Who Do You Associate With?

Jesus said, Matthew 7:1 (KJV): "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

I often hear advice that says you must only associate with those people who will build you up and add value to your life, who are positive influences to be around. What then of people who are lonely, who have no-one else, whom society has forgotten? These people may have negative attitudes, and may have behaviour problems. They are perhaps in great need and might have addictions or have mental illness. But are they any less people?

What would Jesus have said about these people? Jesus wanted to help the poor, the brokenhearted, the sinners and tax collectors (in His day tax collectors were considered problem people). Jesus said in Luke 4:18-19 (World English Bible): "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." When Jesus said poor, who did He mean? There are different levels to poorness, and some people who consider themselves to be poor might be rich in the eyes of another. I used to see someone wandering around the streets of Johannesburg dressed only in black plastic bags, and he must have slept on the streets. I've seen other people in villages in Africa where houses are made of scrap metal, corrugated iron, stacked into squares. What does poor mean? What is brokenhearted? People who are suffering the bounds of depression so deep they can barely get out of bed and don't wash or eat for weeks?

Many are crushed by circumstance, and might not be where they are by choice. I am not saying go out and make friends with everyone you meet, but I am asking for compassion for all people and to see possibility in all. For us not to avert our eyes when we pass a homeless person who might not have bathed for a week, but to smile and be friendly if approached. I know someone who has been homeless, who is affected by a complex set of circumstances, afflicted by mental illness and addiction. I know that homelessness and poverty are complex societal problems, part of generational poverty. I now have compassion for this person I know, whereas I did not in the past. This is a factor of my own growth, and repentance from my own previous self interest. You cannot help everyone, but try to look on people with compassion. See them as people who have a right to be here, and also have purpose that needs discovering, and refer them to helping organisations where possible. I do believe we must help people through organisations, where possible, due to complexity involved. Support organisations like the Salvation Army. These organisations do the world a huge service.