All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,
the very thing I had been eager to do all along. (Galatians 2:10)
We’ve probably all had the experience of not being able to see something that was right in front of us, whether it’s a set of keys, a screen door, or a sign for the restrooms.
The letter to the Galatians is probably the most urgent book of the Bible. The author, the Apostle Paul, is passionate to get the message of the gospel across, that we are made right before God through faith in Jesus alone, not by any good work of our own.
So it’s easy to miss this one little verse that expresses compassion for the poor.
Who are the poor? We most readily and commonly think of people who are lacking financial and material resources. And they certainly are poor. In the ministry of Jesus, the ministry to the poor went hand-in-hand with his ministry to the imprisoned, the blind, and the oppressed. In other words, Jesus moved with compassion towards those in need.
The gospel teaches us that our most basic need – the need of all people – is a relationship with the living God that comes through faith in Jesus. Faith in Christ is what liberates us from hopelessness and alienation, from spiritual poverty. This is certainly the greatest need in America today.
But the actions of Jesus show us that God meets us at the point of our need.
Many in America today have put their hope in an escape from the pain in their lives through drugs, leaving them imprisoned by addiction. Many of these people live right next to us. And it’s killing them, both physically and spiritually – now and for eternity.
I urge Pilgrim Covenant Church, as God’s people, to join together as we move in compassion toward our neighbors in this community. Let’s take one small, but quite possibly life-changing step, to helping others become free from addiction to opioids.
Come and participate in the Lunenburg Resources for Opioid Awareness and Recovery (ROAR) forum taking place on October 24th at 6 pm at the Lunenburg High School auditorium.
We also need people to serve in a variety of capacities to provide hospitality at the event. Please follow the link below for further information.
Your Partner in the Gospel,
Pastor Ryan
God is Good, All the Time
PILGRIM COVENANT CHURCH 