2. Care for the Least

3. In James James 1:27 – Pure religion is attending to the needy. James 2:14-17 – Living faith is attending to the poor. James 3:13-17 – Wisdom from hell is selfish. Wisdom from heaven is selfless. James 4:1-5:6 – Selfishness will destroy you. James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

4. What Is Visitation? Biblical visitation is about ancient hospitality, not modern social expectations. Visitation is for those with actual needs (James 1:27, “orphans and widows in their affliction”). Visitation is to meet those actual needs (James 2:15-16). To sum up, visitation is about doing more than talking (James 1:22).

5. Who Should Do It? I should be doing it, but not because I am your minister. Acts 6:1-6 – “Deacons” of the church James 5:14 – Elders of the church James 1:27 – Whoever wants to have pure religion Note how our churches tend to reverse the order of the story of Acts 6. Question: How often in Scripture does God encourage you to pay someone else to do what God has asked of you?

6. Is It a Mystery? Care for the Least is a Christian mystery because it is more than it seems. 1.It is an action carried out without any expectation of gain for self. 2.It is an action that values those who have no value to others. 3.It is an action that reenacts the gospel story. 4.It is an action that summons the presence of God.

7. Presence of the Father Exodus 22:22-24 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn … Unlike the ancient pagan gods who concerned themselves primarily with generals and kings, our Father has persistently described himself as the God of the Weak. He hears them because he is never far from them.

8. Presence of the Son Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” In this chapter, the entirety of Judgment hinges on how the “least” were visited and helped. Christ sees himself as personally present in the plight of the weak.

9. Care for the Spirit James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. Anointing oil is frequently used in Scripture as a reminder and a symbol of the Spirit’s presence. In a secular culture, it has never been more important to remind ourselves that the Spirit is the healer and that the church participates.