A man rushed his limp dog to the veterinarian. The doctor pronounced the dog dead. The agitated man demanded some tests. The vet went into the back room and came out with a cat which he passed over the dog. The dog showed no response. The vet said, "I'm sorry, your dog is dead." The man demanded another test. The vet brought out a black Labrador. The Lab sniffed the dog. Again, no response. The vet said, "I'm sorry, your dog is dead." The man finally resigned to the diagnosis, asks how much he owed. The vet answered, "$650. I would only have charged you $50 for my initial diagnosis. The additional $600 is for the cat scan and lab tests."
I thought you could use a little humor about tests as I announce to you: Testing needs to ramp up. Not with COVID. It looks like vaccinations are stemming the pandemic tide, making a mark toward a new normal. But for a better normal, we need to ramp up the work of the Church so that our ministry is real ministry that makes a difference. An ever-vigilant testing of ministry effectiveness is required. Jesus set the bench mark as He began His ministry. It underwent a LAB test in Mark 1:40-45 where “L” stands for deeper love; “A” stands for strategic announcement; and “B” stands for sacrificial benevolence.
First, real ministry requires deep love for the hurting—the “L” of the LAB test. Jesus’ ministry was inextricably linked to His mission as stated in the purpose of the Book of Mark, that “this Jesus is the MESSIAH—the Son of God” (Mk. 1:1). To that end, Jesus began His ministry by healing the sick—out of love—to prove his Godship. Enter a leper He meets on the road.
40 Now a leper came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!”
The leper was going through a living hell because his disease was a lonely hell. In public, he had to announce himself, “Unclean”. People were afraid to touch him. Not Jesus. He touched him and made him whole. This deep compassion of the Son of God demonstrated He is God. His touch was a foretaste of just how deep His love is for lonely, outcast man whose deepest issue is sin, not sickness. The difference between shallow ministry and meaningful ministry is the depth of one’s compassion. If the Church is going to be part of a better, post-pandemic normal, then its ministry must love deeper. When the nursing homes open up, flood them with visits, especially the lonely who have no regular visitors. Love deeper.
Secondly, real ministry requires strategic announcement—the “A” of the LAB test. Jesus, in his command to the leper, showed concern that men communicate carefully who Jesus is. Our story continues in 43-44.
43 Immediately Jesus sent the man away with a very strong warning. 44 He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”
By sending the healed leper to the unbelieving priests as required by Law, Jesus verified He was Messiah for only God can heal according to Isaiah 53:5 for "with his stripes we are healed." When we announce upfront in our ministry, “We come in the name of the Lord”, we testify who Christ really is: Messiah who takes away the sins of the world. He is more than a “blessing ATM”.
Finally, real ministry requires sacrificial benevolence—the “B” of the LAB test. Jesus gave his life to the leper. He traded places with him.
45 But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places…
The One who healed the outcast man is now Himself an outcast. This benevolence is a foreshadowing of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice as an outcast on the lonely hill called Calvary where He traded places with us—His atoning perfection for our sins. Church, there is no ministry unless it costs you something in terms of time, tithe and talent sacrificed on behalf of the least, the lost, the unloved.
That is the LAB Test of real ministry. Love deeply, announce strategically, be benevolent until it hurts. Ministry for a better normal requires it.
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