Evangelism: When a beggar tells another beggar where to find food
Jesus commanded his disciples, ’Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)
This commandment is not optional. It is a mandate for every Christian, in every time and place. One of the best illustrations I have heard so far about what it means to evangelize is a beggar telling another beggar where to find food. This illustration is interesting because it summarizes in a few words some aspects of our mission as Christians.
Each one of us was saved by God’s grace and not by our personal merits or qualities, as the Apostle Paul emphasized in his letter to the Ephesians: ’For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.’ (Ephesians 2:8-9) In this sense, we can consider ourselves beggars, because we know our limitations and we know that we cannot do much, with impact for eternity, if we are separated from the vine, which is Christ. (cf. John 15:5)
On the other hand, if Christ is not the Lord and Master of our lives, we are poor; but poverty of spirit is an indispensable condition for entry into the Kingdom of God (cf. Matthew 5:3). It means recognizing our spiritual poverty and failure before the high standards of conduct that a holy and perfect God demands (Luke 18:13). Jesus sent a stern warning to the members of the church in Laodicea, who failed to recognize their true spiritual condition: ’You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.’ (Revelation 3:17)
Our Mission
Our mission is to point to the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life, who gives us access to eternal life with God (John 14:6). Jesus is the bread of life, who can satisfy our spiritual hunger and search for purpose in life (John 6:35). As Josh McDowell states in his book More Than a Carpenter, ’Christianity is not a religion; it’s not a system; it’s not an ethical idea; it’s not a psychological phenomenon. It’s a person. If you trust Christ, start watching your attitudes and actions because Jesus Christ is in the business of changing lives.’
In order to fulfill the mission of world evangelization we need to have a genuine love for other people, which is not something innate, but possible through the supernatural action of the Holy Spirit in our lives, who also enables us to do the works that Jesus did (John 14:12). Without this love and compassion for the lost, and without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Acts 1:8), we will not be very effective in this mission of going and making disciples of all nations.
There are many factors that hinder this calling:
- Lack of intimacy with God, little dedication to prayer, lack of time and availability are some of the most common.
- Having low self-esteem or considering ourselves somehow inferior to the person to whom we intend to share the gospel (because they are of a higher social status, more intelligent, or have greater abilities than us in some area.)
- Knowing that we are not perfect and thinking that we will therefore be bad representatives of the gospel cause.
- Thinking that we don’t have enough biblical and theological training to answer questions that we may be asked.
- Dealing badly with the indifference, rejection, and even some hostility that are relatively common when we proclaim the message of salvation in Jesus.
The truth is that there is no valid reason why we should not be more active and diligent in fulfilling this mission, because it was God who made the decision to hand over this task to mortal and imperfect human beings and not to his angels. Moreover, the Lord Jesus promises to accompany us in this noble mission, for he said, ’I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:20)
Jorge Cruz MD PhD (Bioethics) is a vascular surgeon working in Portugal. He is a member of the national committee of the Portuguese Association of Christian Doctors and Nurses (AEMC).
