Bible Society of South Africa

Grow a Spiritual Garden – Day 4

Cultivate charity.

Bible text(s)

Matthew 25

37“The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ 40The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these members of my family, you did it for me!’

Matthew 25:37-40GNBOpen in Bible reader

Luke 14

22Soon the servant said, ‘Your order has been carried out, sir, but there is room for more.’ 23So the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the country roads and lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you all that none of those who were invited will taste my dinner!’ ”

Luke 14:22-24GNBOpen in Bible reader

The minute we forget that all people are created in the image of God, and are not just souls or bodies, we lose sight of the one who is suffering. But if you love your neighbour, as Jesus commands us to do, we cannot help but be concerned about them. We can risk letting people unlike ourselves into our lives, by practising the kind of hospitality that breaks social rules restricting us to our own class because we are doing it as if we were doing it for Christ.

According to our Christian belief every person has an inalienable worth as a person. Man, woman and child have all been created in the image of God. And if you believe this, let it become evident in all you do.

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