Two shirts

He [John the Babtist] answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luke 3:11

Ever since I became a Christian and started to be interested in the bible, I saw this verse as some comandment of sharing with each other. I guess, if you put the bible into the hands of unbeliever, even he would get it that way. Recent events made me think about this verse deeper.

My good Christian friend experienced very often deep spiritual crisis. It always took him a very long time to get through it. In those very crisises I heard him saying: “I don’t know how and I cannot get through it, but I wish I could sacrifice to people, give them all I have got, help them.“

If we look at Luke 3:11 again and think about it: Who has two shirts – who has an abundance – let him give what he has in addition to one, who has nothing. There is no “Who has nothing, let him give it all away.“ God himself wants us to be generous, love other neighbours – but only if we have an abundance. We cannot force a homeless to give somebody his only one coat (and it is sometimes everything he owns). Same way, as Christian experiencing a living relationship with God, i tis very generous when we pray for others – but we also need to pray for ourselves. We need to have the solid stand in Christ, later we can help with construction in another place. How we can help somebody, when we cannot even solve our own problems?

On the first look this encouragements seems a little bit selfish: “Care only about yourself, and then about other people.“ But I think it is not selfish, only practical. Even the old proverb says “To love other people you need to love yourself first.“ Same way with other things. I tis nice when you give money, but we cannot give our money away in order to make debts.

So whoever is dressed, let him give what he has in addition. And whoever is fed, let him give away the rest of his meal.