I'm part of a denomination that values ministry to the poor. In Jesus' ministry, he helped the poor, healing, feeding, caring. And it's a good thing to remember that this is part of what we, as Christians, are called to do.
But sometimes I wonder if, in this tribe of mine, we emphasize ministry to the poor too much. Don't misunderstand... I think too often that the poor get forgotten, and so consistent reminders that this is part of our call is appropriate. But what if, in our FOCUS on the poor, we end up actually hurting... the poor? What if in our focus on the poor we're actually missing Jesus' point?
During our trip to the holy land, two places jarred me in this regard: Capernaum and Ephesus.
In Capernaum our guide talked about Jesus healing the Centurion's servant. The Centurion would have been the local Roman authority. The person with the most power in the town. And when Jesus healed his servant, there would have been an understanding that this Centurion was now indebted to Jesus. Our guide mentioned that Jesus was smart in this regard. If the higher Roman authorities were coming in to town, and it would have been wise for Jesus to leave town for a few days, the Centurion would have sent a message to Jesus telling Him. From this perspective, it would seem that Jesus was not just dealing with the poor and disenfranchised, but was working with and ministering to the powerful (Matthew the tax collector also comes to mind).
In Capernaum I was also reminded of how closely people lived in Jesus' day. There were no "rich suburbs" separated from the poor inner city (or rich/hip sections of the city, separated from the poor sections by highways). Everyone - rich and poor - lived together in one jumble of a space.
And then in Ephesus...
Ephesus is a spectacular place to visit. In the second century it was covered by an earthquake and so the excavations they are doing there show what it would have been like when the apostle Paul lived there. An extraordinary city. The theater, which sat more than 20,000 people, still has acoustics that allow it to be used today without amplification. You can picture the mob that arrived there, angry at Paul and the Christians.
But what struck me most about Ephesus was our visit to the Terrace Houses, a relatively recent excavation (actually, workers are still excavating as you tour). Six houses, all linked together, all built into a hillside. All built for incredibly wealthy people. Floor and wall mosaics. Running water. Even in-floor heating systems. Large, luxurious spaces. And one of the six houses was an early Christian church. (How do they know? From the mosaic artwork).
The idea that the church in Ephesus, at a very early period, met in the home of a very wealthy patron... doesn't really fit with that sole focus on the poor. Were poor people included in this church? I would assume that there definitely were. But... There was obviously very rich people in this congregation as well.
And this has gotten me thinking. Over the past 17 years, since I've been part of this denomination, I've often dealt with the poor. But my own experience is that the poor are best served when they get to know the rich. And, frankly, the rich are best served when they get to know the poor. We have things to learn from one another, and ways we can help one another. And if our FOCUS is only on one or the other, both lose.
Which leads me back to Capernaum. I know that in our current society, the rich and poor live and work (and yes, worship) in separate places. How might we be able to better bring the two together?
Because this coming together is what I believe Jesus focused on. Rich and poor. Learning together, ministering together, laughing together, crying together, helping one another so that the poor do not stay poor, and the rich do not begin to think that their riches are what is important in life.
(Photos are of the terrace house that would have housed an ealy church in Ephesus)
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