Taking Care of Our Own

The Institutional Church has it wrong. We are not suppose to be helping unbelievering fianically, and with food, clothing, and etc. The words of Christ and Apsotles are clear, "I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:36-40 ESV). A brother if a fellow Christian, for Jesus said, "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother," (Mark 3:35), "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day," (John 6:40), and "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers," (Matthew 23:8), "Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters," (Hebrews 2:11), "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought," (1 Corinthians 1:10), "And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters," (1 John 4:21), "To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father," (Colossians 1:2), "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king," (1 Peter 2:17),  "At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus." (Revelation 19:10). The Church is suppose to take care of its own, as in case of ACTS when Romans were confiscated the lands and property of Chrsitians, the Apostles and believers pulled their resources together, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts," (Acts 2:42,44-46), and "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving 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 were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need." (Acts 4:32-35). What is happening instead if the Church is being neglected, brothers and sisters in Christ get no care, no counseling, and no financial aid; rather unbeleivers do. This is backward! The only gift we owe unbelievers is the Free Gift of God's Grace through Jesus Christ, the Gospel and to make them disciples; then once they believe we obligated to help them with clothing, visits, and food.

Jesus despused free loaders, who thought they could merely get bread from Him. After feeding five thousand, a crowd followed Christ not because they believe in Him as the Way and Salvation (John 14:6, John 6:40), but because He gave them bread, "Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill/Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs." (John 6:26). We are not suppose to feed those who are unbeleivers, this is not how we witness and get them to believe; because if they do it could just be for a meal; they may believe in Jesus as Messiah to get a meal, money, and some matching set of clothes! We owe our revenues and aid to ritters, to brothers and sisters in Christ first. And yet this is not what is happening. The Church insitiatuion, partiucalrly poiliticized Evangelicalism and Lutheranism are going to lost and giving them lambs, and large sums of money; while neglecting the Lord's Lambs and Flock!

Within the walls of many churches, there are Christians about to lose their homes, their families are falling apart, and fiscally they are in need; but the pastors and leaders are devoting all the dividens to non-disciples in Africa and peoples who aren't Christian! We are suppose to take care of our own, not the those who are in world and who have the world to take care of them. For when they do convert and follow Christ, the world castes them out (John 17:16, John 15:19), and then they need our care and help, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:16), "If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him who withholds?" (1 John 3:17), and, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35). And yet we see this constantly with institutional church, that brothers and sisters in Christ are neglected and unbelievers instead are tended to.

I am rather frustrated about this, that the Body of Christ is neglected, while the body of unbelief in world gets Public Relationshs, food, money, and every kind of help. It is time to wake up brothers and sisters in Christ! We need to take care of our own, because soon the Beast will rise (Revelation 13:1-18) and then there will be no ability to help the world because it will bear the mark of beast (Revelation 13:17), and all our food, and finanaces will need to be held in common as in days of Church of Acts to survive (Acts 2:42,44-46, Acts 4:32-35). Its time to stop being Pharisees who look good by helping popular causes in the world, and start being like Good Samaritan and our Good Savior Jesus Christ who is God and looks to humble and servant of all, not the prideful and celebrtity! We are called to serve those in the Church, the Body of Christ, not the world! The world is lost, and only requires evangelism, the Good News of Jesus Christ and Discipleship, then once they have been caste off by the world (John 15:18-19), then we help them.

It is not that we should never help others in need who aren't in communion of the church, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you," (Matthew 5:42), and "And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." (Luke 3:11). The problem is that this is suppose to be to Church first, then unbelievers. We are suppose to take care of our own within the Body of Christ, then we can give the excess to those who are also in need. This is how the institutional church is reversed, they help orphans in far away lands like Africa, but do nothing for those in their own membership and church body. This is sad, and as James the Apostle said, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:16) and the Apostle John, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35). We are called to take care of our Christian brothers and sisters first, then we can help others. As fire fighters learn, take care of yourself, if you don't you are of no use to saving others; so it is with the Church, take care of our own and then we can help those in need who are lost with the Gospel, Discipleship, and other care.

Jesus our Lord and God told us that greatest in the Kingdom is not the scholar, but the servant, "The greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11). The problem is that many in the institutional church do no serve brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus tried to show us with what kind of care we should extended to our brothers and sisters in Christ, "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,^[a] but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:1-17). People often get stuck on actualy foot washing, but what Christ is showing is that you should tend to those in your flock, serve one another; to point that you take someone's shoes off, and remove their socks, and clean their feet; or some other act of helping a brother or sister; the point is to serve and consider nothing beneath your help, to help any brother or sister in need; and to even look for those needs before they make a request. This is the problem, the institutional church isn't doing this, rather its programs that forces the brother or sister to go to the building, rather than being served, they have to go grovel to be served (and often they don't get served). 

The point is we should be serving our brothers and sisters in Christ first, then everyone else. Take care of our family, then go to the strangers.