In Jesus the Game Changer Season 1, sociologist and author Dr Rodney Stark made the point that the Early Churches' care for the poor, sick and marginalised made an enormous impact on their communities.
The early churches' attitudes and actions towards the poor were unprecedented at that time and helped create the opportunity for the Church to grow, even in the face of opposition and persecution.
It is still true that caring for the needy in local communities and around the world is a significant call for the Church. The challenge today is that it does not have the same impact on the community as it did in the early centuries. There are clear differences between the society in which the Early Church flourished and today.
The outcome for the church today is that what was unique behaviour by the earliest Christians is now not unique but is in fact fairly usual behaviour for most Western nations. There are three key shifts that have changed the place of care in today's world.
Before reviewing these reflections, I want to make it abundantly clear that caring for those in need is a Christian imperative and a calling on the followers of Jesus. We need to maintain our concern for what the Bible refers to as "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40). But we now function in a very different world from the early church, so let's take a look at the shifts that have occurred which have made it necessary for Christians to continue seeking ways to stand out as we follow God's call.
Firstly, care is now a natural and normal part of the ethos of Western nations. The response to the horrific Australian fires in January 2020 is a case in point. Millions of dollars have been donated. People seem to see caring for those in need as a result of the fires as usual and expected behaviour. This support is from all parts of the community and many faiths. The press reported on Islamic mosques sending aid as well as help from those of Hindu faith. Many of the key donors have no discernible church, religious or faith connection.
In contrast, the Greco-Roman world was marked by a lack of care. This was made clear in our interview with British historian and writer, Tom Holland who researched the attitudes of the Spartans and Roman Emperors and found them to be "morally repellent". Their murderous actions against foreign nations and their brutal behaviour was not viewed at that time as offensive. The Spartans killed disabled children and Holland commented that people were not offended by this behaviour but instead "they were highly praised for it – it was an index of their moral virtue".
In the first century, when Christians extended care to those in desperate need, their values were completely foreign to the world of the Roman Empire. Today care is a natural part of our society. It is no longer unique or running against the culture to extend care to neighbours or strangers.
Secondly, in the Greco-Roman world there was no social safety net for the poor. While that may be true in some countries today, in western nations there is a substantial welfare system. While these systems may not be perfect, they exist to take care of the marginalised and the poor.
The arguments today in our community about government care for the needy centre on issues such as how much support should be given, who should pay and how it should be delivered. Very few people in the community suggest we should not care or show concern at all. It is very hard for people in Western nations to conceive of a society that showed no care or concern. When first century Christians extended care, it ran contrary to the values of both the community and the Roman authorities.
Thirdly, across the globe in the past 50 years there has been a significant change in the circumstances of those who are the poorest and most in need of support. Professor of International Health, Dr Hans Rosling in his book Factfulness makes the point that many indicators of global poverty have improved remarkably in the last decade. Children dying before their fifth birthday is down to 4%, countries where forced labour is legal is down to just three nations, adults with basic literacy skills is up to 86%, girls of primary school age enrolled in school is 90% and immunisation of one-year-olds now sits at 88%. These are really outstanding outcomes. There is still more to be done and Christians are called to respond, but the need has been reduced greatly.
Care no longer stands out so significantly as a purely "Christian thing" but the one area of Christian witness that remains as something that only the Church and Christians will take part in is telling people about the life, death, resurrection and new life found in Jesus.
The Church must be cognisant that while the global community is looking after the poor and marginalised, only one group will tell people about the life-changing story of Jesus, and that's Christians. This is our task – this is what we were sent to do by Jesus and the Church is the only group that will share the Gospel. This is our role and our call.
The Gospel has been rightly described as both deed and word. The care for the poor and marginalised is the Gospel of deed, and telling people of the message of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is the Gospel of Word. Now is the time for the Church to regain a passion for the Gospel of Word.
The challenge is that among emerging generations there seems to be a growing aversion to sharing the message of Jesus. Recent research from the Barna Group offers some disappointing news regarding Millennial church attenders - those in their 20s and 30s. Nearly half (47%) of practising Christian Millennials believe that evangelism is wrong.
In an article discussing these outcomes in US magazine Christianity Today, Hannah Gronowski, the founder and director of Generation Distinct, said younger folks are tempted to believe instead that "if we just live good enough lives, we can forgo the conversation entirely, and people around us will almost magically come to know Jesus through our good actions and selfless character".
"This style of evangelism is becoming more and more prevalent in a culture constantly looking for the fast track and simple fix," she said.
It is a myth to think people will choose to follow Jesus just because we are nice and caring. It is certainly better than being rude and dismissive of another's plight but more is required. St Francis of Assisi is often credited with the following quote, though few today believe he actually said these words: "Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary, use words."
There was a time when I was a fan of this quote but that is no longer the case. I now agree with Ed Stetzer, who has said, "To say 'Preach the Gospel wherever you go and use words if necessary' is like saying feed the starving and if necessary, use food."
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, encouraged them to share the message of Jesus by writing, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:13-14)
Part of the issue is what we believe about the Gospel. The Bible is clear that Jesus saw humanity's situation as desperate and only His death on a Roman cross would change their eternal future. The apostle Paul taught and lived a commitment to this Gospel message. He made it clear to the Ephesians that all humanity is dead in sin, separated from God with no ability to save themselves, and it is only Jesus' death and resurrection that make us right with God (Ephesians 2:1-10).
In his book, Simply Good News, N.T. Wright points out, "Many people today assume that Christianity is one or more of these things – a religion, a moral system, a philosophy. In other words, they assume that Christianity is about advice. It wasn't and isn't. Christianity is, simply, good news. It is the news that something has happened as a result of which the world is a different place."
The reality of Jesus' Kingship is good news, not good advice. It is the announcement of an event that happened, an event that has eternal consequences for all of creation.
Christianity is not a 12-step programme or self-help blog. It is the announcement of a new reality.
Those eating with Jesus in the opening chapter of Acts, just before He ascends to the Father, are instructed to share the Gospel. He doesn't instruct them to give good advice, He instructs them to be His witnesses, to tell others what they have seen, heard and experienced.
The task of the Church as a whole and Christians individually is to take this command seriously and share the message of Jesus. That does not mean that all Christians need to be walking evangelists but all of us ought to have a commitment to the message of the Gospel. It is our task to share this Good News, because no one else will!
Olive Tree Media wants to inspire the Church to a greater passion for evangelism. With this in mind, the Olive Tree Media team produced Jesus the Game Changer Season Two - To the Ends of the Earth, to help churches recapture a vision for the Gospel. The focus of this series is to 'make Jesus' last words our first priority.' Jesus' final instructions are summarised in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 and His challenge to His followers, as recorded in Acts 1:8, is for them to be His witnesses "...in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth".
While the geography of this quote has changed, the intent is still the same. To follow Jesus is to take His last words seriously: to be committed to making Him known and to using caring, gracious and thoughtful words to encourage people to respond to the Gospel message. There is a new fresh hope in this life and certainty in the life to come on offer, but it only comes through Jesus.
Karl Faase is the CEO of Olive Tree Media, which produces resources to introduce people to Jesus.
