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They Cared For The Poor And Needy
Brian Mashburn
May 14, 2017
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Caring For The Poor
The book of Acts sets a high and challenging Kingdom standard when it says, "There were no needy persons among them." (4:34)
In this, we have before us the ideal of Heaven: God desires that there's to be no needy persons. No not one.
Yet, sadly, another statement of Jesus to his friends has proven prophetically true: That "you will always have the poor among you." (John 12:8)
What is our response to this? What are followers of Jesus to do with this gap that exists between how our King wants it to be and how our King says it always will be?
The book of Acts, consistent with all of scripture, is clear: We should care for the poor. Consistently. Persistently. Forever. This priority should characterize followers of Christ everywhere. If Jesus can say the poor will always be with us, then he should be able to say to the poor that the church will always be with them.
As we talk about this subject today, the point is not for the wealthy to feel guilty about their wealth, nor is it for the poor to feel entitled to other people's wealth. Neither of these brings praise, glory, or attention to God.
The point is to have no other gods but God, to give as it has been given to us, to live by an eternal perspective, to fill the earth with joy, equality, and gratitude. To love.
All of this can be accomplished by caring - really caring - for the needy. Don't worry about doing what you cannot do, only do what you can do. Let us be like those in Acts who heard about the coming famine: "The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea." Acts 11:29