How much should you try to help someone?

[Mountain Man]

Jesus says to not be known when doing your alms. You can really trip up in this one if you ignore Him.

Your posts are starting to read less like an exhortation and more like a confession.

[Dave L]

Your posts are starting to read less like an exhortation and more like a confession.

I'm in my 70s and probably have made more mistakes than you.

[Dave L]

How? You think we have the free will of an inanimate object.

Making a person feel indebted to you is not healthy.

[Christianbookworm]

Making a person feel indebted to you is not healthy.

That sounds like an excuse to not help people. Just make sure to ask if they want your help. Do you refuse to grab an item from a high shelf for a fellow customer too short to reach it because that would somehow indebt them to you? Humans are interdependent. We all help and are helped. Because that's what makes a community a community. We aren't bears.

[Dave L]

That sounds like an excuse to not help people. Just make sure to ask if they want your help. Do you refuse to grab an item from a high shelf for a fellow customer too short to reach it because that would somehow indebt them to you? Humans are interdependent. We all help and are helped. Because that's what makes a community a community. We aren't bears.

I help people in Jesus' way. So they don't know me and are not beholding to me. I donate regularly to the Starvation Army who gives indiscriminately to the needy in Jesus' name. I think my wife has a load of food for them today. Are you sinning if you do not follow Jesus in the matter?

[Christianbookworm]

So, you want the charity volunteer to do it instead? How is that different? Why does it matter if Dave or Pete the volunteer is the one to help someone? Why don't you volunteer for the Salvation Army? So it is okay for a person to be indebted to a charity but not to you? And now we know you donate money. So it ain't secret at all.

[Mountain Man]

And now we know you donate money. So it ain't secret at all.

I believe this is referred to as "Hoisted by one's own petard."

[Mountain Man]

I'm in my 70s and probably have made more mistakes than you.

It seems to me, then, that whatever problems you face when helping someone directly are entirely your own to be dealt with in whatever way you think is best. However, there is nothing in scripture that would prohibit direct charity. Jesus and the Apostles helped people directly on multiple occasions, and Jesus said to let your good works be seen so that God could be glorified (Matthew 5:16). What Jesus explicitly condemned was using good works to glorify yourself. If that's something you struggle with, then perhaps you should stick with anonymous giving.

[Dave L]

It seems to me, then, that whatever problems you face when helping someone directly are entirely your own to be dealt with in whatever way you think is best. However, there is nothing in scripture that would prohibit direct charity. Jesus and the Apostles helped people directly on multiple occasions, and Jesus said to let your good works be seen so that God could be glorified (Matthew 5:16). What Jesus explicitly condemned was using good works to glorify yourself. If that's something you struggle with, then perhaps you should stick with anonymous giving.

I think they were a church helping instead of an individual. A local Lutheran Church has a free food stand where people can find quality products. You are supposed to help widows and the fatherless. This is not a good idea to run solo when doing so. It's best to have a woman or a group taking care of it.

[Christianbookworm]

Jesus was a male and directly helped people. There are many examples in the Bible of individuals directly helping people and simply not making a big deal about it.

[Sparko]

Jesus says to not be known when doing your alms. You can really trip up in this one if you ignore Him.

He said not to do it to be seen or you will not get rewards in heaven but will have gotten them on earth instead. So basically that means when you help people anonymously it means you are more worried about getting a reward in heaven than in just helping the person because it is the right thing to do. If you really cared about them you would help them regardless of whether you got a reward or not.

[Christianbookworm]

Don't try to game the system if you're up against an omniscient "opponent". Jesus will know if you are only giving to get brownie points.

[Dave L]

He said not to do it to be seen or you will not get rewards in heaven but will have gotten them on earth instead. So basically that means when you help people anonymously it means you are more worried about getting a reward in heaven than in just helping the person because it is the right thing to do. If you really cared about them you would help them regardless of whether you got a reward or not.

He said don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. How would you like to be beholden to someone who feeds you? This is really sick, man.

[Sparko]

It seems to me, then, that whatever problems you face when helping someone directly are entirely your own to be dealt with in whatever way you think is best. However, there is nothing in scripture that would prohibit direct charity. Jesus and the Apostles helped people directly on multiple occasions, and Jesus said to let your good works be seen so that God could be glorified (Matthew 5:16). What Jesus explicitly condemned was using good works to glorify yourself. If that's something you struggle with, then perhaps you should stick with anonymous giving.

He is also ignoring that Jesus said to do charity and help others IN HIS NAME, which means you would be helping them directly and letting them know you were doing it in his name.

Mark 9:41
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

[Sparko]

He said don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. How would you like to be beholden to someone who feeds you? This is really sick, man.

I am more concerned about feeding them than getting a reward. If I tell them I am doing it in Jesus' name, then they are not beholden to me, but to God.