Helping the poor -

 

How should Christians help the poor? What are some good guidelines for benevolent help? Should Christians help all who ask?

 

J.C. Ryle offered these thoughts on Luke 14:12-13 in his commentary on Luke (2:157-158):

 

The "evil consequences of an excessively literal interpretation of this passage, may be seen in the well-meat but grossly abused charities to the poor, which were to prevelant in the country before the Reformation, and which are still to be seen in Roman Catholic countries on the Continent at th present day.  It is notorious that profuse charity to the poor, given indiscriminately, and without inquirty, does not real good, foster idleness, rears up a class of professional mendicants, promotes dissolute and profligate habits among beggars, and enormously increases the very evil whichit is meant to relieve."