One topic of concern for congregations is the question of self-inflicted wounds. Those who deal routinely with the ministry of benevolence know that financial needs are often (though not always!) the result of poor financial planning, substance abuse or laziness. These lifestyle decisions affect both people inside and outside of the covenant community. As a result God’s people tend to classify the poor as deserving and undeserving. Deserving poor are those who are victim of circumstances (e.g. victims of a hurricane). Undeserving poor are those who are where they are because of poor decisions. This raises a whole host of questions. Should a congregation help those who appear to have destroyed their lives through sin or should such funds be reserved for people who are deemed to be more responsible? What about repeat offenders? What if a church helps someone only to have them fall back into his or her former lifestyle? Related, how should a congregation handle someone who appears to be dragging their feet in looking for work?

A full discussion of this topic is far beyond the scope of this article. One helpful resource is Tim Keller’s Ministries of Mercy (http://amzn.to/gT6WLb). I’ll refer to Keller’s book some as I make the following points. First, I agree with Keller that we need to be careful in making a distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor. His lengthy quote from B.B. Warfield is worth reading:

Now dear Christians, some of you pray night and day to be branches of the true Vine; you pray to be made all over in the image of Christ. If so, you must be like him in giving… ‘though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor’… Objection 1. ‘My money is my own.’ Answer: Christ might have said, ‘my blood is my own, my life is my own’… then where should we have been? Objection 2. ‘The poor are undeserving.’ Answer: Christ might have said, ‘They are wicked rebels… shall I lay down my life for these? I will give to the good angels.’ But no, he left the ninety-nine, and came after the lost. He gave his blood for the undeserving. Objection 3. ‘The poor may abuse it.’ Answer: Christ might have
said the same; yea, with far greater truth. Christ knew that thousands would trample his blood under their feet; that most would despise it; that many would make it an excuse for sinning more; yet he gave his own blood. Oh, my dear Christians! If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and poor, the thankless and undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. (B.B Warfield quoted in Keller, 65)