The Whole Kingdom

Mark 2:1-12

“I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” (Mark 2:10-11)

IN THE LATE 1800S AND EARLY 1900S, after the industrialization and urbanization of North America had manifested both its many benefits and its many devastations, several Protestant movements began to emphasize what we now call the “social gospel.” The movement sought to address the social problems and physical needs of those who were suffering from poverty, exploitation, poor living conditions, insufficient health and welfare services, and more. Many Christians saw biblical prophecies and Jesus’ commands to care for the poor and oppressed as inescapable responsibilities. They focused on meeting material and physical needs.

By and large, the evangelical response to the social gospel emphasized spiritual salvation over all other concerns. After all, the reasoning went, how is it helpful to feed and clothe people who are on their way to hell? So Christians developed false tensions and split the gospel into fragments. We can be grateful for those who saw the absurdity of both extremes, defied the trend, and maintained a holistic message of the Kingdom. Their numbers are increasing today, and old divisions are fading away.

That’s as it should be. Jesus demonstrated God’s compassion for both immediate and eternal needs, often in the same event. He healed a cripple and forgave him of his sins. He fed multitudes and preached about the bread from heaven. He washed dirty feet and taught eternal truths. He urged his followers to feed the hungry, visit those in prison, clothe the naked, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, preach repentance, and declare the good news of the Kingdom. He offered a whole message to the whole person—spirit, mind, emotions, body, everything.

May we never do less. The gospel cannot be unraveled or broken into pieces. God’s compassion is demonstrated through ministries of mercy and his ultimate purposes through the message of salvation. We are called to represent him as fully as we can to a world that needs to see him in his fullness.

{Jesus, your mercies take many forms, and I will never reflect them completely. But may I never divide them either. Pour out your compassion through me in every way you choose. Let me demonstrate your Kingdom wholly. Amen.