The most important duty of the Church is to help people in need. One reason for this is because Jesus said that the two most important commandments are to Love God and Love our neighbours (Mark 12:31-32) Jesus then explained that showing love for neighbours – all other human beings – is the same as showing love for God.  In Matthew 25 the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats Jesus said that people who had the opportunity to help people who are hungry, sick or in prison and who do nothing will be sent to hell, whereas people who help those less fortunate will be richly rewarded in heaven.  The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke’s Gospel makes the same point; wealth is an opportunity to help the poor and, if this opportunity is missed, there will be a severe price to pay after death. Roman Catholics would agree that social action is the most important duty of the Church; Pope Francis has made this point repeatedly.

Some Protestants might disagree however. A reason for this is that they might argue that Jesus said that “I am the door of the sheep” meaning that the only way to heaven is through faith in Him.  In Mark 10 Jesus said that even non-believers keep the 10 Commandments; doing this is not enough to be saved in itself.   In addition, they might say that although helping the poor is important, at Bethany Jesus said “the poor will always be with you” (John 14).  Faith in and service to Christ is the most important duty of any Christian and the Church must seek to promote that before everything else.  Another point that supports this would be that Jesus said to the disciples at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, just before ascending to heaven, that they should “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them…”  Mission and evangelism is what being a disciple is all about. Nevertheless, looking at Jesus’ own example suggests that this approach is mistaken. Jesus praised the actions of the Good Samaritan in Luke 11 although he was not Jewish and did not have “the right” sort of faith.  Similarly, Jesus praised both the centurion and the Syro-Phoenecian woman because they humbled themselves for the benefit of other people.  They were not Jewish, but their love for other people meant that they saw past that barrier and did what was necessary to get help. Helping the poor was what Jesus did throughout his life and what he taught other people to do.  When a Rich Young Man approached him Jesus said that his righteous life was worth nothing if he did not sell everything to help the poor (Mark 10). 

In Conclusion, helping the poor is the most important duty of the Church. While mission and evangelism are important, that can best be achieved by social action, by making a positive difference in peoples’ lives now, rather than speaking about the next life.  People who have been helped by the Church often want to find out more about why.