Matthew 5:42 explained: give to him who asks

In Matthew 5:42 Jesus says to give to the one who asks and not to turn away the one who wants to borrow. It sits in the Sermon on the Mount among instructions about not retaliating, and it sets a generous default toward people in need. Most readers take it as a call to an open hand and a willing heart rather than a rule that every request must be met in the same way, since Scripture elsewhere also values wisdom, honesty and care for the person asking.

“Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” Matthew 5:42 (KJV)

Two situations are named. One person asks for something outright, and another wants to borrow. In a village economy, both requests came from neighbors whose names you knew, which is different from a stranger approaching you in a parking lot, and Jesus does not spell out every variation.

What he does say is clear on direction: do not turn away. The verb implies avoiding someone, crossing the street, pretending not to hear. Whatever else a person does, they are not to harden themselves against the person in front of them.

Making Heaven Crowded teams in Tampa and Gainesville answer the question in a simple way. They carry food and water, and when someone says they are hungry or thirsty they can hand it over on the spot. The team also takes time to talk, because the person asking is more than a need to be met. A good starting point is the guide to donating items for homeless outreach, which lists what is most useful.

Giving can also be indirect. Gifts to the ministry fund the food and supplies that volunteers carry, and the giving page explains how donations are received. Jesus’s sentence asks for a willing hand, and there are many ways to offer one.