Week 3 | Serving our Local Community
Lisa Scheffler, author
During his time on earth, Jesus demonstrated his immense compassion for people. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, welcomed the marginalized, and loved the outcasts. It’s not surprising that the Son of God showed such mercy. The Jewish Scriptures are full of examples of God’s grace and love going all the way back to humanity’s creation. It’s who God is.
In our Neighbors and Nations series, we’ve been considering how we can represent Jesus in our everyday lives. As Christ’s ambassadors, we are called to share Jesus’ truth and compassion with the world. This week we’re focusing on how we can serve our local community.
The economies of the world have been hard hit by COVID-19 and the measures taken to limit its spread. Many people right here in Collin County have lost jobs or had their hours reduced and are struggling to take care of themselves and their families. People are also paying a high mental and emotional toll because of recent events, resulting in more addictions, mental health issues, and domestic violence. The needs of our community are great, and God is calling his people to show love and compassion to those who are suffering.
Day 1
Let’s start this week by asking a startling question — why should we have compassion on those in poverty? Those on the margins of society? Not everyone does. If you look across the sweep of history and even among some people today, you’ll find those with no compassion for the poor. They assume that those without means deserve their lot in life, either because they are inherently unworthy, or because their past choices have made them somehow irredeemable.
The Bible takes a different view, and therefore so should we.
We’re going to look at several verses this week, starting with two from Proverbs. How do you think these proverbs help us answer the question, “why should we have compassion on those in poverty?”
Read
Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 21:13
Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.
What do you think it means to “oppress the poor”?
What do you think it means to “shut one’s ears” to the cries of the poor?
Reflect
God created humanity to form loving communities, but sin often corrupts the way people see others. Fear of scarcity promotes the hoarding of resources. Selfish desires promote exploitation. Human beings can become indifferent to one another’s suffering, or even participate in it. This was not the way it was meant to be.
Genesis 1:27 teaches us that, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Every person is an image-bearer and as such has inherent dignity, worth, and value. It’s something that every person shares with another.
In the book of Job, Job echoes this idea when he gives the reasons why he hasn’t “denied justice to his servants” or “denied the desires of the poor.” He asks rhetorically, “Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:15) Every human being who has ever lived shares the same origin story — they were created in love by God.
When we fail to recognize the commonalities we all share, it can be easy to dismiss the cries of those in need. Proverbs 21:13 warns us against this. God does not take our indifference or neglect lightly. We see over and over in the Jewish Scriptures that one of the primary sins that God judged ancient Israel for was their oppression of the poor and vulnerable.
Proverbs 14:31 reminds us that when we exploit those in need, we are showing contempt for the One who created them. We are failing to acknowledge them as his image-bearers. No matter how society judges them or how they judge themselves, they are worthy of kindness. God sees them, he has not forgotten them, and neither should we.
When we show compassionate care for those in need, we are honoring God. We are acknowledging the goodness and mercy he offers to all people. We are exalting the God who creates in love and desires to shower people with grace. When we help others who are in need, we are worshipping the one who made us all.
Respond
How do you tend to think of those who are economically disadvantaged? How does Proverbs 14:31 and 21:13 challenge you?
Mission Partner Spotlight
We’re continuing to highlight some of Christ Fellowship’s mission partners. The ones we will focus on this week serve our local community.
Community Food Pantry of McKinney
Many families in our community live paycheck to paycheck and are one crisis away from going hungry. The Community Food Pantry is a nonprofit outreach program that provides food to families who have found themselves in crisis because of job loss, illness, a death in the family, or other calamity.
“Our primary goal is to insure that no one goes to bed hungry. Once that goal is met, we strive to guide and assist them in finding a more permanent solution to the existing crisis.”
To find more, go to their website.