The Rich Young Country/Man

I agree that we need to do the "heal the sick, feed the poor" effort. But we cannot ignore the other side of it. I'm not espousing that we get on the street corner with a bull horn but we need to be able to not only meet needs but also provide meaningful worship opportunities as well. There's an outreach to people's basic needs - food and shelter. And yes there is a need for that too. But just as Jesus gave to the poor He also preached the word to the people and gave them the Good News. Paul did the same.

The right-wing Christian groups will not give unless they get the people to commit to a time with them in worship or Bible Study or listening to the soup kitchen songs. They expect to be God's voice to the people. The left-wing Christian groups give it away expecting that God's peace will be implanted and any longing for the word will be through the Holy Spirit's urging. But they tend to forget to be available to be that voice. And, unfortunately, "the rest does not always follow." We cannot expect people to simply give and not be willing to share the Gospel at the same time. And the big question is, if we do one without the other, aren't we "cropping" the Gospel to fit our wants and desires? Yes, we need to work on serving those in the community around us. How big is that community? Where are its borders? There is nothing wrong with helping people in the surrounding community. We need people to do that.

Are we only in the business of providing physical needs and not spiritual needs? If so, then we have no business going to any place where there's money because those people don't need God. But isn't that reverse discrimination? Being willing to help those that are poor but unwilling to provide help to those who have money? And what is it that they both need. It's not physical goods - its spiritual food. That's where evangelism comes in. The Gospel is needed in all corners of the world. This is why it is so hard to get Christianity spread in America. People assume that they don't need it because all it does is help the poor. Once they are no longer poor, they no longer need Christianity.

There is a terrible mindset in place in the western society and it is rooted deeply in the "I have what I need so I don't need God. God is for the poor and those who need a crutch." This is true in the Scripture verse from last Sunday about the rich man. The rich man would not sell what he had because what he had took care of him and comforted him. What Jesus offered was the chance to be a part of his close associates - the few disciples who were his closest friends. The rich man turned away from the spiritual so he could continue to focus on the physical. He was a good man and did good works with what he had but when Jesus offered him more, the rich man turned him down. In too many ways, the American church is like that rich man.