This Proverb says, “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered.” There are many poor and needy people in the world. We may encounter some of them in our lives, and our natural instinct may be to avoid them. However, God does not want us to do that. There are some needy people that God places before us that He wants us to help. That is what we should do.
Jesus cared for the poor so much that He personalized their plight. He even indicated that those who ignore the poor would not be allowed into Heaven. Jesus said to these people, “Depart from me accursed ones, and into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not invite me in; naked and you did not clothe me. Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to the least of these, you did not do it to Me.”
Therefore, our attitude toward the poor people should be one of compassion. When God places a poor and needy person in our path, we must not turn away from them. Rather, we should determine how we may specifically help them.
This may involve sacrifice on our part. We might have to give of our time, talent, or treasure. It might not be convenient for us. However, it will lead to good things in our lives. More importantly, it will contribute to our being allowed into Heaven after we die.
