Strategic Synergy

There is too much mission work at the the extreme end of mercy—without even an ounce of evangelism involved. Generally it is defended by “A starving man won’t listen to the gospel,” which as a matter of actual fact is not true. In any case, entire Christian organizations have gone that route, abandoning the offense of the gospel. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet forfeits his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Yet the same Jesus who spoke those words also went around healing the sick, didn’t he? In fact, healing seems to have been one major component of his ministry, and then of Peter’s and Paul’s after him. Some would argue that healing was a tool Jesus used to give credibility to his message and confirm his identity as the Son of God.

Mercy and the Gospel still affirm each other, mutually adding credibility to the name of Jesus. “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son. . .” It is no surprise that when the Son “landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Where is the contradiction in telling a poor Yi villager high in the mountains of Yunnan that Jesus died for her sins while simultaneously digging a well to save her children from contaminated water? Conversely, wouldn’t it be absurd to share the love of Christ with a starving North Korean refugee hiding in the snow in Manchuria, then just walk away abandoning him to the elements??

We can’t let fear of a merely “social gospel” diminish the glory of God by withdrawing His love from everyday life. This is especially true in “survival” cultures like China where the culture focuses on the pragmatic here and now, and religion is seen as a matter of politics. There are limits in these countries which restrict the gospel, but at the very least the love actions can be attributed to the greater love of Jesus Christ, and surprisingly often a full gospel witness with an invitation to know Him personally is possible.