what to give to make a difference

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 23:22

At the most crucial moment of annual blessing in the agricultural rhythm of ancient Israel, the nation was called to care for the neediest as they reaped the yield of their hard work. Two commands are given by God and emphasized as absolutely crucial as God invokes His covenant name. First, farmers were to leave rows of unharvested produce at the edges of their fields. Secondly, the needy among them were to be given access to ALL of the field to glean remnants behind the harvesting crews. This way all could work for their bread… even the destitute and the immigrants could work at harvest time. A culture of care was mandated by God. He insisted that the resources be made accessible so nobody needed to go hungry.

Now I know this is a command to Israel in a culture of agriculture. Times are certainly very different now. Most of us are far removed as consumers from the production of the food we eat. Yet I believe some principles must carry over to help Christians have a godly response to poverty in our times. With the holidays soon upon us, some folks will at least have a passing thought for the less fortunate. Some actions we might want to consider are… First and foremost God seriously cares about the poor and wants His people to care about them too. It is the very root of the gospel that God gave His Son completely to care for ALL of us at the deepest place where we could not in our soul poverty care for ourselves. Jesus saves sinners from their eternal, ultimate poverty. God gave Himself to make the difference. 

In an extension of this, God also expects that we provide ways for the needy among us to be involved in their own provision and care. The workers in Israel LET the poor into the field to glean and left places for them to harvest for themselves. And however Christians adapt that principle to make choices to help those in need, we need to do so in a manner that dignifies the work so that people can own their own recovery efforts. Bottomless handouts are not the solution and do nobody any good in eliminating the problem. Being generous in providing opportunity to help the poor and the needy seems to be the call and the principle to keep clear. It extends in Christian charity today. 

Yes, we must give. God will make a difference as we do. But we should also counsel, care, educate, providing work skills and money management skills, supporting the poor through hard work and celebration of their accomplishments, and we must work hard ourselves to diminish the suffering of poverty in the richness of God’s kingdom.