Help the Poor 2

James 1:27

The other night at Bible study I commented that I felt James was a Methodist. It is part of the Methodist heritage, initiated by John Wesley about 300 years ago, that we not only pray for and have compassion for people in need, but we also do something about the situation. In other words, we can’t simply sit around feeling sorry for the plight of people. We need to get out there and try to make things better.

What is James’ comment on religion? How might we do these two things?

James is blunt and perhaps has over-simplified our faith. His claim is that what God wants, what is acceptable to God as pure, is a faith that takes care of the needs of others. In this specific instance James refers to widows and orphans, but I believe this comment can be extended to anyone who is struggling and poor.

James urges us to “look after” these needy individuals. I don’t think he is referring to dropping in on them from time to time to see how they are getting on. I believe he means for us to be active in improving their situation. Looking after another might involve helping them get a better life.

In Matthew 26:11 Jesus tells those around him, “The poor you will always have with you . . . .” There is indeed no shortage of needy persons. There are desperate poor in Africa and Asia, in the Middle East, and in Eastern Europe. We have recently been made aware of the poor in Haiti.

But you don’t need to go beyond the borders of our country to find people who are struggling. I would wager that you don’t even need to go beyond your own community, maybe your own neighborhood, to find someone who needs help.

The questions are, do you see the need, and will you do anything about it?

If we will be followers of Jesus then we must live out our faith. If our faith is to be pure and faultless, if our faith is to be acceptable to God, then we should be looking for ways to assist those in need. Being active in your expression of God’s compassion can help you to remain free from the spiritual pollution of the world.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Can you find a ministry that helps the poor and become involved in it?