Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: James 1:27

Jesus has come into our world. First in the flesh, and now by His Spirit. This week we’re reflecting on the importance of recognising the presence of Jesus in our world and then of making His presence real to others, through living His Life in our world. James 1:27 is a great example:

²⁷ 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.

When James uses the word “religion” (“threskeia” in Greek) he means “an outward expression of faith”. So he is saying very simply that a pure and faultless outward expression of our inner faith-relationship with Jesus is to do what Jesus would do in our world. And when confronted with deep human need, Jesus does whatever He can to minister to that need.

In the ancient world, the most needy and vulnerable members of society were widows and orphans. In a hugely patriarchal society, everyone in the household was utterly dependent on the head of the home, the husband and father. If he died first, his widow would be in great material difficulty. And if something were to happen to her too, their children would be in absolutely desperate need. Orphans often ended up begging on the street, or in slavery, just to survive.

God, who is love (1 John 4:8) and who works to sustain widows and orphans (Ps. 146:9), made many loving provisions for the care of widows and orphans in the Law of Moses. Now, in God’s Family, the Church, every Christian in whom Christ dwells by faith has become part of God’s plan to care for the vulnerable members of society.

God has come into our world in Jesus Christ. In and through Christ, He ministered to the weakest and most vulnerable. Now “Christ in us” (Colossians 1:27) calls us to express His presence in the world through doing the same. This will be our purest outward expression of faith!

Lord Jesus, Christ in me, live Your life through me, I pray. Lead me to express Your presence in my world today, by caring for those You bring across my path. Amen.