Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13
“God tells us, that he shall look upon what is done in charity to our neighbors in want, as done unto Him; and what is denied unto them, as denied unto Him. Pro. 19:17, “He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord.” God hath been pleased to make our needy neighbors his receivers. He in His infinite mercy hath so interested himself in their case, that he looks upon what is given in charity to them, as given to Himself. And when we deny them what their circumstances require of us, he looks upon it that we therein rob Him of His right.
Christ teaches us, that we are to look upon our fellow Christians in this case as Himself, and that our giving or withholding from them, shall be taken, as if we so behaved ourselves towards Him; see Mat. 25:40. There Christ says to the righteous on his right hand, who had supplied the wants of the needy, “In that ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” In like manner He says to the wicked who had not shown mercy to the poor, verse 45, “Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.” — Now what stronger enforcement of this duty can be conceived, or is possible, than this, that Jesus Christ looks upon our kind and bountiful, or unkind and uncharitable, treatment of our needy neighbors, as such a treatment of Himself?”
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced (1732) section III.
These thoughts on Christian charity move me. We don’t hear such strong language often, though all he does is recite what the Word teaches us.
Consider the implications of our treatment of the poor. Proverbs notes plainly that if we ignore their cries for help, our cries will be ignored. That’s significant.
Moreover, Jesus looks on our treatment of those in need as if we do it to Him. Sit with the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your treatment of those in need as if you serve Christ himself.