Nothing is Impossible Ministries

Jesus stood up in the synagogue and gave what amounted to a mission statement. First, he read the following, which was a quotation from the Old Testament:

“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 for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.“

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” — Luke 4: 20-21

I find it fascinating that this announcement of his mission did not start with words like, “I’m here to make sure you get to heaven.” Why not? It’s not that giving us eternal life wasn’t part of his plan; in fact, he does say as much elsewhere. But it’s clear from these words that it wasn’t the ONLY thing in his plan.

If we read through the things Jesus said, did and taught in the Gospels, we soon discover that he talked a lot about God’s Kingdom. And this Kingdom was not presented just as something that would come someday; nor was it talked about as some place we would go to someday. No, it was something that was already breaking through HERE AND NOW through himself.

Theologians refer to it as “the now and not yet.” The Kingdom of God is something that is not entirely here yet. We still have suffering in this world, and just a short look at the day’s news confirms to us that we live in a broken world. However, Jesus teaches that in some ways the Kingdom of God is here now, though it will only fully arrive at a decisive point in the future.

But in what ways is the Kingdom of God here now? If we pay attention to what the Bible teaches, we discover that it is here wherever God is reigning, wherever his Kingdom life is being lived out in this world.

Fair enough. But in what ways are the Kingdom life lived out today??? Is the Kingdom life only lived out simply by preaching sermons and telling people “how to get to heaven when you die?”

Not if we take Jesus’ own mission statement to heart.

He said that his message was a gospel (good news) to the poor, one that would involve things like proclaiming freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and the release of the oppressed. I’ve heard people try to “spiritualize” these words, making them all about a spiritual freedom that you feel somewhere deep inside. However, in the context of Jesus’ teaching, as well as in the lifestyle we see him living in the story of his own life, these words are hard to marginalize as mere spiritual analogies.

Jesus was a revolutionary, and the Kingdom he was coming to bring was one that was literally intended to shake up the world.

When that Kingdom message has been taken literally through the ages, the world has truly been shaken up too! The following are just a few examples of some of the ways Christians have had an impact through the years:

1. Christians led the movement for the liberation of slaves in the West
2. Christians were the force behind getting the vote for women in America
3. Christians cared for the sick during the great plagues and black death
4. The Red Cross was begun by Christians
5. The Salvation Army was begun by Christians
6. Christians started the concepts of soup kitchens and other means of dispensing food and shelter to the destitute and homeless

In the past, Christians have led the fight for social justice because they believed that it was part of Jesus’ Kingdom mission. Why have so many Christians abandoned this mission in more recent years?!

Am I saying that “the soul” no longer matters? I’ll discuss that a bit more actually in the next blog post. However, the answer is a resounding NO! I am convinced that living out the Kingdom of God DOES include telling people about God’s plan for our future in eternity because I am convinced that we are eternal beings! However, I am also convinced that God wants His Kingdom to begin to break through in the here and now.

His message is not just one of hope for “after you die.” It’s one of hope for today! However, his plan is that this hope begin to take place through us, his Kingdom people. I believe that one day God’s Kingdom will break through in all its splendor, but I also believe that it’s here in smaller doses right now; whenever we take the time to stand up against injustice, to reach out in practical ways to help the poor and needy, to visit the sick and the lonely, to get out there and make a much-needed difference in a suffering world.

That’s the forgotten mission of the church. It was Jesus’ first mission statement. When will we begin to make it part of ours?

Be sure to catch the follow-up to this post, TWO GOSPELS?,
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