A wonderful truth that’s emphasised all the way through the Bible is that the LORD is interested in everyone no matter what their situation. We were reminded of this last Sunday morning from Deut ch16 when we saw that in the promised land, God’s people were put in 7 categories emphasising their identity and community in Him:
“Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.” (Deut 16:14)
Time and again we read of His particular concern for those who are particularly vulnerable:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
As we saw on Sunday, our worship of God is not restricted to festivals but is a whole of life decision of self-sacrifice:
“…I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom 12:1)
The degree to which we love and help and support, especially those who are weaker or on the fringe, is a measure of our likeness to Him.
In the 21st century there are things we don’t need to do that they did in the ancient world. Yet there are also a whole host of ways that we can support those who need it: from food when they’re unwell to livestream for those who are housebound; from messages of love to being a shoulder to cry on.
The key question for us to ask is: “What would Jesus do?!”
Spencer Shaw