Help the Poor 1

Mark 12:38-40

We recently saw the movie “Up in the Air,” with George Clooney. The movie centers on a man whose job it is to down-size employees – lay them off, end their employment. Watching the uncomfortable scenes of employee reactions to the fact that they are no longer employed reminded me of the times when I faced down-sizing myself.

In that moment a person feels that they are nothing but a number, a cipher, a dollar amount that is completely expendable to the corporation. In that moment a person feels little worth.

Jesus addresses the attitudes of religious leaders in his time. How does he characterize these teachers? According to verse 40, how do they treat the poor? What will be the result?

There is little any of us can do to bring a sense of humanity to the bottom line of corporate America, but in this lesson from Jesus we can see what not to do in the life of our faith. Just as business owners and corporate managers may view people as a number that must be removed or spared, there are many Christians who can take a cold attitude when dealing with people in need.

It often surprises me when I encounter Christians who do not even seem to take notice of the needy around them. It is all too easy to see these working poor, these struggling individuals as objects. It is too easy to not have any compassion for them.

So often help to the poor is seen as a drain on what we have. We must give up something and that is hard to do.

But if we will truly imitate Christ in our lives then we must open our eyes to the poor. If we will live a life of compassion and mercy we must recognize that those who are suffering and struggling are people with real feelings and real worth.

As followers of Jesus we need to be willing to abandon the lofty appearances of devout believers, a look and behavior that may separate us from the needy, and treat all people – even the poor – as children of God deserving of our help and compassion.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How many poor people do you see every day during the mundane activities of life? How do you treat them when you see them?