that. But still…I can’t get away from or explain away what Jesus said. It’s important to note that He is not teaching us how to transform other people—He is telling us how to personally experience transformation. He is telling us we must treat people in ways we know they don’t deserve, and do it with love, not a lecture. We are doing that so that we will truly become children of our Father in heaven, the Father who dispenses His love and resources on those who deserve them and those who don’t. I must admit as a recipient of His mercy and grace countless times over, I am so grateful He thinks that way. I want to be like Him, and it seems Jesus knows this is the way.

To be completely honest, this command of Jesus is like many others. It kicks my legs out from under me. But if Jesus doesn’t do that to me occasionally, I’m not really listening. Yeah, I’d just love it if I could tell a really great story about this destitute beggar who went straight, and his life was changed forever because I gave him money. I don’t have one of those. I give away money every week because Jesus said to give to those who ask. Few of them have I ever seen again unless they are standing on the same corner. I carry cash in my purse because I know my deceptive heart will find ways to disobey with wisdom and integrity (sarcasm intended) if I don’t proactively decide to give. But Jesus never promised that would happen. He DID promise I will start looking and loving like my Father. I am not responsible to convict anyone of their need for transformation—that is the job of the Holy Spirit. My job is to prayerfully love, serve, and give like the Father and let Him use THAT to change me and show His kindness to influence others.

• Like Father, like child. Oh, my Father, may it be true of me!