Matthew 8:1-3, “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”This scene intrigues me every time I read it. Now bear with me, as it leads into another area, but this is how the trail started for me and I hope you are able to follow along. I hear a lot of Christians today talk about the social agenda of the church and complaining about it, but at times I think what they think of as social justice and “doing” is much different then what Jesus and the apostles were doing. Many people are doing what I am about to describe below, but I think there is a big discrepancy lately in talk and action by some.
In the scene above Jesus could have just told the leper that he was healed and to go and present himself to the right people and to give the proper offering, but he doesn’t. He touches him. This is huge in so many ways. We see Jesus at other times just tell people they are healed and not touch them, so why is it such a big deal here? It is because this man would not have been
touched since he acquired the disease, except maybe by other lepers. He would have had to cry out that he was disease stricken if he was in public, and anyone touching him besides other diseased would be considered unclean. Jesus did not care, He reached out and touched this man.
I wonder if the man actually jerked back first out of fear or recoiled because he was conditioned not to allow a clean man to touch him. Once he felt the touch, he probably melted. Someone cared and loved him as a human and touched his diseased ridden skin. How incredible just for that to happen! Then Jesus goes onto heal him. I know the man was excited about being healed, but I will bet he never forgot the touch out of love from Jesus. How does this compare to today?
Today, especially at the holidays, is when everyone thinks of the poor, sick and widows. For some reason they barely exist in our sights the rest of the year. I read a lot of different materials and it amazes me how people try to rationalize actions or why they do or don’t do something based on the poor. If you have to rationalize it, then it is not out of love. If you feel guilty then do something about it. If you are worried about having extra food after Thanksgiving because you bought a huge turkey on sale then give the rest away. It is simple. Or prepare a complete meal for some one in need and give it to them. Why the mental gymnastics about feeling guilty for buying something cheap? Maybe that is God’s way of telling you to buy another one for a poor family. Shoes on sale and super cheap, buy one for yourself and another for a widow.
Two examples of this came to mind and I don’t think they will mind me using them as an example, as I did not ask them first, but they definitely demonstrated this. Both happened in India. I took Jeremie Bair with me one year to experience India and to help me out with teaching and also to help with some other areas that needed assistance. While there I had them take us downtown for Jeremie to get a feel for their city and also to buy a gift for his then girlfriend and now wife. As we walked into a small mall, Jeremie noticed a very poor (makes much of our poverty look wealthy) man sitting begging. Jeremie said hello to him and tried to talk to him for a moment and then we went in to eat at Subway, yes they have Subway there. Jeremie bought the same lunch he had for this man. He could have rationalized and said that he just needs a sandwich, but he saw this young man just as he saw himself and thought he would like the same thing as him and not less just because he has less money.
Jeremie did not rationalize that about the cost or the deal, but instead just bought him the same thing, treating him as an equal. He did not do mental gymnastics about how he would not be able to spend as much on his wife, but saw a need and the Spirit convicted him and he acted on it. Jeremie took the food out to him and talked again for a bit and they both were smiling at each other. Jeremie touched him in many ways. Did the man except Christ, no, but maybe the next Christian that does the same thing will have the opportunity. Jeremie just acted on love through a social action. I wonder if he even remembers doing it, because it was so selfless that it was humbling.
The other was Jayakumar who came home one day and we found out he had no shoes. He left with brand new shoes, so everyone was wondering why he had no shoes to wear. He was at the airport and started talking to a young man and found out he was a pastor in a remote village and was very poor and had no shoes, except some very old flip-flops. Without thinking, Jayakumar took off his shoes and gave them to this young pastor. He did not think that he was going to have to go the rest of the way home in no shoes, or attain the man’s address and promise to send him his shoes. He took off his shoes and gave them to him. No mental gymnastics needed. He saw a need for a fellow believer, knew he could provide, and did it. Of course, if you know Jayakumar, this is not shocking, and I could tell you story after story of this man doing this very thing to many strangers. He lives it. He doesn’t just sit around and philosophize about it and make excuses about how guilty he feels for buying extra food on sale, because he lives out what Jesus commands.
What if the church did this today like they did in Acts? What if every church that has over 3 million in an endowment put at least 1 million aside for helping the poor, widows and sick within their congregations and communities? How much would change? But we can’t do that, because those endowments are specific to buildings and carpet and stuff. Interesting, wonder what God will say about that when we stand before Him to give an account. “Well Father we had 10 million in our endowment, but it was just for building mortar.” Sounds silly, right? Maybe churches should set a policy like in the book of Acts where once you give it to the church, it is their responsibility to utilize it in a Biblical fashion. My uncle once said and I now believe it, “endowments are Satan’s best tool to keep money from being used within the church.”
Instead of all the talk, and I am just as guilty, instead why don’t we act? What are you doing to help the poor, needy or widowed, first within the church then outside? If you are poor and in need, where do you go first? There needs to be accountability and make sure people are not taking advantage of the system, but that also should not be an excuse to help those in need.
It is time to see if we are truly following what we like to talk about all the time and try to pat ourselves on the back about. Do you give till it hurts? Do you give even 3% of your income to the church to help? Because if those that call themselves Christians even gave 3% of their income to the church in the U.S. the church would have more money then they would know what to do with, and then what could be done? Amazing things I bet.
It is not just the money, but also the attitude. What is your attitude about the poor and widows? Do you truly love them? Prove it. Do you truly care? Prove it. Not to me or you, but to Jesus who set the example and commanded us to take care of those in need with love, not obligation.
Acts 4:32-35, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”
I wonder if the man actually jerked back first out of fear or recoiled because he was conditioned not to allow a clean man to touch him. Once he felt the touch, he probably melted. Someone cared and loved him as a human and touched his diseased ridden skin. How incredible just for that to happen! Then Jesus goes onto heal him. I know the man was excited about being healed, but I will bet he never forgot the touch out of love from Jesus. How does this compare to today?
Today, especially at the holidays, is when everyone thinks of the poor, sick and widows. For some reason they barely exist in our sights the rest of the year. I read a lot of different materials and it amazes me how people try to rationalize actions or why they do or don’t do something based on the poor. If you have to rationalize it, then it is not out of love. If you feel guilty then do something about it. If you are worried about having extra food after Thanksgiving because you bought a huge turkey on sale then give the rest away. It is simple. Or prepare a complete meal for some one in need and give it to them. Why the mental gymnastics about feeling guilty for buying something cheap? Maybe that is God’s way of telling you to buy another one for a poor family. Shoes on sale and super cheap, buy one for yourself and another for a widow.Two examples of this came to mind and I don’t think they will mind me using them as an example, as I did not ask them first, but they definitely demonstrated this. Both happened in India. I took Jeremie Bair with me one year to experience India and to help me out with teaching and also to help with some other areas that needed assistance. While there I had them take us downtown for Jeremie to get a feel for their city and also to buy a gift for his then girlfriend and now wife. As we walked into a small mall, Jeremie noticed a very poor (makes much of our poverty look wealthy) man sitting begging. Jeremie said hello to him and tried to talk to him for a moment and then we went in to eat at Subway, yes they have Subway there. Jeremie bought the same lunch he had for this man. He could have rationalized and said that he just needs a sandwich, but he saw this young man just as he saw himself and thought he would like the same thing as him and not less just because he has less money.
Jeremie did not rationalize that about the cost or the deal, but instead just bought him the same thing, treating him as an equal. He did not do mental gymnastics about how he would not be able to spend as much on his wife, but saw a need and the Spirit convicted him and he acted on it. Jeremie took the food out to him and talked again for a bit and they both were smiling at each other. Jeremie touched him in many ways. Did the man except Christ, no, but maybe the next Christian that does the same thing will have the opportunity. Jeremie just acted on love through a social action. I wonder if he even remembers doing it, because it was so selfless that it was humbling.
The other was Jayakumar who came home one day and we found out he had no shoes. He left with brand new shoes, so everyone was wondering why he had no shoes to wear. He was at the airport and started talking to a young man and found out he was a pastor in a remote village and was very poor and had no shoes, except some very old flip-flops. Without thinking, Jayakumar took off his shoes and gave them to this young pastor. He did not think that he was going to have to go the rest of the way home in no shoes, or attain the man’s address and promise to send him his shoes. He took off his shoes and gave them to him. No mental gymnastics needed. He saw a need for a fellow believer, knew he could provide, and did it. Of course, if you know Jayakumar, this is not shocking, and I could tell you story after story of this man doing this very thing to many strangers. He lives it. He doesn’t just sit around and philosophize about it and make excuses about how guilty he feels for buying extra food on sale, because he lives out what Jesus commands.
What if the church did this today like they did in Acts? What if every church that has over 3 million in an endowment put at least 1 million aside for helping the poor, widows and sick within their congregations and communities? How much would change? But we can’t do that, because those endowments are specific to buildings and carpet and stuff. Interesting, wonder what God will say about that when we stand before Him to give an account. “Well Father we had 10 million in our endowment, but it was just for building mortar.” Sounds silly, right? Maybe churches should set a policy like in the book of Acts where once you give it to the church, it is their responsibility to utilize it in a Biblical fashion. My uncle once said and I now believe it, “endowments are Satan’s best tool to keep money from being used within the church.”
Instead of all the talk, and I am just as guilty, instead why don’t we act? What are you doing to help the poor, needy or widowed, first within the church then outside? If you are poor and in need, where do you go first? There needs to be accountability and make sure people are not taking advantage of the system, but that also should not be an excuse to help those in need.
It is time to see if we are truly following what we like to talk about all the time and try to pat ourselves on the back about. Do you give till it hurts? Do you give even 3% of your income to the church to help? Because if those that call themselves Christians even gave 3% of their income to the church in the U.S. the church would have more money then they would know what to do with, and then what could be done? Amazing things I bet.
It is not just the money, but also the attitude. What is your attitude about the poor and widows? Do you truly love them? Prove it. Do you truly care? Prove it. Not to me or you, but to Jesus who set the example and commanded us to take care of those in need with love, not obligation.
Acts 4:32-35, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”
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