Care for His People
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”
-- Matthew 25:44-45
Some sermons just convict you. The words make you squirm. They break your heart. They change your attitude. At least for a while. We heard one of those sermons last Sunday.
Pastor Meghan had us read Matthew 25:31-46. Then she asked us which we would be: sheep or a goat? Naturally, we all want to be sheep belonging to Jesus. But are we? Really?
There are a few stereotypes that are common. People believe that those who have fewer financial resources than their own are lazy. They think people are unemployed because they’re lazy or too proud to take a job “beneath them.” You’ve never thought that way? Are you sure?
Oh, and then there’s that belief that anyone with an accent is from Mexico and must be in this country illegally. Or the view that men of a certain race are destined to end up in prison. The list could go on and on. We make up our minds about someone in a split-second, never bothering to see the person that Jesus sees.
Pastor Meghan has a heart for the poor and disenfranchised. She spends her Thursday mornings hearing their stories as they plead for church money. She understands how easy it would be to judge people when we don’t even know their names or their stories.
Have you ever been poor? I’m not talking about working hard and barely getting by. Yeah, that’s poor but life can be much worse. What happens when you get sick and lose your job, then your home? Many people don’t have wonderful health benefits and plenty of sick leave. They wok or they don’t get paid. And sometimes they don’t get a second chance.
What about the extras that life demands? Ever tried outfitting a child for school when you can barely put food on the table? Or keeping a car going when there’s no room for extras and no option of public transportation? I went through a season when it seemed that every time I stood up financially, life kicked me back down. Whether it was the car breaking down, being burglarized, the dogs getting sick, me getting sick -- it all added up and sucked my savings out every single time.
Do you know what that’s like? Do you understand the fatigue and hopelessness that comes from being knocked down again and again? Have you felt the loneliness as people pull away from you, fearing your struggle will somehow impact their own lives?
I don’t understand how any of us can call on Jesus as Lord and Savior one moment and then turn and look down on those who are poor and hurting, who are lost and without hope. While we should be careful that we don’t allow others to use us, we shouldn’t use that possibility as an excuse to turn a calloused heart toward the world.
In this time of Thanksgiving, as we look toward the hope of our coming Savior, let us remember those who are hurting. Let us help those in need. Let us see others with the heart of Jesus. And let us respond as His sheep, caring for His people.
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