Generosity to the Poor – The Eighth Commandment

Generosity to the Poor

The Eighth Commandment

We must love the poor from the heart.

Deuteronomy 15:11

“‘For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, “You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.”’”

Psalm 41:1; Galatians 2:10

Jesus reminded us that we would always have opportunities to care for the poor, and that we should be faithful in doing so (Mark 14:7). The Law of God provides guidance in the exercise of mercy and grace. As God, Who is wholly good and just, reaches to us in mercy and grace, so His Law directs us to reflect His character in our relationships with our neighbors. Not to care for the poor, and even to be indifferent to their needs, is a form of stealing from them what God intends them to have.

Note also the exhortation to generosity in dealing with the poor: “open wide your hand.” We are hereby reminded, as in all the statutes for this commandment, that the earth is the Lord’s and we are but stewards of whatever He determines to entrust to us. As He is lavish in giving to us, so we must be lavish toward those who, for a variety of reasons, may have fallen on hard times.

Moreover, these acts of lavish mercy and grace are to be voluntary, not compelled by government. When governments try to become the conscience of their people by requiring through statute what God commands should come from the heart, they create resentment, division, and waste in the use of God’s resources. Whatever does not flow from love for neighbor can only increase the distance between us and them, not bring us closer to one another.

We are now accepting registrations for the course, Spiritual Maturity 1: Revival. This free, six-session course by T. M. Moore allows you to study by yourself or with a mentor, and includes free resources from Patrick, Columbanus, Luther, and Edwards, among others. Visit The Ailbe Seminary for more information on this training opportunity.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.