The "Be With" Factor
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Introduction
Introduction
The early Church & “the least of these”.
After Pentecost
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
b. They created community, where everyone shared all things. No one was in need.
c. The early church practiced care in a way that we today could not fathom.
d. This trend continued in Acts.
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
e. This is very counter cultural today. Yet throughout scripture we see this theme of caring for the poor.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
The Discipline of Being with the “Least of These”
The Discipline of Being with the “Least of These”
1. Being with “the least of these” was a discipline practiced in the church for centuries!
a. This discipline was fundamental to shaping the early church for mission.
b. The church was known for this. They would walk the streets tending to and being with the poor.
c. The church was known for their care for the poor, they were known for taking the poor in and helping them with food shelter, clothing.
d. In the early churches history the church believed they were encountering the presence of the living Christ in the poor. It drove their existence.
e. They even organized systems on how to deal with making sure everyone’s needs were met.
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.”
f. This passion for the “least of these’ have become important again in the church with some. However, I am not sure we get what scripture is actually showing us.
Lets look at an important passage in scripture that gives us a view of the importance of this discipline. Jesus is speaking with his disciples teaching them about the last days and the judgment of the nations.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
So How Do We Care for the Poor?
So How Do We Care for the Poor?
There are two options: The first is how we do it already and the second is how scripture says we should do it.
A Project
Lets Get Organized and Mobilize People
Our world loves to organize systems, it’s how we employ power efficiently, how we get things done.
In our world if we want to care for the poor we think we need to create a project and manage it.
Early years at the homeless shelter.
We had systems, how to feed, how to check clients in, how to do bed checks, rules to follow.
Essentially most homeless programs are run like prison.
The people we were caring for became a project.
How we care for the poor separates society.
We tend to separate society into classes, and we like to keep it that way.
This takes a lot of effort and resources, and ends up making us all feel better for about a week. Then we look for the next project.
I would argue that this approach continues to separate society, and actually disempowers people, doing very little in terms of real justice.
Have you ever noticed things stay the same, and even worse I fear that the power structures at fault for the problems become stronger than they were before.
Making People into Projects is the Most Common Way to Serve the Poor Today. And it Doesn’t Change a Thing!
The Second Option, which is the option scripture gives.
People Not Projects
People Not Projects
Changes at the shelter.
We ate with our clients.
We implemented ways to help that involved the person being empowered to make decisions and take responsibility.
We got rid of the big tables and got smaller round tables to created a community feeling.
Staff could go out for coffee with clients, and spend time pouring into their lives.
The “Be With” Factor
Irish Tony and the “Be With’ Factor.
We Need to Remove the Table, the Barrier and just “Be With” People!
Being with the least of these is not a project, or a program. It’s a way of life.
If the church would return back to it’s roots of having everything in common the presence of Jesus would be present in our relationships.
What Jesus Was Actually Saying in Matthew 25
Notice in the story, the people who were being rewarded for feeding Jesus when he was hungry, for supplying him with water when he was thirsty, for being welcoming, for clothing him, and caring for him when he was sick, for visiting him when he was in prison.
Notice there answer.
When did we do these things?
They didn’t even notice they were doing it!!
Also Notice the Ones Who Didn’t Help.
They didn’t notice either!
Big Idea: Being with the “least of these” is a core discipline of the church. We accomplish this discipline by being “with people”. Seeing them as equal to ourselves, and inviting them into our world.