A Failed Business Model?
Matt. 9:35-10:4
Success brings its own problems.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. - Matt. 9:35-10:4
Once Jesus decided to help the sick and lame, word spread. News of his healing powers reached far and wide, and the people came.
Imagine for a moment that Jesus was starting a business. The goal of the business was to spread the news, and his method of attracting people to hear the news was to heal the sick and cure the lame.
He chose to run this business as a not-for-profit, relying on benefactors to fund the programs.
At first, the funding came from the initial investors —the twelve apostles and their families —but later others joined, increasing membership in his programs and providing resources to keep it going and support its growth.
Now, he needs to train others to do what he does, so he calls the twelve and gives them the power to heal.
Did the people come to hear the message Jesus offered, or did they come to be cured of all sickness?
Today, this model still exists in the church, but instead of physical healing, the offering is spiritual healing, and the major funders of this business are the attendees and members of the church.
For centuries, the model worked because members believed that attending weekly and holiday services was mandatory, a requirement for entry into heaven. And there was a solid foundation in that belief, since Jesus said we must sell our possessions and follow him.
But something went wrong with the model.
People began to feel that attending church services was no longer necessary for salvation, since Jesus offered salvation to all who came to him and repented.
Some churches try to continue to the model of physical healing through prayer, and that helps bring people to the membership, but what about the original goal? How is that going?
Jesus wanted to spread the news about salvation and grace through love. People came to hear that message because they were curious, first about a man living in the wilderness, John, and then about a man who cast out demons and helped the lame walk and the blind see.
We are motivated by our own desires, wants and needs. We don’t think we need to hear of our eternal salvation, but we will go out of our way to benefit from the journey.
I am not saying that the model was flawed from the start, but it seems that the way Jesus spread the word of his ministry, by healing the sick, was not sustainable over the centuries since.
Granted that this business has survived a great deal of strife and pitfalls, so it can’t be labeled a failure, but it is suffering today.
Jesus knew the people who needed to hear his message most were the ones who could not afford to support his ministry, and the same is true today. Outside support is needed.
In Jesus’s day, it was women who had businesses of their own or other sources of wealth. They kept the dream alive.
Today, the churches who have the wealthiest members tend to support themselves and offer little to support the churches that have members living in or slightly above poverty.
That is not what Jesus intended. He wanted all members to share their resources.
Can that be done in a capitalist society? I believe it can and it should. But it should come about from love and not from taxes or imposed methods of redistribution.
I don’t think the churches are equipped to start offering physical healing services, so we can’t take the approach Jesus took, but we can find a way to get back to spreading the word outside of our own churches into the world.
First, we need to bolster up the congregations in need, and do as Jesus did, recruiting the members of all congregations to go out and heal the sick, spiritually.
What are the chances that will happen?
More to come...