Christians seeking social justice have a special responsibility. Much more is required than the bringing of aid to people who are homeless and in need, and contributing to their support. There are real dangers to be faced. It must never be allowed to appear that charity is dispensed to the unfortunate by superior beings... Much greater care must be taken to identify the giver with those whom he comes to serve. A.C. MacInnes
It is very important as we go out into the world and begin the work of Christian service to remember that we do not do it because we have much and they have little, we do it because we recognize in them the same attributes we have in ourselves. The physically homeless remind us that we are aliens here on this earth, that we are heavenly residents spending a little time here in this fallen world (Eph 2:19). When we see the physically poor we are reminded that we are often poor in Spirit and poor in our faith, (Mat 5:3) and that even though we are poor we are rich inheritors of the Kingdom of God (Heb 9:15). The physically hungry remind us that we have a hunger for righteousness, and that every person in this world is hungering for righteousness (Mat 5:6) which comes through Jesus Christ. When we see those who are in deep sorrow because of the dangers of life, or the uncertainty, or the loss of loved ones we are reminded that we all live together in this fallen world, and that we much continue to struggle together as we seek Glory in the end (Gal 1:4).
Jesus reminds us that we will always have the poor with us (John 12:8). He didn’t say this so we wouldn’t feel bad if they were around, or to let us off the hook for taking care of them, in fact the opposite is true. If we will always have toe poor among us, we will always have the rich among us as well. God is a God of balance, not of imbalances. God is a rich and generous God, and because we are created in His image we are to be rich and generous as well. The reason we have the poor among us is so that those who have plenty can act in a “Godly” way in giving all they have to help their brother. It is God’s way of allowing us to act in His nature to balance the imbalances of the world. But.. In the last part of that scripture in John 12:8, He says “you will not always have me”… or will we?
It is very important as we go out into the world and begin the work of Christian service to remember that we do not do it because we have much and they have little, we do it because we recognize in them the same attributes we have in ourselves. The physically homeless remind us that we are aliens here on this earth, that we are heavenly residents spending a little time here in this fallen world (Eph 2:19). When we see the physically poor we are reminded that we are often poor in Spirit and poor in our faith, (Mat 5:3) and that even though we are poor we are rich inheritors of the Kingdom of God (Heb 9:15). The physically hungry remind us that we have a hunger for righteousness, and that every person in this world is hungering for righteousness (Mat 5:6) which comes through Jesus Christ. When we see those who are in deep sorrow because of the dangers of life, or the uncertainty, or the loss of loved ones we are reminded that we all live together in this fallen world, and that we much continue to struggle together as we seek Glory in the end (Gal 1:4).
Jesus reminds us that we will always have the poor with us (John 12:8). He didn’t say this so we wouldn’t feel bad if they were around, or to let us off the hook for taking care of them, in fact the opposite is true. If we will always have toe poor among us, we will always have the rich among us as well. God is a God of balance, not of imbalances. God is a rich and generous God, and because we are created in His image we are to be rich and generous as well. The reason we have the poor among us is so that those who have plenty can act in a “Godly” way in giving all they have to help their brother. It is God’s way of allowing us to act in His nature to balance the imbalances of the world. But.. In the last part of that scripture in John 12:8, He says “you will not always have me”… or will we?
Jesus says to us today…
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Mat 25:35-37)
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Mat 25:35-37)
When we care for those whom God has put before us, we care for Him. When we care for those less fortunate than us, we do not do it because they are somehow lower than we are; we do it because we share with them the same level of fallenness and the same level of salvation. We are all one creation, mankind, made in God’s image, when we help each other out, we must do that in God’s image as well… with all generosity, overflowing, spilling down the sides, in other words, in compassionate abundance….
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