are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in union with Christ Jesus. Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29) Yes, they have come to spiritual, heavenly Zion for the truth that sets men free and as the city where the Center of their worship exists.

What Is a Christian’s Responsibility to the Needy and the Sick?

GENEROSITY toward needy persons is a fine expression of the godly quality of love. It was such generosity that John the Baptist urged when he said: “Let the man that has two undergarments share with the man that has none, and let him that has things to eat do the same.” (Luke 3:11) This unselfish action would be one way to demonstrate love for neighbor as God commanded the Israelites: “You must love your fellow as yourself.”—Lev. 19:18.

In the law that God gave to the nation of Israel he made it clear that the poor among them were not to be callously neglected or treated unkindly. He told his people: “In case some one of your brothers becomes poor among you in one of your cities, in your land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not harden your heart or be closefisted toward your poor brother. For you should generously open your hand to him and by all means lend him on pledge as much as he needs, which he is in want of.”—Deut. 15:7, 8.

Love is thus revealed in God’s viewpoint of needy persons. As he has generously opened his hand in providing for the needs of mankind, so his people were to open their hands generously to help needy persons among them. This provision was to help a fellow Israelite that suffered some adversity or that had a temporary setback.

Unfair advantage was not to be taken of a needy person by requiring him to pay interest on what was given him as aid, for that would not be opening their hands generously. In this regard God’s instructions were: “In case your brother grows poor and so he is financially weak alongside you, you must also sustain him. As an alien resident and a settler, he must keep alive with you. You must not give him your money on interest, and you must not give your food out on usury.” (Lev. 25:35, 37) To charge interest under such circumstances would not help him but would be selfishly taking advantage of his situation.

Although Jehovah’s instructions to the Israelites pertained to fellow Israelites in need, what he inspired to be written in the Proverbs reveals that the quality of neighbor love was not meant to be narrow but was to extend even to a person that might hate them. “If the one hating you is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Prov. 25:21) Jesus Christ enlarged on this admonition when he said: “Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from one that wants to borrow from you without interest. You heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.”—Matt. 5:42-44.

When asked, “Who really is my neighbor?” Jesus replied by relating the illustration of the good Samaritan who saw a wounded man by the side of the road and gave him aid, whereas two others passed him by. He then asked his inquirer, “Who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man that fell among the robbers?” After the inquirer acknowledged that it was the one who acted mercifully, Jesus said: “Go your way and be doing the same yourself.” (Luke 10:29-37) Thus Jesus’ followers had brought to their attention their obligation to manifest neighborly goodness even to those who are not fellow believers. This also was pointed out by Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ: “Really, then, as long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.”—Gal. 6:10.

FAITH SHOWN BY WORKS

The Christian Bible writer James closely associates generosity toward needy persons with evidence of one’s faith by pointing out that faith in divine instruction necessarily reveals itself in what a Christian does. He said: “Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, yet a certain one of you says to them: ‘Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,’ but you do not give them the necessities for their body, of what benefit is it? Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.”—Jas. 2:14-17.

So it is an expression of faith for a person to give material aid to a fellow Christian who has need of clothing, food and shelter because of some unforeseen thing, such as a disastrous storm, earthquake, fire or severe financial reverse. To be aware of his neediness and yet merely say to him, “Keep warm and well fed,” without giving him the necessities for his body would not be demonstrating either faith or love. Would not such failure to show love for a Christian brother by aiding him in his time of need be evidence that a person’s faith is dead? John, an apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote: “Whoever has this world’s means for supporting life and beholds his brother having need and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him, in what way does the love of God remain in him? Little children, let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth.”—1 John 3:17, 18.

Generosity toward needy Christians is motivated by love and by human compassion. Both qualities have been manifested toward mankind by God, and he encourages us to manifest them toward one another. Out of love a Christian is willing to share his material things with a needy spiritual brother during his emergency, expecting nothing in return. This is urged by God’s Word at Romans 12:13: “Share with the holy ones according to their needs. Follow the course of hospitality.” Such assistance is a temporary measure to help him recover from an unforeseen economic blow.

But when giving such aid, whether to