Recall that our Lord says to those who feed the hungry, take in the alien, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison, “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” He controls all things and we will be blessed far more when we give to the poor than if we withhold our assistance from them.

Still, a productive discussion might spring from Sumner’s suggestion that the natural negative consequences of one’s sinful behavior is a great deterrent to that behavior in the future. Those who suffer as a result of their own poor choices deserve a chance to repent and require a hand to get back up on their feet. Yet, charities protecting their limited resources do far better than government in ensuring that the poor are truly repentant and not milking the system.

Members of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (www.agrm.org) do an exemplary job of helping the truly needy and in stewarding the monies donated to them.

The image in the article is a modifed version of Magritte’s “The Pilgrim” (1966).