Day 23
James 2:14-17
“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.”
A young boy and his father were at a circus waiting to watch a performer ride a bike across a tightrope. The young boy asked is father, “Dad, do you think that he will make it across the rope without falling?” The father thought to himself, this person probably started with a low rope close to the ground with a net, and with much practice was able to ride across the rope in higher and higher heights until he reached the awe-inspiring height that he was about to perform. So, the father confidently answered his son, “Why yes, I believe he will ride across the rope without falling.” The young boy pulled on his father’s arm and asked, “Would you feel confident enough to ride on the bike with him?” The father was not so sure after all.
The writer of James finished his exhortation to have us mirror our faith with action. We can say we believe that Jesus is Messiah, and that He came to save the lost by sacrificing Himself on the cross to forgive us of our sins. However, when the rubber meets the road, our faith should be accompanied by action. The action of a Jesus follower is to demonstrate love to others. Love is a verb. It denotes action. Without action, our faith is dead!
In light of this story and scripture reading, how might your view to those in need change?