The Golden Rule
By Cristina Bonanno
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Love Your Saviour and Your Neighbor
Often the Bible calls us to remember to be in community with one another, in a passage like this, we’re shown that communion with God and community with others is Biblically enmeshed. The idea that we ought to be in community with one another, as we wait for Jesus’ return and as we commune with God, is painted throughout the chapter.
“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” James 5:8-9
God’s heart is always for us to commune with Him first and foremost, but then to always look after each other as well; to take care of each other and not be hostile or flippant towards each other. We know this is God’s heart because in Matthew 22:37-40 (AMP) Jesus said,
“‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].” The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.’”
James is primarily writing to the dispersed Jews among the Gentiles (the nations) (James 1:1 AMPC), this plays into this concept of community as it is a foundational characteristic of Jewish culture: according to MyJewishLearning.com:
“in order to be a suitable place to live, a community must provide for all of its members’ spiritual and physical needs […] the sense that the community is responsible for the physical and communal needs of its members has manifested itself in different ways throughout Jewish history […] Jewish texts treat participation in communal affairs not as an option, but as a religious obligation.”
I love this concept, especially in the theme of “wholeness” this trimester of MHOP comes to a close to make way for the next. It’s important to emphasize and remember that taking care of one another’s needs is an essential feature of what it looks like to be in community. Not just in MHOP or our homes, not just in Church or ministry or work, but in our neighborhoods and our cities as well. While many of us may not be Jewish, Jesus makes it clear that that is still his heart.
Application
Have you been doing the reaching lately? Or do you only wait for people to reach out to you before you reach back. Do you accept someone when they reach out? We're meant to do both. James 5:13-16 shows us were supposed to reach out to God in prayer in Praise, to reach out to our elders and receive help, to reach out to our general community to help and be helped.
As the great Bill Withers once sang so eloquently:
“Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
You just call on me brother
When you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem
That you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on”
Reflection
Lord, show me who in my community needs love and support this week, who can I bless and how would you have me do it? Break my heart for what breaks yours, help me to tend to those in my community the way You would. I want to look more like You.
Help me to ask for help and to receive blessings from those around me. Help me to lay down the pride that prevents me from accepting the love that others want to show me as well.
Please help me to grow in love towards my communities.
Amen.
