Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want (Mk. 14:7). Christians through the centuries have followed the Two Hands Ministry Model of Jesus (see 3.6.12 blog post for more on the Two Hands Model). corporately as the church, individually as advocates for a just cause like Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery in England or para-church organizations like The Salvation Army. Christians have founded hospitals, universities, literacy for the masses, modern science, elevation of women in society, social justice and the condemnation of sexual perversion. Christian missions have taken Jesus Christ’s good news and ministry model to the ends of the earth.
The church’s “Two Hands” model is especially important because government help for the poor when available, by nature has been primarily one dimensional, a hand of compassion: material provisions to address immediate needs of hunger, shelter, jobs, or acute medical care. This focuses only on one aspect of poverty—material need. The poor also need assistance with wise living and ultimately, their need for a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Many governments have adopted a separation between church and state model and do not teach gospel truth. Governments of poor nations like Haiti are not able to provide compassionate services to help for the needy.
Jesus Christ was Champion and Chief Advocate for all people (1 Jn.2:1-2). His ministry model demonstrated the primary way to help the poor. Jesus extended the hand of compassion to heal, feed, encourage and care for the needy. But the hand of compassion alone was not the total care package. Jesus also extended the hand of truth to those in need. The Samaritan woman was confronted with the uncomfortable truth about the multiple lovers in her life and her need for a relationship with God. This led her to saving faith in Jesus (Jn.4:7-26). Zaccheus repented of his dishonesty with clients when Jesus challenged his business ethics. This confrontation led to his salvation(Lk.19:1-10). Even Jesus’ own disciples, who argued over which of them was greatest, had to repent of their arrogance when corrected by the Servant Savior (Lk. 22:24-27; Mt. 20:20-27). The Two Hands Ministry Model of Jesus helped the whole person.
Jesus’ Two Hands Ministry Model – hand of truth and the hand of compassion - was his gospel .
“The earliest forms of Christian “hospital” assistance, organized from the second to fifth centuries around active ecclesiastical centers, had their origin in the deaconate. The deacon, collaborating with the presbyter and bishop, had the explicit duty of carrying out the functions of hospitalitas. His duty was to help needy brethren in the name of the Christian community. Around the diaconia a variety of activities, primarily eleemosynary in character, gradually developed in the centers of operation, known variously as xenodochia (inns for travelers), nosocomia (infirmaries), brephotrophia (foundling homes), orphanotrophia (orphanages), gerocomia (homes for the aged).”*
“Within forty years of landing in the New World, the Puritans turned to the task of educating a “learned clergy and a lettered people….Of the first 119 colleges birthed in young America, 104 were founded by Christians with the express purpose to acquaint Christians with the knowledge of God. Out of a graduating class of 40,000 in 1855, 10,000 became ministers….”**
* Bernard L. Marthaler, New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd Ed. [The Catholic University of America] (New York: Gale, 2003), 7:126.
** Wesley Campbell and Stephen Court, Be A Hero: The Battle for Mercy and Social Justice (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004), 50-51. 