I don't know about you, but at times, the filthy vagrant on the roadside with a hand scribbled sign, "Will Work For Food", creates inner tension. And, if he/she is dressed fairly well that tension mounts. What do I do? Give money (and if so, how much?), a tract, a "God bless you", or do I just divert my gaze and pray the light turns green?

How I resolve this inner tension is to recall what a Pastor/friend once said: "I'd rather be taken than to take". This, he said after having his church conned out of tens of thousands of dollars. (No, Bernie Madoff wasn't the con!) Dwight's heart for the hurting (for real or pretend) impressed me. He conciously chose to risk loss so that another might gain. He left the possible scammer up to God's justice (or mercy as it may be). 

This reminds me of Jesus becoming poor, having been unimaginably rich, for our sakes. All the riches of Christ became ours as He bankrupted Himself for us. (2 Corinthians 8:9). Don't you wonder if maybe we looked like the wayside beggar to God? Clothed in our "filty rags" (Isa. 64:6), God turned His eyes toward us and offered to exchange His son's clothes for ours (Isa. 61:10 with 2 Cor. 5:21).

Thank God, He looks on the heart and not the outward appearance (I Sam. 16:7). May we be more like our Father, and, may we see more like our Father and become poor that another might become rich.