Remember The Poor

This morning I received a message. It went something like this…

Morning Adam.

I have a question on the Ministry of Mercy, which is based on Christianity.

My question or understanding from [Popular Teacher] is, that helping others and not mainly people in the church, is something we must make part of our lives.

When you have time, please tell me what is your point of view. For me not to follow something which is not “actually” the basis of our Christianity.

Regards,

[Mercy Hearted]

My response went something like this …

Hi [Mercy Hearted]

This is a great question.

Ministry of Mercy, is not a phrase we often use in our church, nor is it found in the Bible. But the heart is the same heart behind the pantry ministry we have (where members contribute groceries which are distributed to needy families within the church) and Ikhaya Le Themba (a registered charity our church runs to help the needy often outside the church).

We often speak, in a leadership context, of the need to “remember the poor” (Gal 2:10). But always with the proviso that it is not our primary ministry. Mercy ministry is not part of the Great Commission of Jesus (Matt 28:18-20), which is gospel and discipleship focused. But it is a fulfilment of the command to love our neighbour, as seen in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). And such ministry may be a tool in reaching the lost with the gospel.

In Luke 6:33 Jesus confirms we shouldn’t only help those who can pay us back. Paul echo’s this, asking Timothy to make sure help is going to those who really need it (1 Tim 5:3,16). He also instructs the Thessalonians not to support the lazy (2 Thess 3:10).

At the same time, Jesus teaches that life is not found in an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Building ourselves bigger barns is foolishness (Luke 12:16-21). We are to be generous and ready to share (1 Tim 6:18). The early church had everything in common and often liquidated assets to support those in need amongst them (Acts 2:44-46; 4:32,37).

However, there was a focus to their mercy. And that focus was primarily within the church. 1 John 3:17 looks at a brother in need. James 2:15-17 also speaks of a brother in need, without food. Jesus had defined a brother as one who did his father’s will (Matt 12:46-50). During the famine, Paul took offerings for the Jerusalem church, not the general population of Jerusalem (Rom 15:25). This echoes Deuteronomy 15:7, where the charge is to help those ‘within the gates’. In interpreting the Old Testament, the nation of Israel gives us a picture of the church, so ‘within the gates’ can be understood as ‘within the church’. John the baptist spoke of sharing from our excess (John 3:11). He was a prophet under the Old Covenant, so his words to Israel can also be understood in the context of church.

Where I land, personally, is, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal 6:10 ESV).

This is practically worked out in my own life in four ways:

Firstly: giving to church family in need (without going through the organised pantry). Sharing my food with those going through hard times by dropping meals or inviting them over. Giving shelter in my home to saints who needed shelter. Giving away or lending things to saints, which I might have otherwise sold or made profit from. This includes gifting skills I might otherwise profit from monetizing. Being married, it helps that my wife is far more mercy hearted than I am, she helps me be more generous.

Second: contributing to the church pantry, as I am able, to help needy families in the church. This should not replace personal engagement in acts of mercy, but is a useful way to team up with the rest of the body to meet the needs of brothers and sisters I am not directly involved with.

Third: giving to Ikhaya Le Themba. Because they are accountable to our church leadership, I can be confident these funds are being well handled and they have a gospel edge to everything they do. (I have also helped at events sometimes, but mostly my engagement here is financial).

Four: If the poor come to my door, encounter me at the robots¹, or engage me outside a shop, and I have what they are asking for, I help them. For these outside the household of faith, I am not making special effort like I do for those in the church. I don’t seek them out, but, when I encounter them, I try to be generous. And where I cannot be generous, I am at least kind. (Not the same, but similar to this category, are things like tipping well if I ever dine out, and being generous to car guards²).

I feel that, by doing these four things, I am obeying Jesus and the apostles, without becoming distracted from the main thing, which is the gospel.

Hope that helps.

Grace, mercy and peace

¹Robots is the South Africa term for traffic lights.

²Car guarding is a distinctly South African informal sector employment opportunity, where street-corner entrepreneurs, patrol private and public parking areas as either authorised or unauthorised “car guards”. These guards most often survive on tips alone, given at the discretion of the motorist. All transactions are cash.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam is an Englishman living in South Africa, who knows this earth is not his home. He is married with two children, and a leader in his local church where he pastors and teaches the Bible.

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