The Early Church: Compassion in Action
The early church didn’t just talk about grace—they lived it.
James 1:27 says plainly:
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
In other words, your Sunday sermon means nothing if it doesn’t show up in your Monday compassion.
Paul reinforces this call in several letters:
1 Timothy 5:3 – “Honor widows who are really widows.”
Galatians 2:10 – “They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.
And in Hebrews 13:2, believers are urged to care for strangers:
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”
The message is clear: caring for the vulnerable isn’t extra—it’s essential.
What It Looks Like Today
This isn’t just ancient instruction, it’s our modern-day mission.
Foster a child or support foster care.
Visit a widow or single parent in your community.
Support refugee families or immigrants starting over.
Feed the hungry without judgment or conditions.
Call or visit someone lonely or shut in.
You don’t need a stage to preach. Just show up with grace.
The love of Christ lives loudest when expressed through small, consistent, selfless acts.
Final Thought
Let’s not be people who honor God with our lips but ignore the suffering around us.
Let’s be known not for the beauty of our buildings, but for the mercy we show, the grace we extend, and the love we live. “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to Me.” — Matthew 25:40
The Remnant 