But then I realized some people have no reason to be happy: they've been unfairly imprisoned, or were born with a painful, crippling disease, or were born into cruel slavery, or are stuck in a cycle of abject poverty, etc. And I wondered how these people could ever have a hope of being happy.
And then I heard in the back of my mind the whisper:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of the sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Luke 4:18-19)And it struck me: all my life, the "Gospel", the good news, has been about getting into heaven. But Yahshua's ministry is to make things right ... here!
As the Lord's body, we've been given dominion over the Earth (Gen 1:28). To have dominion, we have to understand it. And once we have that understanding, it is our ministry to eradicate disease and poverty and oppression.
The congregation needs to take an active role in raising up scientists and doctors and legal professionals and crusaders to cure cancer, diabetes, M.S., the common cold, hunger, poverty, and unbalanced power regimes.
The thought is not fully gelled in my head, but that's what I'm leaning toward lately.
3 comments:
And then I just came across Ezekiel 34:1-4, where God scolds the leaders for not healing the sick and freeing the oppressed:
1 The word of YHWH came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord YHWH says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed their flock? 3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fatlings, but you do not tend the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. ..."
So, if he chose fishermen as his disciples then he chose people who were good at mending, repairing and preparing for the spiritual needs of those around them.
The Kingdom is now.
Post a Comment