Give a man a fish or save his soul?
Matthew 9:1-8
The topic of missions is close to my heart. I have sailed a medical missions ship around Southeast Asia, built orphanages in Mexico, worked in the Middle East with Syrian refugees, and even got into trouble in China for handing out Bible tracks. In my time, I have found what feels like a pendulum between the evangelical side of missions, and the humanitarian side. Where would Jesus land, and is there a balance we should strike?
Firstly, I would like to base the bulk of this article around Matthew 9:1-8 because it gives a unique insight into how Jesus operated, and what He truly came to accomplish. (If you are unfamiliar with it, go read it now and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom to understand what is written. This article can wait.)
When I moved to London, I wanted to continue spreading the gospel to people that had not heard it. With refugees leaving the Middle East, I saw this as one of the greatest opportunities to share the Love of God where previously sharing the gospel was not allowed. Countries, cultures, and communities that had outlawed Christianity were now coming to ours and needed help. The opportunity was well and truly there.
Quickly I got involved in a church’s ministry for refugees, but was left disheartened when during the mandatory training we were told not to share Jesus with them. In an effort not to make them feel uncomfortable, the hope was they would see how kind we were, that we were hosting the Saturday morning tea and coffee in the church, and in response would potentially come to church on Sunday. From there I guess the hope was someone else could tell them about the gospel.
The world knows there is value in helping people. It knows that this is right because the law has been written on their hearts (Romans 2:15) What the world does, however, is twist the truth and aim to remove Jesus. In this instance, there was next to nothing that differentiated us from the secular world in how we were offering help. As Christians are we aiming to provide hospice care to a dying world or bring healing and life?
Consider the passage mentioned earlier in Matthew 9. What you see is Jesus encountering a paralytic. Notice what He does first! Seeing their faith, Jesus says that your sins are forgiven. What is the significance of this? In forgiving this man’s sins, Jesus showed his authority and divinity, but He also displayed to us what was most important. It is better to be forgiven our sins and united to Christ than for all the health and wealth of the world.
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:26
After forgiving this man’s sins, we see Jesus heals him physically as a testament to what He has just done. The nature of miracles throughout Jesus’s ministry are testimonies of God the Father confirming the words Jesus has spoken. Yes, we are to feed the hungry and bandage the sick, but not without first sharing the gospel! One should not come without the other. That like a coin, both sides make up the full coin. Without one, the other is empty.
Regardless of who you talk to in the world, everyone will unanimously agree that something is broken. The world is not perfect, and something is wrong. As Christians, we know what is wrong, but we also know the solution! In the very beginning, we are introduced to what caused the Garden of Eden to fall, sin. That sin separates us from God and is the cause of this fallen world. Sin though, is defeated in Jesus on the cross. The only one who can set us free, who can heal this sinful broken world is Jesus. If we want to see this broken world restored and healed, we need to portray the full picture of Jesus. Anything less is a poor replica and an unauthentic version.
Whatever side of the pendulum you swing, consider how you may more accurately display who Jesus is in your ministry and mission. When Jesus fed the 5000, the crowd followed him because they were looking for more food. Jesus’s response was to tell them of the new covenant which a large portion could not accept, so they left. Jesus did not try to lure them back with more food but instead continued making disciples.
I pray we would all more accurately portray the full version of Christ our savior, and like Him make true disciples.
Your friend,
Aodhan
I think that sometimes we get so caught up in doing good works and fear of offending people that we forget our main mission. Jesus wasn’t afraid to offend people. It was worth the cost of being hated if it meant that others would find salvation. Naturally, we want to be liked by others which can cause us to hide behind good works. And even though that doesn’t negate the good works we do, it often takes honesty and vulnerability in sharing the gospel to bring others to Jesus. Good food for thought as I agree that’s it’s a predicament many of us find ourselves in.