That you do unto me...

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Recently been considering the concept of social justice and the church's response to pain and suffering in the world. In the Old and New Testaments, there are numerous calls to care for the alien, the orphan and the widow. In fact, tithe in the Bible is often mentioned in association with these groups. Take the example below:

"When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied."

Now I know tithing is a huge debate in the Christian community today. Some people think its an OT deal that has no relevance for the NT christian (by the way, i'm not a huge fan of the term 'New Testament Christian', something not quite complete about it). Others think its applicable to all Christians at all times. I'm not going to try to argue for either side. That's talk for another day.

However i think in the midst of the debate, we've really forgotten the heart behind the tithe i.e. what God intended it for: to ensure that the poor and needy were taken care of; that they had food to eat and clothes to wear. Over the years Christians have gone weary of giving to the poor either because we're not sure the money will be put to good use or more commonly because we've separated the words of God from the heart of God. i've heard people say giving to the poor is equivalent to slapping in a band aid on a gaping. I say let it be! Better a band aid than nothing.
" Freely you have received. Freely give" Matt 10:8
Make of that what you will. Sufficient for the day is its own troubles...