Servias Ministries Blog

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

Do not confuse the Source with the resource.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Malachi chapter 3:

6  “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

FATHER is totally reliable and trustworthy in keeping HIS Word toward us.  Man can and does change based upon the circumstances and perception.  FATHER operates in Truth and reality.

7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My Statutes and have not kept them. Return to ME, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

Believers easily forget the past, but FATHER doesn’t.  The children of Israel asked how to correct their path away from righteousness.  FATHER answers:

8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing ME. But you say, ‘How have we robbed YOU?’ In your tithes and contributions.

Has FATHER changed HIS Mind about tithes and contributions?  No, HE does not change!  What happens when we rationalize away this statute?  The next verse tells us:

9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing ME, the whole nation of you.

For those of us who walk in The Fear of THE LORD, we choose to embrace this revelation of the tithe and offering.  Yes, FATHER forgives us of our past failures in this area so we must not dwell on the past.  As we mature in this area, we will repent and walk in this statute.

10 Bring the full tithe into the Storehouse, that there may be food in MY House. And thereby put ME to the test, says the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open the Windows of Heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Are you willing to put Our Heavenly Father to the test of HIS Word?  HE is committed to meeting our needs if we become joyful givers.  Contributions (offerings above the tithe) establish desire versus duty.

11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of Hosts.

What does a devourer do?  He consumes your resources so that you are lacking to the point of becoming desperate.  He steals, kills, and destroys those who have not placed their full trust in THE LORD.

What will people around you see?

12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of Hosts.

The Holy Spirit will guide you in your giving if you submit to Him.  It is a challenge in discerning where to give.  What storehouse qualifies to receive your tithes and offerings?  Let The Holy Spirit guide you in these matters.

The enemy is very subtle, especially in the area of finances.  The Kingdom coming to this earth will be financed by those who are fully submitted to walking according to The Word of THE LORD.  The adversary knows this and that is why he spends so much time and effort to devour the finances of the believers.  He promotes fear and uncertainty in the minds of the believers, hoping to deter them from giving.

Jesus spoke in Mark chapter 16:

14  Later Jesus appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15 And He said to them, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My Name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Jesus did not say “come ye into the church building, then …”.  He said “Go ye”.  This is one reason we help the Kids In Need.  We are going into the schools and ministering hope to those kids.  We are also ministering to the teachers and staff of FATHER’S goodness and Love.  These are the front lines of “Go ye”.

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

We don’t need more money; we need to understand GOD and His Kingdom better.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:

31  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Many Christians in the past have had the mindset to give so they can get.  But instead, we are to get so that we can give.  Jesus addressed this issue when He spoke in Luke chapter 6:

37  “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

A cheerful giver is the true requirement to expand his or her giving.  We are called to be givers.  Those who are dealing with “self” will attempt to pursue the opposite strategy expecting to give to get.  It is a subtle issue that each of us must address.

It is foolish to give to get as well, it is foolish to give without an expectation of return which would allow you to give on a greater scale.  Frequently, the issue is patience for a harvest of the financial seed you have planted.  It takes commitment to wait for a harvest.

Jesus spoke in Mark chapter 4:

26  And Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.

27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.

28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Don’t be predisposed in determining how or where the fruit will come from.  My greatest financial harvest came from an unexpected source.  It actually sought me out.  I responded to it solely because The Holy Spirit instructed me to do so.

Anxiety and worry are to the spirit of mammon what praise and worship are to the One True GOD.  The way you worship the spirit of mammon is by being worried, anxious, and upset about finances.  As a result, you are bowing your knee to a lesser god.

Fear is faith in the devil.  Worry is a form of atheism because it is imagining your future without GOD.  Selah!

Faith is imagining your future with GOD!  The good news is that GOD is in your future, so you don’t need to worry.  Worry is a sin to be repented of, not an emotion to be medicated.  FATHER’S Supernatural cannot flow into fear and worry.  You and I are responsible to deal with fear and worry by renewing our minds daily to the Promises of GOD.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians 4:

13 I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.

In other Words, I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

Once again, Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:

24  “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”  ESV

The spirit of mammon, an opposing force, tries to get you to look at money the way you are supposed to look to GOD.  It wants to be your master, ultimately your god so that you will serve it rather than serving Our Heavenly Father.  You will put your faith in your bank account, 401K, and other assets.

If you begin to feel more significant and more secure because you have money in your checking account, that is the spirit of mammon.  Your significance and security should come from GOD HIMSELF.  The spirit of mammon is very subtle in its attempt to draw us away from The One True GOD.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians 4:

19  And My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Those who start trusting in money, tend to allow their faith in GOD to subside.  They quit looking to HIM for their supply.  They look to themselves instead.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 12:

16  Then Jesus spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’

18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”‘

20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

This parable illustrates a person who is serving mammon.  He is obsessed with possessing greater wealth rather than giving the excess to those in need.  FATHER has no issue with us having a storehouse if we are being led by The Holy Spirit in determining its contents.  Some of us need more to fulfill our individual callings.  The need is unique for each of us.

It is vital that we seek The Holy Spirit in the management of our individual finances.  He knows our future needs… I don’t have a clue to what degree my future needs are.  I found out last night that a good friend of mine died yesterday.  He and I are the same age and he seemed to be in excellent physical condition.  He had a massive heart attack.  It was totally unexpected.  How much money did he leave behind?  All of it!  Every one of us has an expiration date so we should focus on what FATHER wants us to do today.

Jesus continued:

22  Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.

23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and Your Father knows that you need these things.

31 But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

People are either seeking The Kingdom of GOD or, they are seeking mammon. 

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient to not only meet our needs but to provide an abundance for distribution to others. The adversary is in full opposition to FATHER’S Grace and sufficiency.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 8:

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

In other Words, you have experienced the extravagant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although He was infinitely rich, He impoverished himself for our sake, so that by His poverty, we become rich beyond measure.

Did Paul include exceptions to us being rich?  When did Jesus become poor?  It was when He hung six hours on the cross.  Until then, He had all power and authority in operation to meet the needs of all who He encountered.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 5:

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Was Jesus cursed for 33 ½ years?  No, He was cursed only for the time He spent on the cross.  By Jesus going to the cross for you and me, He opened the door for us to be in union with FATHER and access all the benefits of being Sons and Daughters including all provisions needed for our individual callings.

Jesus paid for our sins, sicknesses, and poverty.  That is the FULL Gospel.  Shouldn’t we accept His payment for ALL three?

Jesus had provision for His calling which arrived while He was a babe.

Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 2:

11 The Magi entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Magi or “astrologers” were known as dream interpreters.  They were wealthy priests who traveled with an entourage for protection.  King Herod and all of Jerusalem were deeply disturbed when he heard of their arrival.  It is estimated that they traveled 1,500 miles to present their treasures to the Newborn King.

In essence, they funded Jesus’ trip to Egypt and provided for years of support for Him upon His return to Israel.  In those days, if you had assets of substantial value, you needed a treasure chest and armed guards.

The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 13:

29  Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.

You don’t need a treasurer if you don’t have a treasure!  The disciples would not have assumed that Judas was departing to assist the poor if that was not normal during Jesus’ ministry.  Clearly, there was an abundance in the treasury to help the poor.

Jesus had more than enough resources to feed twelve disciples for 3 ½ years of ministry.

What is preventing us from walking with the same provision as Jesus walked?  Paul explains by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:

17  So with the Wisdom given to me from the Lord I say: You should not live like the unbelievers around you who walk in their empty delusions.

18 Their corrupted logic has been clouded because their hearts are so far from God—their blinded understanding and deep-seated moral darkness keeps them from the True Knowledge of God.

19 Because of Spiritual apathy, they surrender their lives to lewdness, impurity, and sexual obsession.

20 But this is not the way of life that Christ has unfolded within you.

21 If you have really experienced the Anointed One, and heard His Truth, it will be seen in your life; for we know that the ultimate reality is embodied in Jesus!

22 And he has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self-life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions. 23 Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you.

24 And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new Life and live in union with Him! For God has re-created you all over again in His perfect righteousness, and you now belong to Him in the realm of True Holiness.

25 So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the Truth, for we all belong to one another.

We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  These writings are meant to transform our minds and begin experiencing the blessings from Above in the area of provision.

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

Money can’t buy happiness, but neither can poverty.  People who say money can’t buy happiness simply haven’t given enough of it away.

Wisdom recorded in Proverbs chapter 14:

21 He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

And in chapter 16:

20 He who heeds the Word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

You can’t help the poor if you don’t have any resources yourself.  Our mindsets must change if we are currently unable to give to the poor.  This is not meant to condemn anyone.  It is all about aligning our minds with FATHER’S willingness to provide for HIS Sons and Daughters so that they can represent HIM fully and completely.

And in Proverbs chapter 25:

21  Is your enemy hungry? Buy him lunch. Win him over with your kindness.

22 Your surprising generosity will awaken his conscience and God will reward you with favor.  TPT

It is hard to be generous without the resources needed.  Start small and know that favor begets more favor for it is a facet of seedtime and harvest.

Money can’t buy the fruit of THE SPIRIT such as joy or peace.  However, it can spread The Gospel.  We need to keep in perspective that money is simply a tool.  You cannot go into all the world if you can’t afford to go to the store.

There is no such thing as the prosperity Gospel, but there is the Gospel of The Kingdom that prospers.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 4:

16  So Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

17 And He was handed the Book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me

To preach the Gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

20 Then He closed the Book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus named a negative condition, then He gave the solution to that condition.  If you have blind eyes, He will open them.  If you are oppressed, He will liberate you.  If you are brokenhearted, He will heal you.

The solution to those who are poor is The Gospel.  The Gospel can pull you out of poverty. 

How did poverty come to the earth?  It was a curse as recorded by THE SPIRIT in Genesis chapter 3:

17  Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.

19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

Thorns, thistles, and sweat are aspects of the curse.  Jesus took the thorns and thistles as a crown on his forehead, and blood on His brow to break the curse of poverty.

Let us not think that living in poverty is a blessing.  Jesus’ death on the cross is meant to deliver us from poverty in all areas of our life.

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

Prosperity means that we have more than enough to meet other people’s needs, not just our own.  We must have a willing heart rather than giving out of guilt or duty.  HIS Kingdom on earth will be established by those of a willing heart of Love.

FATHER wanted to dwell in a tabernacle with HIS people in the wilderness.  He instructed Moses according to the details of the tabernacle and all its aspects of worship.

Moses recorded by THE SPIRIT in Exodus chapter 35:

4  And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying:

5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze;

10 ‘All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the LORD has commanded:

Moses only wanted those with a willing heart to give toward the building of the tabernacle where THE LORD would reside among the people.

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the Holy garments.

22 They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the LORD.

Was there sufficient giving among the people?

In chapter 36:

2  Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the LORD had put Wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.

FATHER gives Wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill to those whose hearts are stirred to bring forth HIS Kingdom on earth.

3 And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.

4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing,

5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do.”

6 So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing,

7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done-indeed too much.

How would any ministry like to have the problem of having “too much” in its calling?  When we operate at full spiritual maturity, we will be exceedingly blessed and will look for opportunities to bless others.  There was no scarcity in the wilderness for the children of Israel left Egypt with “more than enough”.

Do you have a willing heart?

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

Prosperity is not selfish because prosperity is not all about you or me.  Prosperity is about blessing, not possessing.  Our mindsets need to be corrected concerning this Truth.  The adversary redefines words to fit his agenda.  Prosperity is about how much we give away rather than how much we keep for ourselves.

It is actually selfish for you to not desire prosperity!

The world needs to see what an Abundant FATHER looks like.  Don’t feel bad about your current circumstances.  Don’t let past unbelief prevent you from moving forward into HIS perfect Will for you.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in 2^nd Kings chapter 7:

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the Word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'”

3  Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?

4  If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”

5 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.

6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses-the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”

7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact-their tents, their horses, and their donkeys-and they fled for their lives.

8 And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.

The Word of THE LORD is mightier than the greatest opposition on earth.  FATHER used four lepers to bring about deliverance and greater prosperity to HIS chosen people.  Rather than sit around expecting to die, the lepers acted.  In one day, prosperity came to the four lepers.  How much more does FATHER want to bless us!  The lepers shared their prosperity with the rest of the children of Israel.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Psalm chapter 67:

1  God, keep us near your mercy-fountain and bless us! And when you look down on us, may Your Face beam with joy! Pause in His Presence

2 Send us out all over the world so that everyone everywhere will discover Your Ways and know Who You are and see Your Power to save.  TPT

FATHER wants us to be a testimony of blessing to the rest of the world.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Jeremiah chapter 33:

9 Then it shall be to Me a Name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.

We overcome evil with good.  When the world sees the results, they will fear THE LORD and realize their unrighteousness.  Many will repent.

When we are blessed, we become a bigger blessing!  That is the essence of the parable of the Sower in Matthew chapter13 where Jesus explains:

18  “Therefore hear (consider) the parable of the sower:

19 When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy;

21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles.

22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands It, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.“

If we truly understand the purpose of prosperity, we will produce good fruit.  The multiplication process will begin.  If we listen to the adversary concerning riches, we will be deceived.

Who do we serve, GOD or mammon?

Jesus paid the price for us to come out of the works of the flesh.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Galatians chapter 5:

19  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Notice that selfish ambitions and envy are included in the works of the flesh.  We are not to focus on self or envy the success of others.  FATHER is Our Provider and HE will provide everything we need to fulfill our calling as we seek HIM and walk in Agape Love.

Yes, FATHER is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. HE will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 9:

9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts IN HIM: Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten.

Paul also wrote in 1^st Timothy chapter 1:

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and Love which are in Christ Jesus.

The price Jesus paid was also to take away poverty and lack in all areas of our life.  His exceeding abundance is meant to operate in us and through us to establish His Kingdom on earth!  When a need comes across your path, you are meant to have a stream of income to meet that need.

Jesus spoke the following parable in Luke chapter 10:

25  And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit Eternal life?”

26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

27 So he answered and said, ” ‘You shall Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.'”

28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.

34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

We are not called to respond with the minimum assistance to those in need.  We are to respond with the appropriate assistance in meeting the needs of others.