Faith and Deeds

James 2:14-17 ⁽¹⁴⁾What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ⁽¹⁵⁾Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ⁽¹⁶⁾If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ⁽¹⁷⁾In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (NIV)

        Grandpa Murphy was a well-respected deacon at his local church who had been a member there for forty years. He took great joy in cleaning the church every Thursday and being there early on the days worship services were held in order to open the doors, ensure the temperature was well adjusted inside, and that the pastor was attended to as needed. In addition to doing his weekly duties he also took out time to prepare food for some of the homeless people on the street and take it to them along with fresh bottles of water and a few toiletries that he purchased from the store.

 

        One day, as he passed out the food and other items that he had brought with him, one of the men that he have gave food turned back around and asked Grandpa Murphy a question. “Why do you take out time to give us these things? We see churches on every corner, but you are the only one who gives us food and other things that we need,” said the man.

Grandpa Murphy looked at the man and said with a smile, “Not too many people know that when I was younger, I too was homeless with nowhere to go. I lived on the street for several years and did not know Christ. That was until one day, an elderly man saw me on a park bench and asked, if I knew that Jesus loved me. I told the elderly man that if Jesus was love, he wouldn’t have me on the street with nowhere to go. The elderly man asked me to follow him and so I did. He took me to his church just a couple of blocks away, found some clean clothes in their lost and found room, told me to take a shower in the pastor’s restroom, and then prepared some food in the church’s kitchen for me. After I ate, he shared with me the good news about Jesus’ love and that following Sunday, I was baptized by the pastor and he hired me as the church’s custodian. I was able to finally get me a place to live and get back on my feet. He looked at me as a child of God and not just a nobody.” After Grandpa Murphy finished talking, the man looked at him with tears in his eyes and said, “I was thinking about ending my life today, but you let me know that Jesus loves me through your actions and deeds.”

 

 

The Apostle James lets us know that we can claim to be Christians all we want, but if we do not align our Christianity up with actions, our faith is in vain. When we take out the time to help others, we are not only helping the individual in the physical, but we are showing them that Jesus cares for both their spiritual and physical needs. Matthew 25:34-40 ⁽³⁴⁾ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ⁽³⁵⁾For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ⁽³⁶⁾I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ⁽³⁷⁾ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ⁽³⁸⁾When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ⁽³⁹⁾When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁽⁴⁰⁾ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

 

            Jesus expects us to put our Christianity to work. He wants us to show the world who He is by being a light to those who are lost. Rather that is a person in prison, jail, homeless, or other, Jesus expects us to do more than profess that we are a Christian by going the extra mile and providing for their physical and spiritual needs. When we do for others, we are doing unto Him.

The Book of James: 30 Days of Devotion for Men by K L Rich is available on Amazon.com.