DRAWING NEAR
June 19
Ministering to the Poor
"If a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed
in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty
clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing
the fine clothes, and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' and
you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there, or sit down by
my footstool,' have you not made distinctions among yourselves,
and become judges with evil motives?" (James 2:2-4).
Partiality is an age-old problem that exists in almost every area of
life. Perhaps its most common manifestations are racial, religious,
and socio-economic discrimination. By implication James denounced
partiality in any form, but in James 2:2-4 he specifically mentions
preferential treatment of the rich over the poor. He knew such
favoritism was devastating not only because it is sinful, but also
because the majority of believers in the early church were poor,
common people. Discriminating against them would have struck a blow
at the very heart of the church!
From its inception the church has upheld the priority of ministering
to the poor. Acts 2:44-45 says, "All those who had believed were
together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their
property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone
might have need." Paul organized a relief fund for the needy saints
in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1-4), and during one severe famine, "in the
proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them
determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren
living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas
and Saul to the elders" (Acts 11:29-30).
God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs
of the kingdom, but some of James's readers were dishonoring them
(vv. 5-6). That had to stop! We too must honor the poor by treating
them with dignity rather than prejudice, and meeting their needs
whenever possible. Be alert to those around you whom you might help
in some practical way.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Ask the Lord to keep you sensitive to those around you, and for
wisdom to know how to respond to their needs.
For Further Study:
Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, noting the kinds of people God uses to
accomplish His purposes.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
1 Corinthians 16:1-4
16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given
orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something
aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections
when I come.
3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send
to bear your gift to Jerusalem.
4 But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according
to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to
shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to
put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are
despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to
nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
James 2:1-6
2:1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord of glory, with partiality.
2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings,
in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy
clothes,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say
to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You
stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"
4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges
with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this
world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised
to those who love Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you
and drag you into the courts?
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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