Today's Scripture Reading (January 2, 2025): Leviticus 19
I am sometimes not incredibly compassionate. Maybe I need to rephrase that. I am compassionate with people who I know need help. I am not rich, but I help as I can. And sometimes, with the stranger, I can be compassionate. To be honest, I am a sucker for a sad story. One of my "practices" over the past few years is to stop carrying cash with me. However, once in a while, someone will catch me on a day when I have money, but by the time I go home, my pockets are often once again empty.
But I also know that very few people who come to ask me for money need the money. A while back, such a person wandered into my office. First, there was the request; in this instance, it was for a hundred dollars. The reason for the need was that his car had broken down, and he had to get it towed home, a destination he said was on the opposite side of the city. Next came the reason why I should want to help him. His wife actually attended my church. I asked my new friend her name, and this was his first mistake. He gave his wife's surname as Hunt. Hunt happens to be my wife's former surname, the one she had before we got married. As a result, I tend to remember people named Hunt. But I didn't recognize this woman's name. I asked what she looked like, and he told me she was medium height, had brown hair, and was slightly overweight. I admitted that that described half the women who attended my church.
The reality was that I didn't have a hundred dollars. And so, my friend asked if I had a credit card. I said yes, and he asserted that I could go to the restaurant across the street and get $100 cash put on my credit card. I was reluctant to do that, knowing that vendors sometimes pay pretty high bank fees for their credit card transactions, and I know how much they love customers who come in wanting money (sarcasm).
I did have an idea. I would go to where his car had broken down and put the tow on my credit card. My new friend quickly backed away from that suggestion. His mother-in-law was with him, and he didn't want her to know that he couldn't afford the tow himself. She thought he was at the bank getting some money out. At this point, I began to suspect that I was being played. (I know, you probably would have realized that much earlier.) I assured him I would come and pay for the tow truck, but that was the only way I would be involved. And my new friend went away very disappointed.
In my experience with people, I often find that the ones in most need of help are also the ones most reticent to ask for it. They are embarrassed, frequently too ashamed to ask for my assistance. Most of the ones who ask for money don't really need it. Yet, I admit that if I have cash on me, I usually give it to them anyway.
In ancient times, the farmers provided the solution to feed people experiencing poverty. Farmers were instructed not to reap to the edges of their fields. The edges and the corners were to be left for those who were hungry but could not afford food. Someone who was experiencing need didn't have to embarrass themselves by asking for food; they could just go to the edges of a farmer's field and collect what was there. An example of this principle is seen in the story of Ruth. People experiencing poverty could come and pick up what was on the edges of the field and even what the harvesters had missed on their first pass through the fields. In this way, the poor were blessed by those who had food to share.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 20
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