The church, when speaking about, ministry in our urban centers, define it as reaching the poor and the outcasts.  This is certainly a major thrust in scripture.  but is it the only one.

Certainly there are churches that are reaching the middle class, especially those who preach some form of the prosperity gospel.  Many of these congregations are quite large in size.  The question I would raise is are they calling people to discipleship or are they just blessing their class values?  Jesus neither avoids nor condemns the rich because for their wealth or class status.  Neither does he say that they are more blessed because of it.  What Jesus does do is show real compassion by challenging their values and their commitment to him.

Look at the story of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18ff).  He comes to Jesus asking what he must do to be saved.  A logical and reasonable question.  People want to know what they can do, themselves, to be saved.  Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, to which he replied that he always has even from his youth.  He views himself as good and religious, possibly even blessed by God.

Would we welcome such a man into our midst?  Would we see him as he sees himself as a righteous man?  Would we see him as a way to help maintain the budget?  He seems to be a good man who wants to do the right thing.

Jesus is truly concerned about the mans spiritual condition and so he takes him back to the first commandment and tells him that he is more in love with what he owns than he is with God.  “Sell what you have, give to the poor, and follow me,” Jesus tells him.  The man leaves sad and down cast and the disciples are confused.  “If this man can’t be saved than who can,” they reason.  Jesus takes their focus off the man and puts it back on God where it belongs.  “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The well to do need to be reached out to.  They need to be seen as people lost and in need of a savior.  Though society might see them as okay the church knows better.  None are okay with out Jesus.  They are not a group of people who need to be wooed because of the resources that they can bring to the church they need to be challenged to trust Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.  Many, like the rich young man think that they are okay, they are not.  Too often we forget that and we invite them in and welcome them without challenging their values or we ignore them as we go in search of more traditional urban ministries.  The well off are a needed part of the kingdom of God.  They have an important role to play in make our cities places that reflect the glory of God.  They must be seen as more than funders for our projects.

People who are successful are successful for a reason.  They must not be shunned of made to feel guilty for their success, bu must be saved into the kingdom and challenged to use their talents for the the common good.  In Acts when the Holy Spirit moved the well to do shared with the needy because of the relationships they had with each other.  The result was real change.  The class structures of the society at large were dismantled in the church.

Instead of a divide and conquer mentality should we not throw our net wide and bring all people into the kingdom so that God might give each of us the opportunity to share our talents with each other so that their would be no needy among us?