September 20, 2010
Con-Angels
Passing through town on their way to California three boys and one girl dropped into our Sunday school class. They appeared to be in their late teens and were all dressed in summer casual and stated that ‘someone’ suggested they attend our church. Two of the young folks obviously had a Christian upbringing as they readily joined in the class discussion about the ‘end times’. The group then stayed for worship, with each one sitting in a different area of the sanctuary. After services they hung around until most of people had left and it was then that I learned they were looking for a hand out. I think that one of our ladies gave them $20 and there was another offer of a gift card that they could use for food or gas at the local grocery store. I have to tell you I’m struggling with whether or not the congregation was just being conned, or whether we entertaining angels unaware. On second thought, I suppose it could be both. If it was a con job, these little angels are obviously unaware of the spiritual consequences.
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4 comments:
Gail;
-----I like to meet life’s difficulties with the mind of a realist. Difficult situations do exist and must be given what they really need. It is also a reality that the church is a community of believers more than it is an organization of focused worship. Of course, it is within that community which worship occurs, but it is within worship that supplying the unmet needs of the saints occurs. So really, as the early church did in Jerusalem with tables of provision for the saints in need, our churches must ready themselves to make provision as well.
-----But that is just the meeting of life’s difficulties. The dealing with the difficulties introduced must involve the mind of an analyst. Whether or not these young people were members of His body is less a decision point as was what exactly was the church’s provision they needed. Paul said, “...let us do good to all men, especially those who are of the household of faith.” (Gal 6:10) These four were obviously “men”, so then it is in the church‘s course to do them good. But not just any good, or even the “good” for which they might ask. The point of the matter becomes, what is the good needing done for them? Any question of where they were going and why is superfluous to a situation of real trouble. The trouble itself holds the import of the present situation; address of where they should be going can be made after they’ve been pulled from the current fire. A more relevant question might be, “Where are your parents, and where are you in relation to them?” The Bible makes clear the responsibilities of family to their closest members, because it also makes clear the meaning of those ties. Giving a child twenty dollars to further his trek away from those relationships does far less than convincing him of the value of those relationships and supplying five dollars for a long-distance phone call to home. The provisions of the church are not always in the form of goods and cash.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
But they participated. " I was hungered and ye gave me meat." I don't think it is for us to judge why they needed the hand out. They could have come for the hand out and not participated. Good for you and good for them.
Hey Lisa S.,
Good thoughts. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Gail
Hi Lisa;
I agree with you. It is not for us to judge why another may need a handout, or may think he needs one. I believe the situation at the distribution tables in Jerusalem where the first deacons were appointed may well have stemmed from some amount of judgment happening. But I also think it is very important we discern not only why someone needs help, but also just what might really be helpful to give. Now it may seem a familiar tactic to sidestep discussion of judgment by bringing up discussion of discernment, but for this topic it is also proper. Judgment seeks to categorize for measuring out reward or punishment. Discernment seeks to understand for the sake of making appropriate action. Paul told the Thessalonians, “If any one will not work, let him not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living.” (II Thes 2:10-12) Although this seems judgmental, it certainly seems to be calling for some sense of discernment. Again, he said to Timothy, “Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband; and she must be well attested for her good deeds, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, relieved the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way. But refuse to enroll younger widows” (I Tim 5:9-11). Here Paul not only calls for discernment, but lays out in some detail the criteria for that discernment. And when John said, “But if any one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him,” (I John 3:17) the “seeing” of a brother in need itself proceeds from discernment. That observed condition of need is quite different from seeing a brother lavishly enriched no matter how much investigation might be involved in the act of seeing. It is a discernment. And discernment is important not only concerning whether or not someone is in need, but also, just what might best meet his need.
But to try to judge someone’s need, that is different. If there is a need, discernment will find it. Judgment happens after that.
Steve
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