Week 30 - Refocusing On Discipleship: The Missing Ingredient
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” (Matthew 25:35-36)
You know what it is like. You thought you had captured that perfect shot but when the film is developed, some details in the background are not clear. Perhaps the depth of field was not right or the focusing was not sharp enough.
I wonder if our desire to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ has caused us to focus solely on the spiritual aspects at the expense of neglecting the need to reach out to the poor and the needy. If that is so, we need to refocus our understanding of Christian discipleship and look at the missing ingredient — ministering to the poor and needy.
John Stott in his book Issues Facing Christians Today reminds us of the homeless woman who went to her country vicar for help. He promised to pray for her. The woman later wrote a poem that she eventually gave to a regional officer of Shelter:
I was hungry, and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger.
I was imprisoned, and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release.
I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless, and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely, and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seem so holy, so close to God
But I am still very hungry — and lonely — and cold.
Jean Vanier, founder of the first l’Arche community for the mentally handicapped and their helpers, once said that “we must climb down the ladder to meet and walk with people who are broken and in pain.” We must also recognise and acknowledge our own brokenness and wounds because such recognition gives rise to compassion.
As I was typing this paragraph, I was interrupted by a friend who requested that we both go to the hospital to minister to the mother of a PRC student who was in need of help. This student’s mother, here for a visit, had suddenly taken ill and was warded. What an opportunity to put into practice what I have just been reflecting upon, which is to help the needy!
Jesus calls us to be clothed with compassion — to be compassionate as our Father is compassionate (see
Every disciple of Christ must minister in some way to the poor and needy. Some of us may see this as our main ministry. For others, it plays a lesser role. But anyone who wishes to follow Christ as His disciple cannot totally neglect the poor and needy. Discipleship certainly involves Bible study, prayer, fellowship with Christians, and worship. But following Jesus involves so much more. It includes the missing ingredient — reaching out to the poor and needy.
It seems to me that ministering to the poor and needy is one litmus test of true discipleship. When James, the brother of our Lord Jesus, stated what constituted true and undefiled Christianity, he wrote, it is “looking after orphans and widows in their distress” (
As Christ’s disciples, how can we minister to the poor and needy?
Start with Compassion
Section titled “Start with Compassion”My first encounter with ministering to the poor and needy took place when I joined the Overseas Outreach to Street Kids (OOSK) team in their mission trips to Thailand and Cambodia. It awakened the compassion in me that has been in “sleep mode” for a long time.
How is your compassion rating? How does it compare with our Heavenly Father’s compassion? Do you need an exposure to bring it to a realistic level?
Follow Up with Commitment
Section titled “Follow Up with Commitment”After you have captured the passion (or compassion) for the poor and needy, prayerfully consider one avenue of service. Mount Carmel Bible-Presbyterian Church has a range of ministries both locally and overseas that caters to works of mercy. These include the Elderly Care, OOSK and more recently, outreach to Novaliches in the Philippines.
Find out more about these ministries from those who are involved and “get your feet wet” by participating in their services. Then look for a specific role where your giftings and passion can be used for the glory of God. Make it a long term commitment to stay on course.
For Your Reflection
Section titled “For Your Reflection”Read Matthew 25:31-40. Does your lifestyle, particularly your attitude to the poor and needy, need to change in view of what Jesus mentioned in Matthew 25:35-36? Have there been occasions when ministering to the poor and needy was part of your own ministry? Would you consider being involved in works of mercy that are being carried out in our church?
May the Lord Jesus who Himself is the Bread of Life and the Living Water empower you to feed the hungry and quench the thirsty.