When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. Deuteronomy 24:21
When in treatment, I met one of those guys who stands on the street corner with the sign – No Money. No Food. Homeless vet. Please help. God Bless. He told me that yes, he lived under a bridge and every day, he’d go out to panhandle for enough money to buy a bottle of liquor and then drink himself into oblivion every night. He confirmed something I always suspected – That if I try to help that guy, he’ll just take advantage of me. It was almost a relief, because it meant I could stop feeling guilty for not giving that guy anything as I drove by. It gave me permission to stop trying to help the poor because they’re all just trying to take advantage of my hard-earned money, right?
Today’s passage addresses the poor in such a way that annoyingly reawakens my guilt. In the passage, God instructed his people to always leave something for the poor. When they harvested their grain, olives, or grapes, the Israelites were to always leave a little in the field for those in need. This charity was simply to be built into their lives. I’m sure there were those who took advantage of the system, refusing to work because they knew they could get free food, but the fact that exploiters existed didn’t alleviate the Israelites from their responsibility to obey God. God commanded them to do it and so they were to do it, whether someone took advantage of them or not. Refusing to provide for the poor, even if those poor manipulated the system, was to sin.
My point isn’t that God wants me to throw five dollars at every panhandler. My kids have both taught me something practical here. My daughter, I discovered, often keeps a few snacks in her car to give out to the guy on the street corner. I once witnessed my son, seeing a family begging outside of Walmart, run inside to buy a few things for them. My kids didn’t give cash, but they generously gave of their own money to help in some way. Did those panhandlers take advantage of my kids? Maybe. Am I proud of my kids for being obedient to God? Absolutely.
This isn’t just about the guy on the street corner. This is about my attitude towards the poor. I can allow my knowledge of the exploiter to harden my heart, but then I’m simply justifying my disobedience. If I truly desire God’s will for my life, then I must find some way to share what he’s given me with those less fortunate.