Introduction
There are a lot of people in need around us, and we must help them. For this reason, I want to remind you and myself of 20 Bible verses about charity.
Let’s quickly look back at Matthew 25 from verse 31 and take note of 2 main groups of people.
To the first group, Jesus says, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Jesus then says why –
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
To the second group, He says ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Of course Jesus has longsince taken His place at the right hand of the Father so the obvious question is
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
Jesus’ reply
...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25
What we are called to do is clear from this interaction. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Visit the prisoners. Shelter the homeless.
How can we say we love God if we do not show love to one another?
Let us not digress further. Here are:
20 Bible verses about charity
- Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. – Hebrews 13:16
- Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7
- Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.– Isaiah 58:7,8 - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. – Proverbs 19:17
- In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ – Acts 20:35
- Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. – Proverbs 21:13
- Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. – Matthew 6:2
- If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. – Isaiah 58:10
- Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2
- If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? – 1 John 3:17
- But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. – Luke 11:41
- Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. – Proverbs 22:9
- We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. – Romans 15:1
- They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do. – Galatians 2:10
- But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. – Luke 14:13-14
- Those who give freely gain even more; others hold back what they owe, becoming even poorer. – Proverbs 11:24
- Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Matthew 20:28
- Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. – Proverbs 28:27
- For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. – Matthew 25:35
- The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. – Mark 12:31
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