If John 3:16 had been written about Christians, it might have read something like this:

For the Christian so loved the world,

That he told them what to do; But his words perished ere they left his lips, For there were no deeds to light the way. What are you doing about the needy? They are all around us, you know:in our assemblies, in our neighborhoods, and probably even within our circle of friends. They are in our cities, throughout our country, and across the ocean in other lands. They are Christian and non-Christian, rich and poor, young and old, male and female. Who are these needy? They are the troubled, the hungry, the sorrowful, the sick in mind or body, those searching for an answer.

Do you know anyone who is needy? If you don’t, you obviously haven’t looked! Open your eyes and look around, because the needy are pressing in on every side! Jesus said, "For the poor always ye have with you" (John 12:8). Are you blind to this simple statement of fact? Jesus wasn’t suggesting that trying to help the poor was a waste of time. Nor do I think He limited His definition of "poor" to just those without money.

Do you remember how the story of the good Samaritan begins? A lawyer had come to Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turned the question back on him and asked what was written in the law. To this the lawyer replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." He got the essence of the law exactly right, but like many lawyers, the man was looking for a loophole. Apparently he did not have any objections to loving God; it was the love your neighbor part that bugged him. Maybe, though, he could even do that, assuming, of course, that his neighbor was lovable. After all, the man down the street was a lot like him, and even the people next door he had learned to get along with. So, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus’ answer was one he probably did not expect:"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee" (Luke 10:30-35).

How many times have you read the story of the good Samaritan and shaken your head over the unloving, uncaring, insensitive, selfish attitude of the Pharisee and the Levite. Honestly, though, what would you have done for the man? Thrown him a tract and rushed off before the robbers got you, too? Before you answer too quickly, ask yourself what you are doing about the people lying beaten and naked in the ditches today_the poor, the prisoners, the troubled, the homeless, the estranged, the suffering, the wayward. Let us take a moment to examine the record.

A Dismal Record

Most will agree that, on the whole, Christian evangelism is pretty weak. Yes, there are people earnestly telling the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, but down on an individual level, our efforts are generally quite ineffective and sporadic. Bud Wilkinson, former football coach at the University of Oklahoma, was asked by a reporter, "What is the contribution of modern football to physical fitness?" Wilkinson’s answer was, "Absolutely nothing. … I define football as 22 men on the field who desperately need rest and 50,000 people in the grandstand who desperately need exercise." I think that is a pretty good picture of the Church today. A few dedicated individuals are diligently serving the Lord while the rest of us sit placidly in the grandstand.

Although our efforts in evangelism may be weak, they look positively robust when compared to the care we have for our fellow Christians. The salvation of souls is certainly one of our important objectives, but the unsaved are not the only needy. We also have an obligation to help our fellow Christians. Unfortunately, we often give the troubled and needy Christian even less regard than the unsaved. Isn’t the Christian who is trying to cope with a difficult personal problem, or the Christian who has fallen into sin just as much in need of our outreach as the unsaved? People in difficulty may get mentioned in a prayer meeting, but how often do they get a visit, a phone call, or a letter? How often do we give them our time, not just casually offer to help out, but really give them our time all wrapped up in a neat package that they can’t refuse? In my experience, not often enough.

Every day we impassively look the other way while our fellow Christians suffer. Maybe as you were passing by that Christian lying in the ditch, you walked over and said one of the following:

"You are a Christian, you ought to know better."

"A Christian shouldn’t be bothered by trivial things like that. Snap out of it!"

"Be careful for nothing."

"My, my what a pity, the Lord is certainly judging him; if only he had walked closer to the truth."

"I know medical care is expensive, but I’m sure that he can afford it."

"If you would only start coming to meeting more regularly, I’m sure that you will find things becoming a lot better."

"The Lord is dealing with him; we can’t do the work of the Holy Spirit, so we should not get involved."

These are the kinds of attitudes that stand between us and the help that some of our fellow Christians so desperately need. Have you ever said or thought anything like that about someone in trouble? If that is your idea of help, then you are about as helpful as the Pharisee and the Levite who passed by the poor wretch in the ditch. Instead of drawing near in love, you smugly pass by at a distance and shout advice at those in need. Oh, the advice may be correct and proper, and even scriptural. But can they hear you? Are you reaching or only preaching?

Where were you the last time someone needed you? Were you rushing home to your comfortable house in the suburbs, climbing the ladder of success in your career (or studying in college so you can begin the climb), vacationing at your cottage by the lake, deciding which model of new car best suits your tastes and image, catching some rays at the beach, watching TV, or debating the weekend plans with your family. I ask again, what are you doing about the needy? Are you getting involved to help them meet their needs, or are you passing by on the other side? James said, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (Jas. 2:15,16). Are you reaching or preaching?

But aren’t we supposed to preach to people? After His resurrection, Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Perhaps your image of preaching is a fiery sermon, passing out tracts on the street, buttonholing the person sitting next to you, or proselytizing your co-workers. This kind of preaching can certainly be used to reach souls, but I think that Jesus had a lot more in mind when He gave us that command in Mark 16:15. It takes more than a stirring sermon or a brief encounter to bring a lost soul to Christ. The "60-minute miracle" is rare indeed. Wars are won in the trenches, and so is the war for souls.

Please don’t misunderstand. I am not criticizing preaching. Whether it is an evangelistic effort aimed at reaching large numbers of people, or a class for Christians, preaching has its place. Jesus Himself spoke to the multitudes. But Jesus also did a lot of reaching out to individuals. What I am advocating is a balanced approach such as He took. Let us use the two-way street of a personal outreach to build the foundation for effective public preaching.

Giving It Away

We who claim to know the truth of God have an awesome responsibility. And what is that responsibility? We must not just hold the truth, but we must give it away by acting it out in our lives. If we try to hold it, we will eventually lose it through atrophy. Each day that passes without the truth being used, we grow spiritually a little weaker until what we hold is more tradition than truth. But if we give it away we will receive it back again_with interest. We must each breathe life into our beliefs and make our faith a "living faith" (read Jas. 2:18). Don’t you believe that when one member suffers, all members suffer? Don’t you believe that each new soul brought into the body enhances the functioning of the body? If you believe these truths, why is it that your practice is so contrary to your beliefs?

We must help tear down the wall of isolation that we have built around ourselves and around the Church. To do this, we must all come eyeball-to-eyeball with other people. Those of us who live in big cities brush shoulders every day with literally hundreds of people. Who are these people? What do they think about, care about, and perhaps cry about? Do you see them as people with fears, hopes, problems, interests, needs, or do you see them as "Gospel Trophies" waiting to be bagged by the evangelical hunter? Don’t just think about the stranger on the street, either. How much do you know about the person sitting next to you in the assembly, your co-workers, your neighbor across the street, or the boy who cuts your grass? What are his needs; what are her needs?

"But I have enough of my own problems; I certainly don’t need someone else’s too." How true. Withdrawal is always easier than involvement. I see it every day in the subways of Tokyo_hundreds of people packed cheek-to-jowl in a subway car, like sardines in a can, each staring impassively into space, sleeping, or burying himself or herself in a book, newspaper, or magazine. None would be more alone if the car were empty.

Many of us are just like those Tokyo subway riders when it comes to the needs of those around us. We prefer the impersonal approach. We give our money to the assembly, the United Way, or some other worthwhile organization. We mail our tracts to the relatives of the recently deceased. We rely on the gospel meeting, radio and television evangelists, and tracts to spread the good news of salvation. Of course if the person is a troubled Christian, there are ample meetings where excellent truth is preached. These types of outreach can reach the maximum number of people with a minimum of personal involvement. What more can you ask?

What more indeed! You can ask about effectiveness. You can ask about how Jesus approached people’s needs. If you ask these questions, and look for the answers, you will find that there is a better way. The better way is taking other people’s needs upon yourself. The better way is following Jesus’ example in interacting with people on a heart-to-heart basis. When you come to people on a personal level, you plow the ground to prepare for the sowing of God’s seed. It is only after proper preparation of the soil that direct sowing of the seed through radio, television, gospel meetings, tracts, or personal presentation of the gospel can truly be effective.

A Sterling Example

Our record may be pretty dismal, but if you want a sterling example of a compassionate, loving outreach, you need only look at Christ Himself. Throughout the four Gospels, time after time, Jesus reached out and gave of Himself to help other people. His disciples, publicans and sinners, friends, strangers, children, Roman soldiers, and even the Pharisees were recipients of His loving concern. Can you imagine the Son of God taking the time to reach out to people who were sometimes indifferent, frequently didn’t understand Him, often argued with Him, sometimes hated Him, and who were all sinners? Let us take a brief look at some of Jesus’ encounters with those around Him.

Disciples. He called each of them individually to follow Him. Each one was treated as an individual and He put up with their personal quirks and foibles. They had a hard time grasping why He was here (they expected a kingly Messiah), but He patiently nurtured them and taught them. He mediated their petty bickering and squabbling, and taught them important principles and truths in the process. Out of this polyglot group of men He molded the apostles who would lay the foundation of His body, the Church.

Publicans and sinners. No respectable Jew would have been seen with these people. Jesus not only was seen with them, but He talked to them, ate with them, and even called one of them (Matthew) to be an apostle. What was it about Jesus that attracted people to Him? Why did people flock to hear Jesus and ignore the religious establishment? The Pharisees were full of good words, but Jesus had the deeds to back up His words. He lived what He said.

Friends. There is no scene in Scripture quite as touching and poignant as Jesus weeping at the grave of Lazarus. What did He have to cry about? He knew that in just a few minutes He would be calling Lazarus forth from the grave, didn’t He? Of course He did, but there He was anyway, reaching out to Mary and Martha in their sorrow. Can you imagine what this simple display of love and compassion must have meant to these grief-stricken women?

Strangers. What do a crazy man, a blind man, and a cripple have in common? They were all healed by Jesus_they and many others. I doubt that He had seen most of them before, and perhaps never saw many of them again. Why did He bother to heal their bodies when their spirits were what really needed attention? For a sign? That could have been accomplished by some spectacular rearrangement of the local landscape. I believe that Jesus had compassion for the whole man_body, soul, and spirit_and reached out to meet every aspect of human need.

Children. The day had undoubtedly been long and tiring. First, there had been the multitudes bringing their sick. Jesus had healed the sick and taken the opportunity to teach the crowd. Then the Pharisees had challenged Him with a trick question on divorce. Now a bunch of little kids were brought to Him for blessing. Not even Jesus’ disciples wanted to be bothered, and they made their feelings known in no uncertain terms. What was Jesus’ reaction? "And they brought young children to Him that He should touch them; and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. . . . And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:13-16).

Roman soldiers. Even the Roman soldiers occupying the land of Israel were the recipients of Jesus’ kindness. If another country had conquered your country, how nice would you be to the soldiers sent there to keep things under control? When the Roman centurion came to Jesus about his sick servant, Jesus’ response was simple and direct, "I will come and heal him" (see Matt. 8:5-13). What an impact this must have had on the centurion (to say nothing of the servant)!

Pharisees. Why did Jesus waste His time responding to the Pharisee’s questions? They certainly weren’t His most ardent supporters. All they were trying to do was trap Him with "trick" questions. He knew that the hard-core Pharisees were not going to be swayed by His answers, so why did He bother? Obviously Jesus did not consider His responses a waste of time. In spite of their lofty arrogance, He loved the Pharisees, too. So, even though the questions were not asked out of a genuine desire to learn, Jesus still answered them. For example, in Matthew 9, the Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" When Jesus heard about their question, He gave them an answer that was both a stinging rebuke and a gracious invitation. Jesus’ answer was, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice; for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." By showing the self-righteous Pharisees that they were sinners, He delivered a mouth-stopping rebuke. But in His answer, He opened the door of repentance and salvation not only to tax collectors, but to self-righteous Pharisees, too. Perhaps not many of the hard-core Pharisees were touched by Jesus’ answers, but how many curious bystanders found just what they needed?

These are just a few examples of how Jesus reached out to those around Him. There are many more in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Take the time to read through one or more of these books and look specifically at how Jesus interacted with those around Him. A better example you will never find.

In the next issue we will consider the how and why of a practical outreach. First, we will look at goals and objectives. Why do we want to reach out to others, and what do we intend to accomplish? Next, we will spend some time on people’s needs and how to meet them. Finally, the spotlight will be turned on ourselves and what we can do.