Beggars, Samaritans & unlovelies test love

What comes to mind when you see a beggar? Are you drawn to him or repulsed?

Our discussion this morning at an English-speaking worship service down the hill in Panajachel touched on this subject. Ron, a friendly guy from Goldendale, Wash., serving at the nearby “Eagle’s Nest” orphanage, invited me along.

Our Bible study began in John 4, where Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Jews and Samaritans didn’t mix socially. Here, Ladinos (of Spanish and mixed race) and Mayans often have similar problems. Americans in our group struggle with how to relate to beggars.

Two female beggars come by the house here daily. Initially, both repulsed me, especially the one who is less polite and more insistent. Marcia, the wife of the couple who rents the house, has taken on a “mission of mercy” to these ladies, feeding them, buying clothes and even washing clothes (when she realized the “rag lady” was discarding dirty clothes and had no place to wash them). Both beggars are probably at least 50, maybe 60.

Since Matt and Marcia are gone for a while, I’ve had to answer the evening doorbell (it rings in my apartment behind the house as well as inside the house). Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31-46 convicted me and helped change my attitude toward them somewhat. Sometimes I have some extra beans and tortillas, or an extra cup of coffee and a sweet bread.

Last night, I ate street food in the park (tacos and a “gringa”) so I didn’t have any leftovers at the house. When the rag lady rang later, I offered her a large mango, not thinking about how she would eat it; these must be peeled and sliced with a knife. Later, I remembered that she only has a couple of front upper teeth. I suppose if she were starving she might have figured out a way to eat it, but today’s discussion made me think of her: Did I give her something useful?

Sometimes our gift to someone may be time. In my case, I could have paused to slice the mango. Sometimes it’s unwise to hand money to someone; it may be better to go with them and buy them a bit of food.

Last week, the rag lady, who has unusual social habits, saw me in the market, smiled and said, “Hola amigo!” A female Kaqchikel vegetable merchant heard it, laughed and began to mock me and the rag lady. “Amigo,” she repeated derisively, laughing. It felt a bit uncomfortable. Jesus, however, was unashamed to speak with the Samaritan woman, revealing to her his true identity while veiling it from the “wise, respectable ”Pharisees who were blinded by pride.

“I who speak to you am (the Messiah),” he told the woman in John 4:26. Later, in John 10:24, the disbelieving Jews surround Jesus and ask, “How long will you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” He didn’t speak to them in the same way because of their hard hearts.

May God grant us grace to look beyond the package people may come in and love them as Christ calls us to, while also being discerning and “wise as serpents” toward wolves.