Compassion and the Kingdom of God
I encourage you to read and have a time of deep reflection upon the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. In this text Jesus is speaking through parables to His disciples. Today, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, this includes you as well. Jesus is presenting key points about the Kingdom of God and how you and I are to participate in its mission and value system. This is so that we might say yes to the invitation to advance the Kingdom of God in the world through the empowerment, which comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
He begins the chapter by speaking of two groups of bridesmaids, one wise and one foolish. This parable lifts up the need to have a sense of urgency and anticipation for the return of Christ. This anticipation though should not lead us to a state of privatized religion. The position of a Christian fundamentalism rooted primarily in individualism and judgement is not how we wait on our Lord to return. We must use this time, which we know not its limit, to be used by God as vehicles of compassion, mercy, justice, truth, transformation, and reconciliation. We are to be salt and light in the world while we are waiting in anticipation.
Next, Jesus shares a parable about a Master, who presents talents to His servants. These servants or slaves to be more specific are in this position because they owe a debt to the Master. But it seems in this parable that the Master forgives the debt owed Him and instead gives talents or resources to the servants. Because of sin, we owe God. We have created spiritual debt in the economy of the Kingdom of God. But, through Christ Jesus not only are our debts dealt with, but we are given resources to steward for the advancement of the Kingdom. We are called to take the gifts God has given us and multiply them. The question becomes how? This question is answered in the final parable of Matthew 25.
Jesus speaks of a King, that takes the people of the world and divides them into two groups. He looks at the first group and speaks of being hungry and this group feeding Him. He speaks of being thirsty, sick, a stranger, naked, and in prison and this group addressing these issues. The people respond in confusion, not knowing when they did any of those things. The King responds to the confusion with the Kingdom call to compassion, mercy, and justice. He says that as it is done to the least of them in the world, it is as if it was done to Him.
Our God in heaven calls us today out of a religion of individualism into a life of Kingdom advancement which includes evangelism, compassion, mercy, and justice.
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I was blessed to listen to your sermon from Woodland Hills today (I listen to the south of you in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – haha). Loved it. I learned a couple new things as I saw connections I had not previously. Thank you. I’m going to work on my jumping (and they said that white men can’t).
Thank you Pastor Smith. And thank you for your sermon last Sunday at Woodland Hills. As North Park University summarized Micah 6:8 on their posters:
Do justice. Love Kindness. Walk with God.
Amen.
Peace
Wonderful post! Well said! I hope that many pastors will read what you wrote and teach about the topic you raised. Too many Christians in our nation have become consumed by greed and obsessively stuck on “two issues”. We need redirection that encourages us to start focusing on love and compassion. People in our churches need to be told it’s ok to stop thinking only about abortion and homosexuality, as our society’s “main concerns”. We need teaching that challenges us to love our neighbors and play a role in “social responsibility”, instead of becoming fixated on the “personal responsibility” of others.
It sounds to me that those who seem to be fed up with the “anti -abortion and homosexuality” crowd seem to be themselves guilty of the same politically-motivated manipulation of Scripture. Can’t one actually be pro-life, pro-marriage AND pro social-responsibility as a Christian? Or does our faith have to always be politically motivated? I think the Religious Left should be held just as accountable to their rhetoric and actions as the Religious Right.
Danderson, I agree that as Believers confessing Jesus Christ, we should be concerned with BOTH/AND when it comes to social versus personal issues. However, the problem is the level of emphasis on one at the expense of the other.
Yes, there are folks who focus almost exclusively on social justice issues at the expense of personal issues…but if you’re gonna complain about how political the mainstream Church has gotten in America, social justice has NOT become the primary obsession among most who have merged their Faith with their politics.
How often have laws, political platforms, proposed bills or initiatives focused on, say, Leviticus 19 which says we should leave part of our harvest (our resources) set aside for those in need. (yes, Pastor E, I heard you on Sunday!)
I can’t tell you how many times I heard my conservative Sisters and Brothers tell me right after the 2004 election that “finally, Americans are voting on moral issues, not financial issues.” My response was/is THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME. How are sexual issues a moral concern, but money and resource issues are not? (That is what I hear isjois saying, and if so, I agree).
Taking Pastor E’s words to heart and digging deep into Matthew 25 teaches us that the purpose God has for us, His Disciples, is to get beyond our own individual selves and attend to the personal and social work of expanding His Kingdom…on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN. Don’t just spiritually “get yours” and sit back and wait, like the foolish virgins did. Don’t be hard-hearted and judgmental like the goats are. Read it — the goats don’t end up in a very good place.
If you ignore “the least of these” you are ignoring Jesus. If you don’t want to be bothered with “the least of these” then you don’t want to be bothered with genuine Discipleship under Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t call us to “visit” folks in a morally and materially superior country club. No, He suggests something that might even enrich your Own life and Faith would be to visit a prison or hospital — and He doesn’t say visit someone there only AFTER they’ve dealt with their “personal issues.” No, Jesus tells us we might even meet HIM in a prison, and likewise, you might be the only Jesus a prisoner encounters today.
Grace and Peace,
Mark
Mark,
It seems to me your comments toward me were somewhat condescending and I resent that, as you know little to nothing about me. Why is it that of the dozen or so African American fifth graders who have been in my classroom over the past two years, none has come from a two-parent family? Does it only have to do with racism and our lack of social responsibility? Or might it also have to do with the lack of personal responsibility — and a certain machismo to have more than one woman as a lover? I love my child, but if she’s throwing a tantrum in the store that’s a responsibility I have to love her enough to discipline her. It’s MY responsibility. I’ve heard enough about racism being the ONLY reason that so many African-American don’t succeed in school. Perhaps a true non-partisan WWJD way is to take a more comprehensive approach to dealing with a complex set of issues. Otherwise we as a nation will continue to spin our wheels and nothing will get accomplished.
And yes, I voted for Obama.
Danderson you hit the nail right on the head espicially with the “spinning our wheels” comment. I applaud you for speaking some truth that so many people are afraid to because of the ignorance of political correctness. Thank you
What could be more non-partisan than a deep and prayerful consideration and discussion of Matthew 25, and wrestling with how it speaks to us in our current lives, circumstances and world?
Indeed, does Matthew 25 answer the question WWJD in the various situations you’re writing about? Does Matthew 25 offer guidance to you in your relationships with the children in your classroom?
What IS our assigned, Biblical, Godly role as Believers in expanding the Kingdom of God? Does Matthew 25 have anything to say about that role?
And…how are any of the questions I just asked here political? Are they not questions that any Believer of any political or cultural stripe could lovingly, and with encouragement, ask any other Believer?
No condescension intended to you or anyone posting here, Danderson. Just respectfully challenging some of the words you’ve posted, not who you are personally…You’re right, the words you’ve written here are really all I know about you so far.
Grace and Peace,
Mark
Mark – I’m thrilled to see you referencing Matthew 25!
Many of the christians I know are more concerned about legislating morality, than being Christ-like and actually helping people. Wasn’t it the pharisees that sat around telling others what to do? That’s what many of today’s politically active christians remind me of. Why pick “abortion” and “homosexuality” – easy – because the people focusing on these two platforms won’t be having an abortion or attempting to marry someone of the same sex themselves. It’s easier to set rules that don’t affect you! What would be great to see would be conservatives advocating on behalf of stricter legislation against usury, infidelity, dishonest business practices and just plain “bad behavior”. Do you know how many times people try to cut me off in the church parking lot? How often I see christians yelling at the grocery store clerk? The gossip and “white lies” thrown about in the workplace? Churches that are in the “black”, but firing staff at Christmastime? Now, don’t get me wrong. I read scripture and believe we should follow the commandments. I just believe that we are focusing on “conservative” issues to the detriment of achieving real solutions.
If we want to end abortion – we need to truly reach out and help women and children…AND men. We need to ensure that there are well-paying jobs, so that men don’t feel emasculated. If men cannot support their families, I believe they are more likely to abandon them. We also need to support men emotionally. I’d love to see more men’s breakfasts/small groups, where men can really mentor one another and instill a sense of what being a godly man “looks like”. This will likely help with the promiscuity/infidelity that we see – among both poor and rich men alike. Even if a man is married – if he’s unfaithful, the children will still be harmed. Single parents – by “choice” (out-of-wedlock births) or “circumstance” (due to divorce) – and their children all suffer and struggle. Danderson mentioned minority behavior – but, I see sexual sin amongst many whites. Minorities aren’t poor because they are promiscuous – but, because most lack the generational resources that some whites have been provided with. It’s easy to overlook the “welfare” given to you, by your family, and to take those blessings for granted. Instead of judging and condemning those coming from poverty (and trying to establish a personal moral failure as the cause)…why won’t more christians help them? Maybe that would be too much of an inconvenience. It might cut into some christians golf games or prevent them from taking another trip or buying another luxury.
We should reach out to those in need in a loving and compassionate way. Get to know some poor families and learn their stories. Perhaps you can help end generational poverty by introducing them to Jesus, helping them restore their relationship with Christ and/or providing them with tangible resources (giftcards for food/gas, help pay rent/utiltites/etc., a job!, etc.) – so that they don’t feel as though they need to “beg” for help. Back to the women and children – if we did a better job of helping them survive financially, abortions would decline. Our country doesn’t value care-giving (or children really) – perhaps, we could enact new welfare programs that finally recognized the value that women add to our society by nurturing their children into responsible, moral adults and also the challenges they shoulder by caring for disabled/elderly parents/relatives. Look at the poverty statistics. Our society penalizes those who care for others. As Christians, by allowing our caregivers to live in poverty, we are only contributing to the destruction of families. Most single moms that I know strongly desire to be married, but – they cannot force their children’s fathers to act “morally”, teach them to be “godly men” or provide them with a well-paying job – all of those things have to be “provided” by the Christian community (mainly godly men). In the meantime, the women and children need tangible assistance. Perhaps, a wealthy businessman can forgo some of his excess salary to hire a poor man that he can mentor…a man who maybe has never been given such an opportunity. Or, perhaps, he can offer a poor woman a job that requires her only to work when the kids are at school – thus, enabling her to be there physically for her children.
At church yesterday, the pastor discussed New Year’s resolutions. He said to put – “Acting Christ-like” – at the top. Who did Jesus yell at when He walked the earth – the “religious” and the “wealthy” in the temple. Those who were being selfish, greedy and judgemental.
Happy New Year!
Well said isjois.
Try as hard as so many of us do — we can never legislate morality because we can’t legislate what people think and feel.
All the legislative process can accomplish is establishing that, for example, it is illegal to murder someone. And if you are proven guilty of murdering someone in a court of law, then you will be required to pay certain penalties.
What the legislative process can never do is remove the DESIRE to murder. THAT is what the Body of Christ should be concerned with. And THAT is what is more difficult to address than passing laws or electing people.
It’s easy to write down on paper “you are not allowed to do [such-n-such]” It is harder to address why someone desires to do such-n-such in the first place.
But I argue that addressing the more difficult thing is what we as Christians are called to do. And I agree, isjois, that we are called to address this in both a personal way AND in the larger context of circumstances many of our Sisters and Brothers live under.
I’m not saying the Church has absolutely no place in the political or legislative process. But, the Church should be much much MUCH more concerned with winning hearts and minds than elections and legislative sessions.
Removing the desire to murder, cheat, lie, steal, rape, abandon, abuse…is ultimately what will put an end to these things anyway, not laws. We’ve had laws for eons. They don’t work…we still murder and cheat. THAT is why Jesus came to save us in the first place. HE finally did what we can never do on our own.
When the Pharisess brought an adulterous woman to Jesus, Jesus didn’t tell them they need to draw up another law to deal with this situation. To me, this story in John 8 illustrates the balance between social justice and personal responsibility Jesus encourages us toward. He calls out the Pharisees’ hypocrisy (social justice) and tells the woman to sin no more (personal responsibility).
Yes, we need a better balance between social justice and personal responsibility. And I believe when we do arrive at a better balance, under God’s guidance, we will see radical movement forward in BOTH areas.
Grace and Peace,
Mark
“It’s easy to overlook the “welfare” given to you, by your family, and to take those blessings for granted. Instead of judging and condemning those coming from poverty (and trying to establish a personal moral failure as the cause)…why won’t more christians help them? Maybe that would be too much of an inconvenience. It might cut into some christians golf games or prevent them from taking another trip or buying another luxury.”
There it is again: white privilege. As if all Whites in this country were born with a silver spoon. My grandfather was dairy farmer who was stricken with polio at an early age and one side of his body was paralyzed. Both my parents grew up on farms during the depression and world war 2. Believe it or not, they didn’t have a whole lot of money. So, please, let’s not stereotype.
I never said ONE WORD about legislating morality. At least Mark Aamot talked about the balance between personal responsibility and social justice. Most on the Religious Left want to pin it all the problems of our society on White people. Fortunately we have a president who doesn’t see it that way and hasn’t caved in to the Left.
Danderson, you and I might come from similar backgrounds. If you haven’t already, and you feel inclined to, you might want to read what I posted under “Beloved Church” on October 13.
Grace and Peace,
Mark