Remember the poor.
"They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do."
(Galatians 2:10)
This morning, as I was going into the restaurant where I have my Wednesday morning men's breakfast group, I saw a young man stuffing his backpack. My initial thought was, "Uh oh, he's probably going to ask me for money." But when I passed him, he made a friendly comment about the cooler weather here in Palmdale. THEN he asked me for money. lol. I rarely have cash in my wallet (much to the chagrin of my wife). Oftentimes I simply ask if I can buy the person something to eat. Today, however, I walked back to my car and grabbed a handful of change from my ash tray, and give it to him (now he was already on his bike, ready to leave). It was a great reminder for me to have a softened heart when it comes to helping those in need.
The early church faced a dilemma. All of the original disciples were Jewish. They saw Jesus as the Messiah that the Old Testament had foretold. But as the movement spread, non-Jews (aka "Gentiles") started to join. So the hot-button topic was: circumcision & dietary laws... or not? Everyone else in the Church (as former Jews) had been circumcised & ate kosher. Shouldn't that be a prerequisite for the newbies, too?!?
Paul, a Jewish Christian (and author of many books in the New Testament - including Galatians), was advocating that the Gentiles not have to hold to the Jewish practices of circumcision & dietary laws. In the end, the leadership agreed. None of that would be necessary. "Just remember the poor," they said. Perfect. That's where Paul's heart was. That's what he wanted to do, anyway!
In some ways, we in the church today have continued to hold up requirements and admonitions for belonging to our churches. We make it harder than it probably needs to be sometimes. (We do need to lift up a way of discipleship for folks as they grow in their walk with God... but that's different from what it takes to become a Christian!) Ultimately, we all need to remember the poor. That's something near & dear to God. It should also be for us.