Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42
“‘Tis the most absolute and indispensable duty of a people of God to give bountifully and willingly for the supply of the wants of the needy.”
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in opening subject line of section 1: Christian Charity (1732).
“Absolute and indispensable duty” are strong words, but the more I study the Scriptures, the more I believe they are correct. Whether we read Moses in the OT Law (Deuteronomy 15:7), Jesus in today’s Scripture reading (above), the Apostle Paul in the early church in the NT (1 Timothy 6:17-19), or numerous other biblical texts, we see command language linked to sharing.
Even John the Evangelist writes that failure to show compassion on the needy calls to question whether God’s love is in a person (1 John 3:17). Sharing surplus with those who have inadequate supply is not optional, but rather an absolute and indispensable duty of the follower of Jesus Christ.