| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( I ) THE WEAK, THE SICK AND AFFLICTED, AND THE ENEMY Luke 6:35 and Acts 20:35 highlights two kinds of persons who we are to freely give too. The one being our enemy and the other being the weak. In addition with those who are weak and our enemies are the fatherless and widows; [27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. - James 1:27 35. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. - Luke 6:35 35. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. - Acts 20:35 12. Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. - Luke 14:12-14 First, our enemy is someone who will not give or return good to us, whoever that enemy may be. Moreover, whatever the enemy does give in return to a persons’ charity would of course most likely be to do them evil and harm. Therefore, giving to ones’ enemy should solely be on the basis and motive of blessing and benefiting said enemy. Our giving to our enemies should never be with the intent and motive of receiving something good in return from our enemies. As for the weak or the afflicted, the sick and the disabled, they cannot give back to us. It is these persons we are instructed by our Lord and the apostle James to give and lend to without hoping for any return or compensation from our giving. In the one group, the weak and afflicted, the recipient cannot return our charity, they simply are unable to. With the other group, the enemy, this manner of recipient will for the most part have no desire to repay goodness but rather if they desire to return anything it would be for evil and not good. The Christian, the believing child of the Living God is instructed to give without any expectation or hope of return. It is this motive of giving that God requires of His people because He has done this for us. When we were lost in sin, without hope and against God. When we were both the weak and His enemy, God nevertheless showed His love by freely giving to us His wonderful salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore if God so freely gave us His Son how much more along with His freely given Son will He also give us all things; [32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32 Moreover, the scriptures write; 9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. - Galations 6:9-10 It is scriptural truth that what we sow we will reap. We will receive a return on what we do and give. Whenever an opportunity arises we should do good and give. However, the good works of sowing and giving are to be solely for the benefit to the receiver. Our reward and reaping is already provided by God our Father who Himself has chosen to freely give to and bless His children. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |