Let us give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. - PSALM 107
On this thanksgiving week let us also continue to remember our ministries to the poor . . .
HISTORICALLY A PRIMARY MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH
WAS HELPING THE POOR.
Could one argue biblically that the degree to which a society is plagued by problems of poverty is a direct reflection on Christian congregations?
Have we erroneously 'outsourced' this christian duty to 'the state'?
Is addressing poverty an
essential part of 'the gospel'?
JESUS talked about the rich man and Lazarus and about the Good Samaritan and He quotes Isaiah:
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release from darkness to the prisoners - ISAIAH
Matthew 19:16-24 JESUS ASLO made this troubling comment during a conversation with a rich man who was a pretty good person
"I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
It challenges our faith when we see the scale to which poverty exists.
We hear the talk about 'systemic injustice'. We are drawn into discussions about equity.
We see affluence in our christian communities and we sometimes wonder does our God care?
We have to trust that God is just . . . yet we see the many scripture references and wonder if we are missing something in our biblical understanding
JESUS MAKES THIS SO CLEAR
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
No comments:
Post a Comment