James 2:8-9 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. New International Version (NIV)
Mr. Rogers and the Salvation Army
They stand outside stores wearing Santa Claus costumes, jingling bells at this time of year, with a bucket for donations. We see them, but do we see them? I can’t remember when I didn’t see the Salvation Army collecting donations at this time of year. As we remember God’s generous gift to us, we seem to be more likely to give at Christmas time.
In the first century the church included both poor and rich. James had a concern that the church followed natural instincts by catering to the wealthy. After warning the church to avoid infatuation with wealth, he told them to practice the law of the kingdom: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Like the rich, young, ruler we are tempted to ask, “Who is my neighbor?” How many doors down and around my house do I have to care about? With the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus answered our question: the people who are in need are your neighbors. Is it just me or do you and I have a lot of neighbors in our city and world? If we love others impartially by giving of our own resources to help them, we discover that Mr. Rogers was right: “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood . . .”
Pray with me:
Father, thank you for loving us when we were spiritually impoverished and destitute. Let your love in our lives transform us into people who care and give generously to others who are in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane
Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved.
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