Articles
Seeing With No Partiality
If a homeless person came up to you or knocked on your house door right now what would you see? A lazy human being who should put their energy into getting a job rather than begging? Someone who you can’t be bothered with or help because of the unknown danger they may present? Or, would you see this person as one of God’s created souls who happens to be in a lower point of their life? Our current and past life experiences, as well as the ideals we hold in our heart are going to create snap assumptions in our mind about the people we come across. These biases will sometimes create a whole life story about someone from our perspective, before we even have the chance to get to know them. The question that remains for the child of God is: are our beliefs stemming from a worldly viewpoint, or a Godly one?
Based on Jesus’ example, the Bible is going to tell us to seek out opportunities to help those that are in need or that the world sees as unworthy or beyond the point of helping. Jesus didn’t seek out danger, but He did sit with tax collectors, cast out demons, heal the ill, and seek out other opportunities to love His neighbor as Himself. Jesus also never turned away those who sought His help, like the woman who touched His robe as He was on His way to heal the daughter of a synagogue leader named Jarius. In the midst of a panicking parent and disciples concerned for His safety because of the large crowd around them, Jesus stopped to hear this faithful woman’s story (Mark 5:21-34). James 2:14 ESV states, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” The woman who was healed worked out her faith by going to Jesus and touching His robe. Jesus acted out His faith by having compassion on the woman by healing her, took the time to hear her story, and teach her why she had been healed. As followers of Christ we should take note of Jesus’ example by having compassion on our neighbors.
Our neighbors include all human beings from all walks and circumstances of life. Everyone has been given a precious soul from our God in Heaven. The Bible tells Christians that we show our devotion to God by giving Him our all and loving our neighbors as we would ourselves (Mark 12:28-33). Giving God every ounce of energy we have entails acting out Jesus’ teachings and God’s principles in order to spread His word. James 2:26 explains that the Godly faith without Godly action is dead. The world will come up with great excuses for us to abandon the idea of acting on our faith and to cast our neighbor’s aside. Romans 2:6 emphasizes that each person will be judged by God according to their own deeds. As we stand before the Heavenly King on the day of judgement, do we want Him to embrace us because we took care of our neighbor with Godly compassion (Mattew 25:31-46)? Or would we rather God say us, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23) and tell you to depart from His sight?
