Remember the Poor

Remember the Poor

They only asked us to remember the poor— the very thing I also was eager to do.  Galatians 2:10

Before we get too busy today, before we rush off to our meetings and games and carpools, we need this reminder:

Remember the poor.

When Paul met with several church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss how to incorporate Gentiles into the church, they faced some serious questions:

Were Gentiles equal to Jews in their standing before God?
Did Gentiles need to convert to Judaism before becoming Christians?
Should Gentile men be required to be circumcised?

It was a serious discussion. Was a Gentile’s faith in Jesus enough, or was something additional necessary in order for him or her to be saved? The Jerusalem leaders decided rightly to not require anything additional of their Gentile brethren. But they did encourage them to abstain from sexual sin and to “remember the poor.”

I love that they felt so strongly about remembering the poor that they included it as a normal part of following Jesus. The call to sexual purity is obvious, as the Gentiles would have brought a load of poor thinking and behavior with them. But the call to remember the poor is a pleasant and important surprise.

What did they mean? Was this a challenge to be sure and pray for the poor around them? Was it a call to think about the poor every day so they would be more appreciative? Actually, it was much more than that.

Remembering the poor meant doing something about their plight, and it means the same for us today.

It means that in our budgeting, our spending and even as part of our daily routine we need to do something to lighten the load of those in poverty. Remembering the poor isn’t thinking; it’s acting.

Will you remember the poor today? Will you do something tangible, something overt and something sacrificial for someone in poverty today? It can be someone across the world or just across the way, but do something for someone.

Remember the poor.