Portland Biblical Community

As pdxbc seeks to be a missional community on the Portland/Gresham border, living among the poor and trusting God to transform the community, culture, and people through the gospel of peace, here are two applicable Scriptures to meditate upon:

Genesis 13:14-17 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16 “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17 “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

God promised Abram and his descendants the land north, south, east, and west as far as he could see. God reaffirmed his covenant with Abram and then instructed him to walk about the land, through its length and breadth, for “I will give it to you. ” God had not yet given the land to Abram (and his descendant), He had only promised it to them, yet God desired Abram to have personal, experiential knowledge of this promised land. To walk through it, to smell the air, to traverse the lay of the land by foot. How long must this have taken? Days? Months? Years? It is unknown; however, the land God gave was substantial. It would be home to millions of Israelites… Imagine Abram embarking on the journey, taking food and supplies with him, not knowing where he would spend the night as he walked through the land God promised, the land currently occupied by other peoples (the Sodomites, a wicked people, are mentioned in Genesis 13:13) - the faith that would require to believe that the land he was treading would belong to his descendants.

As we trust God for Rockwood, for transformation, for salvations, for a movement of God, etc… let us take the time to get to know the land, the culture, the people. If we were missionaries in a foreign country, we’d take considerable time to study the geography, the language, the culture, the people; we’d endeavor to become one of them, to live among them as the sent people of God. Unfortunately, these kinds of practices are sorely neglected here in the states, assuming we understand, with negligible effort as the sent people of God here in the United States. Becoming “all things to all men” requires effort, the effort of trodding over the land and trusting God by faith.

Matthew 8:1-3 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

When people observed a leper drawing physically near, they would flee fearing contamination physically by the leprosy and contamination spiritually becoming unclean, unable (not permitted) to worship God. This leper was a religious outcast, being unclean, excluded from society, excluded from worship. Though excluded from worship, this leper took the position of worship before Jesus, a bowed position of humility, respect, and submission. Rather than fleeing, Jesus intentionally showed compassion. He did not fear touch nor contamination, intentionally reaching out his hand to “touch” the “untouchable” leper. It was through this counter-cultural touch that the leper was healed.

How many times have we shrunk back from engaging the outcast because of fear of “contamination” - being comfortable in a religious bubble, fleeing for fear of somehow becoming unclean rather than compassionately reaching out a with the healing, restorative touch of Jesus?

This is an important lesson Jesus was teaching his disciples. This is kingdom living - living in a world in which fear is cast out by love (1 John 4:18-19). It is an important teaching for us today as we engage the outcast, downtrodden, and poor in Rockwood and beyond.