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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is, you may not withhold your help. You may not withhold your help means do not refuse to help others when the need arises.

To enable the Israelites to be each other’s keeper, it was necessary to make laws to ensure that a person may not withhold his or help from his or her neigbour. The help extends to protecting the properties of others in their absence. “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.” (Deuteronomy 22:1-4). This law is synonymous to the ancient African word Ubuntu which means humanity to others. It is often described as “I am because we are”

Helping one another provides social security, harmony and peace. Christians and disciples of Christ must not engage in unnecessary competition, vindictiveness, self-centeredness and jealousy. These things may lead us to withhold our help for others. Jesus further admonishes us to help others as a sign of our readiness to be heirs of the Kingdom of God when He said that “…Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:44-46). In other words, God will judge us based on the help we have given to others and not the earthly wealth we have accumulated for ourselves. Let us continue to help and support others to prove that we are children of our Father who is in heaven. In summary, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to live in unity and love regardless of our differences so that we may not withhold our help from our others when the need arises. May we be spent to the glory of God so that He will find us worthy stewards on the judgment day.