“I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” —Matthew 25:45
The knock at our door came at about 9:00 p.m. There stood a thin, young Black man. “Reverend Weary, I’m hungry,” he said. “Could you loan me twenty dollars to get some food?”
Many negative thoughts ran through my mind. Is he really hungry, or is he only looking for money to buy alcohol or drugs? Is he hungry because he spent all of his money on alcohol or drugs and then expects me to feed him?
Usually, if someone comes to my door asking for a handout, I take him to the store and buy some food. But with the house full of visitors, I had to make a quick judgment. So I prayed, Lord, use this gift to bless this man.
“Reverend Weary,” he said, “I’m going to pay you back.” “No,” I said, “this is a gift from God. Use it to glorify Christ.” He walked away, and I returned to my guests.
I was feeling a little uneasy, more questions running through my mind. But none of that mattered. In the person of that beggar, Jesus wasn’t asking me to be a social worker, a psychologist or a judge. He was asking me to give, as best I could, and to leave the results to Him.
