A Holistic Ministry
Read Matthew 10:7, 8. Besides preaching the gospel, what else was involved in the disciples' mission?
Jesus' commission to His disciples was not concerned with just the spiritual aspect of life. The disciples were to teach and preach, but they were also to care for people's physical needs. Sure, in the end, the ultimate goal for everyone is salvation, is eternal life, but that does not mean we need to ignore the pain and suffering we find all around us.
When Jesus spoke in the synagogue in Nazareth, He read from the book of Isaiah and made the words His own (see Luke 4:18, 19). Not only is He going to help the poor, the blind, the oppressed, and the imprisoned; He also is going to proclaim " 'the year of the Lord's favor' " (vs. 19, NIV). Jesus here refers to the Jubilee year (Lev. 25:8-54), where every 50 years the ownership of land returned to the original owners.
Skim Leviticus 25:8-54. What seems to be the main moral concern there? What principle is the Lord conveying to His people?
As Ellen White says, "a safeguard was afforded against the extremes either of wealth or of poverty."—Education, p. 43. In the Jubilee year, all slaves were also to be freed, and all debts were to be canceled.
Jesus instructs His disciples to have a balanced ministry. Certainly, they were to prepare people for the kingdom of heaven. But they were also to remember that, in an important sense, the kingdom was already with them. And that meant they were to have concern for people's total needs—including physical and social. By ministering to folk's needs now, we can open them up to the reality and promise of eternal life. How do you treat those less fortunate than you? When is the last time you did something for someone purely out of selfless compassion and concern?
No comments:
Post a Comment