Addendum to the least of these...

My fairly low key (academic) discussion of Jesus' teaching on the "least of these" is complete, but warrants some outside observations.

While it is true that Christians have historically been leaders in compassion ministries, there is at least the perception that today confessing Christians are at times indifferent to the needs of justice and the poor.

This is at least partially true. We all get caught up in the affairs of our immediate surroundings and forget about others. A reminder is in order from the pulpits across the nation.

The needs of "these brothers of mine" was brought to the forefront last Sunday as the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church (IDOP). It's very uncomfortable to think about our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.

The real rub however in what has become a political liberal/conservative debate is theological. It shows itself in two ways.
First, individual responsibility. The statement is true, that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. This illustrates one of the most difficult tensions in our faith. On the one hand encouraging and helping the needy, the sinner, but not condoning what got them there.

Second, the universal deeper spiritual needs. Christ's mandate to make disciples of all nations, and the associated apostostolic follow-up compels this continued ministry to all men and women not only for the physical, but the spiritual needs. Meeting the physical needs are not enough. It is the start, for certain. And sometimes it is recurring, and continuing. But ultimate ministry is to the soul, the spiritual side of our endeavor.

The Christ-like response is simply as He states it: to show compassion to these individuals.
We need to do it passionately. We need to do it diligently. And we need to do it completely. Not only is this the absolute first step to ministry, without it ministry often can't exist.
As to this being the basis for salvation, that simply doesn't add up, period. But the massive needs of humanity all around us leaves us no mistake there is much to do.