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Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road
Some lay blame for poverty and need on oppression; others on laziness. Pastor Keller demonstrates that the biblical viewpoint is far more sophisticated than either extreme. He sets forth scriptural principles for mercy ministries, suggests practical steps to begin and persevere in active caring, and deals perceptively with thorny issues. Balanced and informative! Includes discussion questions.
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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About the author
Timothy J. Keller
396 books5,728 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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October 26, 2019
Imprecise and weak theology of the diaconate. Seems like a white suburban attempt to use service to the poor as a palliative against a guilty corporate conscious stemming from affluence. Also, his theonomic understanding of Christian cultural transformation is distasteful. The key to Keller’s appraisal of mercy ministries is found on page 57 (last full paragraph), where he trumpets mercy ministry as an instrument to woo unbelievers into accepting us. At points, Keller seems to suggest that Christians use the Word and the Spirit to transform society and culture, rather than rightly identifying the Spirit and the Word as effecting (not just instrumentally) any real change (31). At other points, he seems to get closer to the right articulation of the dynamic (55). Also, the introduction left me with the the impression that urgency for mercy ministry is derived from our current situation (as described through an avalanche of statistics) rather than from Scripture. Keller tries to critique political-economic liberals and conservatives, but he is unsuccessful in giving a balanced treatment of the excesses of both. There is no nuance in his political commentary, just an appeal to a nebulous - if not utopian - third way. Chapter 11 is very bad. He fails to distinguish between the visible church as an organization and as an organism, and so the corporate mission of the church is conflated with the mission of Christian men and women as individuals.
Despite the self-serving theologico-practical basis of the book, some of the exegetical observations and practical suggestions are useful. Chapter 9 in particular was quite good. His point that we must be on our guard against pride (“they looked down their nose at people who looked down their nose at people!”) was very well made (147). Some of his historical and recent illustrations/models of success are good. I hope that this book inspires compassion in the church, as well as hearty investigation into better resources for a theology of mercy ministry.
Despite the self-serving theologico-practical basis of the book, some of the exegetical observations and practical suggestions are useful. Chapter 9 in particular was quite good. His point that we must be on our guard against pride (“they looked down their nose at people who looked down their nose at people!”) was very well made (147). Some of his historical and recent illustrations/models of success are good. I hope that this book inspires compassion in the church, as well as hearty investigation into better resources for a theology of mercy ministry.
May 22, 2021
Our Lord attacks the complacency of comfortably religious people who protect themselves from the needs of others (11).
[Nietzsche said that the newspaper replaced praying] Jesus directs us to do both (15).
Keller cites statistics about the poor, and that they are getting poorer, and that the poor are getting poorer, but ignores rising standards of living (16-17). He seems to have no knowledge of the homeless rate changes between the civil rights movement and legislation following that had a deleterious effect on work ethics of all races (17-18). Ignoring data on incentives that involve single parent homes, he implies that this is encouraged by welfare rollbacks (18, 20-21).
Keller tries to draw a distinction between capitalism and communism: "We cannot be viewed individualistically (as capitalists do) or collectivistically (as the communists do) but as related to God" (26). Neither of these terms is clearly defined.
Keller uses Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 as a vague proof that "we should be absorbed in God alone" (35).
Keller almost states that the church should do social work, and equates true faith with a sensitive social conscience, without defining what he means by "social" (38-39).
The fall leads to alienation to God, therefore social action is required (41).
"Mercy to the poor is an evidence of true heart commitment to God" (42).
"Wealth is to be shared so generously that much of the economic distance between rich and poor diminishes" (42).
Keller states that I Timothy 6:17-19 requires Christians to "denounce materialism" (42). Another way of stating this is that hope in wealth rather than God is a fruit of the flesh, and not of the spirit.
Keller tries to use Matthew 20:26-28 and Galatians 6:10 to prove that "Because we are united to Christ, every believer is a deacon," as well as Hebrews 13:13-16 to prove that every believer is "a royal priest whose sacrifices to God include deeds of mercy" (43). This seems to be stretching the definition of both terms. Keller also uses the term "alienation," which is heavily associated with Marxist terminology in the mind of economists fairly liberally (46). Earlier in the book he metnions class strugle being an effect of the fall: "Class struggle . . . results from alienation from God" (13). Replacing "an estate of sin and misery" with "alienation" is a questionable tact.
"Dost thou know why the wild animals fear and growl and shriek at thee? Because thou hast a quarrel with their Master!" (Georgewhitefield, qtd. in 51)
Keller comes closes to saying that the church is a simulation of the kingdom of God (54).
Keller deconstructs the word "menial" (56).
Keller articulates a dichotomy in Christian circles: Self-reliance is a sin, but self-sufficiency is a virtue. The church is to help the poor to self-sufficiency (68), but at the same time convince them of their prideful "self-reliance" (59). This could be formulated this way: poor in spirit = the absence of self-reliance (59). The fact that self-reliance and self-sufficiency are synonymous to most people is never discussed.
Keller equates Christians with prostitutes: "When a Christian sees prostitutes . . . he knows that he is looking in a mirror" (60). This can degenerate in the antinomian conception that good works done through Christ are viewed by God as menstrual cloths. Keller then uses the parable of the infinite sum to teach unconditional forgiveness (61). It should be noted that God never requires unconditional forgiveness without seeking to stop the sin that is being forgiven.
Keller states that the Christian's view of himself is complete equality with others: "I am completely equal with all other people" (61). This is true from the cosmic vision, of which Thomas Sowell speaks in a book of the same name, wherein all can be seen, but humans do not have access to this vision. They can only simulate it, because they cannot see all of history in hindsight from Judgement day. Nor can they foresee the unforeseen consequences that can accrue from the best of intentions.
Keller defines humility: "True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less" (64). This line is often attributed to C. S. Lewis, but I have yet to find the source. This definition of humility grinds against Keller's equating of the spiritual state of believers with those of ill or questionable repute a few pages earlier.
Keller's questionable use of terms continues on the economic dimension when he extols austere and casts doubt on investing (70). He equates the love of money with "the constant drive to increase our standard of living" (71). The problem with this formulation is that it is the very saving and investing that the Puritans viewed as a form of charity that has increased the standard of living for the poor for hundreds of years in western civilization. To say that equating the love of money with increasing the standard of living for the poor is problematic to say the least. The love of money shows that love is morally neutral without application to an object: love applied to money can really be hatred of God, a fruit of the flesh, not the spirit.
Keller states that what separates Christians from pagans is "trust in God for material provision" (71-72). While this is true in the abstract, the reduction of the standard of living to an ascetic standard is a questionable direction for a protestant to encourage. It could encourage changes in legislation ()to appear to help the poor but which actually hurts them and everyone else materially, while increasing their realization of their spiritual needs.
In the service of this direction, Keller quotes John Wesley taking Matthew 6:19-20 out of context to translate it as "the Christian who has more than the 'plain necessaries of life lives in an open, habitual denial of the lord' he has gained riches and hell-fire'" (71). While he does not go into this extreme explicitly, he does not condemn this jeremiadal stretching of Scripture for persuasive purposes that he quotes in full. It is relevant that the Overton window works as an understanding of the fallacy of a false middle, when both extremes are considered non-rational. Keller also states that "there should not be rich-living Christians" (73).
Keller sometimes proceeds to oddly specific duties: Every family . . . reads to have the poor into their homes for meals . . . . Christians who reduce their lifestyle to begin projects to help the needy will find spiritual growth for themselves and their families. . . . Newton and others discouraged inordinate investments in savings and retirement funds. . . . Every family must minister in mercy" (76, 78, 123). Keller's very specific injunction in this case skirts the boundaries of legalism. This also highlights Keller's focus on intentions of the benefactor rather than on the actual benefits to those he seeks to help.
Keller once again focuses on the intentions rather than results:
"Let's remind our conscience that we will always have a tendency to rationalize too much investment in our family rather than the poor" (77). While this may be a good intention, this once again ignores results. He does not acknowledge the possibility that Wal-mart does more for the poor in selling products than the church in giving away products. Buying products from Wal-mart may in fact benefit the poor more than charity.
Keller begins to bend the definition of justice: "Perhaps... we must call Christians not to "simple" living, but to "justice living. . . . The relief of the poor is not only an act of mercy, but also of justice" (77). The very idea of mercy is that it is undeserved. The idea of mercy comes from the fact that justice exists.
Keller concludes this section by speaking about the standard of living in general: "The Bible calls Christians to be content with a standard of living which is moderate, based mainly on the necessities of life" (77). As mentioned earlier, there are a number of leaps in logic in Keller's application of a number of verses. It recalls C. S. Lewis stating that the part of Christianity regarding the belief that enjoyment is wrong was borrowed from the Stoics, even though Lewis probably should have blamed Plato.
Keller briefly uses Joseph's "hunger relief program" as an example that the government should administer mercy (82, 100). He mentions that Thomas Chalmers taught "that the church could deal with the moral and spiritual roots of poverty" ( 89). Keller does not mention that this was during the 1800's rather than now. He implies that Chalmer's work can and should be duplicated in this time.
Keller focusses on the intentions: "Our mercy to the poor must be such as to make the poor merciful themselves" (96). While this is a noble desire, this is once again focusing on the psyches of others, which are not easily manipulated. The whole person is to be ministered to, but the changing of souls is not in the power of man. He backtracks some by saying that those who reject the message will be further hardened (97). He also states that "we may cut off our aid only if it is unmerciful to continue it" (98). Keller rides a fine line in that he states earlier that we should give unconditionally, but that conditions sort of come later.
[Nietzsche said that the newspaper replaced praying] Jesus directs us to do both (15).
Keller cites statistics about the poor, and that they are getting poorer, and that the poor are getting poorer, but ignores rising standards of living (16-17). He seems to have no knowledge of the homeless rate changes between the civil rights movement and legislation following that had a deleterious effect on work ethics of all races (17-18). Ignoring data on incentives that involve single parent homes, he implies that this is encouraged by welfare rollbacks (18, 20-21).
Keller tries to draw a distinction between capitalism and communism: "We cannot be viewed individualistically (as capitalists do) or collectivistically (as the communists do) but as related to God" (26). Neither of these terms is clearly defined.
Keller uses Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 as a vague proof that "we should be absorbed in God alone" (35).
Keller almost states that the church should do social work, and equates true faith with a sensitive social conscience, without defining what he means by "social" (38-39).
The fall leads to alienation to God, therefore social action is required (41).
"Mercy to the poor is an evidence of true heart commitment to God" (42).
"Wealth is to be shared so generously that much of the economic distance between rich and poor diminishes" (42).
Keller states that I Timothy 6:17-19 requires Christians to "denounce materialism" (42). Another way of stating this is that hope in wealth rather than God is a fruit of the flesh, and not of the spirit.
Keller tries to use Matthew 20:26-28 and Galatians 6:10 to prove that "Because we are united to Christ, every believer is a deacon," as well as Hebrews 13:13-16 to prove that every believer is "a royal priest whose sacrifices to God include deeds of mercy" (43). This seems to be stretching the definition of both terms. Keller also uses the term "alienation," which is heavily associated with Marxist terminology in the mind of economists fairly liberally (46). Earlier in the book he metnions class strugle being an effect of the fall: "Class struggle . . . results from alienation from God" (13). Replacing "an estate of sin and misery" with "alienation" is a questionable tact.
"Dost thou know why the wild animals fear and growl and shriek at thee? Because thou hast a quarrel with their Master!" (Georgewhitefield, qtd. in 51)
Keller comes closes to saying that the church is a simulation of the kingdom of God (54).
Keller deconstructs the word "menial" (56).
Keller articulates a dichotomy in Christian circles: Self-reliance is a sin, but self-sufficiency is a virtue. The church is to help the poor to self-sufficiency (68), but at the same time convince them of their prideful "self-reliance" (59). This could be formulated this way: poor in spirit = the absence of self-reliance (59). The fact that self-reliance and self-sufficiency are synonymous to most people is never discussed.
Keller equates Christians with prostitutes: "When a Christian sees prostitutes . . . he knows that he is looking in a mirror" (60). This can degenerate in the antinomian conception that good works done through Christ are viewed by God as menstrual cloths. Keller then uses the parable of the infinite sum to teach unconditional forgiveness (61). It should be noted that God never requires unconditional forgiveness without seeking to stop the sin that is being forgiven.
Keller states that the Christian's view of himself is complete equality with others: "I am completely equal with all other people" (61). This is true from the cosmic vision, of which Thomas Sowell speaks in a book of the same name, wherein all can be seen, but humans do not have access to this vision. They can only simulate it, because they cannot see all of history in hindsight from Judgement day. Nor can they foresee the unforeseen consequences that can accrue from the best of intentions.
Keller defines humility: "True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less" (64). This line is often attributed to C. S. Lewis, but I have yet to find the source. This definition of humility grinds against Keller's equating of the spiritual state of believers with those of ill or questionable repute a few pages earlier.
Keller's questionable use of terms continues on the economic dimension when he extols austere and casts doubt on investing (70). He equates the love of money with "the constant drive to increase our standard of living" (71). The problem with this formulation is that it is the very saving and investing that the Puritans viewed as a form of charity that has increased the standard of living for the poor for hundreds of years in western civilization. To say that equating the love of money with increasing the standard of living for the poor is problematic to say the least. The love of money shows that love is morally neutral without application to an object: love applied to money can really be hatred of God, a fruit of the flesh, not the spirit.
Keller states that what separates Christians from pagans is "trust in God for material provision" (71-72). While this is true in the abstract, the reduction of the standard of living to an ascetic standard is a questionable direction for a protestant to encourage. It could encourage changes in legislation ()to appear to help the poor but which actually hurts them and everyone else materially, while increasing their realization of their spiritual needs.
In the service of this direction, Keller quotes John Wesley taking Matthew 6:19-20 out of context to translate it as "the Christian who has more than the 'plain necessaries of life lives in an open, habitual denial of the lord' he has gained riches and hell-fire'" (71). While he does not go into this extreme explicitly, he does not condemn this jeremiadal stretching of Scripture for persuasive purposes that he quotes in full. It is relevant that the Overton window works as an understanding of the fallacy of a false middle, when both extremes are considered non-rational. Keller also states that "there should not be rich-living Christians" (73).
Keller sometimes proceeds to oddly specific duties: Every family . . . reads to have the poor into their homes for meals . . . . Christians who reduce their lifestyle to begin projects to help the needy will find spiritual growth for themselves and their families. . . . Newton and others discouraged inordinate investments in savings and retirement funds. . . . Every family must minister in mercy" (76, 78, 123). Keller's very specific injunction in this case skirts the boundaries of legalism. This also highlights Keller's focus on intentions of the benefactor rather than on the actual benefits to those he seeks to help.
Keller once again focuses on the intentions rather than results:
"Let's remind our conscience that we will always have a tendency to rationalize too much investment in our family rather than the poor" (77). While this may be a good intention, this once again ignores results. He does not acknowledge the possibility that Wal-mart does more for the poor in selling products than the church in giving away products. Buying products from Wal-mart may in fact benefit the poor more than charity.
Keller begins to bend the definition of justice: "Perhaps... we must call Christians not to "simple" living, but to "justice living. . . . The relief of the poor is not only an act of mercy, but also of justice" (77). The very idea of mercy is that it is undeserved. The idea of mercy comes from the fact that justice exists.
Keller concludes this section by speaking about the standard of living in general: "The Bible calls Christians to be content with a standard of living which is moderate, based mainly on the necessities of life" (77). As mentioned earlier, there are a number of leaps in logic in Keller's application of a number of verses. It recalls C. S. Lewis stating that the part of Christianity regarding the belief that enjoyment is wrong was borrowed from the Stoics, even though Lewis probably should have blamed Plato.
Keller briefly uses Joseph's "hunger relief program" as an example that the government should administer mercy (82, 100). He mentions that Thomas Chalmers taught "that the church could deal with the moral and spiritual roots of poverty" ( 89). Keller does not mention that this was during the 1800's rather than now. He implies that Chalmer's work can and should be duplicated in this time.
Keller focusses on the intentions: "Our mercy to the poor must be such as to make the poor merciful themselves" (96). While this is a noble desire, this is once again focusing on the psyches of others, which are not easily manipulated. The whole person is to be ministered to, but the changing of souls is not in the power of man. He backtracks some by saying that those who reject the message will be further hardened (97). He also states that "we may cut off our aid only if it is unmerciful to continue it" (98). Keller rides a fine line in that he states earlier that we should give unconditionally, but that conditions sort of come later.
January 25, 2025
So I originally rated this book 3/5, but as I’ve gone back to review the pages I bookmarked, this book is a 4.5/5. What an applicable and counter-cultural look at money and service. This book convicted me deeply, as it pushes Christians to incorporate mercy to others into every sphere of life. It reminds us of our deep insufficiency, as well as the deeper grace of God. The first half of the book overviews the themes of mercy in the Christian life, and the second half applies it to the church body. The second half was difficult to get through because it outlines extremely specific ways to perform outreach in the church (examples of survey questions to reach needs, how to budget for serving the community, etc). Yet, it still opened my eyes to the ability of the church to serve a community. Clearly, this book left a profound impact on me, and I have thought about it often since I read it. I’ve attached many meaningful passages below, yet these are only half of my bookmarked quotes. Please please please read this book!!!!
“Years ago, Jonathan Edwards wrote a tract to answer the objections of people to the duty of Christian charity. One objection was, "Why should I help a person who brought himself to his poverty through his own sin?" Edwards responded:
If they are come [into poverty] by a vicious idleness and prodigality [laziness and self-indulgence]; yet we are not thereby excused from all obligation to relieve them, unless they continue in those vices.... If we do otherwise, we shall act in a manner very contrary to the rule of loving one another as Christ loved us. Now Christ hath loved us, pitied us, and greatly laid out himself to relieve us from that want and misery which we brought on ourselves by our own folly
and wickedness. We foolishly and perversely threw away those riches with which we were provided, upon which we might have lived and been happy to all eternity.
Clearly, Christians who understand grace will not be quick to give up on an "undeserving" needy person. Christ's mercy was not based on worthiness; it was given to make us worthy. So also our mercy must not only be given to those who reach some standard of worthiness.” (p. 61)
Now we are in a position to see why Jesus (and Isaiah, James, John, and Paul) can use the ministry of mercy as a way to judge between true and false Christianity. A merely religious person, who believes God will favor him because of his morality and respectabil-ity, will ordinarily have contempt for the outcast. "I worked hard to get where I am, and so can anyone else!" That is the language of the moralist's heart. "I am only where I am by the sheer and unmerited mercy of God. I am completely equal with all other people." That is the language of the Christian's heart. A sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of mercy to the needy is the inevitable sign of a person who has grasped the doctrine of God’s Grace.” (p. 62)
“How can we determine how much of our income to give away?
Be sure that your giving cuts into your own lifestyle so that some of the burden of the needy falls on you. Then, look at your own family's gifts and ministry opportunities and find the calling God has for you. Every person and family must minister in mercy. God calls some people to more extensive ministries by giving them desire, ability, and opportunity. Finally, be sure you provide for your own family so that neither they nor you will be a burden or liability to others. Beyond that, trust in God.” (p. 78)
“The Christian's first responsibility for mercy is to those with whom he or she is in covenant. We must give priority to needy believers. Such aid is then one of the healing blessings of Christ to his own.
However, the Christian must go into the world with the gospel in word and deed. It is dangerous even to ask whether we should give aid to nonbelievers, as it shows the spirit of the Pharisee. Jesus has already given us, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, our answer. He provides the most staggering exposition of Leviticus 19:18 imaginable. Who is my neighbor? Any brother, any neighbor, any stranger, any enemy. Our job is nothing less than seeking out and meeting their basic human needs.” (p. 89)
Had we confronted this lawyer, most of us would have concocted a story like this: A Jew (with whom the lawyer could identify) comes down a road and finds a man lying in the road, dying in his own blood, robbed of all his possessions. Upon closer look, he sees it is a Samaritan. Nonetheless, he alights from his animal, bandages up his wounds, and takes him to safety. "Now," we would have said to the law expert, "there is your answer! Who is my neighbor?' you asked. Why, even an enemy like a Samaritan is your neighbor if he is in need!"
I doubt the lawyer would have been moved. He would have said, "Ha! If I came upon a dying Samaritan, I would ride over him and finish him off! What a ridiculous story! What Jew with any integrity would act in such a foolish way?"
But Jesus is a far wiser counselor than any of us. He reverses the expected roles of the characters. He puts a Jew (with whom the lawyer could identify) dying in the road. Along comes a hated Samaritan. What does the Jew want from the Samaritan? Why, help of course! And to everyone's surprise, the Samaritan stops and shows mercy.
Now we see how Jesus deftly cornered the law expert. Of course, if the law expert had been dying in the road, he would have wanted aid from the traveler, even if he was a Samaritan. In a sense, Jesus is asking, finally, "Now friend, who was a neighbor to you?" The only answer is: "My enemy, the Samaritan!" And the final word? "Well, then, go and give as you would receive! How can you really insist on acting differently yourself?" (p. 107)
Mercy has an impact. It melts hearts. It removes objections. It forces respect out of even those hostile to the gospel. Our good deeds glorify God in the eyes of the world (Matt. 5:16). Our concrete deeds of love for one another are an apologetic for the validity of the Christian faith. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" John 13:35).
The ministry of mercy within the Christian community is perhaps the most startling and visible display of our love for one another. (p. 107)
Which is more important—word or deed? Let's propose the possibility that differences arise on this issue because the very question of "importance" is misguided. For example, which commandment is more important: "repent" or 'be baptized"? From one perspective we could say that the consequences of disobedience to the first command would be more disastrous than to the second. But would we be comfortable determining which of God's commands were more important to obey? Doesn't the very question create an unbiblical distinction within God's Word? So, too, it is inappropriate to ask whether evangelism or social concern is more important. They constitute a whole that should not be divided. (p. 109)
On a personal (not abstract) level, it is unthinkable that we could truly love an individual and not want both to share the gospel as well as to meet the person's basic human needs. Word and deed are the proverbial "two wings of the airplane." Which wing is more important? If you love a person, you recognize your friend's most fundamental need is reconciliation to God. But you do not care for his illness or feed him just as a means to that end. You tend to your friend, because you love him. (p. 110)
“The kingdom means bringing the kingship of Christ in both word and deed to broken lives. We have seen that poverty, sickness, injustice, emotional problems, and social problems are all the fruit of sin. We must minister to the whole person. We must reconcile people to God, counsel them to emotional wholeness, free them from structures of injustice, and meet physical needs. But we participate in these
of the kingdom through word and deed.” (p. 112)
But this effort to separate word or deed is not supported by either the Bible or experience. For instance, when the Taiwan Presbyterian Church began to speak out against human rights violations of the minority-controlled Mandarin government, the church discovered that many of the majority of Taiwanese, the Minna Chinese, became receptive to its ministry. The gospel spread among a burdened people when the church moved to help them in their need. (p. 114)
Many people who say that evangelism and the Word are more important than mercy and deed base this on a belief that the
"spiritual" (ministry of the word) is more important than the
"physical" (ministry of deed). It is common to speak of "the priority of the spiritual," but is that a biblical idea? God created both the material and the immaterial halves of reality (Gen. 2:4-7). Both the material and immaterial came under the disorder and decay of sin (Gen. 3:14-19). Moreover, God plans to redeem both our spirits (Heb, 12:23) and our bodies (1 Cor. 15)—both the material and the immaterial. How, then, can we speak about the "physical" as being less important than the "spiritual"?13 Does God give one priority over the other?
To be interested in things spiritual is not to be interested in things nonmaterial/supernatural/invisible/sacred as opposed to things mate-rial/natural/visible/secular. To be interested in things spiritual is to be interested in all of life, now touched by the healing hand of the Holy Spirit.... The heavens and the earth, what we call "the natural half or reality," are dignified by God as covenant witnesses (Ps. 19:1ff., Rom. 1:20f.). They are witnesses to what the earth really is designed to be, the garden of God (Ezekiel 28:13) where the Creator meets the creature in fellowship. Adam's fellowship with God is to be shown in his earthly, material activity, his subduing rule over the natural (Gen.
1:28). That is true spirituality, 14Having said this, we must nonetheless recognize that, from one perspective, the ministry of the word is the most radical ministry.
What do we mean by that? "Radical" often is used to mean
"extremist," but that is not the fundamental meaning of the word.
The radix is "the root"; to be radical means to go to the root of a thing. We said in an earlier chapter that our alienation from God, our condition of being in a state of "condemnation" (Rom. 8:1-2), is the root from which all our miseries flow. Psychological brokenness, social injustice, and even physical disintegration are due to and flow out of our warfare with God. Thus, the more radical ministry to the condition of man is to proclaim the word of faith (Rom. 10:8-13).
There is no more fundamental means to cut the root of sin and death than with the verbal message of the gospel. (p. 115)
“All persons’ fears arise because we are pursuing love and meaning apart from God.” (p. 130)
Every believer is a prophet, a priest, and a king. We are all prophets Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:14ff.). Every believer is to exhort (Heb. 3:13, counsel (Rom. 15:14), evangelize (Acts 8:4), and teach (Col.
3:16 with the word "dwelling richly" within. You must speak!
As a priest (1 Peter 29), you have access to the presence of God, as did the priests of old (Matt. 27:51; Heb. 4:14-16). You have the responsibility to offer spiritual sacrifices and deeds of mercy (Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:12, 16). You must serve!
As a king (Rev. 1:5-6), you have authority over the world
(1 John 5:4), the flesh (Rom. 6:14ff.), and the Devil (Luke 10:19). We all have divine weapons to demolish strongholds and obstacles to the kingdom of Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5). You must take charge!
This doctrine is called the "universal office" of believer, and it is nothing short of revolutionary. A layperson ministers in word (as a prophet) and deed (as a priest), and need not wait for the pastor to request it (because he is a king). Jesus himself said that the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist (Matt. 11:9-11).
Who can outrank an "ordinary" Christian? No one! So we see that every layperson has the responsibility to initiate, to plan, to guide and to manage ministries of both word and deed. Laypeople must not be passive. (p. 157)
Both big government and big business lead to exploitation and corruption because of man's sin, and because God's primary social structures for merey —the family and the church-are not being, recognized and supported in the public arena by either liberal or conservative governments. The Bible calls both government officials and businesspeople to exercise compassion and promote justice for those in need. But both government and business should recognize that neither of them can take the place of the church, the family, and voluntary associations in the fight against social problems,
Christians must not let their political biases lead them into passivity. Merey ministry through the family, the church, and other voluntary associations is absolutely crucial.
What is the result of seeing and understanding the social dimensions of the gospel? Christians can expand their vision for community impact! Rather than simply providing handouts for the needy, Christians should be seeking to "make His blessings flow far as the curse is found," changing whole lives and the structures that break them, And to ignore transformation and reform is to be poor stewards of our time and resources, "If we ignore appropriate reform, we sentence ourselves to long-term and seemingly unending relief efforts toward a steady stream of needy persons." (p. 178)
The church exists just as much for the world as for its own members, because it exists ultimately for God. It is our Godward-reference that keeps us from making the needs of our own people and members primary. The more we look upward, the more we look outward. 32 The church is both the community of the kingdom and the agent for the spread of the kingdom of God.
We have looked at the many dimensions of mercy ministry and the broad circles of felt-need intervention through which the church can literally transform its community. The church is the light of the world (Matt. 5:14; Phil. 2:15), the new humanity (Eph. 4:24), a picture of the world to come, and a challenge to the world to submit to the King. The options are vast and the possibilities are overwhelming!
Churches should not shrink from looking squarely at all the possibilities. Instead of feeling inadequate before them, the church must build a vision for the future, a vision of what impact it can have on its entire community. (p. 191)
“Years ago, Jonathan Edwards wrote a tract to answer the objections of people to the duty of Christian charity. One objection was, "Why should I help a person who brought himself to his poverty through his own sin?" Edwards responded:
If they are come [into poverty] by a vicious idleness and prodigality [laziness and self-indulgence]; yet we are not thereby excused from all obligation to relieve them, unless they continue in those vices.... If we do otherwise, we shall act in a manner very contrary to the rule of loving one another as Christ loved us. Now Christ hath loved us, pitied us, and greatly laid out himself to relieve us from that want and misery which we brought on ourselves by our own folly
and wickedness. We foolishly and perversely threw away those riches with which we were provided, upon which we might have lived and been happy to all eternity.
Clearly, Christians who understand grace will not be quick to give up on an "undeserving" needy person. Christ's mercy was not based on worthiness; it was given to make us worthy. So also our mercy must not only be given to those who reach some standard of worthiness.” (p. 61)
Now we are in a position to see why Jesus (and Isaiah, James, John, and Paul) can use the ministry of mercy as a way to judge between true and false Christianity. A merely religious person, who believes God will favor him because of his morality and respectabil-ity, will ordinarily have contempt for the outcast. "I worked hard to get where I am, and so can anyone else!" That is the language of the moralist's heart. "I am only where I am by the sheer and unmerited mercy of God. I am completely equal with all other people." That is the language of the Christian's heart. A sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of mercy to the needy is the inevitable sign of a person who has grasped the doctrine of God’s Grace.” (p. 62)
“How can we determine how much of our income to give away?
Be sure that your giving cuts into your own lifestyle so that some of the burden of the needy falls on you. Then, look at your own family's gifts and ministry opportunities and find the calling God has for you. Every person and family must minister in mercy. God calls some people to more extensive ministries by giving them desire, ability, and opportunity. Finally, be sure you provide for your own family so that neither they nor you will be a burden or liability to others. Beyond that, trust in God.” (p. 78)
“The Christian's first responsibility for mercy is to those with whom he or she is in covenant. We must give priority to needy believers. Such aid is then one of the healing blessings of Christ to his own.
However, the Christian must go into the world with the gospel in word and deed. It is dangerous even to ask whether we should give aid to nonbelievers, as it shows the spirit of the Pharisee. Jesus has already given us, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, our answer. He provides the most staggering exposition of Leviticus 19:18 imaginable. Who is my neighbor? Any brother, any neighbor, any stranger, any enemy. Our job is nothing less than seeking out and meeting their basic human needs.” (p. 89)
Had we confronted this lawyer, most of us would have concocted a story like this: A Jew (with whom the lawyer could identify) comes down a road and finds a man lying in the road, dying in his own blood, robbed of all his possessions. Upon closer look, he sees it is a Samaritan. Nonetheless, he alights from his animal, bandages up his wounds, and takes him to safety. "Now," we would have said to the law expert, "there is your answer! Who is my neighbor?' you asked. Why, even an enemy like a Samaritan is your neighbor if he is in need!"
I doubt the lawyer would have been moved. He would have said, "Ha! If I came upon a dying Samaritan, I would ride over him and finish him off! What a ridiculous story! What Jew with any integrity would act in such a foolish way?"
But Jesus is a far wiser counselor than any of us. He reverses the expected roles of the characters. He puts a Jew (with whom the lawyer could identify) dying in the road. Along comes a hated Samaritan. What does the Jew want from the Samaritan? Why, help of course! And to everyone's surprise, the Samaritan stops and shows mercy.
Now we see how Jesus deftly cornered the law expert. Of course, if the law expert had been dying in the road, he would have wanted aid from the traveler, even if he was a Samaritan. In a sense, Jesus is asking, finally, "Now friend, who was a neighbor to you?" The only answer is: "My enemy, the Samaritan!" And the final word? "Well, then, go and give as you would receive! How can you really insist on acting differently yourself?" (p. 107)
Mercy has an impact. It melts hearts. It removes objections. It forces respect out of even those hostile to the gospel. Our good deeds glorify God in the eyes of the world (Matt. 5:16). Our concrete deeds of love for one another are an apologetic for the validity of the Christian faith. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" John 13:35).
The ministry of mercy within the Christian community is perhaps the most startling and visible display of our love for one another. (p. 107)
Which is more important—word or deed? Let's propose the possibility that differences arise on this issue because the very question of "importance" is misguided. For example, which commandment is more important: "repent" or 'be baptized"? From one perspective we could say that the consequences of disobedience to the first command would be more disastrous than to the second. But would we be comfortable determining which of God's commands were more important to obey? Doesn't the very question create an unbiblical distinction within God's Word? So, too, it is inappropriate to ask whether evangelism or social concern is more important. They constitute a whole that should not be divided. (p. 109)
On a personal (not abstract) level, it is unthinkable that we could truly love an individual and not want both to share the gospel as well as to meet the person's basic human needs. Word and deed are the proverbial "two wings of the airplane." Which wing is more important? If you love a person, you recognize your friend's most fundamental need is reconciliation to God. But you do not care for his illness or feed him just as a means to that end. You tend to your friend, because you love him. (p. 110)
“The kingdom means bringing the kingship of Christ in both word and deed to broken lives. We have seen that poverty, sickness, injustice, emotional problems, and social problems are all the fruit of sin. We must minister to the whole person. We must reconcile people to God, counsel them to emotional wholeness, free them from structures of injustice, and meet physical needs. But we participate in these
of the kingdom through word and deed.” (p. 112)
But this effort to separate word or deed is not supported by either the Bible or experience. For instance, when the Taiwan Presbyterian Church began to speak out against human rights violations of the minority-controlled Mandarin government, the church discovered that many of the majority of Taiwanese, the Minna Chinese, became receptive to its ministry. The gospel spread among a burdened people when the church moved to help them in their need. (p. 114)
Many people who say that evangelism and the Word are more important than mercy and deed base this on a belief that the
"spiritual" (ministry of the word) is more important than the
"physical" (ministry of deed). It is common to speak of "the priority of the spiritual," but is that a biblical idea? God created both the material and the immaterial halves of reality (Gen. 2:4-7). Both the material and immaterial came under the disorder and decay of sin (Gen. 3:14-19). Moreover, God plans to redeem both our spirits (Heb, 12:23) and our bodies (1 Cor. 15)—both the material and the immaterial. How, then, can we speak about the "physical" as being less important than the "spiritual"?13 Does God give one priority over the other?
To be interested in things spiritual is not to be interested in things nonmaterial/supernatural/invisible/sacred as opposed to things mate-rial/natural/visible/secular. To be interested in things spiritual is to be interested in all of life, now touched by the healing hand of the Holy Spirit.... The heavens and the earth, what we call "the natural half or reality," are dignified by God as covenant witnesses (Ps. 19:1ff., Rom. 1:20f.). They are witnesses to what the earth really is designed to be, the garden of God (Ezekiel 28:13) where the Creator meets the creature in fellowship. Adam's fellowship with God is to be shown in his earthly, material activity, his subduing rule over the natural (Gen.
1:28). That is true spirituality, 14Having said this, we must nonetheless recognize that, from one perspective, the ministry of the word is the most radical ministry.
What do we mean by that? "Radical" often is used to mean
"extremist," but that is not the fundamental meaning of the word.
The radix is "the root"; to be radical means to go to the root of a thing. We said in an earlier chapter that our alienation from God, our condition of being in a state of "condemnation" (Rom. 8:1-2), is the root from which all our miseries flow. Psychological brokenness, social injustice, and even physical disintegration are due to and flow out of our warfare with God. Thus, the more radical ministry to the condition of man is to proclaim the word of faith (Rom. 10:8-13).
There is no more fundamental means to cut the root of sin and death than with the verbal message of the gospel. (p. 115)
“All persons’ fears arise because we are pursuing love and meaning apart from God.” (p. 130)
Every believer is a prophet, a priest, and a king. We are all prophets Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:14ff.). Every believer is to exhort (Heb. 3:13, counsel (Rom. 15:14), evangelize (Acts 8:4), and teach (Col.
3:16 with the word "dwelling richly" within. You must speak!
As a priest (1 Peter 29), you have access to the presence of God, as did the priests of old (Matt. 27:51; Heb. 4:14-16). You have the responsibility to offer spiritual sacrifices and deeds of mercy (Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:12, 16). You must serve!
As a king (Rev. 1:5-6), you have authority over the world
(1 John 5:4), the flesh (Rom. 6:14ff.), and the Devil (Luke 10:19). We all have divine weapons to demolish strongholds and obstacles to the kingdom of Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5). You must take charge!
This doctrine is called the "universal office" of believer, and it is nothing short of revolutionary. A layperson ministers in word (as a prophet) and deed (as a priest), and need not wait for the pastor to request it (because he is a king). Jesus himself said that the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist (Matt. 11:9-11).
Who can outrank an "ordinary" Christian? No one! So we see that every layperson has the responsibility to initiate, to plan, to guide and to manage ministries of both word and deed. Laypeople must not be passive. (p. 157)
Both big government and big business lead to exploitation and corruption because of man's sin, and because God's primary social structures for merey —the family and the church-are not being, recognized and supported in the public arena by either liberal or conservative governments. The Bible calls both government officials and businesspeople to exercise compassion and promote justice for those in need. But both government and business should recognize that neither of them can take the place of the church, the family, and voluntary associations in the fight against social problems,
Christians must not let their political biases lead them into passivity. Merey ministry through the family, the church, and other voluntary associations is absolutely crucial.
What is the result of seeing and understanding the social dimensions of the gospel? Christians can expand their vision for community impact! Rather than simply providing handouts for the needy, Christians should be seeking to "make His blessings flow far as the curse is found," changing whole lives and the structures that break them, And to ignore transformation and reform is to be poor stewards of our time and resources, "If we ignore appropriate reform, we sentence ourselves to long-term and seemingly unending relief efforts toward a steady stream of needy persons." (p. 178)
The church exists just as much for the world as for its own members, because it exists ultimately for God. It is our Godward-reference that keeps us from making the needs of our own people and members primary. The more we look upward, the more we look outward. 32 The church is both the community of the kingdom and the agent for the spread of the kingdom of God.
We have looked at the many dimensions of mercy ministry and the broad circles of felt-need intervention through which the church can literally transform its community. The church is the light of the world (Matt. 5:14; Phil. 2:15), the new humanity (Eph. 4:24), a picture of the world to come, and a challenge to the world to submit to the King. The options are vast and the possibilities are overwhelming!
Churches should not shrink from looking squarely at all the possibilities. Instead of feeling inadequate before them, the church must build a vision for the future, a vision of what impact it can have on its entire community. (p. 191)
July 13, 2016
Solid introduction to mercy ministry. I read the 2nd Edition, not sure what has changed since then. His first section on principles was really good. He lays out the foundation for mercy ministry in Christ's mercy shown to us. He does a good job of trying to tight rope freely giving and also not enabling sin. He overshoots in some situations. For example, his equating of word ministry and deed ministry was a stretch (chapter 7). He views mercy ministry at a higher level than I do. Also his discussion of the rich living moderately to provide for others was good, but not real clear. What is a moderate lifestyle? His emphasis on caring for your family first comes through in several places, which was good to see as this is often ignored by those interested in mercy ministry.
His second section on practice was hampered by the fact that he operates from a large church paradigm. Most churches, even of two to three hundred people, would have a hard time doing what he describes. He is too program driven and not organic enough. Also there is an assumption that the state should do a lot of mercy ministry and the church should supplement where the state or other agencies are failing. This assumption is faulty. His point that magistrates are to extend mercy to the poor is a good one, but requires a lot unpacking in our current cultural climate where program after program has been implemented by the government to care for the poor. I appreciated the emphasis on mercy ministry being something the whole congregation does. But he left deacons out almost entirely. Why? It was an odd exclusion. How deacons can promote and facilitate mercy ministry along with the congregation would have been helpful. The five invitational questions in chapter 10 were good. Finally, his emphasis in the latter chapters on systemic injustice was squishy in places and raised a few red flags.
A good book, that can help a person think through the issues, as long as they able to filter our some false ideas and translate the principles to their church setting.
My Rating System
1 Star-Terrible book and dangerous. Burn it in the streets.
2 Stars-Really bad book, would not recommend, probably has some dangerous ideas in it. Few books I read are 1 or 2 stars because I am careful about what I read.
3 Stars-Either I disagree with it at too many points to recommend it or it is just not a good book on the subject or for the genre. Would not read it again, reference it, or recommend it. But it is not necessarily dangerous except as a time waster.
4 Stars-Solid book on the subject or for the genre. I would recommend this book to others and would probably read it again or reference it. Most books fall in this category because I try not to read books I don’t think will be good. There is a quite a variety here. 3.6 is quite different from 4.5.
5 Stars-Excellent book. Classic in the genre or top of the line for the subject. I might also put a book in here that impacted me personally at the time I read it. I would highly recommend this book, even if I do not agree with all that it says. Few books fall in this category. Over time I have put less in this category.
His second section on practice was hampered by the fact that he operates from a large church paradigm. Most churches, even of two to three hundred people, would have a hard time doing what he describes. He is too program driven and not organic enough. Also there is an assumption that the state should do a lot of mercy ministry and the church should supplement where the state or other agencies are failing. This assumption is faulty. His point that magistrates are to extend mercy to the poor is a good one, but requires a lot unpacking in our current cultural climate where program after program has been implemented by the government to care for the poor. I appreciated the emphasis on mercy ministry being something the whole congregation does. But he left deacons out almost entirely. Why? It was an odd exclusion. How deacons can promote and facilitate mercy ministry along with the congregation would have been helpful. The five invitational questions in chapter 10 were good. Finally, his emphasis in the latter chapters on systemic injustice was squishy in places and raised a few red flags.
A good book, that can help a person think through the issues, as long as they able to filter our some false ideas and translate the principles to their church setting.
My Rating System
1 Star-Terrible book and dangerous. Burn it in the streets.
2 Stars-Really bad book, would not recommend, probably has some dangerous ideas in it. Few books I read are 1 or 2 stars because I am careful about what I read.
3 Stars-Either I disagree with it at too many points to recommend it or it is just not a good book on the subject or for the genre. Would not read it again, reference it, or recommend it. But it is not necessarily dangerous except as a time waster.
4 Stars-Solid book on the subject or for the genre. I would recommend this book to others and would probably read it again or reference it. Most books fall in this category because I try not to read books I don’t think will be good. There is a quite a variety here. 3.6 is quite different from 4.5.
5 Stars-Excellent book. Classic in the genre or top of the line for the subject. I might also put a book in here that impacted me personally at the time I read it. I would highly recommend this book, even if I do not agree with all that it says. Few books fall in this category. Over time I have put less in this category.
July 4, 2022
It is clear that Tim Keller has thought, taught, and labored long in the area of mercy ministry and he has a lot to offer the church. His chapters on the call to mercy, character of mercy, conditional and unconditional giving, the priority of giving, and the "channels of mercy"/getting started were all good. The first half of the book (principles) is stronger than the second half (practices), which includes several nonsequiturs. As a whole this book probably works best being read in tandem with a second or third book(s) dealing with mercy ministry and the diaconate. For instance, having read George Grant's "In the Shadow of Plenty," I may recommend Grant's book over Keller's, but the two balance each other in several places and have different strengths, so they seem to pair well.
September 20, 2019
(This review is based on the second edition, 1997. If you’ve read more recent books on organizing a ministry of mercy – compassion ministry – at the local church, I’d be interested in your suggestions below.)
This book is filled with practical advice for developing compassion ministry groups / engaging volunteers (part 2 of the book). The first part of the book sketches out foundational theology to teach the place of such ministries to the community and to reinforce the role of evangelism in the ministry. The book doesn’t pit compassion ministry against witnessing; on the contrary, the author provides insight and perspective on how Christians reach out in “word and deed.”
A few months ago I read the book When Helping Hurts . In many ways that book should be read before a book like this. The person who reads this book first will not realize what insights this book is missing while giving useful information that a person can use to launch volunteers into service. This book offers such detailed and helpful information for organizing compassion ministry in churches, that I fear that most readers wouldn’t ask, “What other advice do I need?” If I had read this book first, it might have become my manual for organizing ministry groups, and I might not have considered that more information could be helpful.
Tim Keller covers a wide range of areas where Christians can serve their community, but the focus of his concern is material poverty. Other areas of human need are in the list. His main concern, however, is helping evangelical churches (middle class, generally) understand the poor and their need for many kinds of help that a motivated church can provide. The reason I recommend readers first read When Helping Hurts , is because that book warns that American Christianity has absorbed our culture’s materialism, and we think that the solution for people’s problems is usually solved with money or providing some material resource. Not all poor people find the solution to their problems in money and things – which are too often provided by churches without taking time to find out about spiritual needs, much less investigating root causes. Keller acknowledges the need to analyze the cause, but When Helping Hurts does a better job of talking about the dangers. When Helping Hurts also has useful distinctions between immediate relief and helping someone recover from a disaster and other needs – Keller doesn’t write as much about such distinctions.
Keller’s theological foundations are Calvinism. He talks about mercy ministry in terms of the church’s duty to spread the kingdom of God on earth. I was struck by his emphasis on corporate duty (he would object to the word “duty” because he acknowledges the need for love to motivate the church). When I think of mercy ministry, my Christian vocation both as a church member and a member of the community is how I conceive of helping others. What has God called me to do for my neighbor? Ironically, I am an organizer of corporate mercy ministries, so in reality I don’t confine my thinking to private relationships. Yet I think of how John Calvin tried to create theocracies as an expression of the Kingdom of God, and I see where my views are shaped by a different theology.
While I agree that we need to take into account that human systems are flawed and that the poor can be the victims of such flaws, I felt uncomfortable with Keller’s discussion of church’s obligations to accuse corporations in the community of doing evil with regard to the amount they pay employees. In general, I share his concerns and his convictions that the Lord wants us to show compassion, but he and I are coming from different directions even though we believe in some of the same solutions.
I didn’t take the time to investigate Keller’s use of the Old Testament, on which he heavily relies as he discusses the obligations of believers. Whenever discussion about God’s will for believers relies heavily on Old Testament references, Christians should evaluate whether the passage was directed to the nation of Israel as God’s covenant people, or whether the command / principle is repeated in the New Testament because it is part of God unchanging moral law. I did feel that Keller was vague on the shift from the Old Testament tithe to the New Testament’s emphasis on generosity.
Similarly, although he clearly says in several places that leaders must motivate church members to respond in love not duty, still Keller will fall into saying that a Christian MUST do this or that (speaking about poverty), instead of showing the privilege and wisdom of such a course of action (and allowing for the infinite variety of Christian maturity, perception, station in life, etc.).
In the generation since this book was published, some of Keller’s expressions have become outdated. I remember years ago when the Church Growth movement coming out of Fuller Theological used the term “felt needs.” Churches were told to use “felt needs” – areas of life that unchurched people perceived as necessities – as bridges for communicating the gospel. People feel they need financial planning information, so if a church offers a Dave Ramsey course, it will draw people that don’t realize they need Jesus. In the context of compassion ministry, “felt needs” feels like an artificial concept, as though the poor or parents of a child with developmental disabilities only “feel” they need help in those areas. I know that’s not how the expression is intended, but clearly evangelicals have a different way of speaking 20 years later. To his credit, when Keller refers to the work of Church Growth promoter Peter Wagner, he often points out weaknesses in a term or concept.
Despite the criticisms I’ve offered, I have to say that this book is packed with useful advice, warnings and spiritual insight. It could (and probably) should be read annually by leaders of church compassion ministry groups. Keller makes strong points, and then follows with warnings about how acting on his advice could fail, if the reader fails to take certain steps.
Speaking of developmental disabilities, Keller’s book is also outdated in using the “R word” to describe people with Down’s or disabilities like that. It was a perfectly acceptable word years ago, but no longer.
Spiritual gifts inventories have been popular since the time this book was written but Keller points out a few weaknesses. One interesting point is that asking a church member to do a self-evaluation before the giving the person opportunities to serve can create an artificial barrier. The person may say, “I don’t have the gift of evangelism, I’m a person who serves” not understanding that the evangelism team would be enriched with the gifts of service. People with the gifts of compassion or encouragement could be excellent teachers, just different from someone with the gift of teaching. Keller offers other ways to find out about spiritual gifts that may be more helpful than the deductive tool commonly used in evangelical churches.
Each chapter ends with discussion questions, so that the book could be used by church leaders to create a conversation that will lead to new ministries of mercy. The questions are good, but sometimes the answers to those questions have been better supplied in When Helping Hurts. Each chapter also provides references to inform the reader of others who have made the same points. The book ends with a bibliography of recommended books on this subject and summaries of why the books are recommended. Unfortunately, the most recent book in the list was published in 1985. Again, I hope someone will point me to more recent literature on ministries of mercy. I’m sure a lot more has been written since this book was updated in 1997.
This book is filled with practical advice for developing compassion ministry groups / engaging volunteers (part 2 of the book). The first part of the book sketches out foundational theology to teach the place of such ministries to the community and to reinforce the role of evangelism in the ministry. The book doesn’t pit compassion ministry against witnessing; on the contrary, the author provides insight and perspective on how Christians reach out in “word and deed.”
A few months ago I read the book When Helping Hurts . In many ways that book should be read before a book like this. The person who reads this book first will not realize what insights this book is missing while giving useful information that a person can use to launch volunteers into service. This book offers such detailed and helpful information for organizing compassion ministry in churches, that I fear that most readers wouldn’t ask, “What other advice do I need?” If I had read this book first, it might have become my manual for organizing ministry groups, and I might not have considered that more information could be helpful.
Tim Keller covers a wide range of areas where Christians can serve their community, but the focus of his concern is material poverty. Other areas of human need are in the list. His main concern, however, is helping evangelical churches (middle class, generally) understand the poor and their need for many kinds of help that a motivated church can provide. The reason I recommend readers first read When Helping Hurts , is because that book warns that American Christianity has absorbed our culture’s materialism, and we think that the solution for people’s problems is usually solved with money or providing some material resource. Not all poor people find the solution to their problems in money and things – which are too often provided by churches without taking time to find out about spiritual needs, much less investigating root causes. Keller acknowledges the need to analyze the cause, but When Helping Hurts does a better job of talking about the dangers. When Helping Hurts also has useful distinctions between immediate relief and helping someone recover from a disaster and other needs – Keller doesn’t write as much about such distinctions.
Keller’s theological foundations are Calvinism. He talks about mercy ministry in terms of the church’s duty to spread the kingdom of God on earth. I was struck by his emphasis on corporate duty (he would object to the word “duty” because he acknowledges the need for love to motivate the church). When I think of mercy ministry, my Christian vocation both as a church member and a member of the community is how I conceive of helping others. What has God called me to do for my neighbor? Ironically, I am an organizer of corporate mercy ministries, so in reality I don’t confine my thinking to private relationships. Yet I think of how John Calvin tried to create theocracies as an expression of the Kingdom of God, and I see where my views are shaped by a different theology.
While I agree that we need to take into account that human systems are flawed and that the poor can be the victims of such flaws, I felt uncomfortable with Keller’s discussion of church’s obligations to accuse corporations in the community of doing evil with regard to the amount they pay employees. In general, I share his concerns and his convictions that the Lord wants us to show compassion, but he and I are coming from different directions even though we believe in some of the same solutions.
I didn’t take the time to investigate Keller’s use of the Old Testament, on which he heavily relies as he discusses the obligations of believers. Whenever discussion about God’s will for believers relies heavily on Old Testament references, Christians should evaluate whether the passage was directed to the nation of Israel as God’s covenant people, or whether the command / principle is repeated in the New Testament because it is part of God unchanging moral law. I did feel that Keller was vague on the shift from the Old Testament tithe to the New Testament’s emphasis on generosity.
Similarly, although he clearly says in several places that leaders must motivate church members to respond in love not duty, still Keller will fall into saying that a Christian MUST do this or that (speaking about poverty), instead of showing the privilege and wisdom of such a course of action (and allowing for the infinite variety of Christian maturity, perception, station in life, etc.).
In the generation since this book was published, some of Keller’s expressions have become outdated. I remember years ago when the Church Growth movement coming out of Fuller Theological used the term “felt needs.” Churches were told to use “felt needs” – areas of life that unchurched people perceived as necessities – as bridges for communicating the gospel. People feel they need financial planning information, so if a church offers a Dave Ramsey course, it will draw people that don’t realize they need Jesus. In the context of compassion ministry, “felt needs” feels like an artificial concept, as though the poor or parents of a child with developmental disabilities only “feel” they need help in those areas. I know that’s not how the expression is intended, but clearly evangelicals have a different way of speaking 20 years later. To his credit, when Keller refers to the work of Church Growth promoter Peter Wagner, he often points out weaknesses in a term or concept.
Despite the criticisms I’ve offered, I have to say that this book is packed with useful advice, warnings and spiritual insight. It could (and probably) should be read annually by leaders of church compassion ministry groups. Keller makes strong points, and then follows with warnings about how acting on his advice could fail, if the reader fails to take certain steps.
Speaking of developmental disabilities, Keller’s book is also outdated in using the “R word” to describe people with Down’s or disabilities like that. It was a perfectly acceptable word years ago, but no longer.
Spiritual gifts inventories have been popular since the time this book was written but Keller points out a few weaknesses. One interesting point is that asking a church member to do a self-evaluation before the giving the person opportunities to serve can create an artificial barrier. The person may say, “I don’t have the gift of evangelism, I’m a person who serves” not understanding that the evangelism team would be enriched with the gifts of service. People with the gifts of compassion or encouragement could be excellent teachers, just different from someone with the gift of teaching. Keller offers other ways to find out about spiritual gifts that may be more helpful than the deductive tool commonly used in evangelical churches.
Each chapter ends with discussion questions, so that the book could be used by church leaders to create a conversation that will lead to new ministries of mercy. The questions are good, but sometimes the answers to those questions have been better supplied in When Helping Hurts. Each chapter also provides references to inform the reader of others who have made the same points. The book ends with a bibliography of recommended books on this subject and summaries of why the books are recommended. Unfortunately, the most recent book in the list was published in 1985. Again, I hope someone will point me to more recent literature on ministries of mercy. I’m sure a lot more has been written since this book was updated in 1997.
June 29, 2021
You should have a "go to" book in every category. My problem is that my "go to" books all are beginning to be Tim Keller books. Work? "Every good endeavor" Church planting? "Center Church" Preaching? "Preaching" Prayer? "Prayer" (Hey, I didn't say that Keller was creative in his titles) And now I've added a new one.
Keller starts out with an overview of needs, which although somewhat dated, probably have not changed significantly. Either way, the exact numbers are not the point as much as the overwhelming need. Keller moves into why we should address these needs and then how we should address them.
I found that some of Keller's most helpful passages (and there was a lot of competition) were
1. His discussion of how good works and evangelism work together. He lays out 5 views and in typical Keller fashion, aims for the most balanced. Neither without each other, Neither as a means to the other.
2. His discussion of should we give mercy to only those who deserve? He speaks of how grace should be first given freely and then love drives us to have the needy assist us in their assistance. One of the most helpful things he says is that only mercy limits mercy. As I look at my own heart I realize how impossible it is to live this way consistently. But, hey, welcome to the Christian life.
3. His nuts-and-bolts ways of starting a mercy ministry. Everyone with volunteers will benefit from his discussion of how to organize volunteers. Also, especially as someone in a leadership role, his admonition that lay ministry drives mercy ministry strikes me as both refreshing and sustainable.
Mercy ministry is a hard road, but I can't imagine a ministry that wouldn't benefit from this book.
Keller starts out with an overview of needs, which although somewhat dated, probably have not changed significantly. Either way, the exact numbers are not the point as much as the overwhelming need. Keller moves into why we should address these needs and then how we should address them.
I found that some of Keller's most helpful passages (and there was a lot of competition) were
1. His discussion of how good works and evangelism work together. He lays out 5 views and in typical Keller fashion, aims for the most balanced. Neither without each other, Neither as a means to the other.
2. His discussion of should we give mercy to only those who deserve? He speaks of how grace should be first given freely and then love drives us to have the needy assist us in their assistance. One of the most helpful things he says is that only mercy limits mercy. As I look at my own heart I realize how impossible it is to live this way consistently. But, hey, welcome to the Christian life.
3. His nuts-and-bolts ways of starting a mercy ministry. Everyone with volunteers will benefit from his discussion of how to organize volunteers. Also, especially as someone in a leadership role, his admonition that lay ministry drives mercy ministry strikes me as both refreshing and sustainable.
Mercy ministry is a hard road, but I can't imagine a ministry that wouldn't benefit from this book.
May 2, 2024
Certainly not a quick and easy read. Not because of its length (just over 200 pages). Not because of its writing style (casual from the late 1900s). Every chapter is convincing and convicting. The monumental task of continuously extending mercy seems daunting and exhausting. However, Keller strikes the nigh impossible balances between political polarizations and religious extremes. This really should be the go-to book for all Christians as we discern how God desires to use us to build His kingdom here and now.
The way Keller meshes evangelism together with acts of mercy shifted the way I think about it. Just as Christ descended in His incarnation, so too He presses Himself into the lowest of our society through the work of the church, His body. Just as a memorable educational presentation includes demonstrations in order to convey a point (like cats at a vet school), so too our evangelism must go hand-in-hand with physical manifestations of God's kingdom.
The way Keller meshes evangelism together with acts of mercy shifted the way I think about it. Just as Christ descended in His incarnation, so too He presses Himself into the lowest of our society through the work of the church, His body. Just as a memorable educational presentation includes demonstrations in order to convey a point (like cats at a vet school), so too our evangelism must go hand-in-hand with physical manifestations of God's kingdom.
June 20, 2019
It's a tour de force of Mercy at work in the life of Christians.
Keller does a fine job of presenting a case for Christian response to the parable of the good Samaritan, the merciful character of God throughout Scripture, and the example of Christians in church history.
He helpfully lays out a working plan for learning and responding to the needs of the church's community and displaying God's mercy to those in need.
Keller shows his wisdom, and experience in all the many nooks and crannies his advice enters in this book. He challenges the activist, the inactivist, the Republican and the Democrat. Many will disagree with points of this book, but I found it to be a good shove toward pleasing God by showing mercy to the needy, and a deep book of practical and balanced advice for making a significant response to the needs around me.
Keller does a fine job of presenting a case for Christian response to the parable of the good Samaritan, the merciful character of God throughout Scripture, and the example of Christians in church history.
He helpfully lays out a working plan for learning and responding to the needs of the church's community and displaying God's mercy to those in need.
Keller shows his wisdom, and experience in all the many nooks and crannies his advice enters in this book. He challenges the activist, the inactivist, the Republican and the Democrat. Many will disagree with points of this book, but I found it to be a good shove toward pleasing God by showing mercy to the needy, and a deep book of practical and balanced advice for making a significant response to the needs around me.
July 12, 2024
No estoy de acuerdo con la forma en que la labor eclesiastica es presentada (a nivel institucional) ya que técnicamente la convierte en un centro de ayuda y rehabilitación social o una organización benéfica. No obstante creo que se pueden extraer principios que nos impulsan a ser más compasivos y empáticos, rescato las reflexiones que nos llevan a una mayor comprensión de la gracia y misericordia y entender que estamos tratando con personas compuestas por varias areas y que en cada una de ellas requieren ayuda y comprensión.
September 26, 2019
Some brilliant chapters. Some dull chapters (mostly about the nitty gritty of programs). Also, it had some dated language that was probably appropriate when the first edition came out, but no longer is appropriate or contemporary. (I don’t know if the audiobook I listened was the original addition or the newest one, so perhaps that has been updated.)
March 26, 2022
While this book provides practical ways for the church to serve their communities, it feels outdated and very bias. I felt that it further perpetuated stereotypes of the poor and teetered justifying the “worthy” or “unworthy” poor. I wonder how Keller would approach this book now post pandemic. I’d like to see a book tackling how the church can tackle system level issues-but that’s just my social work brain at work.
I don’t hate the suggestions he provided, I just want the church to have less of and “us” and “them” perspective.
I don’t hate the suggestions he provided, I just want the church to have less of and “us” and “them” perspective.
August 27, 2019
Tim really gave me a wider, more encompassing view of the gospel that I never really understood before. The gospel is ministering to every need...not just a vocal sermon on Jn 3:16.
April 9, 2022
I found this to be incisive and full of good questions and answers about practical mercy. Worth a couple of read throughs.
July 20, 2025
For most of this, I kept sarcastically thinking, "Thank God the Holy Spirit doesn't need to do any work." Very repetitive, excellent points, and provides practical steps to implement.
May 19, 2019
What an amazing book! The first half was gospel-rich, laying the foundation for mercy ministry with beautiful reflections of God’s own mercy. The second half was intensely practical, a guide to help individuals, small groups, and churches begin ministering.
I was so blessed by the focus on the gospel and the continual calling-back to a Kingdom focus—I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows what it is to receive God’s mercy!
I was so blessed by the focus on the gospel and the continual calling-back to a Kingdom focus—I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows what it is to receive God’s mercy!
August 8, 2020
Buen libro que nos motiva a dar. Esperaba algo diferente viniendo del autor pero es una buena lectura
November 29, 2017
This is one of the most helpful books I’ve read in a long time. It clearly lays out why we should serve others in need, and many practical ways to navigate that overwhelming calling. I️ think everyone would benefit from reading this book.
January 8, 2023
Read during training for the diaconate in 1st half of 2021. Excellent. Want to re-read with our deacon board and implement some of the suggested activities.
June 16, 2025
Tim offers a deeply biblical perspective on mercy both as an individual believer and it rocked my soul. We’ve overlooked the story of the Good Samaritan and taken for just a story rather than a lifestyle to be lived that brings us into the mission of God. If God is all about redeeming, restoring, resurrecting our lives must be aligned with Him as a genuine display of our faith and belonging to the way. It broke my heart for the broken and brokenness of our world but also fueled me with encouragement to engage more zealously for the gospel. Also, made me think about our systems of the world with a deeper sense to combat the spiritual warfare on display - see it for what it really is and how my own life plays a role. The life of church and its meaning for mission come alive in this book.
August 19, 2014
A very terrible and hard book for me to swallow and stomach which mainly focusses on the parable of the Good Samaritan. When I was reading Generous Justice few months back (and was financially stable), the concept of giving to the needy is still within 'acceptable and comfortable' range. But now that I am tighter in budget and being presented a book that shares the same theme as Generous Justice, it actually starts to become increasingly difficult to stomach some of the teachings in the book that was deemed necessary to the faith.
The introduction of the book talks about statistics of people living in poverty, low income, homeless people and stuff like that, which is quite staggering given the numbers that is presented in the book and survey which is done a few years back. When the statistics and facts are combined, the truth is just too heart breaking...Indeed, when the teacher of the law asked Jesus "Who are my neighbours?"; the neighbours are no other than all these needy people that are around. Those numbers you see in the introduction.
Even from the starting point of the book, it's apparent that the writer is begging the question, "So what are you going to do about this?".
Last but not least will be this horrible quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne in the book that made me a bit sleepless.
In the process of reading it, so far it looks like a good book but definitely a terrible book to read before bed time.
The introduction of the book talks about statistics of people living in poverty, low income, homeless people and stuff like that, which is quite staggering given the numbers that is presented in the book and survey which is done a few years back. When the statistics and facts are combined, the truth is just too heart breaking...Indeed, when the teacher of the law asked Jesus "Who are my neighbours?"; the neighbours are no other than all these needy people that are around. Those numbers you see in the introduction.
Even from the starting point of the book, it's apparent that the writer is begging the question, "So what are you going to do about this?".
Last but not least will be this horrible quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne in the book that made me a bit sleepless.
"I fear there are some Christians among you to whom Christ cannot say [“Well done, good and faithful servant”]. Your haughty dwelling rises…thousands…have scarce a fire to warm themselves at, and have but little clothing to keep out the biting frost; and yet you never darkened their door. You heave a sigh, perhaps, at a distance, but you do not visit them. Ah! my dear friends! I am concerned for the poor, but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you in the great day. You seem to be Christians, and yet you care not for his poor. Oh, what a change will pass upon you as you enter the gates of heaven! You will be saved, but that will be all. There will be no abundant entrance for you: ‘He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly’….I fear there are many hearing me who now know well that they are not Christians because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudging at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. Oh, my friends! enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly, for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity."
In the process of reading it, so far it looks like a good book but definitely a terrible book to read before bed time.
December 3, 2020
A radical, biblical call to loving and serving the poor and disadvantaged. The first half develops principles from the story of the Good Samaritan. The second half is a thorough and detailed exploration of how the local church can do this in practice. The printed book is now in its 3rd edition (2015) so it's a shame that the audio book is the first edition (1989) - otherwise I would have given 4 stars. Nevertheless it is surprisingly relevant and the first half in particular is a fresh and powerful call to love our neighbours in works of mercy alongside preaching the gospel.
May 24, 2012
Originally posted at Honey and Locusts.
I read this book and Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just back-to-back, even though they were written 14 years apart. Keller has been remarkably consistent over the course of his ministry; his concern for addressing social justice issues from a conservative, evangelical view (particularly in urban settings) has been one of the central themes of his teaching for decades. Though his more recent books have garnered much more attention, this -- his first -- is just as good.
Where Generous Justice focuses more on the theological and philosophical aspects of justice, Ministries of Mercy devotes more time to practical concerns. Keller particularly calls out those in the Reformed evangelical tradition, who are not typically known for their concern for the poor (to our shame). He sets up his church (Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan) as a model for others to emulate: a theologically conservative Reformed church with a racially and economically diverse congregation that is actively engaging their community in an urban environment long thought to be "lost" to secularization. The fruit of this church's ministries in the time since this book was written are proof of the validity of Keller's arguments.
I read this book and Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just back-to-back, even though they were written 14 years apart. Keller has been remarkably consistent over the course of his ministry; his concern for addressing social justice issues from a conservative, evangelical view (particularly in urban settings) has been one of the central themes of his teaching for decades. Though his more recent books have garnered much more attention, this -- his first -- is just as good.
Where Generous Justice focuses more on the theological and philosophical aspects of justice, Ministries of Mercy devotes more time to practical concerns. Keller particularly calls out those in the Reformed evangelical tradition, who are not typically known for their concern for the poor (to our shame). He sets up his church (Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan) as a model for others to emulate: a theologically conservative Reformed church with a racially and economically diverse congregation that is actively engaging their community in an urban environment long thought to be "lost" to secularization. The fruit of this church's ministries in the time since this book was written are proof of the validity of Keller's arguments.
October 10, 2019
There are extensive practical recommendations on how we can actually help individual, politics, and social written in this book. Keller cited some personalities in history that were instrument for reform in society and politics, etc. But those are individuals not the church. If we let the church enter into the picture in reform, better not we fall into the temptation to focus our calling more for the practical needs in our own society rather than the spiritual need of the world. I believe Keller made a balance presentation here because there are also churches he cited that influenced the societies, etc. But the danger to go to the extremes in both sides is not quite emphasized with great carefulness.
As much as I want to rate this book higher because of its volume of contents, Keller's work in interpretation of the whole theological and practical aspect in mercy ministry need to be viewed with extra care. So my rate speaks.
We are to do good to everyone, specially to the brethren (Gal.6:10). By the way, our brethren in lower classes around the world are calling for our help. Our treat for them should be special.
As much as I want to rate this book higher because of its volume of contents, Keller's work in interpretation of the whole theological and practical aspect in mercy ministry need to be viewed with extra care. So my rate speaks.
We are to do good to everyone, specially to the brethren (Gal.6:10). By the way, our brethren in lower classes around the world are calling for our help. Our treat for them should be special.
September 23, 2014
A helpful volume about the how and why of mercy ministry in the church. One of the big frustrations with reading Christian books on mercy ministry or counseling or whatever, is that you finish the book and feel like you understand why we ought to do these things but you don't really feel any closer to knowing how to implement it. That's not the case here. Keller spends the first half of the book considering why we ought to care about mercy ministry (gleaning a lot from the parable of the Good Samaritan) and then he spends the last half of the book unpacking how to start a mercy ministry in your home and church from scratch. Lots of practical advice in here that seemed spot on. Definitely a book that I'll be returning to in the future.
My one complaint is that the book was written in the late 1980s (with this second edition being published in the late 90s) and so some of it can feel a bit dated. But that's just the way things go. Still a great book. Would be very useful in training deacons.
My one complaint is that the book was written in the late 1980s (with this second edition being published in the late 90s) and so some of it can feel a bit dated. But that's just the way things go. Still a great book. Would be very useful in training deacons.
February 11, 2021
I read some fairly critical reviews about this book before I read it - and while it was a little outdated in information (the second edition is 23 years old), I really appreciated the balanced perspective that Keller offered in sharing the Biblical perspective of how believers can and should distribute mercy. He presented several opinions, and while it seemed like some people were disappointed in the fact that he did not claim a particular camp as being ‘’more right” than others, I appreciated how he showed the insufficiency in the world’s bandaids for problems that can only truly be mended by Christ’s atonement.
Overall, it wasn’t my favorite, but I also really loved how he used the story of The Good Samaritan to demonstrate how believers can mercifully love others.
Favorite quote - “Jesus saw them all - one betrayer, one denier, all forsakers! When He needed them most, they would leave Him. One of those sets of feet was dirty and sore from an errand that arranged for His torture and death. What did Jesus do? He washed those feet” (p. 138).
Overall, it wasn’t my favorite, but I also really loved how he used the story of The Good Samaritan to demonstrate how believers can mercifully love others.
Favorite quote - “Jesus saw them all - one betrayer, one denier, all forsakers! When He needed them most, they would leave Him. One of those sets of feet was dirty and sore from an errand that arranged for His torture and death. What did Jesus do? He washed those feet” (p. 138).
March 9, 2021
This is a book with two parts. The first part provides a theological and biblical argument for the importance of doing ministries of mercy. Foundational to the argument is what Jesus did for us when none of us deserved anything. This first part of the book is excellent and balanced. Keller is careful to argue against both extremes – the one that suggests that mercy should only be given to those who deserve it, and the other extreme that suggests that mercy should be doled out indefinitely regardless of how the recipient responds. I greatly appreciated Keller argument for a balanced loving approach.
The second part of the book made my eyes crossed. It was filled with plans, and the need for writing reports and setting goals. While I am sure this is crucial it is beyond me. Administration is not something I am competent with. As a result, I found this second half dreary to read, thus lowering my rating. If you like to organise and administration, then you may love the second part.
The second part of the book made my eyes crossed. It was filled with plans, and the need for writing reports and setting goals. While I am sure this is crucial it is beyond me. Administration is not something I am competent with. As a result, I found this second half dreary to read, thus lowering my rating. If you like to organise and administration, then you may love the second part.
September 2, 2021
In my years of ministry, I have never read a book quite like this. To be fair, I have not gone looking for a book on how to minister to the poor. Yes, there are books out there geared toward this ministry. However, after teaching a midweek Bible study on Psalm 41 recently re: how God blesses those who "consider the poor," I began pondering the topic.
In my list of books to read on the shelf (don't all of us readers have so many on our shelves we haven't read?!), this book jumped out at me and God confirmed I should read this one next. Over the past few weeks, the journey through this book blessed my heart. Here are several reasons why:
1) The author skillfully brings to light the Scriptural mandate for Christians (and the church) to help the poor. To assist the poor. To minister to the poor. He doesn't just tell the reader that we should do this. He brings to light many Scriptures that show the heart of God when it comes to the poor.
2) Keller shows that churches/ministries often fail in this arena because they fall (for the most part) in one of two camps. First, some churches exclusively focus on helping the poor from a physical standpoint. Food programs, counseling programs, housing programs, etc are all examples of these type of ministries. Often, these churches do a good job at these type of ministries but they have no gospel outreach paired up with these ministries. In other words, the author submits that to help people without giving them the truth of Jesus Christ really fails at doing what Christ would want us to do. On the other side of the pendulum swing there are church ministries who only believe their duty is to evangelize. They don't believe that God has called us (for the most part) to help our neighbors or to help those in need. They focus exclusively on the gospel (only helping people here and there that come to their doors).
The author expertly shows how churches SHOULD and CAN do both! In his chapter entitled "Mercy Ministry and Church Growth," Keller states the following:
"We must never forget, however, that our mercy ministry is kingdom endeavor. Mercy ministry is not an end, but a means to an end - the spread of God's kingdom. The goal of mercy cannot be simply to feed as many people as we can, but to bring Christ's lordship over their whole lives and the social systems in which they live. Thus mercy ministry cannot 'compete' with evangelism or the gifts, energy, or money of the church. Mercy and evangelism have the same goals."
He then goes on to state in the next paragraph, "We are out to see fruit, people won to Christ as well as whole communities transformed."
3) Keller gives very practical ways on how to begin a "ministry of mercy" in your church. Part 2 of the book is actually stated, "Practice," which follows Part 1 which is "Principles." He derives principles from the parable of the Good Samaritan in Part 1 of the book and then gives ways to practically carry out those principles in Part 2.
This book has challenged me to consider the way we approach "ministries of mercy" in our church. To be certain, I will be referring to this manual in the weeks & months to come!
Here are some of my favorite portions of the book:
A Balanced Approach to Helping the Needy, p97
A man came to the pastor's study asking for money. He strongly smelled of alcohol. The pastor asked him where he lived and what the money was for. "For food!" the man said. He explained he lived in a room nearby and had not been able to find work. The pastor said he would not give him cash, but would take the man out to eat. The man was not too pleased, but accepted the offer. Taking cash from the mercy fund, the pastor took the man out and as they ate, explored his background and shared the gospel with whim. He was neither hostile nor interested.
A week later, he came to the church again, asking for money. The pastor said, "Jim, I will buy food for you again, but if you want us to continue to help you, you will have to let us into your life." The man asked what he meant. "I mean that there may be habits and patterns in your life that are involved in why you can't keep a job. If we as a church are to truly help you, we need to look at your whole life. You may need help in managing finances; you may have some personal problems (you told me you can't control your temper, remember?). So you see, it would not be truly loving for us simply to give you money. unless you let us minister to you more extensively." The man balked and said his life was his business. After that last meal, he has not returned.
Here we see the balance. At first, we must witness to the free love of Christ in our mercy. But at some point, we must call the whole person to Christ. Very, very often, it is the needy person himself who then removes himself from your aid. We must strive to maintain this balance. The problem with "conservatives" is that they tend to establish conditions immediately, denying mercy to people who are living unrighteously. By contrast, "liberals" may never attach conditions to further aid.
Three Biblical Causes of Poverty, p100
1) Oppression or injustice
2) Natural disasters or calmaties
3) Personal sin
Do we see now how crucial it is to distinguish these three causes? These distinctions are essential if we are to avoid uncritically adopting either the "liberal" or the "conservative" ideology toward the poor. The "liberal" tends to see all the poor as oppressed, and thus does not see the importance of conditions in mercy ministry. But the "conservative" tends to see all the poor as irresponsible, and thus overemphasizes conditions in mercy. Both sides oversimplify the complex causes of poverty.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference between Bible era slavery & the slavery in the United States outlined in one of the endnotes in Chapter 6, I found to be quite helpful.
All in all, I highly recommend this book!
In my list of books to read on the shelf (don't all of us readers have so many on our shelves we haven't read?!), this book jumped out at me and God confirmed I should read this one next. Over the past few weeks, the journey through this book blessed my heart. Here are several reasons why:
1) The author skillfully brings to light the Scriptural mandate for Christians (and the church) to help the poor. To assist the poor. To minister to the poor. He doesn't just tell the reader that we should do this. He brings to light many Scriptures that show the heart of God when it comes to the poor.
2) Keller shows that churches/ministries often fail in this arena because they fall (for the most part) in one of two camps. First, some churches exclusively focus on helping the poor from a physical standpoint. Food programs, counseling programs, housing programs, etc are all examples of these type of ministries. Often, these churches do a good job at these type of ministries but they have no gospel outreach paired up with these ministries. In other words, the author submits that to help people without giving them the truth of Jesus Christ really fails at doing what Christ would want us to do. On the other side of the pendulum swing there are church ministries who only believe their duty is to evangelize. They don't believe that God has called us (for the most part) to help our neighbors or to help those in need. They focus exclusively on the gospel (only helping people here and there that come to their doors).
The author expertly shows how churches SHOULD and CAN do both! In his chapter entitled "Mercy Ministry and Church Growth," Keller states the following:
"We must never forget, however, that our mercy ministry is kingdom endeavor. Mercy ministry is not an end, but a means to an end - the spread of God's kingdom. The goal of mercy cannot be simply to feed as many people as we can, but to bring Christ's lordship over their whole lives and the social systems in which they live. Thus mercy ministry cannot 'compete' with evangelism or the gifts, energy, or money of the church. Mercy and evangelism have the same goals."
He then goes on to state in the next paragraph, "We are out to see fruit, people won to Christ as well as whole communities transformed."
3) Keller gives very practical ways on how to begin a "ministry of mercy" in your church. Part 2 of the book is actually stated, "Practice," which follows Part 1 which is "Principles." He derives principles from the parable of the Good Samaritan in Part 1 of the book and then gives ways to practically carry out those principles in Part 2.
This book has challenged me to consider the way we approach "ministries of mercy" in our church. To be certain, I will be referring to this manual in the weeks & months to come!
Here are some of my favorite portions of the book:
A Balanced Approach to Helping the Needy, p97
A man came to the pastor's study asking for money. He strongly smelled of alcohol. The pastor asked him where he lived and what the money was for. "For food!" the man said. He explained he lived in a room nearby and had not been able to find work. The pastor said he would not give him cash, but would take the man out to eat. The man was not too pleased, but accepted the offer. Taking cash from the mercy fund, the pastor took the man out and as they ate, explored his background and shared the gospel with whim. He was neither hostile nor interested.
A week later, he came to the church again, asking for money. The pastor said, "Jim, I will buy food for you again, but if you want us to continue to help you, you will have to let us into your life." The man asked what he meant. "I mean that there may be habits and patterns in your life that are involved in why you can't keep a job. If we as a church are to truly help you, we need to look at your whole life. You may need help in managing finances; you may have some personal problems (you told me you can't control your temper, remember?). So you see, it would not be truly loving for us simply to give you money. unless you let us minister to you more extensively." The man balked and said his life was his business. After that last meal, he has not returned.
Here we see the balance. At first, we must witness to the free love of Christ in our mercy. But at some point, we must call the whole person to Christ. Very, very often, it is the needy person himself who then removes himself from your aid. We must strive to maintain this balance. The problem with "conservatives" is that they tend to establish conditions immediately, denying mercy to people who are living unrighteously. By contrast, "liberals" may never attach conditions to further aid.
Three Biblical Causes of Poverty, p100
1) Oppression or injustice
2) Natural disasters or calmaties
3) Personal sin
Do we see now how crucial it is to distinguish these three causes? These distinctions are essential if we are to avoid uncritically adopting either the "liberal" or the "conservative" ideology toward the poor. The "liberal" tends to see all the poor as oppressed, and thus does not see the importance of conditions in mercy ministry. But the "conservative" tends to see all the poor as irresponsible, and thus overemphasizes conditions in mercy. Both sides oversimplify the complex causes of poverty.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference between Bible era slavery & the slavery in the United States outlined in one of the endnotes in Chapter 6, I found to be quite helpful.
All in all, I highly recommend this book!
December 30, 2015
I loved this quote from the book: "Grace is not unconditional acceptance, but it is undeserved... God's grace does it come to the "deserving" (there is no such person), and it does not discriminate. Rather, initially it comes to us freely. But once it enters into our lives,God's grace demands changes; it holds us accountable. Why? Grace demands our holiness and growth for our sake as well as for God's glory. Grace intercepts destructive behavior, protects us from the ravages of sin, sanctifies us so we can be "holy and happy," two inseparable qualities." (Pg. 247)
Since this is God's grace to us, our help and grace should be the same to others in the need.
The practical half of this book was incredibly challenging and will be helpful as I examine personally and corporately how mercy is being extended.
Since this is God's grace to us, our help and grace should be the same to others in the need.
The practical half of this book was incredibly challenging and will be helpful as I examine personally and corporately how mercy is being extended.
June 5, 2020
Not my favorite. Lots of helpful and good teaching. But I went in expecting one thing and found another. In my mind, I see justice and mercy joined together. This concentrated more on mercy alone. This contributed to using quotes and arguments from folks like Edwards and Whitefield, who were known slaveholders and advocates for race-based chattel slavery. Their oppressor role makes it hard to listen to them on any topic related to mercy and directly opposes God's justice. Other parts and language were dated because of its age. I would have liked to see him confront the assumption that the white majority culture in the church is ok and address how new mercy-recipients shouldn't just be welcomed but contribute to reshaping the culture.
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