But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. Romans 15:25-26
Talk about backtracking! Paul is in Corinth, a city in Greece, writing to Christians in Rome, which is in Italy, about 500 km west of his current location. And he is telling them that he plans to visit them on his way to Spain. That makes sense so far; Rome is actually not that far out of his way. But before he starts that trip, he has to make an important quick visit to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is to the southeast, and the road to get there is a roundabout 1500 km. As I said, that is backtracking! We are talking about probably taking months, to make that trip and back again. So Paul must have felt that it was very important. It was. Lives depended on it. And the generosity of many Christians had financed it. So Paul was off to Jerusalem.
What was so important in Jerusalem? Many of the Christians there were in deep financial trouble. Some of them were starving. And all of them were in danger. The Jewish leaders were persecuting the Christians there mercilessly, as Paul himself had done when he was still the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus. Because of the persecution, many of the Christians were unable to find jobs, were abandoned by their families, were homeless, and were shut out of all social circles. Knowing all this, Paul was more than willing to backtrack in his travel plans, and take them some money to help. You and I are not apostles, but we do become aware of the needs of needy Christians. How far out of our way are we willing to go to help them?
News of the plight of the Jerusalem saints had reached the Grecian provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. Assemblies that Paul had seen planted there included many Christians who were financially able to pitch in for the cause. They also included many Christians who had barely enough for themselves, and yet were willing to share some of what they had to help out. Paul tells us that it pleased them to make their contribution. They knew the need, and they felt the connection with the suffering folks in Jerusalem. Gladly they shared. They set for us a valuable example, and in fact they established a powerful principle of giving among the Lord’s people, a principle that we do well to follow today.
Who are we supposed to help? Sometimes there are folks in our own Assembly who would benefit greatly from a contribution from us. Sometimes, we look further off and listen to the reports from workers in mission fields. If our hearts are open to help, God will lay on our hearts where He wants us to direct that help. That is how Christians in some places such as Venezuela are surviving today. God is using His people to help His people, and is thrilling their souls in doing so.
Helping other Christians in need is a huge part of our responsibility. We might have to go out of our way to do it. And it will undoubtedly cost us something. But we will be pleased to do so. And so will our Lord. -Jim MacIntosh