Small Words, Huge Mistakes

1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. - Matthew 6:1-4

I find it fascinating that in many situations one tiny word can make a huge difference. For example, I have heard it said that the word "kinda" is often a harmless word. The word can be used in sentences like, "I kinda like this band" and nobody gives it a second thought. However, if you were in a hospital and a doctor were to say to you, "We kinda know what is wrong with you" then the word makes a huge difference. If that sentence were to be said to any of us would our first response not be, "What do you mean 'kinda'?" or "What does 'kinda' mean?"

My question though is how come we don't do that while reading the Bible? In the verses I have listed above there is one tiny word that makes a huge difference, but we so often overlook it. As a matter of fact when we read the verses above we so often think about the last part, in which our heavenly Father rewards us. Of course that is not what this verse is meant to relay. Once again there is a little word that makes a big difference.

The word is "when."

The verse says "When you give to the poor..." This is a statement of expectation. In these verses we are not asked to give to the poor. As a matter of fact we are not even commanded to give to the poor in these verses. Rather, it is assumed that we are going to give to the poor.

I think that we overlook that too often. So many times we try to jump to the "how" we are supposed to give to the poor, or the reward we will receive if we give to the poor the "correct way." I think we need to stop jumping past that one little word and dwell on it for a bit.

When do I give to the poor...?

When do I not turn my head and write a homeless man off as a fraud?

When do I willingly give of myself to somebody who is in need?

When do I show the love of Jesus to those less fortunate than myself?

I find myself asking these questions, though I should not be. I so often forget that I am expected to help the poor.

So my question is what about the rest of us? Why do we not do this? Could it possibly be that we like to overlook people in the same way that we overlook such small words? Do we often see them as insignificant? Are they just part of the sentence?

But the sentence would not be complete without the word "when." In the same way the world would not be complete without the poor. They are here and we are not asked, but we are expected to help them. So much so that there is a condemnation for those who do not in the next chapter of Matthew:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ - Matthew 7:21-23

Instead of concluding by asking, "When are we going to help the poor?" let me instead end with this question.

What do the poor mean to us?

or even, if I could be so bold...

What does Jesus mean to us?

I mean, after all, it is because of Jesus that we have life. It is thanks to Him that we are forgiven, and it is by the gift of Himself that we have been pardoned lest we burn forever in eternal damnation.

So I ask again, what does Jesus mean to us? For if He means everything then we will follow his example. We will want to meet His expectations, not for our glory but for His wonderful name.

If Jesus is to us what we claim he is to us then I don't see it. I don't see it in myself, I don't see it in the world, and I don't even see it in the church.

I, personally, think there needs to be a change, because, after all, Jesus " made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." - Philippians 2:7-8