Day 1091 · Year 3 · The Great Tradition
Gregory the Great on knowing the person in front of you
A 6th-century pope called pastoral care 'the art of arts.'
Today's passage
1 Thessalonians 5:14
14And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.
Berean Standard Bible · public domain
Reflection
Gregory the Great wrote a whole book on pastoral care, and his central insight is in Paul. 'Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.' Notice — these are different people needing different things. Christian love is not one-size-fits-all. The lazy person needs admonishment; the frightened person needs encouragement; the weak person needs strength. Today, look at the people God has put in front of you. Which is which? Do they need a different word than the one you have been giving?
From the great tradition · paraphrased
Gregory the Great · Latin & Eastern Doctors · 6th c. · Rome
Gregory the Great called pastoral care the art of arts because no two souls are quite the same — and the wise believer learns to give different words to different conditions.
Paraphrase only. Scripture, not any teacher, is the authority.
Think it through
- What four kinds of people does Paul name, and what do they each need?
- Why is one-size-fits-all love often not loving?
- Look at the people closest to you — which kind is each, and what do they need?
A prayer to pray
Ask God to give you wisdom to see the people in front of you accurately — and to give them what they actually need.