They prowl the streets day and night. We do not see them, to be honest we don’t want to see them. They are a bother, what will people say when they see me speak to one of them.
Everyone of them have a story to tell you, who cares, what the bother. Their story always ends with the same question. Do you have some money to give or help me with? The Bible also had them.
Lazarus was one of them – Luke 16:20-25. The rich man could not miss Lazarus for he was at the rich man’s gate. The beggar was visibly sick and the dogs licked his source. Lazarus must have been conspicuously underfed. It must have been clear to everyone, that he Lazarus was not taking chances by telling people lies and story’s to get money.
According to Jewish customs a person that is truly sick and not able to work and help himself, where given a garment to wear. So people can see that they can not help them self and may beg for money. It could be that Lazarus had one of these garments. The rich man ignored Lazarus. So the rich man never took the time to listen to Lazarus’s story and didn’t know that Lazarus was a child of God.
I know of a pastor who gave bread to a homeless man for years. One day the authorities called on the pastor informing him that the homeless man passed away and left the church a million rand.
Next time a beggar comes up to you try not to look the other way, make as if you are in a great hurry and late for an appointment, or very busy on your cell phone or tell him that you do not have cash on you. Ask him where he comes from. You might be surprised by the fact that he or she is a brother or sister in Christ and God wants use you to bless the homeless person.
You can tell when someone comes up to you by their appearance that they desperately need food. Ask God to give you discernment. God will not disappoint you.
They are all the same, living off the streets but God loves them.
Johan
