To whom do we reach out; and why?
These are two very big questions with answers that are really, at their core, very simple. First, as a previous blog from The Missional Church Network shows, God truly has shown a heart for the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners throughout his biblical story. Second, as Christians, Jesus reminds us that we have been commanded to reach out to our neighbor in what is known as "the Great Commandment."
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:36-40The trouble usually comes when we try to find wiggle room and try to fit that commandment into our comfort zones. Check out Luke 10:25-37 and you'll find a story you're probably familiar with. Jesus was not about making us comfortable!
Now most people in the world these days can get behind the second part of the Great Commandment even though they don't like the commandment part. There is generally a strong altruistic desire, particularly among younger people, to help those in need. After all, it's the right thing to do. Our capitalistic society shows this is true. Businesses tap into this desire because it makes them money. News and political organizations know this because it gets them ratings and votes. So it is a basic part of our make up to have this desire. The good stuff just gets lost in the bad stuff.
So what is different about Christians and their motives for doing good? Contrary to popular opinion, and some bad choices made in church history, Christians do not do good works to earn their way into heaven. Rather, when we start developing a relationship with Jesus and experiencing all the good things that brings, we feel compelled to share that with others. Now we're all human and we're all at different stages of that relationship with Jesus but the bottom line is that we try to respond to, not earn, the love that God has shown us through his son Jesus and pass it on.
Mission in Christian terms is following Jesus’ example in delivering his message. Mission is about building relationships that allow us to do that.
- We build relationships with those we help.
- We build relationships with those we serve with.
- We build relationship with God when we pursue His work.
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I like what you are saying - God calls us to build relationships - but what is missing in the secular world that focuses the attention on ourselves is first a relationship with God. The way I view it, when we love God- the byproduct is loving each other. In turn, when we go to love others without knowing and loving God, we are only glorifying ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIt boils down to just one thing. Love God enough to really know God. If you really know God you will know how much God really loves each and every one of us, and in turn will begin to see others as God sees them. As a child acts to please the parent, we then should act to please our Father in Heaven.
Thanks Kerry for bringing that to the surface! If we live that out in our work then we can show that love to those that join us in that work for altruistic reasons. In that way, we play a part in God's plan of ushering them into a relationship with God!
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