In James 1:27 it is written:

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

I would think that we all would like to practice “pure and undefiled religion”. James tells us specifically how we can go about this. I want to focus on the first two things – visiting orphans and widows in their distress – and to see just how important this is to God.

I will begin with a little historical background; when James wrote this the church was under heavy persecution. There were going to be many newly-made orphans and widows as men were put to death for their faith in Christ. In the United States today there are few cases of people being executed for being Christians, and certainly they aren’t killed by our government. However, there are still great deals of children without families and women who have lost their husbands. These are the loneliest, most helpless people that we’ll meet and therefore need our help all the more.

It is easy to see that God has always had a “soft spot” in His heart for these two groups. Exodus 22:22 says, “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.” Deuteronomy 14, 16, 24 and 26 deal extensively with the Jews obligations to the orphans and widows. God made provisions that the helpless could find the help they need. In Psalm 94 we see that the wicked go about killing widows and orphans.

One of the most interesting passages that I can point to is found is Isaiah 1. In verses 11 through 15 God tells the Israelites that He cares nothing for their sacrifices or celebrations. He says that He won’t listen to their prayers. Why? Because they were following the letter of the law (which is good), but their hearts were far from him. What does God tell them to do to get right in his eyes? In verse 17 the Lord says:

Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.

Sound familiar? Isn’t this exactly what James is saying? If we’re to be right with God we need to take care of those who can’t help themselves, those who are the most vulnerable and lonely. This is the very first thing the Lord commanded of them.

Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 25:

34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

Jesus said that when we help “the least of them” we’re helping Him. Who are the “least of them”? By looking at the passages we’ve already read we can be sure that orphans and widows are part of that group. Not the exclusive members, but certainly a part of it.

Widows

In 1 Timothy 5 Paul gives specific instructions on how to deal with widows. For them to be taken care of by the church they should be at least sixty and have no family to take care of them. The young widows are told that they should remarry, have children and take care of their homes. It is those older, lonely widows that the church is to care for. The translation I use says in James to visit the orphans and widows. Certainly one of the best things we can do is to spend time with older ladies who have no loved ones to encourage or help them. Our nursing homes are full of such women. I think it is great when congregations reach out to those in nursing homes. There is a wonderful Christian woman from my congregation who is basically stuck at home, very ill and near the end of her life. We try to take her food on a regular basis so she doesn’t have to try and cook. I think her dog gets most of the food as she has no appetite, but what she loves most are the visits – the breaks from the loneliness. Giving these women our time or financial help is the least we can do for those who God cares for so greatly.

Orphans

Our country is also full of children who have no families to turn to. Our foster care system is a mess, full of people who take in children for a paycheck. That is not the Christian attitude. So, what can Christians do? There are many things, but I would like to suggest a couple of specifics. First off, look at this verse:

Galatians 4:5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

As Christians, we are adopted by God. God has only one Son, Jesus, but He has made it possible to enter into His heavenly family and to be counted as sons and daughters alongside Jesus. Can we not do the same for the orphans who need us? Adopting my son Eli is one of the greatest joys of my life. God has blessed me through Eli, and I hope that He will bless Eli through me. I am unwaveringly pro-life and I hope that all Christians are as well. It is one thing to try and get abortion done away with, but what we really need to do is step up and take in those children who need homes. If you can’t afford adoption, perhaps you could be a foster parent. You could provide a stable, Godly home for a child that desperately needs it. Don’t be like the Israelites in Isaiah’s time, just giving God lip-service, go out and do something. Take action like Jesus told us to.

Perhaps you aren’t able to adopt or to be a foster parent – that is understandable, not everyone can do those things for a variety of reasons. What you can do is give some of your money to help. Let me suggest to you a couple of wonderful ministries that could use your support:

Potter Children’s Home & Family Ministries:

http://www.potterministries.org

They provide a home for orphans and single mothers. They not only meet their physical needs, but make sure their spiritual needs are met as well. It is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky where I live and I’ve seen first-hand the great work they do.

Childplace:

http://www.childplace.org

This is the adoption agency through which we got our son Eli. It is a great work and they do far more than adoption. Please look at the website to see all that they do.

As Christians we are called to be people of action. James also tells us that faith without works is dead. As we look at what God has said about orphans and widows it should strike us by how much He cares for them. If God cares so much for them, shouldn’t we? I hope that this will serve as an encouragement to all Christians to take action in some way and reach out to those who need it the most.