April 14-The Two Mandares

Happy Weekend dear one! I hope your week has gone well and you have learned something new or had a fresh perspective from our look at the first two chapters of Galatians. I know my sweet nephew has certainly shown me new truth from these verses. How rich is the Word! 

“GOD ’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!.” Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-24‬ ‭I

(Philip) This morning, rereading over that passage, something stood out to me that hasn't, before. 

(Pam) And you stepped on my whole foot here, not just my toes, so I don’t like it! Not one bit. 

(Philip) Paul is hashing out all this stuff with the other apostles: what is the Gospel, what is Paul's mission, how should we handle Gentiles, etc.?  Big theological stuff and big changes in the lives of believers. But after they come to agreement on all of this, Paul notes:

"They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do." Galatians 2:10

Can you imagine a theological debate or extensive book on doctrine where, at the end, they say, "Well, let's also remember to take care of the poor?" (Pam: No) 

In America, we have a couple of issues, here.

One is that we tend to think the poor are mostly poor because of character defects.  Why can't they work harder?  Why can't they get out of the inner city through discipline and hard work and clean living?  We have this idea that there may be a few people out there who are poor due to circumstances beyond their control, but most people are poor sort of by choice - they're lazy or irresponsible or love sinful lifestyles.

If they live in America and work hard and live right, they shouldn't be poor.  Right? (Pam:Right....wrong?)

Two is that, as evangelicals, we tend to separate "spreading the Gospel" and "doing good in the world" and prioritize the former. We need to get people saved, and then if we have time and money left over, we might start a food pantry or a homeless shelter or a medical mission.

There's a reason for this - in the modernist struggles in Christianity, you had these big slices pursuing social good but ignoring things like, you know, the Bible and Jesus and whatnot.  We didn't want to do that, but I wonder if we didn't back so far away from that cliff that we accidentally fell over backwards off the other side.

In this, the earliest of the early church, we see that "spreading the gospel" and "doing social good in the world" are not competing priorities and we choose which one to focus on - they are two sides of the same coin.  You cannot proclaim the Lordship of Jesus and the great news this is without practically living this truth out.  As James tells us, you can't just bless someone and send them on their way, you have to take care of their needs as well.

What else can account for this?  Peter and the other apostles are eager for Paul to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, but they ask him to take care of the poor.  It's not something he should do if he gets around to it.  There's no, "But the main thing is to get people saved."  It's all one package.

If you're going to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, you have to take care of their poor.

This, to me, proclaims the glory of Jesus and God's plan for the world.  It isn't just about getting our hearts right, although it is that.  It isn't just about sinning less, although it is that.  It isn't even just about a happy life after death, although it is that.  It is about changing and healing the world here and now.  Jesus is not just good news for your future; he is good news for you right now.  Heaven has come to Earth in Jesus, and those apostles were the initial invasion force.

(Pam) Thank you Jesus for being the Heaven that came to earth. Help us not only to remember that we need to be about helping and changing the world in your Name but to be about doing it. Show us your Kingdom. You are our Savior and Blessed Redeemer that brings the Good News for the right now. You are God who is, the God who was and the God who is to come. We praise you and sing Hallelujah to our King. Amen and amen

Love you dear one,

Pam...and Phillip


Comments

  1. LisaApril 14, 2018 at 11:49 AM

    Another great message~thank you for the blessing~

    ReplyDelete

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