Jesus is not saying that we should not give to the poor if our hearts are not exactly right, but we should be aware that our motives may be less than ideal when we do it.

So stop for a minute and contemplate the chasm that lies between man in his sin and an infinitely holy God. Even a short meditation on this will bring a much better understanding of the Cross and why Jesus had to die.

God does not have to reconcile his justice with his mercy because there was a plan in place from eternity to provide a means of reconciliation that is both perfectly merciful and perfectly just. It is the Cross of Christ that makes this possible. It is at the Cross of Jesus Christ that justice and mercy meet and neither is compromised.

We are called to dispel the darkness by growing in our relationship to God and being obedient to what he has called us to do. We are to be a beacon of hope to a world that desperately needs something to be hopeful about.