Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Jacob 1

(August 13, 2013)
Jacob’s concern for the sins of others is a very different viewpoint from the way we typically view the world today.  We are in a live-and-let-live society, whereby we don’t often concern ourselves with the sins of others.  We don’t care if someone destroys their lives and abdicated their eternal inheritance, so long as they are considerate enough to do so outside of our immediate view.

This should not and cannot be.  If I see a child playing in the busy street, I don’t pause to consider whether or not I should protect them – I just get them out of the street.  I don’t think about whether their parents might want them in the street, or that it isn’t my responsibility, or anything of the sort.  A parent would only be grateful to a person who exercised that initiative, and would only feel hatred for a person who witnessed a child in those circumstances but did nothing because “it’s not my kid.”

These brothers and sisters of ours might not be our kids, but to the extent they are within our sphere of influence they are our responsibility.  Abdicating that responsibility may not bring upon us the hatred of their Father, but is certain won’t bring gratitude.  Meanwhile, if we can in some way demonstrate our thankfulness for the blessing we have received by helping out His children, we certainly have a responsibility to be actively engaged in doing so to the best of our ability.

No comments:

Post a Comment