He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again.
All Commentaries on Proverbs 19:17 Go To Proverbs 19
Basil the Great
AD 379
If you help a poor person in the Name of the Lord, you are making a gift and at the same time granting a loan. You are making a gift because you have no expectation of being reimbursed by that poor person. You are granting a loan because the Lord will settle the account.
It is not much that the Lord receives by means of the poor, but He will pay a great deal on their behalf.