Has there ever been a time when someone thanked you for something you did, but it sort of caught you off guard? You didn't expect or need a thank you from them. You were just doing what came naturally to you. Doing whatever was needed in the moment without thinking about it. That is the heart of generosity that Christ is describing here. The person Jesus talks about in this passage wasn't serving to receive glory. They didn't even realize the full impact of their generosity--that by serving from a pure heart, they were serving Christ with all that they did. Ask God to reveal to you an opportunity that you can serve Him by serving those in need around you. PASSAGE: Matthew 25:35 - "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me." PAUSE: At the end of the age, Jesus will reward those who loved others well. When we as believers love those in prison, those who are hungry or thirsty, or those in need of clothing and shelter, we express our love for Christ. As you pause for one final time this week, ask yourself this question: are you loving Christ by loving those struggling the most with life? If not, why not? PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant me an opportunity this next week to love the broken and hurting. Grant me a heart of compassion and care for others!
This verse gives us a great measuring device for checking the condition of our hearts. There are two criteria we need to be aware of, and then an action that should follow. If we have the MEANS to help someone, and we have the AWARENESS that they need our help, do you step in to help or pretend you didn’t see the need? John tells us if we ignore the need and close our hearts, then God’s love doesn’t abide in our hearts. The rhetorical force of John’s statement challenges us to think about how we respond to needs. If God’s love is truly in us, we will show that love by our actions! PASSAGE: 1 John 3:17 - "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" PAUSE: John, the best friend of Jesus, encouraged us to help others in need. John wanted the early church to know that fellowship with God ultimately results in a heart and compassion for others in need. Love is a verb! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for all the times I failed to demonstrate your love. Grant me opportunities to love others in need!
The reason the early church took special care of orphans and widows is because in that culture these were amongst the most marginalized groups in society, and thus in the church. A dead husband/father meant the sole means of income and protection were gone. In this spirit, every church in every culture needs to be in touch with the marginalized of their world. Who is the group that is being oppressed or ignored or the object of injustice? Who keeps slipping through the cracks with no safety net? In the modern, western context that may include the homeless or the addicted. It may include the struggling single mom or the lonely elderly widow/widower. It certainly also includes the church in the prosperous west supporting the poor or persecuted church in other parts of the world. Every believer and every church should be intentionally and generously engaged in such “pure religion.” PASSAGE: James 1:27 - "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." PAUSE: Faith in action means taking care of the less fortunate. James, Jesus' brother, encouraged and challenged the early church to take care of orphans and widows. Ask God to show you ways to help the less fortunate. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant me the ability to put my faith into action. Please open my eyes to see the misfortunes of others in my community.
