The Backdrop to the Ministry
There is a school of thought today that says we must target our
ministry efforts.
That targeting is sometimes as blatant as aiming at specific economic
people groups that will be able to pay for the logistical needs of the
local congregation.
That’s instinctual, residual of our old nature.
No one, I hope, would sit down and plan that out, it just happens
impulsively. Though I
resist the idea, if there is to be any targeting of a people group it
should be the poor and the needy.
I’m not talking about the spiritually needy which encompasses
everyone, that’s too generic.
No, I’m actually talking about the poor and the needy.
Jesus said that he was anointed to preach the good news to the
poor, to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the
blind and to release the oppressed.
Of course there is a lot of spiritual symbolism there, but it’s
too often applied to support the targeting of an economically affluent
people who are enslaved and oppressed by their wealth.
No, when you look at the Lord’s life you see him interacting most
of the time with the poor and needy.
There’s an old adage that says,
“Don’t try and talk to those, who are on the way to the fair.”
You’re wasting your time.
Their minds are full of plans.
They are anticipating, immersed in the possible novelties,
gadgets and food. They have
the resources to get in and the time to spend there.
There’s no talking sense to them.
But, if you come in contact with them later when they’re tired,
frustrated and dirty it will be a different story.
If you run across them when crisis hits their family, or when
poor choices wreck havoc in their lives, there’s an open ear.
We have an entire affluent culture
going to the fair.
The only way you can attract them is to make the church a
fairground. You’re just
asking for trouble. No, if
we’re going to target anyone it should be the poor and needy.
Didn’t God say that the kind of fasting he desires is to loose
the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke and to set the
oppressed free? To share
your food with the hungry, provide the poor wanderer with shelter and
when you see the naked to clothe him and not turn away from your own
flesh and blood? Or didn’t
he say to look after the widow and orphan in their distress?
Was he spiritualizing?
I don’t think so.
He’s chosen the lowly one’s in the world, the despised and the
weak. And they are all around
us.
Who are they? We run
into five kinds of the poor in our culture.
The first is the mendicant, those who beg or ask for alms.
We see them here and there.
Our cynicism of course protects us from being involved with them.
They’ll probably not use our help wisely anyway.
Resist that kind of thinking, residual of our old nature.
We need to get in the habit of helping in some creative way, at
least for the development of our own generosity.
Ask God how that might happen.
The second is the impoverished.
These once had plenty, but because of bad decisions or simply
adverse circumstances that were out of their control, they’ve been
reduced to poverty. The
third is the indigent, those in relative poverty.
They lack luxuries and must endure hardship on a day to day basis
toiling for their livelihood.
The fourth are the impecunious.
These are in a habitual state of poverty resulting from their bad
choices. We say that they
continually ‘shoot themselves in the foot’, continuing in a
dysfunctional cycle. And
the last are the destitute.
These are in great poverty, where the means for mere subsidence such as
food and shelter are lacking.
Typically people fall into this category when disasters strike
and emergency need arises.
These are the poor of our culture.
The needy are varied and wide spread as well. Anyone can come
into need either emotionally, physically or economically.
Loneliness captures many in our isolationist culture.
Loosing someone in death, the broken hearted, the purposeless and
the angry are all people in need.
An act of kindness can be as simple as a listening ear and a
message of comfort pointing to God.
In any case, our time has to be freed up and our resources
available for distribution. That doesn’t happen by accident.
The poor and needy are the backdrop to the ministry, and we need
to be ready to engage them.
This backdrop cuts a wide swath through our culture.
We live among many opportunities to carry on acts of kindness as
a context to articulate the gospel.
Even if we don’t target any people groups, the poor and the needy
are a massive environment of responsiveness.
We should at least keep that in mind.