Submitted by Tommy Galik
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
This
last verse in chapter 1 closes out the section on hearing the word of God and
then doing what the word of God tells us to do. It is easy to hear the word but
not practice its teachings. It is easy for us to worship the Lord on Sunday,
hear an excellent message, and quietly tuck the sermon’s application in a safe
place. Sermons and biblical teaching are not to be stored and ignored but to
remembered and practiced.
Christianity
is not an ecclesiastical organization with structure or rituals. Neither is it
a passive faith but an action oriented one. It calls for urgency and action. It
calls for us to act as quickly as we can so that we can meet the needs of
members and the community. Jesus didn’t waste any time. He had a plan.
Everything he did had a purpose.
God
cares about all people but he especially cares for the orphans and widows. Why?
Because families are not always around or willing to help care for them.
In
John chapter 14, we have the account of Jesus promising the disciples that he
will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide them in their
ministry when he returns to heaven. In verse 8, Jesus says, “I
will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” ESV.
The KJV say “I will not leave you comfortless.” The
word for “orphans” in this verse is the same word in James 1:27. In both places
it refers to children who are fatherless. Jesus told his disciples that he
didn’t want to leave them helpless as orphans. The disciples would not be
ministering to others without the presence of God.
Both
God and Jesus realized that the disciple would be vulnerable to attacks from
without and from within themselves. He would send the Holy Spirit to provide
the protection they needed in the absence of Jesus who was with them each day.
God
gave the church to care for the orphans and the widows as he cared for Jesus’
disciples. The church has been called by God to care for the orphans. They are
helpless and at the mercy of caregivers to provide adequate care. There are
times when they don’t have an advocate to speak for them. Our church and
members sponsor orphans in Honduras which provides for their care and
protection.
James
also called on the church to care for the widows of the church. These are the
faithful women servants of God who don’t have a husband or family to care for
them. They are more vulnerable to unscrupulous people trying to take advantage
of them. They are lonely and some barely get by on their limited income. The
word for “visit” or “to look after” means a personal visit not just financial
support.
James
makes it very clear that it is our responsibility to care for these two groups.
To assume this responsibility shows the Father and the world that our faith is
genuine and real not just talk. It is pure and undefiled. Again, our faith
takes action when it sees a need. The second part of this verse calls for us to
keep on living our lives in the world without being polluted by sin. To serve
in the name of Jesus includes living a life that reflects the character and
teachings of Jesus. To serve others in the name of Jesus without living
according to his teachings indicates that we don’t understand the meaning of
what genuine faith is.
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
