Life is hard.  For some it is harder than others.  We live in a time when it is easy to be judgmental of one another.  To look the other way when we see someone down and out or worse off than us.  To somehow feel that they have gotten what they deserve or perhaps to feel that we are more deserving and have somehow “earned” our status in life.  Unfortunately, being born with more intelligence, money, pleasing personality, talent, good looks, leadership ability, supports, connections, confidence, etc.,  doesn’t make you more deserving.  It makes you more responsible.  Jesus says in Luke 12:48 “But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.  From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

It’s a little easier to “help” someone who we feel is deserving of our help.  It’s quite another to help someone who we feel has put themselves in a bad situation.  The unwed single mother who should have known better. Rarely do we think the same of the man/men who helped her to get in the situation.  If asked, we’d probably say he is just as wrong but we don’t expect him to experience the same consequences that she does.  No, if he has any involvement with the children he fathered, he receives praise and pats on the back. Even the father  struggling to pay his child support doesn’t receive the same respect as the well-to-do man that never sees his kids but has a well paying job.  We often look down on the person who struggles to hold a job thinking s/he lazy or wanting a hand-out.  We don’t see the years of criticism that have worn this person’s self-confidence down or made them feel that they aren’t capable competent individuals.  What about the addict that can’t kick the addiction that quite possibly has its roots in an undiagnosed, unmedicated mental illness?  No, we often think that someone is deserving or not based on their financial security.  It may have nothing to do with whether they are a good person.

Yet, Jesus was very clear in the above scripture that we will be judged based on the measure to which we use what we have been endowed with.  With blessings comes responsibility!!  Isaiah 58 makes it even clearer when the prophet confronts the people for wanting to be noticed for their outward sacrifices (58:2-3 NIV).  Isaiah describes exactly what is expected of us:  ‘to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? . . .  to share your food with the hungry and to provide the
poor wanderer with shelter, to clothe the naked. . . ‘(Isaiah 58: 6-7a NIV).  To be sure, doing any of these things does not make us deserving but rather our light shines only by what we are able to do for others.  Our healing comes by way of meeting the needs of others.

We are called to be a ‘Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings’ (Isaiah 58: 12).  Will you take up the challenge to be all of what you are called to be??