“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” – James 1:27
I simply asked him how he was doing. Five minutes later I began looking at my watch and wondering if this guy was ever going to stop talking. Out of desperation, I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and said to him, “Sorry, I gotta take this” and walked away.
The problem is there was no one calling me. And that revealed an even deeper problem: I truly wasn’t interested in how this guy was doing. I was only pretending to care.
In the first century, widows and orphans were the most easily overlooked and neglected, making them the most marginalized people in society. Their desperation wasn’t trying to get out of a boring, 20-minute conversation. Their desperation was being hungry but having no means to buy food. It was being sick and having no means to seek medical care. It was being cold and homeless with no place to live.
James was telling his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to not only look after the wellbeing of widows and orphans, but to look after everyone in their communities who were vulnerable.
John, one of Jesus’ disciples, said, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:16-17)
If someone truly loves you, their attitude and actions will reflect their love. Jesus says this himself in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey my commands” (GNT).
One of Jesus’ commands is that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we are sick and need a doctor, we go to the doctor. If we are hungry, we go buy food and eat. But imagine being without means, living day-to-day as someone overlooked in society. Imagine sharing our problems with fellow Christians who have the means to help, but only offer us prayers instead of immediate assistance.
James goes on to talk about this in 2:15-17:
“Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Goodbye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”
If we truly love someone, we care about them. We celebrate with them in their joys, and we grieve with them in their distress. If they hurt, we hurt. If they’re hungry, we are hungry. It goes beyond a mere expression of concern, and translates into acts of compassion and care.
Questions Worth Considering
1 How has the sacrificial love of Jesus influenced your understanding of love in action? In what ways can you emulate this love in your daily interactions with others?
2 As you think of the possessions and resources you currently have, are there opportunities for you to use them to meet the needs of those around you?
3 Reflect on a recent encounter where you became aware of someone in need. How did you respond?
Former Blackout Artist 