The gospels are full of leading questions from the Pharisees to Jesus. Hoping to trip him like a good lawyer, they examined 'one offs' and exceptions to the rules. "Is is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor" or "How is it he eats and drinks with sinners?" or "Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?"
It’s tough to always know the right thing to do for others. Some scenarios are tricky and lack a straightforward this or that answer.
Taking
on another’s struggle challenges the part of us that doesn’t want to get too
close. It’s uncomfortable to know
where the boundary lines are. How far should we go in our efforts to reach the
lost?
I had a conversation with my neighbor Cathy the other
night. Her dog Gracie disappeared from the front yard a few days earlier. She
panicked, naturally. She asked her friend who lives down the road to pray with
her to have her dog returned safely. Her next door neighbor has a camera that
records images from the street. They looked at footage from that day and recognized
the thief as he walked by. Turns out it was a kid that Cathy had given money
to the previous day, some homeless kid. She assumed he was homeless at least.
So the stranger she helped, believing she was doing God’s
work, stole her dog. Two days later the kid came walking back with Gracie and
pretended he found her wandering around. Like a good Samaritan he strolls up
with his girlfriend hoping for a reward. By this point Cathy knows that he is
the thief but the kid doesn’t know that. She tells him I knew you stole Gracie.
“I saw you on the video”. He makes up a lame excuse about never having such a
wonderful dog. He’s also has a meth problem. That’s what he admitted to at
least. I didn’t see what he looked like, but I’ll bet it wasn’t exactly a
surprise.
I was reminded first about God’s goodness in bringing her dog back.
He is a rewarder of those that seek Him. Despite the difficult couple of days
she endured wondering if Gracie was ok, the heavenly Father delivered. Secondly
though, was her decision to give this kid some money a wise choice or a foolish
one? I scolded her a bit for it. Only softly though, I could never get upset
with such a generous person.
“Cathy. . . Don’t give them money, ever”. I must have sounded
like a teacher who’s tired of repeating himself to stubborn pupils. You’d be
tempted to say giving the kid any money was a bad idea. But if he was going to
steal the dog anyway would they have gotten it back, if he didn’t expect a
reward? I don’t know if he expected a reward but the way it played out, him
coming back like he just found the dog, I assume he did.
In other words, was the money what ultimately ensured the
dog would come back or did the money lead him to take the dog in the first
place? My heart breaks when I hear stories like this from people I respect.
It’s their generosity and heart that provides a way for scoundrels to take
advantage. It enrages me. I think the Lord kept me from knowing anything about
it until the incident until it was all over. I’m not violent but I won’t permit
vagrants in the neighborhood taking advantage of the elderly.
I’m no stranger to
praying with the homeless and providing food for them. I seek them out when I
jog through the city. Sometimes I’ll just talk to them and offer an encouraging
word. But I keep boundaries from them. I don’t give money and I don’t offer
them rides. I won’t approach groups of homeless unless I’m in a group myself. I
rarely approach women unless I’m in a busy area where they feel safe.
At some point in our
Christian walk, we’ll have to get out of our comfort zone in the cause for
Christ. “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak,
and not to please ourselves, Let each of us please his neighbor for his good,
leading to edification.” (Romans 15: 1-2)
For some of us, selflessness is easy. It’s learning to be
discerning that trips us up. Most of us, raises
hand, struggle with opening up our lives to the uncomfortable messiness of
others. I don’t mean people that walk by on the street either. There are
countless opportunities to do help out in small ways. How many people need
rides for groceries or help with yardwork? Consistent generosity shows the
heart of God to others.
Those efforts lead to deeper friendships and chances to take
on their emotional, financial and spiritual burdens. The heavenly Father
doesn’t dump those on us so we can stagger around with the same heaviness our
neighbor feels. Our role is to offer be a rock in the storm. We’re confident in
our authority in Christ because of what He did in us and for us.
That’s an awesome responsibility but it won’t happen if you
aren’t ready. I think my neighbor makes mistakes by being too open, even at the
expense of getting hurt. I think I make mistakes by holding back when I
could help, at the expense of getting hurt.
This from Mathew 5:42 “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” I normally take that to mean goods and not money, but it’s the openness that counts. If it feels like God is encourage you to stretch a little, take a chance. There is blessing on the other side of obedience, for us and the ones we serve.
It will make you smile like a husky that's just been returned.
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