SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 5
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. [1 Timothy 5:8]
Paul is applying the biblical command to love, and he applies it very practically to caring for those in really in need – widows, orphans, church leaders.
He makes suggestions for how they ought to organize their compassion ministry (which includes a widow’s list), how families are to be partners with the church in this, and how all of this is a natural consequence of our faith.
This is not creation law, this is practical application of creation law, the law of love.
How churches today provide for the needy among them is open to contextual application, but the underlying law is – love in action!

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” [Matthew 12:9-12]
Jesus shows that love in action is really at the heart of the law.
He points out that helping or healing someone in need is not opposed to the Sabbath, but is just common sense.
Everyone knows it’s OK to help a sheep that’s fallen in a pit, even if it is on the Jewish Sabbath.
How much more valuable are humans…
For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” [1 Timothy 5:18, see Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7]
When Paul quotes this elsewhere, he adds: Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? [1 Corinthians 9:9-10]
God’s compassion for animals is nothing compared to His compassion for His children, all of them, especially when they are in need.

To disregard those in need, or to take advantage of them, is deplorable to God, and contrary to the faith.
Like Paul, we need to look in our own context for those that are in need – whether leaders or members or visitors or neighbours or strangers – and do what we can to help them.
Who are the needy in your setting?
How are you, or the church that you are a part of, demonstrating your faith, your love in action?

PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me/us when we are worse than unbelievers. Even unbelievers know that neglecting or abusing animals is wrong (though it happens all the time) – we should know better!