God Wants His Preachers To Care About People

Preaching is not about being popular. It is not about getting a paycheck. It is not about prestige. It is not about pensions. Preaching is not about pounding the pulpit. A Gospel preacher might preach the truth, enthusiastically pound the pulpit, be paid well, have a pension plan, and be popular in the process. Yet, if he does his teaching and preaching without genuine care for those with whom he works, then his efforts are all for naught. Why? Because God wants His preachers to care about people.

Jesus cared about those whom He taught. What was Jesus’ motive in telling the rich young ruler to sell all that he had and give it to the poor? The Bible says of this incident, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest; go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast...” (Mark 10:21). Jesus said what He did out of love for the young man.

There were times when the Christ sternly rebuked His apostles, yet they always knew that He loved them. The Bible tells us that He “loved them unto the end” (John 13:1). More than once He verbalized His love for them, as when He told them, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

The apostle Paul taught about the need for God’s preachers to care about people, showing compassion and gentleness. By the Spirit he instructed Timothy, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition...” ([2 Timothy 2:24-25], NKJV). Paul also taught this truth in the example that he set for others. He declared, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Corinthians 12:15). In that same chapter, Paul wrote, “...we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying” (2 Corinthians 12:19). Not everyone in the church at Corinth “was crazy about” Paul, but none could honestly doubt his genuine care for them.

The manner in which Paul dealt with the saints in Thessalonica clearly showed his concern for their wellbeing as well. “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8). Paul was concerned about each one of them as individuals: “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children” (1 Thessalonians 2:11). Yes, Paul not only taught the truth, but he really cared about those whom he taught — striving to preach the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

The Bible makes it clear that God wants His preachers to care about people. Come to think of it, does not the word of God teach that not only preachers, but all Christians, ought to care about people? It does indeed. All Christians are instructed to be kind and tenderhearted (Ephesians 4:32), as well as showing compassion and courtesy to others (1 Peter 3:8).

God wants His preachers to care about people. It is equally true that our Lord wants all of His followers to love others, desiring the very best for them. 

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