The most quoted sermon in history includes this command, “Give to the one who begs from you.” The command is found in chapter 5 of Matthew's gospel in the Bible, and the sermon referenced is commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus Christ begins this very memorable teaching by outlining the contrary nature of the kingdom of heaven to the world's standards. Things like the “poor in spirit” inheriting the kingdom of heaven and “the meek inheriting the earth." He goes on to talk about the believer being the “salt” and “light” of the earth and how these attributes are to be used within the believer’s life. The sermon continues with the proclamation of the fulfillment of the law through Jesus himself, followed by a discussion of new standards on such matters as anger, lust, divorce, and oaths. Then Jesus gets to the part on which we will focus.
Some Bibles title this area of the chapter “Retaliation." From verses 38 through 42, the passage talks about how one should interact with a person who “slaps you” or takes your possessions or uses you maliciously. This is the passage from where that famous “turn the other cheek” quote comes. But right here in that same area is the aforementioned command of giving to the one who begs from you. Why?
The “Retaliation” section focuses on instances where one is used and even abused by others, so it may be that the begging reference is related to a person being solicited by one who is not in need. Notably, there is noqualificationof the beggar. Is he poor or in need? There is no indication of repayment or of some benefit you may receive. There are benefits of being kind and charitable specified in scripture elsewhere in the Bible and in writings outside of the Bible, but there is no reference to benefit or recompense here in this passage. What is understood is the action of the beggar and to whom it is directed. It is also clear that the command instructs us to give to the beggar. But what is the reference to “the one”. The “one” reference leaves open the possibility that while the person is begging, they may not be what we traditionally consider a beggar. They may not be poor or in need at all. But if this person is not in need why the command to give? Isn’t giving to a person who begs without reason really just a con job, a shakedown, or fraud?
Jon Bloom of desiringGod.org wrote about this passage. In his writing, he wrestles with the command reasonably. Are we to follow such a command when the outcome is obviously NOT meeting true needs? Mr. Bloom summarizes his findings by directing attention to the true purpose behind the command. It is not the action of the beggar that is to be considered but rather the actions and, more importantly, the attitude of the giver. In other words, Jesus’ instruction is focused on the motive of the giver rather than the reason the begging occurs.
In every charitable transaction, there will be motives behind the asking and behind the action of giving. What matters most is the heart of the individuals involved in the transaction. We as givers cannot always know or even understand the true nature of the need causing the ask. But in this sermon, Jesus’ instruction to the giver is to give, frankly, regardless of apparent need. If we are to overlook the need in the ask and instead focus on our own intention in charitable giving, then we must understand the act of giving is greater than simply answering an evident need.
At Mite we are all about making sure that every project we present to our giving community is based on a defined, apparent, and real need. We work, through due diligence, research, and planning, to ensure that a proposed project will provide a solution to that need.
We also know that there are times when we as givers are presented with a situation where the need is not evident. Maybe on the sidewalk, or at the gas station, or even at a luncheon, the ask comes and there is no time to vet the need or understand the reason for the ask. In such times we must search our hearts and understand the reason why we give. These instances test our hearts, allowing us to decipher whether what we have in our pockets is more important than what we know in our hearts to be true. It is better to give.