Christmas is a time of giving- of thinking of other people, and reaching out to homeless, orphans, and needy homes.There are so many people today who need some thing, or some one, to care.
When Jesus came to earth, He came to a lowly manger, identifying Himself with the meanest and dirtiest of status. (Philippians 2:5-8) Several times throughout the Gospels, Jesus is actively seeking out the poor, the leprous, the despised, and healing them. He came not to help the healthy, but the sick; not the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17) This theme is continued on through the New Testament, and we find in James 1:27 that a basic part of true religion is to reach out to the fatherless and widows. -The base of the world.
This idea was not new, even if slightly obscure. Jesus declared that He did not come to destroy old laws and teach new ones; instead, He fulfilled and explained what was already there. (Matthew 5:17) This principle of loving the needy is found in the Old Testament as well, particularly in the 31st chapter of Proverbs that we have been studying.
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| A friend of mine caring for a little orphan boy, left alone because he had chicken pox. |
This idea was not new, even if slightly obscure. Jesus declared that He did not come to destroy old laws and teach new ones; instead, He fulfilled and explained what was already there. (Matthew 5:17) This principle of loving the needy is found in the Old Testament as well, particularly in the 31st chapter of Proverbs that we have been studying.
"She stretcheth out her hands to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy."
Proverbs 31:20
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| Giving hugs to the many orphan girls in a small Guadalajara orphanage. |
The Greek word stretcheth carries the idea of dispersion, separation, and breaking something apart (in this case her hands). That sounds crazy, but if you put it together with the Greek meaning of poor it makes more sense. Poor, in this instance, refers to a person who is depressed whether from circumstances or in mind.
Translated to straight-talk lingo of today, it means: GIVE A HUG to someone who is discouraged. Find someone this season to whom you can give cheer and support by giving them a hug.
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| An orphaned baby boy. |
In the second part of the verse, we find a traditional way of caring for the destitute. The virtuous woman reacheth forth, or sendeth, out her hands. Have you ever played the "game" where you take a bag of groceries or a plate of cookies to a neighbor's house, set it on the door step, ring the bell, and run away? This is the idea of the virtuous woman- she finds ways to help, serve, and provide for those who truly need food, clothing, and shelter. Do you know a family who is less fortunate than yourself? Find a needy family that you can include in your Christmas giving this year. Invite them to Christmas dinner, provide groceries, give cookies, and make sure to find them appropriate nice gifts!
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