Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said...'When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.'

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As we see in today's passage from the bible, St Luke is always conscious of those who are outcasts in society - the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Jewish Law was always careful to insist on caring for those on the edge of society, as though they were a brother or sister. In both the Old and New Testament we see that God desires his children to show compassion to those who are poor or needy. In Matthew, chapter 25, he also says that those who show mercy to the poor, the sick and the needy are effectively ministering to Him personally and will be rewarded accordingly.

In the churches around where I live we have been accustomed to giving to the foodbank run by PATCH (Pembrokeshire Action to Combat Hardship) and have a collection point at the Post Office in Manorbier (and another point in St Florence and Penally). Perhaps, if we can afford it, we should consider putting an empty plate on the table each day and placing a tin or packet of food on it to represent the family we are helping that day. It's easy to forget that they need food every day of the week, and donations begin to diminish after awhile. Those of you who live elsewhere can no doubt find a collection point in your area for a food bank or something similar.

Friday 26th June, follow up thoughts

Lord God,
You call us as your disciples
to care for our neighbour,
for the dispossessed, the poor,
the sick and the needy;
and to go out of our way to help
all those we can.
Help us not to take for granted
what we do have ourselves,
and to remember that You
taught your disciples to be
generous and loving.
Amen.

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