In the church I was raised in the preacher railed against 'them liberals' and their 'social gospel'. He went on to brag how we (the 'right' group) give a cup of cold water like they do, but we do it in "Jesus name".
Here's how it looks:
Never give out a water bottle without a verse on it.
Never give out a food basket without a gospel tract in it.
Never have a block party without preaching.
Never feed anyone who is hungry without making them listen to a sermon first.
And on and on....
I spend a lot of time thinking about what's behind all the flawed thinking we've grown up with. I've concluded that for the most part we meant well. We meant that just giving out stuff is social work not Christian ministry. Okay... the part I have a problem with is how we have decided "in Jesus name" equals the list above.
When Jesus fed the five thousand it was because they were hungry, when he healed the lepers it was because they had leprosy, when he made the blind man see it was because he was blind... He just loved people and helped them. Don't you think if you do something "in Jesus' name" it at least means to do it like he did it, with the same motives, with the same heart?
Having said that, if we relieve all the poverty and suffering in our city and then they go to hell, we would be totally unloving and unChristlike.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? So then, "we exist to relieve all suffering, especially eternal suffering" (Piper). Love demands as much, "in Jesus name" demands as much.
It really is okay to help someone without a sermon or a gospel tract. God says, "do good to all..." even Samaritans, even sinners, even the ones who won't thank you, even the ones who follow you only for food, even the ones who don't get saved or even care about God... yep, all of 'em.
That's just love...
BC
