One of the most important arguments within Evangelicalism has to do with the relationship between “word” and “deed” in Gospel mission. It might be helpful to state first what (almost) everyone agrees on. Almost everyone agrees that Jesus did lots of “word stuff” and lots of “deed stuff”. He preached lots of sermons and he healed lots of people. He taught lots of people and he did many good deeds. In addition, almost everyone agrees that there are lots of commands given in the New Testament about our need to speak and lots of commands about our need to love. The argument happens when we begin to talk about the relationship between word and deed ministry and their logical and sequential priority within mission.
This morning’s reading in Mark 1 should be very helpful to anyone interested in this topic. As we read through the chapter we are impressed by the commitment of Jesus to both proclaiming the Gospel AND to deeds of mercy and kindness. Consider the following verses:
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14–15 ESV)
Jesus begins his public ministry, after his baptism by John and after his time of temptation in the desert with PREACHING. His message is unambiguous: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel!”
However we notice as well that Jesus was very engaged in deeds of mercy:
30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. (Mark 1:30–31 ESV)
Jesus has had a very busy day! He has called disciples, preached in the synagogue, rebuked a demon and healed a friend’s mother in law – not bad for 1 day of ministry! It is interesting to note what aspect of his ministry seemed to have generated the most interest and attention. Verse 31 says:
32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. (Mark 1:32–34 ESV)
As a preacher I am interested to note that there was no parallel crowd clammering for a second sermon! The people who had heard the sermon and seen the miracle came back for a second serving of miracle. That alone deserves a blog post! We don’t know whether Jesus had mixed feelings about the interests or motivations of the crowd, because the text doesn’t say. However, it is clear that the events of the day presented Jesus with something of a dilemma. The crowd, if he let it, would determine his agenda. They would make of him a professional healer and a doer of constant good. What should he do? Mark tells us what he did:
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)
He sought the Lord. We are not told the content of his prayer but one wonders whether it ended with the words: “Yet nevertheless Father, not my will, but thine be done.”
Having been confirmed in the Will of the Father, he was immediately confronted with the concerns of the first disciples:
36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” (Mark 1:36–37 ESV)
Everyone is looking for you! A fresh crowd of cripples and blind men and fevered women waits below! Opportunities to “do good” and to “be the kingdom” and to “preach the Gospel without words” abound! Let us up and seize them! That is the counsel of the disciples. This is the response of Jesus:
38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38 ESV)
For that is why I came out. That is a purpose statement. Jesus came to speak a message. That was his logical priority. He did not come FOR THE PURPOSE of healing the sick. If you heal a sick person and you do not share with them the Gospel, then they die with well bodies and damned souls. What is the good of that? Jesus expressed clear, unambiguous priority of purpose. He came to preach the Gospel.
And yet, because he was who he was, he did not cease from good deeds. In the very next verses it says:
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” (Mark 1:40–41 ESV)
Moved with pity. He didn’t go there TO HEAL and yet when he went there HE HEALED. There is such a thing as purpose. And there is such a thing as pity. That was the manner of Jesus in mission and that should be our manner as well. Go so as to preach. Go with the purpose of sharing the Gospel. Do not allow yourself to be distracted so as to lose or fail to achieve that purpose. Yet go as a Christian. Go as someone who loves his or her neighbor as themselves. Go with the eyes and heart of Jesus. Go with purpose and with pity.
There is much more that must be said about the relationship between word and deed in mission. There is a compelling argument to be made that sometimes temporal sequence may be different than logical sequence. Meaning we may need to dig a well in order to draw a crowd. And yet, even in that case, we dug the well ultimately to serve the hearing of the crowd. My fear is that if we fail to prioritize preaching in our mission then we will soon neglect it all together. It is purpose that motivates preaching and it is pity that motivates mercy. I’m not sure that mission works if we connect those motivations wrongly. The history of the 20th century suggests that when mercy becomes mission the Gospel is never heard. Ask the YMCA or the United Church Of Canada to tell you about that. Let’s not go there again. Let’s stay the course. Let’s follow Jesus. Let’s go so as to preach but as we go, let us pray for help to SEE and seeing let us love and loving let us serve. Purpose and pity. For the glory of God, and the good of all people – so let us go.
SDG
Paul Carter