The gospel started in God's heart of love.  It was His love and compassion that planned salvation and has enabled us to hear how we may be saved - by putting our trust in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).  Wherever the gospel goes, compassion-in-action should grow alongside faith (James 2:14-17).  Paul's missionary journeys presented the good news of Jesus and saw people being born again; but Paul was equally concerned for the new believers to learn how to work with God, who had started to transform their lives (Romans 13:13-14).

Part of Paul's discipleship teaching was that people should care for one another, giving so that those in need might have enough to eat.  So as people were born-again, they were also encouraged to make gifts of money for the Christians in Jerusalem who had been deprived of work and income because of their faith and because of the drought which was soon anticipated (2 Corinthians 8:1-7).

This practical gift from the churches in, what is now, Turkey and Greece to the impoverished and despised believers in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-3) also helped to cement Paul's teaching about the nature of the church into their hearts.  Jews and Gentiles who believed in Jesus were equal members of His kingdom (Galatians 3:20).  By giving money they showed that they believed this and understood their obligation to people with whom they had previously nothing in common (2 Corinthians 9:12-15).

The world generally still despises poor people and often despises poor Christians, but Jesus loved them and wanted them to have the dignity of knowing they were precious to Him.  Of course, there will always be some who have more than others, but when people have nothing, should we not have compassion (Colossians 3:12)?  How do we react when we see the example of God's compassion in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things".  If God has such a big heart of compassion for us, should we not share what we have with others?  Stop for a moment today and ask God with whom He would like you to share some of your money and possessions.