The least of these

“If you wish to share your faith with needy people and do nothing about their painful conditions, you fail to show them Christ’s beauty.” ~ Timothy Keller

I was recently reading a prayer letter from a missionary who ministers in the lower east side of Manhattan. He works with a virtual melting pot of humanity, with people from all different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. He holds six services per week and in three different languages; English, Spanish and Chinese. I have personally spent a week in NYC with this man and his family, and his boldness and enthusiasm for sharing his faith with any and all cannot help but infuse you with a desire to do likewise.

In his prayer letter he shared that he had recently completed a study in the book of James and how he himself had been challenged in his faith to “do the beneficial deeds which testify to the goodness of our heavenly Father.” He paraphrased James 2:14-20 talking about how we can say we have faith, but if that faith is not translated into the action of loving and caring for the needs of others who are hungry, cold or hurting then our faith is truly worthless. He went on to say that when “individuals observe our beneficial deeds they will glorify our Father in heaven.” The key thing here is the motivation; not for people to pat us on the back or for our personal recognition, but to demonstrate that our faith in God spurs us on to do things that bring Him honor and Him glory.

Many of us have a favorite book of the Bible, and most Americans tend to gravitate to the Pauline epistles. The Apostle Paul is a personal hero of mine, and I take great comfort and hope from his example of the transforming power of the Gospel. It is an overwhelming encouragement to me to see how an encounter with Jesus Christ completely changed an angry and violent man vehemently opposed to the Gospel, and how that experience radically redirected his energy, thoughts, motives, goals and desires. It gives me hope that if it can do that for Paul, it has the power to do that for me too. What is very prevalent in the letters of Paul is how he willingly gave his all and endured much to demonstrate that he understood the depth of mercy, grace and forgiveness he personally received and that translated into a love and compassion that radiated his Savior.

While we Westerners embrace the writings of Paul, the Eastern Christians in Asia and Africa as well as those in Latin America gravitate to the short epistle of James. Philip Jenkins writes about the impact of James in his book “The New Face of Christianity”. Jenkins states; “Arguably, James may be the single biblical book that best encapsulates the issues facing global South churches today.” Jenkins remarks that even though James is a New Testament book it has a distinct imprint of the Old Testament. Moreover, the tiny book of James “quotes the words of Jesus more extensively than any other epistle.” Jenkins believes the book of James hearkens back to the gospel of Matthew, and particular the Sermon on the Mount. The book is very practical and not personal like the letters of Paul and focuses on defining what is true religion, class or social distinctions in church, and the need for faith to be exercised in the care of the poor and needy.

We as Americans tend not to put our faith in action in the way that James, Paul or even Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated. We segregate ourselves from society, interact with those of similar economic or social standing, and soothe our collective conscience by writing a check to a ministry or charity, rather than meeting the needs of people. We have convinced ourselves over the years that this is a “social gospel” where some so-called faith-based organizations or non-fundamental churches only feed, clothe or shelter the poor and needy and don’t call them to repentance or preach the “true” Gospel. Oh, maybe we give food to the rescue mission or donate our unwanted clothes to Goodwill, (ALL excellent things), but is our motive guilt or because we desire to demonstrate our faith in action? Some of these ministries and their residents even remark how people come in and preach or give a devotional challenge and immediately flee the premises, having done their “duty”. Do we really give what is more precious to us; our time, our attention, our compassion, our fellowship?

If you want to get a fresh perspective on how the Gospel changes everything, spend some time with people at your local rescue mission, halfway house, or ladies who are in a shelter due to domestic violence or abandonment. Yes, these people can benefit from our money and our donations, but they are also in dire need of Christian friendship, compassion and accountability.

Throughout the Gospels the religious leaders and Jesus Christ were at odds over what “religion” was or how it was to be defined. Many people like to think of Jesus as purely a social reformer rather than focus on what His true mission was and is. He did in fact castigate the religious and self righteous for neglecting the widows and fatherless, and embraced the social outcasts, but that was not his primary objective. Jesus came to minister first and foremost to humanity’s most pressing needs; alienation and separation from God, and to be the perfect sacrifice. But the four gospels recount how Jesus also fed and healed the poor while He was addressing their need of repentance and salvation. His personal compassion and love for the outcasts and most destitute of society demonstrated something radically different from what people had come to expect of the church. And because of the love He demonstrated for both the physical and spiritual needs of humanity it changed the world forever.

Jesus Christ did not spend His days thinking about Himself, wallowing in His troubles and focused on His own little world. He gave His all completely for you and me. Can we dare give Him excuses for not doing likewise? Spend time with those in need and gain some fresh perspective on how great our God is. Put your faith in action and be amazed at how God will use it for His honor and His glory.

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” ~ Matthew 25:35-40