“Why would you qualify people? The Bible doesn’t tell us to do that! Jesus helped everyone.” These are some of the things I’ve heard during conversations about effectively ministering to the poor. I find the belief that Jesus never qualified people before helping an interesting idea…one that doesn’t have a lot of Biblical support. First we know that Jesus didn’t have to qualify anybody because, unlike us, He already knew their motivation, but there are a couple of times when Jesus did question people before He healed them.
Jesus asked “What do you want me to do for you?” with two blind men in Matt 20 and 1 blind man in Mark 10. Now it’s possible that these are the same instance, but there are a couple of interesting things to note about this exchange.
- Jesus asked what they wanted.
- He didn’t need to ask. I believe Jesus was publicly checking their motives.
- Jesus made the blind come to him.
- He didn’t walk over to them. He made them come to Him.
Now let’s look at a time when Jesus was really hard on people. The Bible doesn’t say they were poor, but He had fed them the day before. It’s found in John 6. Let’s set it up:
- Jesus feeds the 5,000
- Jesus goes to the mountain alone
- The 12 leave in a boat
- Jesus walks on water
- The people find out that Jesus has gone to Capernaum
- A “crowd” of people go and find Him
Jesus qualifies them…or should I say disqualifies them
- They weren’t coming because they believed
- They only wanted Jesus because their belly was full
- They even bring up the manna that the Israelites were fed in the desert
- They weren’t willing to follow Him as their savior
- Jesus told them the hard truth
- They walked away
Jesus didn’t chase the people down and try to convince them to follow Him. He knew their self-serving motives and He let them go.
There are a several passages where Paul tells us the right way to live and qualifies people. Let’s look at a couple.
1 Timothy 5
- Only “genuine widows” should be cared for by the church
- If someone doesn’t take care of their own family they are worse than an unbeliever
- Refuse to provide long-term support for younger widows
1 Thess. 4 – These are things that are considered walking properly and they display brotherly love.
- Lead a quiet life
- Mind your own business
- Work with your own hands
And we certainly can’t forget 2 Thess. 3 where Paul “Commands in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” that a man who is not willing to work should not eat.
Next time we’ll take on the question “why is work so important?”
Until then, can you think of other passages in the Bible where people were qualified before receiving help?
