If You Don't Work You Shouldn't Eat

[LadyKay]

So......I hear this said nearly every time there is a post about food for the poor or food stamps or something along that line. Someone brings up "the Bible says If you don't work, you shouldn't eat."  Yet Jesus never says this when dealing with the poor. All Jesus says about dealing with the poor and needy is that we should give. No where do I see where Jesus said make the poor or hungry person do a job for you before you feed them.  Matthew 25:35 says   For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. The Old Testament talks about the poor and hungry as well. Isaiah 58:7 says,  Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.  But the only place I see where it says "If you do not work, you shouldn't eat" is from Paul.  From what I can understand Paul seems to have been saying this to the the Church of  The Thessalonians at the time. The next verse seems to explain why Paul said this to the Church of Thessalonians.  That verse,  2 Thessalonians 3:11  says;   We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.    So my thoughts having study these verse.  Paul was not addressing the poor and hungry. But seems to be addressing busybodies who are running around among the Church of The Thessalonians,  causing disruption and putting their noses where they don't belong instead of working.  There for.  From that I come to the conclusion that   when we are talking about the call we have as Christians to care for the poor and hungry of this country. Or talking about  food  assistance  programs for low income and the needy. Someone stating 2 Thessalonians 3:10   is miss using and taking the verse out of its rightful meaning.  Perhaps in order to justify the cutting of food programs or it maybe  that they just don't know any better.   

Anywho, I do not wish to argue on this. This is really just my own thoughts on 2 Thessalonians 3:10.  I welcome your feed though. Good day and God Bless. 

Edited August 30, 2019 by LadyKay

[ayin jade]

2 Thess 3:10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this, that if anyone would not work, neither should he eat.
11 For we hear that there are some who walk disorderly among you, not working at all, but being busybodies.
12 Now we command and exhort those who are such, by our Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

1 minute ago, ayin jade said:

2 Thess 3:10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this, that if anyone would not work, neither should he eat.
11 For we hear that there are some who walk disorderly among you, not working at all, but being busybodies.
12 Now we command and exhort those who are such, by our Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.

 

Thank you my dear loved sister .  

[frienduff thaylorde]

Any who CAN work and don't and want to be taken care of ,     Don't give them anything .    We feed idlness and slothfulness .

But if one truly needs help and is not lazy and would work if they could .   FEED THOSE .

 

[missmuffet]

Here is the same topic on a thread from 2016

 

[GandalfTheWise]

Paul was writing to Christians and the church giving voluntarily out of their own means to help people they know.  If someone was truly in need, help.  If someone didn't really need help, don't enable them.

We are now in a system where the government takes one's money (under threat of loss of property or prison) giving it to total strangers some of whom are truly needy temporarily, some of whom are disabled or permanently needy, some of whom become stuck in a cycle of poverty due to the programs, and some of whom are scamming the system.   

I think the common factors are to help those who really need it and stop allowing scamming the system, enabling the lazy, and permanently enslaving people in poverty.  If we knew the people getting our money, we could use our own judgement and decide who really needs help.  Since we don't, we are stuck with casting votes for people who are more concerned with getting re-elected who may or may not be able to make changes to a huge bureaucratic system.

 

[unworthyservant]

21 minutes ago, GandalfTheWise said:

Since we don't, we are stuck with casting votes for people who are more concerned with getting re-elected who may or may not be able to make changes to a huge bureaucratic system.

Why do you feel the need to take such a wonderful sentiment such as the one put forth in the original post and make it into something political much less question who really does and doesn't deserve our help? Christ didn't tell us to grumble about where the Government spends our money nor can I find where he told us to choose which of the poor are really worthy of the help He taught us to give so freely. So, while I believe that in a Democracy, we have the right to vote for our leaders and should do so based on how we feel they stand on the things that Christ taught, I just think it ruins the sound Scriptural based sentiment that was the beginning of this discussion when you turn it political. My friend, NO politician has the answers, only God! So, since the original intent of this post wasn't in any way political, I would only suggest that the political angles have a place for discussion but this just doesn't seem to me to be it.

[shortangel]

these are all very good points here

[other one]

I guess that's why I'm so fat.....   I worked too hard for years...

 

[Dennis1209]

1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV) But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Taking something by force of law from someone, and giving it to the politicians choice of beneficiaries for votes; diminishes my ability to provide for myself and my family; much less give additional charity. 

After the Revolutionary War, Congress voted down giving aid and pensions to disabled war veterans, their widows and orphans. They knew it was immoral to forcefully take from the productive and give it to the politicians choice of beneficiaries and where that would lead to. That the sole role of government was to protect the country from both foreign and domestic threats; and set conditions favorable for a free, independent and productive nation. 

Supposedly our law is based only on three legal documents and nothing else; they are the Constitution of the United States of America, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. There's nothing in them to even suggest we owe a living to someone else. It's called charity for a reason, government has forcefully taken it over, and the church and community allowed it... Now look at where we are at and our debt that can never be repaid; we don't even own our own country anymore, the banks and foreign governments do. Coming up; free college educations for the poor masses. Maybe there is a free lunch?