AT ISSUE

Recently I was eating at a lunch counter and the fellow next to me was having a bowl of soup. He looked really down and out, so when I left, I paid for his meal as well as my own.

Before I could get out the door the waitress told him. He shouted several obscenities at me and told me I should mind my own business. I'm confused about this.

OUR INSIGHT
 
Our earthly culture tries to explain this kind of behavior with humor by reminding us that "No good deed goes unpunished."

But Christians know that we are to live above our culture and follow the teachings of Jesus. Jesus expects us to do "acts of righteousness" (Matthew 6:1) all the time. Such kindness should not be random, but rather perpetual. If you read further in this passage you'll see that Jesus has a high expectation for his followers in this regard for he says several times, "when you give to the needy." He considers these acts of righteousness to be an ongoing way of life for us.

Why was the man at the lunch counter so ungrateful? It's hard to know. Perhaps it was his pride or maybe the result of mental illness which sadly afflicts so many homeless people. But keep in mind that according to Matthew 6 your motivation for giving should be your love for Jesus, not the approval or disapproval of others.

Continue to honor Jesus by doing acts of righteousness in your same quiet way. Jesus was clear about the result. He said, "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

-DLH