WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOR? ASK OURSELVES, WHY?

 

I have the chance to study the Book of James with a group of amazing ladies, following the lectures of Jeff Cavins (by the Ascension Press).

Of the many many nuggets of truth and wisdom the Book of James imparts, there is a section that talks about a faith filled approach towards the poor and the posture/attitude we ought to take in view "the problem" of the poor..

Below are some notes I have taken down from this study.   I hope you will be blessed just as I am blessed by the guidance.

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NOTES taken from Jeff Cavin's Study of James 

(Parital notes from Lecture 3 - Wisdom and the Law of Love)

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WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOR?
 

• We should be concerned with the poor simply because God is concerned with the poor.

• God expects us to be his arms and his mouth, and be his body to the world - to be merciful and walk in justice.

 

PARTIALITY AND SHOWING DISTINCTION

• To show partiality is to show a liking or preference for one person or group over another.  

• To draw distinctions and to be partial to certain people is to be anti-God, it is not the way God views us in the family of God.

• James 2:8 says If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin. 

THE CHURCH'S OFFICIAL TEACHING 

• The Catholic Church has an official teaching called the preferential option for the poor.

• If there is ever going to be preference or partiality, the option is going to be for the poor, not against the poor.

• If push comes to shove, we are going to opt for preference for the poor.

• And in fact, it's the poor who James says, “The poor have a disposition that is more open to the gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

 

BUT WHAT ABOUT SOLVING "THE PROBLEM" OF THE POOR?
 

• It would be great to solve the problem.  But God says, “You're always going to have the poor among you.

• Then we may ask, “If the poor are always there, what's the point? We're never going to solve the problem.”

• And that is our earthly thinking.  

• Our earthly thinking is that we are going to interact with the poor to solve a problem.  And so, we are looking at our service to the poor, thinking that “we will get involved to solve the problem.” 

• Instead, the Bible teaches us that we ought to view our service to the poor as opportunities to love and allowing God to interface with them.

 
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE POOR
 

• The right attitude is “we will get involved if we can but love - if we can love them and we can let God touch their lives".

• And that is THE ROYAL LAW – to love the Lord your God and love your neighbour as yourself.  

• The point is that God loves them, and they have a disposition ready to receive him.” That's the point. 

• We need to show no partiality, for showing partiality is to accept people at face value, which is shallow. 

THE CHURCH IS WHERE WE CAN ALL EXPERIENCE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

And we are the church.  

It is in our encounters that we can present a level playing field where we

 can truly be ourselves.

 don’t have to impress each other. 

 don't have to use each other. 

where

- whether we are rich or poor, 

- whether we have been very popular and successful, 

- or whether we have just filed for bankruptcy, 

- whether we have the happiest marriage in the world 

- or our marriage is completely on the rocks, 

- whether we are struggling with some incurable disease

- or whther we are an Olympic athlete with no problems whatsoever.....

We can all love one another and serve Jesus Christ. 

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