By: Gerry Lewin

What is the great duty for all of humanity?

When looking at the world, there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer for this big question, but rather confusion. Looking at the current trends of society, especially since the coronavirus lockdowns, we see more people—males, and females alike—playing video games, watching TV and movies, and spending more time on electronic devices than ever before. The hours people spend on social media have increased with no slowing down in sight. This is partially due to the increased hours of working from home, but with this change in society, we are becoming even more so inside creatures.

As Christians witnessing the evils happening in the world today, it can be enticing to want to completely shut ourselves away from the corruption and craziness. Maybe not for the purpose of staying home to watch TV or play video games, but for the nobler aim of increasing our spirituality. Although God does indeed call us out of the world to be separated from its corrupting influences, has He called us to live as monks and lock ourselves away from society to not be tainted with its evils and customs?

Even in our postmodern world, the truth is, the best answers come from the only book that has been relevant in every time period in this world’s history, the book that proves its legitimacy more and more as time moves on—the Bible.

In Isaiah 58:6-7 God says the following:

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?”

God has declared this as the highest ideal for man. If we all place a bigger priority upon helping others, this whole world could have not a single soul in need. But because we focus inwardly and selfishly, we don’t see a world where all people live to bless and help others. Commonly, especially in America, we see desires being played out for preserving and acquiring wealth, acquiring new and bigger things, selling the big house for a bigger house, or the fast boat for the faster boat. Why have the 2020 model when the 2021 model just came out? Even now, surely people are waiting on the 2022 model to drop. We need to heed the counsels given here in Isaiah for many reasons, but let us ponder the following:

What if you were trapped by wickedness, would you want to be set free? If you were weighed down by the heavy burdens of oppression, would you want your load lightened a bit? If you were hungry, poor, or naked, would you want to be housed and clothed?

Luke 6:31 reads: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

Again we read in Matthew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

It is not wise to build a Bible doctrine upon one Bible passage or text, rather we need to have at least two or three scriptures and passages all confirming the same teaching to build a doctrine. Here is another passage of scripture that teaches the same principle that God shared with His people through Isaiah, it is found in Ezekiel 18:5-9:

“But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, and hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.”

If you scroll back up or flip your Bible back to Isaiah 58, you can compare these two passages and see that God is trying to teach the same thing through Ezekiel that He said through Isaiah—pointing us to the benevolent acts of giving bread to the hungry, clothing the naked, and letting the oppressed go free. There is something God is trying to teach us and if we miss it, we will fail to receive the most wonderful and freest gift the universe has ever been given all because we chose to indulge in selfishness. It is a shame to see this beautiful country of America, one of the world’s most leading economies, with some of the richest people in the world, so wrapped up in self-indulgence. The Christian should stand out like a sore thumb these days, but yet it’s the exact opposite, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Where are the Christians who are bearing the burdens of those experiencing pain, heartbreak, affliction, and social injustice? Where are the Christians seeking to help other people outside of their denomination of faith? Jesus didn’t call us to love those close to us only, He calls us to
“. . . love one another, as I have loved you. . .” (John 13:34)

As I stated earlier, you need at least two or three Bible texts to have a firm foundation on which to build a doctrine. When you read a text somewhere in the Scriptures and then you read of Jesus teaching the very same thing for doctrine, then you know you are in the truth, and you have it from the mouth of the Master Himself.

Another passage of Scripture that is directly in connection with Isaiah 58 is Matthew 25:31-46:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

In this teaching from Jesus we are given not only the same principles of taking care of the needy and those who are suffering, but we are shown the reward for the faithful few that heed the counsel, and they are called the blessed of His Father and are given the inheritance of the kingdom. If you continue reading on you’ll see the consequence of being a goat. However, I want to focus on the sheep because for anyone reading this, my prayer is that you too will decide in your heart to be a sheep and to listen to the Shephard’s voice, and live a life as He did. While this might take us out of our comfort zone at times, just consider the discomfort that Christ endured when He came to our lost world. He was extremely out of His comfort zone. He left the adoration of angels and heavenly beings to come to our cruel world to be mocked, ridiculed, beaten, spat on, and crucified for our sakes. Christ has promised that the Holy Spirit will guide you as you go to visit someone in prison to pray with them, to give food to someone who is hungry, to house someone and help them get back on their feet, or to do whatever else the Master may call you to do.

In James 2:14-16 we read:

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

We know that salvation comes by grace through faith, alone. Not by works are we saved, but how do you see one’s faith? Verse 18 gives us the answer:

“Yea, a man may say, though hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

Faith is an action word. Faith looks like feeding the hungry, setting the captives free, giving water to the thirsty, visiting and praying for the sick, and other kind acts of benevolence.

To summarize, I believe that even though we are in unprecedented times, and we may wish to use some precaution when considering who to be around and perhaps wash our hands more frequently, it still isn’t a valid excuse to let the simple Bible teaching of how to be a “good Samaritan” go out the window. We are called to love others as Christ has loved us. Sin is a far worse plague than this coronavirus ever will be. Jesus came here while the world was in a pandemic of sin and He never caught the deadly virus. Let us follow in His example.

God’s blessings upon you.