Who are we to love this way?
Is this just talking about your wife, children or believers just in your local church or in your denomination?
No – it is talking about the global body of Christ.
Because we are one body just different members – Romans 12 and I Cor 12 explains to us how we are connected together – if one member hurts the whole body feels the pain.
Do you feel the pain when other believers are hurt? Persecuted? Did you know that it is estimated that this year more than 160,000 believers will be killed for no other reason than the crime of believing in Jesus? Number of Empart’s workers in some of the places where we work have been killed.
Do you feel the pain? According to the scripture we must! Because we are One body, We have One head and have only One Father and that we are brothers and sisters!
If you don’t feel the pain – you may have leprosy or other health issues – or at worst you may not be connected to the same body or head?
In other words – because of the blood of Christ – we shares the same blood line of Jesus – same eternal DNA! We are more connected than earthly relations who are outside of Christ!
In Matthew 25: 35-40, he further explains this:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
When did we see you hungry, when did we see you thirsty? When, When – they asked
In Vs 40 – He says, as you did it to the one of the least of these my brothers – you did it to me.
According to this scripture our obligation is not to all the hungry and needy people of the world but to “my brothers”.
Who is Jesus’s brothers?
In Matthew 12:48 Jesus asks the question: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
Vs 49, 50 he stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
According to this scripture obligation to feed, care, clothe, welcome and visit are those who do the will of the father –and if we don’t do that there is eternal consequences.
Many people misuse this scripture to make us guilty to for not caring for every need in the world. Yes we have obligations to the widows, orphans, poor and needy but not based on this passage but others!
I am constantly challenged and emotionally torn as I weave between brothers and sisters who have lost everything because they refuse to deny Jesus, widows, orphans who lost their husbands and fathers because they served Jesus. Thousands of pastor’s children not able to go to school and get an education because their parents decided to reach the unreached in remote locations with no schools and they can’t afford residential schools. Empart has started to build residential schools where we can educate such children. I don’t want the children of gospel workers to be illiterate or disadvantaged because their parents decided to serve Jesus.
I met one pastor who was selling his blood to get money to buy some gospel tracks and others fasting for days – not because they want to but because they have no food.
Just few months ago, we had the hottest summer – hundreds of our workers were hospitalised – not one of them have insurance, 4 of them died – they shouldn’t have died! It only cost just $1.50 a month to get them medical insurance for the entire family. Less than one cup of coffee!
Just from the waste of western Christians, churches and institutions we can help them, care for their children. Much has been done and I thank you – but I believe much more can be done. But we need the convictions of these scriptures to awaken us from our apathy and comfort.
We are not supposed to be satisfied by giving 10% nor have spiritual pride by giving 12% – if we have the means, we should do all that we can to help.
In 1 Cor 16, Paul gives the instructions to the Corinthian church to help and care for the brothers and sisters in need in Jerusalem – He does not say take up an annual collection or a monthly missions offering rather set aside every week!
The reference to Cain in Vs 12 here is important:
Because not only did he kill Abel, he didn’t have ears to hear Abel’s blood crying out. He was so full of himself in Gen 4:9, When God asked “where is your brother?” his response was: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” In the context of the new commandment and I John – we should not have any doubt in this – that we are our brother’s keepers!