“During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.“
Acts 11:27-30
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JANUARY 31, 2025
What a church does in a crisis says a lot about that church. This week, we’ve seen the new church in Antioch thriving, growing at such a rate that the head apostles in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to see for himself and provide encouragement, wisdom, teaching, and guidance. This church is full of life, growing in numbers—but more importantly, in faithfulness and steadfastness, with the hand of the Lord, with believers from different cultures, races, and languages. Imagine: these brothers and sisters who likely can’t understand each other half the time, stumbling around in all kinds of social fax paus, building a community of faith together.
Saul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch for a year, teaching, leading, and strengthening this young church. It was during this exciting time that the church received additional visitors. Prophets from the church in Jerusalem, led by the Spirit, came with a grim message: there would be a catastrophic famine that covered the entire Roman world.
What we see next in our passage is stunning. We don’t see the church in Antioch running to the store to bulk up on toilet paper to hide in their homes. We don’t see the church panicking. We don’t see them figuring out where they can move that might be safer, and we don’t see them hoarding money to save their own families. In our passage we see that “the disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea.”
I recently came across an article about Christians in Japan and their response to the horrific East Japan Earthquake of 2011. In the immediate aftermath, volunteers flooded from all over to help the tsunami victims, specifically in the Tohoku region. But long after these volunteers left, Christian volunteers remained. They engaged in not only physical relief but also cared spiritually for those who had suffered such devastation. They spent years listening to residents share their grief. They spent years visiting elderly residents who were lonely and traumatized. These Japanese Christians practiced the presence of Christ.
There were other smaller groups of Christians who came in quickly, passed out evangelistic tracts, gave no thought to the victims or their needs, just shared the “gospel” really quickly and left. But it was the Christians who remained, who spent quality time with the victims, listening to them, caring for them, who had the greatest impact and became affectionately known as Kirisuto-san (Mr./Ms. Christ).
We live in a world of constant crisis. May we be a Church who is likewise determined to send relief and send it abundantly.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What crisis do you see in the world today?
- How can you send relief?
- Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and to speak to His Church.
· Pray for His courage to run into the world’s crises and to serve humbly and to provide relief.
Church Reading Plan:
- Today, January 31: Genesis 32; Mark 3
- Saturday, February 1: Genesis 33; Mark 4
- Sunday, February 2: Genesis 34; Mark 5