Expressing the Hand of God: Matthew 25 in Action-
The scriptures are full of examples of compassion to those in need, to widows, orphans, the hungry, the sick. In the early church, compassion ministry went hand-in-hand with the gospel. Look at the church in Antioch- It was there that disciples were first called Christians. Often when there is a name change in scripture, there is a deep spiritual significance, (Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel) In Antioch, they were not merely known as “disciples”, those taught, trained and disciplined in the ways of the Lord, but became “Christians”, Christ Like…(Acts 11:26) Perhaps their willingness to reach out to those with other backgrounds (Acts 11:20) and their eagerness to send aid to those in need (Acts 11:28-30) showed a heart of compassion that differentiated them. In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus gave us two famous parables, but then shifted to a direct pronouncement of the end times in verses 31-46, using direct language:
Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come you who are blessed of My Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry,
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I
was a stranger, and you invited me in, Naked, and you clothed Me, I was sick, and you
visited Me, I was in prison, and you came to me” Matt. 25:34-36 NAS
Jesus then revealed that whenever we do these things to those in need, we really do them for Him. We also see that this is expected of those who inherit the kingdom. Sadly, the church today has more wealth and capability than ever before, and yet puts a small portion of its energy into showing compassion. In today’s world, there is a great need for those who will be agents of the hand of God, reaching out in love and compassion, and we feel that every Christian should in some way be expressing the heart of Christ through love, and that every church should have some sort of compassion ministry.
