Holiness, Generosity and Mission
I am generally uncomfortable with Saint Francis’ mantra, “Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.” Since I believe the hope of the world is the message of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I often claim it is necessary to use words if we want to preach the Gospel.
I began see Francis’ words with new eyes this morning after reading the Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus. This document from the early Church describes evangelism in a profound, thought-provoking way.
If you’re new to this letter, here’s the quick backstory. This epistle was most likely written around AD 130 by a disciple of the apostle Paul who chooses to remain anonymous (“Mathetes” means disciple). Feel free to read through the letter yourself or check out Chapters 5 and 10, which were most helpful to me.
I walked away from my time in this letter fascinated with three concepts.
1) Little Mention of Evangelism
We know Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. He sent his disciples on a “Great Commission.” The purpose of the Church is to grow a kingdom that extends to every tongue, tribe and nation on planet Earth. Still, concept of Gospel-sharing as we know it today is seemingly absent from this epistle.
Now, before you push back with “Mathetes wasn’t an apostle” or remind me this book is not part of the Bible: I notice the same tension when I read the pages of the New Testament. I’ve often wondered why faith-sharing seems so absent from the Pastoral Epistles, later New Testament writings, or even Jesus’ letters to the churches in Revelation. I see in Mathetes what I also see in the Scriptures: A seeming absence of personal evangelism in the day-to-day life of the church.
2) A Beautiful Picture of Christian Life
What I do see in this letter is a beautiful description of the Christian’s relation to the world. Seriously, take a few minutes and read Chapter Five of this epistle.
Here’s a summary for those who’d rather keep reading my post:
- Christians do not share common country, language, customs, or lifestyle with each other (there is no Christian sub-culture).
- Believers instead display their way of life through the manners and customs of the culture in which they live.
- Though they are citizens of the nations of this world, Christians choose to live as sojourners/foreigners.
- Christians live out the holiness of Scripture through the lens of the culture in which they live.
What results is a beautiful picture of what it means to live “in the world, not of it.” On one hand, Christians “fit right in” with the outside world. On the other hand, they are completely different. A Christian’s life demonstrates what it looks like to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven within a kingdom of this world.
To paraphrase Mathetes’ description: Christians eat together, but they do not sleep together. They live in the same bodies as everyone else, but they do not run after the passions within them; Instead they love and serve everyone around them, using the little they possess to “make others rich.”
3) The Power of Generosity
What struck me more than anything in this letter was the disciple’s view of Christian generosity. To Mathetes, generosity is the Christian behavior that most explicitly shows the world two things:
- Our God is real
- Our God is beautiful
The one who truly lives as the image of God on earth is the one who takes his neighbor’s burden upon himself. According to this disciple, whenever we give to the needy, we tangibly represent our God by demonstrating what He has done for us.
What if we can evangelize by simply living?
As I wrestle with these writings and those of the New Testament that carry similar sentiments, I wonder if the concept of evangelism is more linked with holiness and generosity than I realize.
Jesus did say all men would know we are his disciples by the way we love one another (John 13:35). By living in harmony and holiness, using our resources to help others, we are a powerful witness to the reality and beauty of our God.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What if your personal holiness was part of your evangelism?
- What if you began to practice generosity as a missional act?
As we follow Jesus’ teachings, we would never do these “acts of righteousness” in order to be seen by people (Matthew 6:1). Still, what if God wants to use our holiness and generosity to bring the truth of His Gospel to a dying world?
Echoing what Mathetes said to Diognetus, men and women will see our God reigns when we show them what our God is like. As a result of our lives, they will believe and speak the mysteries of our God for themselves. They will turn away from the erroneous ways of this world and embrace the ways of the True Kingdom. When the people of this world see what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, they will choose to live as one as well.
As Peter said, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12).
Maybe Saint Francis was right, after all.
