A Physician Looks at the Poor:
Luke 5:31 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." NIV
A great doctor once compared his professional duties to working at the complaint desk of a large department store. "All through medical school I studied the body's wonderful engineering. A healthy body is perfect-absolutely beautiful to observe. But in practice, I spend my time treating people whose bodies don't work right. I hear only complaints. After a while, it's easy to loose perspective."
Luke, a physician, knew firsthand about sick and suffering people; he too heard their daily complaints. Yet somehow he never became callous. In fact, his Gospel focuses on Jesus, ministry to society's "complaint desk": the poor, the sick and the neglected.
In Luke, even Mary's opening song strikes a chord for the poor and the hungry (1:46-55). Using his favorite title for Jesus ("Son of Man") 25 times, Luke reveals Him as a true servant of all humanity. Jesus Himself announced His unique mission by unrolling the scroll and reading from (Isaiah 61: 1'2). "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind' to release the oppressed' to proclaim the year of our Lord's favor." (Luke 4: 18' 19). NIV
I've said all that to say this; God's word says; "and I say to the rest of you 'dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good." (2 Thessalonians 3: 13). NLT
We, who are for the most part, blessed more than we will ever know, sometimes get caught up in our own little world. Even in our time of worship and service' we want things to be "clean", "uncluttered".. We already know the answer to this, but; was Jesus' life smooth and uncluttered?
Let us not forget our mission. We came here to reach out to the helpless and hopeless. The portion of society that people just want to forget is our mission field. It is not tidy. It is not organized and it is certainly not boring. God has given us an assignment that is so challenging that it leaves us no option but to seek His direction in all we do. He will guide us. He will direct us. He will give us the strength and wisdom to serve.
We are servants of "the great Physician." He will continue to send us the spiritually sick and needy. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor' but the sick." (Luke 5:31-32) NIV. My prayer is that we will stand ready to receive them with compassion, mercy and wisdom and attempt to fulfill their physical needs and then simply, preach Jesus to them.
It is such a privilege to serve with a body of believers such as we have. If you are in this body and serving, keep serving. If you are in this body and inactive, please pray about this and seek God's guidance. I promise you "He will direct your paths". Proverbs 3:6
Randy Lesseski
Central Park Christian Church
Topeka' Kansas