God doesn’t play favourites!

Rhona Cathcart September 05, 2024 6 3

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Galatians 2: 9-10 (NIVUK)

9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognised the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

I conducted a wedding recently in which the groom had six ‘best men’. It wasn’t that he was indecisive by nature, or worried about friendship politics. It was simply that he had had the same group of friends for sixteen years and it was impossible to single one out. It made for a very entertaining six-part ‘best man’ speech at the reception — including a rendition of a ‘00s boy band classic!

Paul also had no time for favouritism. If he, Peter, James, and John had ever formed a boy band, there might have been some jostling over the dance routines. But fortunately, all four would agree that to follow Jesus was to let him take the lead, and that meant following him in paying particular attention to the poor and disadvantaged. That is our call too. Those the world has not been kind to need that little bit of extra attention from those of us in a more fortunate position. Not because we are playing favourites but so that they truly understand Christ’s love for them.

Prayer:

Composer of life and love

You wrote the music of the spheres

Set it all in motion

Gave each of us a part

And when we turned it into a cacophony,

forcing our hierarchies onto your score,

You sent Jesus to underwrite all our harmonies with his melody of grace.

Amen