Simon Cox Blog: The Least of These: Ministry with and to the Incarcerated

Thursday 31 May 2018

The Least of These: Ministry with and to the Incarcerated

It is time for the church to be more engaged in criminal justice reform

As we think about criminal justice reform, I am reminded of something Jesus said in Matthew 25:40: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Did what? What exactly was he referring to?

Indeed, he was talking about taking care of those who could not take care of themselves.

And who are the least of these?

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”

For those of us who work in correctional ministry, our mission is to care for those who are incarcerated and released from incarceration.

Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 14 were written from a prison cell.

We rarely hear about that.

Many people in the Bible experienced imprisonment: Joseph, Samson, Jeremiah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Silas, Paul, and even Jesus himself, who was held in custody before his death.

How do we care for the formerly incarcerated?

Jesus cares about those who are incarcerated, and we should too. But the reality is that nearly 90 percent of the people in our state prisons will be released. Do we want previously incarcerated individuals released with no resources so that they may reoffend? Our call instead is to invest in those behind bars so that they can be productive citizens once they are released.

You may say, “I don’t know what to do.” First, pray and ask God what you should do. Next, partner with your local church or non-profit ministry to assist those who are transitioning back into society by giving them a place to live, job training and placement, ...