Alms For The Poor...

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” Luke 4:18.

As many of you are aware, my father-in-law who suffers with Alzheimer’s, lives with me and my husband. His goal for each day is to be a comedian beckoning laughs from anyone he comes upon. He consistently and continuously makes the same jokes, walks the same funny way to get a laugh and makes the same silly faces – all before 8:00 am each morning. One of the things I am greeted with daily is his plea for “alms for the poor.” He cups his precious aging hands and approaches as he tries to remember those words to receive a laugh.

Jesus stood before the congregation and read this verse as fulfillment of God’s prophesy. The word ‘poor’ is translated in Greek as 'indicating utter helplessness, complete destitution, afflicted, distressed subsisting on the alms of others.' The definition of subsist is ‘managing to live, maintaining somebody or something and reside in or consist of a particular thing.’ This translation together assumes the belief the ability to live is dependent on someone outside of ourselves.

We are the kept people of an all supplying God! I cannot imagine any better news than what Jesus was offering then and still offers through being our Savior. My grandmother would always lift her arms when worshipping to God and similarly I worship with palms up to heaven. It dawned on me this morning that as we worship in our own unique ways we are saying to God ‘alms for the poor’. Through our prayers we are cupping our little hands not for laughs but for life! Apart from God we are poor in provision and empty in spirit. Our little tin cups echo the few coins we drop in there highlighting the fact that so much more is missing. Only God can fill our cups and supply everything missing in our lives.

I praise God this morning for His mighty provisions managing my life, maintaining my walk and providing a spiritual home in which I reside.