Thursday, April 21, 2011

Keller: the gospel and sympathy for the poor

[Jonathan Edwards says] "The Christian spirit will make us apt to sympathise with our neighbour when we see him under any difficulty...we ought to have such a spirit of love to him that we should be afflicted with him in his affliction."   Christ literally walked in our shoes and entered into our affliction.  Those who will not help others until they are destitute reveal that Christ's love has not yet turned them into the sympathetic persons the gospel should make them....

...We all want to help kind-hearted, upright people, whose poverty cam upon them through no foolishness or contribution of their own, and who will respond to our aid with gratitude and joy.  However, almost no one like that exists.

Generous Justice, p69-71

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