LAST WEEK when we began this series we opened with this text followed by this testimony written by Aristides, an early Christian convert from Athens and a well-respected Athenian philosopher, wrote to the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD):

“Christians love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If a man has something, he gives freely to the man who has nothing. If they see a stranger, Christians take him home and are happy, as though he were a real brother. They don't consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers instead through the Spirit of God. And if they hear that one of them is in jail, or persecuted for professing the name of their redeemer, they all give him what he needs. If it is possible, they bail him out. If one of them is poor and there isn't enough food to go around, they fast several days to give him the food he needs. This is really a new kind of person. There is something divine in them.”

We talked about how as Christians began to serve the hungry, poor and sick, outsiders began to take notice and the Christian gospel spread like a wild fire. As second century church African father Tertullian said:

“It is our care of the helpless, our practice of loving kindness that brands us in the eyes of our opponents.”

Finally, we reflected on this phrase from Matthew 25, which we do for weeks to come:

“Whatever you’ve done for the least of these you’ve done to me.” (25:40)

It is like the old Proverb from 19:17:

“Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, and he will give a reward to the lender.”

We learn to see Christ in the pressed down, marginalized, displaced, and poor—the last, least, left-out and lonely. If you want to know where Christ can be found, look to the margins. To see Christ in the last, least, left-out and lonely and to welcome and serve them is to welcome and serve Christ himself. As we learn to see the WITH--ness becomes our witness.

LAST WEEK WE ALSO SAID that to see Christ in the last, least, left-out and lonely and to welcome and serve them is to welcome and serve Christ himself. Likewise, to neglect the last, least, left-out and lonely and refuse to welcome and serve them is to neglect Christ himself.

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do to me.’ (25:45)

It is like the old Proverb from 14:31:

“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”

What motivated Christians to be so hospitable, generous, and with those society was determined to push aside? Why did the Church commit themselves to seeking justice in their cities by tangibly working for the good of all? Was it duty? Did they do it because they had to? Was it a kind of gritty obedience? Was it fear? Were they afraid of the judgement of God if they didn’t? Was it love? Is it that obvious? Is it that simple?

What could motivate the Church to such a faithful witness of presence, a kind of with-ness with those suffering from unjust systems, unjust circumstances or an unjust society held captive to the reign of sin and death at work in the world?

The apostle Paul writes his second letter to the Corinthian Church at a time when famine has hit Jerusalem. For all Jews there, life is hard. But for Christians it is especially difficult. Persecution for Christians there is real. As if that isn’t enough, the farms aren’t producing like they used to. On top of that, Jerusalem is overpopulated. There isn’t enough food for everyone...

Then there is the Macedonian region of churches. It included cities like Philippi, Thessaloniki, and others. The churches are filled with Greeks and Romans and a small number of Jews. For the Greek Christians they are having a hard time sustaining life for themselves. They’ve walked away from worshipping the Twelve Olympian gods and they have lost social standing. As if that isn't hard enough, Macedonia is experiencing a severe economic crisis. Unemployment is steep and so are the prices of goods. Almost every one is poor. Macedonia at this time makes up of some of the poorest congregations in God’s kingdom...

The Corinthian church is a difficult and messy church living in a very difficult and messy city. Corinth is a society dominated by self-interest, of moving upward in social class, accomplishment, and wealth. The Corinthian people pride themselves in self-accomplishment and live for self-gratification.

As a result, the church really struggles to be a different kind of society in allegiance to Jesus because their culture is positioned strongly against Kingdom ethics, values, and virtues. They too know of the Jerusalem famine and persecution and were asked by Paul if they would contribute. Though they have their share of poor people within the church, on the whole they were a wealthy church and have much they can give. Yet, in their sinfulness as well as their frustration with Paul, they neglected to fully contribute to the needs of the christians in Jerusalem.

These Macedonians will most likely never meet the Christians in Jerusalem. It’s half a world away, but being half a world away doesn’t matter. These Macedonian christians believed that God’s kingdom has no borders. In Christ they are reconciled to these Jerusalem Christians in Christ and that made them family. They had received grace to live and they had received grace to give. Even in the face of unemployment and oppressive poverty. . . .So they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God's will. Their sense of WITH—ness with their Jewish Christian brothers and sisters was their witness.

Paul seems to want the Corinthian church, and even us, to learn that the Macedonian Christians, made up of mostly Gentiles, insisted they give to the needs of the Jewish Christians because of their sense of solidarity with Christ and what they knew to be Christ’s solidarity with his people, especially the “least of these.” Their sense of WITH—ness with Jewish Christians was their witness.

Paul says the Corinthian churches are excelling in a lot of things—their doctrine, commitment to the doctrine and faith—but they need to excel in their love in the form of generosity. They need to excel in their WITH—ness. They need to see Christ in their poor brothers and sisters in Christ suffering in Jerusalem.

To what does Paul appeal then? Paul tells it straight: the genuineness of their love. He says in verse 8:

"I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love."

And to what does he remind them? The poverty of Christ and how Christ’s poverty becomes their wealth. Paul says in verse 9:

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: although He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich."

Earlier I asked if it was duty, fear or love that compelled the early Christian to pursue a WITH—ness with the least, last, left-out and lonely. I think it is what Paul points to in this letter to the Corinthians, and I think it is the source from where love comes: a deep awareness of the grace of God in Christ, who for our sake, became poor so that we might become rich.

Christ gave up….to give us….

Christ’s WITH—ness with us is what should compel us and produce within us a love that is genuine and leads to a WITH—ness with others. Our WITH—ness with Christ becomes our reason for our WITH—ness with others, especially the least, last, left-out and lonely.