How should a Christian respond to beggars?

As to giving to everyone who asks from us, this must be subject to sober wisdom; for someone may ask for a large amount to be spent on a project that is questionable, and concern for his own good might be reason to refuse this. We must also draw a firm line when people claiming to be the Lord's servants, urge us to give to their particular work. There are too many who take advantage of Christianity to make money. But if one is in need and asks for something to relieve that need, we ought to be fully prepared to give to him what is necessary. This attitude will result, by God's intervention, in receiving back in the same measure that we willingly give (v.38). The Lord is seeking in all of this to draw out the genuine faith of His people. He is certainly not "browbeating" His own! Also, if one has taken away what belongs to us, faith will make no demands for its return (v.30). However, if one borrows from another and forgets to repay him, it would be only right to remind the person of this, not because we want our rights, but to encourage the other person's reliability.

Our Lord says, in verse 42, "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." It is an example of a great general principle that the Lord is insisting upon; as He had laid bare the character of violence, so here of another thing — the solicitation that addresses itself to the kindness of heart of a Christian. "Give to him that asketh thee." Most certainly this is a comely and a gracious thing; but it is perfectly plain the Lord is not pressing upon His people that the thing be done heedlessly, nor as a mere gratification of their feelings, but with a conscience towards God. Supposing a person came to ask you for something, and you have reason to think that he would spend it improperly, you must limit it. Why not? He might say to you, Did not the Lord enjoin, "Give to him that asketh thee?" Certainly; but the Lord has given certain other words by which I judge as to the propriety of giving in each particular case. The asker might be going to do what I am sure would be absurd or wrong; am I still to give? or is not another principle introduced, namely, due discrimination? Perhaps he that asks has plans of his own which I believe to be worldly: am I to gratify his worldliness? What the Lord has in view is real need; and as there was wont to be great indifference to this among the Jews, as indeed such is apt to be everywhere, the Lord not merely insists upon the Christian helping his brother, but takes the broadest ground in urging generous giving; not, of course, for anything we may get by it, but out of love according to God.

"Give to him that asketh thee." We all know there are those who would impose. This shuts up and often hinders pity; and it may oftener still be an excuse for not showing pity. The Lord is guarding against the snare, and shows the great moral value, for our own souls and for the glory of God, of habitual, considerate, ungrudging kindness towards the distressed in this world. Not that I am always to give what a person asks, for he may seek something foolish; but still "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." Do you count up how often you have been deceived? Even then why be sore? You are entitled, at the word of Jesus, to do it as unto your Father. The receiver of your bounty may apply it to a bad use: that is his responsibility. I am bound to cultivate unsuspicious generosity, and this quite independent of mere friendship. Even the publicans and sinners are kind to those who are kind to them; but what ought a Christian to be? Christ determines the position, conduct and spirit of the Christian. As He was a sufferer, they are not to resist evil. If there was need, the Lord's heart went out to it. They might turn His love against Himself, and use the gifts of His grace for their own purposes, like the man who was healed, heedless of the Lord's warning and the sense of His benefits. But the Lord, perfectly knowing it all, goes on steadfastly in His path of doing good, not in the mere vague thought of benevolence to man, but in the holy service of His Father.

So in this verse we should show a generous spirit, but we need heavenly wisdom. All these things call for looking to the Lord. "Whoso has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion towards him, how dwells the love of God in him?" We must not forget that side. Yet we must not encourage evil. We may share a man's sin by giving to him, as for instance, if we knew a man would get drunk if we gave him money. There are two words translated "covetousness" in the N.T.: one means desiring more than you have got; the other keeping back what you ought to give. The Lord does not calculate as men do. The poor widow had cast in, according to the balances of the sanctuary, more than they all, though they had cast in something. The Lord still sits over against the treasury.

The same generous attitude is seen in verse 42. Of course, indiscriminate giving is not scriptural: the verse must be modified by other scriptures. When the Jews wanted the Lord to give them the loaves and fishes the second time, He did not accede (Jn.6:26-35), though He offered them the true bread from heaven. But if one is in need we are responsible to help him (1Jn.3:17).

In all these verses of our Gospel we have different examples of the same truth. "Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain" (40). If in verse 39 we have "resist not evil," here it is "be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Verse 42 has been a puzzle to many who want to act rightly. I have no doubt the meaning of it is that we should be liberal-minded. In the O.T. the blessedness of this is pointed out. Of the Lord it is said, "He went about doing good." "We are to do good to all men, specially to them who are of the household of faith." Where we have opportunity to give, let us remember, "Freely ye have received, freely give."

But would it be right to give, if we knew the person would make an ill use of it? Must we use that as an excuse if we have been victimised? How ready some people are to borrow? Surely there are counter-truths to guide us in all these questions. The good man spoken of in Ps. 112 will not only "show favour and lend," but "will guide his affairs with discretion." There is a guard for us. Suppose a thoroughly lazy man, who will not work though able, but lives by borrowing — 2 Thess. 3:10 affords direction for us. That supposes a man who refuses to work when he can. There may be an excellent brother out of work, and in need, and it is a privilege to help such. But Scripture is given us to guide in all cases. It is not a book of rules, though all scripture is the rule to the christian, and where saints wait on the Lord He knows how to make plain. There are cases for exhortation. The very word that says, "From him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away," says also, "Owe no man anything." And a christian in a right state of soul would not be happy to owe any man anything. A christian is not governed by the world's standard. If one, for instance, becomes bankrupt and gets a "legal" release from the payment of his debts in full, is he not still before the Lord, morally responsible, though legally acquitted?

Assuredly we are to discriminate. How, otherwise, are we to give to the needy? This often means patient investigation, and requires time and patience. It is much easier to give a trifle to one with a pitiful story than to make careful enquiry and then to give liberally or not at all, according to the real need or the reverse.

It seems, however, a strange thing to some, among whom is the writer, that there is little or nothing said as to discrimination in giving in Scripture, save that we should not give to the rich but to the poor.

I remember many years ago being asked to take a shilling ticket in a raffle to help a sick man. To take a ticket would be to join in gambling. To refuse to help would lay oneself open to the charge of meanness, which would have reflected on Christ. The way out of the difficulty was plain, and it served to teach two lessons—that a Christian would not gamble, and that a Christian was ready to do good to all, as Scripture exhorts. I gave some money to the man who was getting up the raffle and asked him to present it to his sick comrade. I only mention this as a practical example of how a Christian should act.

This brings to my mind his constant readiness to give alms; and I remember that almost always, when he gave anything to a beggar, he would say, "That is for the Lord Jesus' sake." If any doubt were suggested as to the integrity of anyone in want, he would say pityingly, "Ah, we don't know the temptations of poverty!"

On the one hand, the Word of God shows us that our giving can be done directly. A believer sees a need and helps there and then. We also think of 1 John 3:17: But whoso may have the world’s substance, and see his brother having need, and shut up his bowels from him, how abides the love of God in him?’ Another example is the woman in Proverbs 31 — verse 20 says of her: ‘She stretcheth out her hand to the afflicted, and she reacheth forth her hands to the needy’.

“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Is this not to be a real, personal exercise and responsibility as before God? This is no demanding of the government that the poor should be relieved from public funds, while taking nothing from my own pocket; nor is it the founding of a benefit society to solicit the support of the world for the relief of the poor. The Lord give His people serious concern to see that their means are used for the blessing of others, and here it is specially the household of faith. If we ignore evident needs, is this an evidence of the love of God dwelling in us? To give where there is not need is of course a mistake; yet it is better to err on the side of kindness than on the side of greed and heartlessness.