God has no favourites….and remember the poor

God has no favourites….and remember the poor

GALATIANS 2 v. 5 – 10
‘But we did not yield  in submission to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
But from those who seemed to be important (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) – well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me.
But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognising the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
The only asked us to remember the poor – the very thing I also was eager to do.’

Here Paul, Barnabas and Titus are given the ‘right hand of fellowship’, as sign of belonging, of being one with James, Peter and John – that even though their ministries may be going in different directions, reaching out to different people, and therefore having different flavours about them, the gospel is the same – no deviation from the truth.
The final verse about ‘remembering the poor’, brought to my mind all the many projects seeking to bring hope and justice for the poor which churches and denominations from very varied backgrounds can rally around and work together for.
Here in Leyland, the Food Bank, Credit Union, Furniture Project, CAP etc. are all ways that Christians can work together, despite any differences, to be a blessing to the community and to ‘remember the poor’.

PRAYER
God of justice,
let us remember the poor, the needy, the vulnerable,
and do what we can to lift them from their suffering.
God of perfect love,
let us remember that You have no favourites,
no heirarchy to Your love,
so let us treat one another as equals,
sisters and brothers
in Your one true family,
through Jesus, our Redeemer and Saviour.
AMEN.

CHALLENGE
Show your commitment to ‘remember the poor’ by doing something significant to live that out today.

Phil Gough