July 1, 2023

 

Serve Like Jesus

 

What does the Bible say about serving others? Jesus gave us a perfect example.

 

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” – John 13:1-17

 

True faith translates itself into action.

 

We’re to love God, love others, care for others, and live our lives in such a way that we point others toward Jesus.

 

How does Christian service and community service differ? Both are good things. The difference is that Christian service points others in the direction of Jesus. We are to mirror the life of Jesus and the love of God.

 

Who do we serve? Only Christians? Only those the world deems to be worthy?

 

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” – Matthew 25: 31-44

 

What would happen if we lived our lives as though we truly believed that? How would that change how we live? How would that change the world that lives around us?

 

A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. -- Proverbs 11:25

 

How many times do we tell ourselves, and others, that we can’t afford to tithe? We can’t afford to give to others? We can’t possibly share a meal or clothing or anything else, especially our time?

 

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done. -- Proverbs 19:17

 

Do you help the poor? Even those you don’t deem worthy? What’s the difference between enabling someone and truly helping them? Maybe it’s buying food instead of giving money.

 

The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.

-- Proverbs 22:9

 

Service changes us. It causes us to look beyond ourselves and see others and their needs. I once had someone say that the men’s group would NOT help an elderly widow because she had family that could help her. That family wasn’t helping but she was deemed unworthy because they should have helped her.

 

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. -- Romans 12:10

 

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. -- 1 Peter 4:10

 

 

Does everyone have the same gifts? Should everyone serve in the same way? Laurel is a talented photographer so she’s using her gifts. We all have gifts. And we all have a choice to use those gifts in a way that causes others to see Jesus.

 

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

-- Galatians 5:13

 

Who wants to be first? Who wants the accolades of being the lead singer in the band or the largest financial donor? Who wants to be sought after and praised?

 

 ³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

³⁸ “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

³⁹ “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -- Mark 10:35-45

 

Jesus talked a lot about service. So did the Old Testament.

 

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
    Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
² For day after day they seek me out;
    they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
    and seem eager for God to come near them.
³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
    ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
    and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
    and exploit all your workers.
⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.

-- Isaiah 58:1-11

 

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. -- James 2:14-18

 

We’re good at praying, aren’t we? Or, at least, we’re good at telling people we’ll pray for them. What would happen if we actually put hands and feet to that prayer? If our deeds matched our words?

 

Ashley Boggan, the top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History spoke recently to the Council of Bishops. She urged them to become like John Wesley, to be proactive, provocative and prophetic, rather than merely reactive to organizational and ecclesial needs.

 

Wesley wasn’t always at the forefront of change. She noted that he resisted preaching outside of the confines of a church – until he witnessed George Whitefield preaching to thousands in the seaport city of Bristol, England.

 

 

 Whitefield had met the masses where they were. He was reaching those who had been forgotten, discarded, irrelevant. Wesley saw this and changed. Wesley wrote that “at four in the afternoon, I submitted to ‘be more vile’ and proclaim in the highways the glad tidings of salvation.” Boggan also noted that in doing this Wesley directly and openly violated the church law of his day.

 

This isn’t to slam churches or the need for worship. But it’s an acknowledgement that the people we most need to reach today don’t feel that the Christian faith, that Jesus Himself, is relevant today. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because they see so many people proclaiming a faith they do not live.

 

We have a wonderful opportunity to get involved in many, many different ways. There’s a need for substitute teachers in the children’s department and substitute workers in the nursery. Vacation Bible School needs volunteers. The senior ministry needs substitute bus drivers.

 

Our pastor would like to begin a homebound communion ministry. Perhaps it would mean visiting one person or couple each month to give them sacraments that the pastor has already blessed.

 

There’s also a desire to rekindle the nursing home ministry. It would involve a program the first Sunday of each month. We would serve communion, offer a devotional and sing some of the older hymns.

 

The choir needs more people. Always. There’s a need for additional volunteers to package and distribute food every month at the food pantry.

 

I hope everyone will consider how they can intentionally serve others as Jesus did. We are, after all, meant to be His hands and feet.

 

February 27, 2023

 

Love Like Jesus

 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -- John 13:34-35

 

What does love look like? I’m talking about the love Jesus had for us, the love He commanded us to have for others. When you consider that kind of love, what do you see?

 

Do you see the man who’s been unfaithful to his wife? Who is still being unfaithful? Do you see the woman who’s too busy gossiping to parent her children? Do you see the young woman with an “easy” reputation? Or the teenage boy who bullies those smaller than himself? What about the man with unethical business practices who brushes it all aside as “just business”? Do you see love when you look at these people?

 

The truth is that if those people look and talk like you and have solid economic status, you probably do. It’s easy to love those who are like us. It’s easy to ignore their sins and accept them. We may even agree with that businessman who believes that misleading people is okay so long as it’s not illegal.

 

Let’s look at another question: What does love look like when you don’t particularly like the other person? What does love look like when a baby cries incessantly throughout the worship service? What does love look like when you’re in a hurry to leave and an elderly person is blocking the way?

 

A few years ago, I asked my cousin why she and her husband stopped going to church. I was horrified at the reason. They were told that their adult daughter who had Down’s Syndrome was no longer welcome. This was a “child” who loved church with her whole heart, who tightly held the Bible she couldn’t read and listened intently to the pastor’s sermon each week. But because she sometimes “commented” on his words while he was preaching, she wasn’t welcome.

 

Love isn’t always easy. Sometimes it means accepting someone who makes us uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s loving someone in the midst of their sinful ways. Sometimes it’s extending the same grace and mercy Jesus has extended to us.

 

Who are you judging today? Who have you cast aside because of their “sin”? Who have you failed to love as Jesus loves us?

June 14, 2021

 

Love Reflects Jesus

 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

– John 13:34-35

 

Ugliness abounds. Hateful comments. Snide remarks. Lies meant to bring harm and discord. Hatred clothed in opinion narratives. The saddest thing? These are sins from people who claim to follow Jesus.

 

The hardest part of the past couple of years has been watching friends I truly believed to be strong Christians fall into this ugliness. It’s not about politics. I don’t care what your opinion is. I do care deeply about how you express that opinion. It breaks my heart to see people cast aside simply because they disagree with someone. Who are we to judge?

 

We are no one. The Bible tells us not to judge. But we do. All the time, in every way imaginable. Race, religion, sexual orientation, political views, economic status. We almost don’t need a reason to spew ugliness about another person. What does that say about us?

 

Our lives are meant to reflect Jesus to a dark and hurting world. Every time we allow ourselves to point fingers or share ugly words, we remind others of why they don’t want to know Jesus. Who would invite that kind of hatred into their own lives?

 

Except Jesus has nothing to do with hatred. It’s always important to remember that when He got angry it was at the religious elite who were so busy being “right” that they missed their Savior.

 

The next time you’re tempted to toss out your “opinion” consider how Jesus might react to hearing those words. If it’s not about loving others as He does, then just keep your thoughts to yourself.

April 6, 2018

Betrayal Hurts

Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

– Matthew 26:14-16

Can you imagine how much it hurt Jesus to be betrayed by someone so close to Him? Jesus knew Judas would ultimately sell Him to be murdered. That was why Jesus came, after all. But, still, it had to break His heart.

Jesus was fully God and fully human. He felt the same pain we feel when someone we trusted turns on us. And for what? Thirty pieces of silver. Was it really worth the cost?

On this side, we understand that it had to be. Jesus died so we who believe won’t have to face death and eternal separation from God. Death couldn’t hold Him and, because of Him, it can’t hold us. What a wonderful gift! What an awesome God!

But have we ever considered His pain? It’s difficult to accept that a co-worker would go behind your back and plot to destroy you. It’s hard when it’s someone you know, someone who claims to share your faith, someone you believed liked you. But when it’s someone close to you, well, that’s a whole different level of heartache.

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” – John 13:21

He saw it coming. Jesus knew His friend, His disciple, a man who had spend three years by His side, was going to hand Him over to be crucified. He could have stopped it but He didn’t. Jesus loved us that much.

But do you think knowing the end result lessoned Jesus’ pain? John tells us Jesus was troubled. I would have wanted to stop it, to demand that my friend admit what he planned and change course. It sounds good but, honestly, someone who would plot against you, speak ill of you, isn’t likely to change course where there’s money and/or power involved.

There’s no way to completely guard against the evil that sometimes springs forth from hearts we thought we knew. To do so would leave us with hardened hearts, incapable of feeling anything. That’s surely not the answer. Maybe there is no answer.

The truth is that there will always be people masquerading as your friends who, in the end, will intentionally do you harm. There are people who call themselves family, either by blood or by law, that will turn on you, spreading lies and the ugliness that lives in their hearts.

Jesus gets it. He understands how deep the hurts goes. He feels your pain because He’s been there. And He knows that sometimes you don’t have any other choice but to continue on into the storm, seeing the betrayal that’s coming but being powerless to stop it.

I wish people would do different, don’t you? I wish everyone would end the games and just put on a cloak of honesty. But that’s not the real world. That’s not what some people are capable of doing.

We’re all flawed human beings, struggling to do the best we can while living in a fallen world. Those who intentionally seek to harm and destroy are inevitable. Keep your guard up and watch your heart. Don’t let the lies and deceit of others cause you to lose your way. Just cling tightly to Jesus and trust that He’ll be with you as you weather the inevitable storm.

October 12, 2014

Let Go of Betrayal's Sting

 

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” -- John 13:21

^{We're all familiar with this passage of Scripture. It is the Last Supper. The time right before Judas betrays Jesus. It amazes me that Jesus could be kind, friendly even, with the one He knew would betray Him.
 
I know. I know. It's why Jesus came. And I realize that all of us have betrayed Jesus with our sins. But I look at Jesus as an example. I want to be that way and yet the sting of the knife in my back, the horror of dishonesty and lies, is like a heavy weight on my heart. How do I protect myself and still be kind, loving even, to those who have repeatedly show themselves to be my enemies?}

There is no such thing as protection from betrayal. Not unless we're willing to live an isolated life, free of love and laughter. We are meant for community. We could never truly be happy alone. And yet how do we deal with people who aren't safe for us? How do we show both kindness and distance from those who seek to harm us just because they can?

This is one of those juggling acts that I just don't have down yet. Sometimes I think I've got it under control, I'm prepared, and then it happens again. I am blindsided. I don't know who I'm angriest with: the betrayer or myself for letting down my guard.

At least Jesus knew what was coming. He could prepare Himself. Or could He? Can anyone ever really be prepared for betrayal, especially when it comes from someone close to us?

Maybe the key is that Jesus didn't do it alone. He didn't even attempt to walk the path alone. God the Father was right there, providing strength and wisdom and courage. I can't forgive and move on by myself. The hurt is too deep, the betrayal too fresh. But through God I can let it go and trust that He will handle it as He sees fit. He reminds me of all the times I've let others down, all the times I've betrayed Him. I take a deep breath and let it go. Forgiveness. God's way of releasing the venom from inside of us so that we can carry on down the path He has set before us.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Horror Brings Lesson In Love

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -- John 13:34-35

Some events are too horrific to comprehend. The mass shooting in a Colorado movie theater is one of them.

Oh, we’ll try. Already people are analyzing the gunman, looking for clues as to why a seemingly brilliant, well-liked student became an orange-haired devil. But, really, how could we possibly ever understand how someone could destroy the lives of so many people?

What’s left are shattered lives that must somehow be rebuilt. For some, funerals will mark the beginning of life without a loved one. They have learned that death can strike in an instant. They now know personally that you can do everything right and still not be protected from evil on this earth.

For others, physical recovery has barely begun. Bodies may heal but scars remain. How do you tell a mother riddled with bullets that her child died and she lived? How do you make sense of surviving what those around you didn’t?

And for the rest of those in the theater that night will be the constant companion running through their minds: Why not me? Why did I walk -- or run -- away and others were shot or killed? Was I just lucky or was I spared for some greater purpose?

For all of us comes the reminder that life is fragile and uncertain. Possessions are worthless amid a life and death divide. God matters. He is who we cling to even as we come to understand that people come before the things we thought we prized.

Jesus told us to love one another. It’s how others can tell we belong to Him. Sometimes it’s hard to love outwardly amidst such great despair. We are fearful to risk our hearts and just as afraid not to.

And then there is the shooter. Surely, his family and friends are suffering too. How could they not be? You think you know someone and suddenly you realize you never did. Where did all this violence come from? Was it there all along or did something snap inside?

Questions without answers. It would be easier to fall into bitterness and hardness. Political rhetoric marks the hearts of some. Fear covers others. Yet Jesus calls us to love. Not because it’s easy but because it’s right.

This Sunday morning fall to your knees in prayer for those who are hurting most. Cry out to God for peace amidst the storm of life. Cling tightly to the hand of the One who came to save us from certain doom. And remember to love one another in all that you do.

Monday, July 2, 2012

How’s Your Attitude?

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. -- John 13:3-5

How’s your attitude today? It is Monday after all. Not too many people are excited to get up and head back to work. Of course, some lucky people are on vacation. Others are just trying to survive the heat without power and still others are praying that their homes survive the fires.

All in all, our attitudes determine so much of how our day goes. And our days determine how ours lives go. There are a great many things we can’t control but we can control our attitudes.

It’s hard not to feel put upon sometimes. Everybody seems to want something and nobody seems to appreciate anything. We’re doing things we don’t want to do and everybody seems to want money. We find ourselves skating through life, facing much of it with a bad attitude while we wait for time to do the things we want to do.

What would happen if we did everything as though we were doing it for God? How would our lives change if we changed our attitude about how we live our lives?

Pastor Danny preached on a familiar passage of Scripture yesterday. We’ve all read again and again about how Jesus washed the disciples feet. But have we ever paid attention to the details? Have we ever really thought about kneeling down and washing dirty, stinky feet and then drying them with care?

Yes, Jesus taught us about serving others. John reminds us that Jesus knew “the Father had put all things under his power” before he tells us that Jesus washed the disciples feet. Jesus, the Messiah, performed a task associated with a lowly servant. There was no arrogance. No attitude. No put upon scowl of a person doing what he has to do.

Jesus served with grace and kindness and compassion. He washed their feet and then took time to dry them. His actions spoke so much louder than words ever could.

How often do we perform unpleasant tasks with a good attitude? How often do we pay attention to detail and do a task we’d rather not do to the very best of our ability? Paying attention to the details of Jesus’ actions really puts a different perspective on how we face tasks.

So let me ask you again: How’s your attitude?

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Jesus Told Us To Serve Others

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because it is true. And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” -- John 13:12-15

At least once each month I make a series of calls to various people in the church. They are folks who for one reason or another might need some help. Some are older. Some are sick. Some are alone. Some are caregivers. All different reasons but the need is there.

Some people are grateful for the offer but few actually accept help -- at first. It’s as though they can’t believe that strangers -- even strangers who are part of their church -- would actually come and help them. Sadly, we no longer think of Christians as those who serve others.

As time passes, I can see their hearts change. And then, reluctantly, they make a request. I arrange for someone to come and do what they need, with a smile. They are shocked. And happy. Not so much because the task got done but because someone actually cared about them.

Please understand these tasks are rarely glorious. There’s nothing fun about pulling weeds or trimming hedges or putting eye drops in someone’s eyes. But the blessing comes in the doing. Because it is such a joy to do good for others.

Perhaps it’s because we’re doing what Jesus told us to do. There was nothing glamorous about Jesus washing the dirty feet of the disciples. But He did it to show us all that following Him means doing good to others. That’s not real popular in this “me” world we live in.

Maybe that’s why service isn’t something people expect anymore. Oh, we’ll do the big outreach day every now and then. But when it comes to the day-to-day service, God’s people just aren’t known for showing up.

There are exceptions of course. Some denominations really put effort and training into disaster response teams. Others have regular outreach programs. But most focus on themselves and the people in their group. They care for church leaders and longtime members -- sometimes -- but the average church member is really still alone. That is just so sad.

Jesus told us to serve others. He didn’t qualify it with “if we feel like it” or “if it’s convenient” or even if we like the person. He said to serve. Why don’t we?

Monday, March 26, 2012

Show Kindness To Everyone

“So now I am giving you a new commandment Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” -- John 13:34-35

He was back again this year. I wasn’t surprised. He’s there every year. Alone. He stops by my art booth, then moves on when I get busy. Then he comes back.

His presence upsets some people. Another vendor warned me against him. He’s different, I know. And not someone I would really ever want to be alone with. I’m not sure why. Maybe it is that difference that unsettles me.

A friend told me the man was brilliant but something happened years ago. He had a nervous breakdown. He’s never been quite the same. And that makes everyone uneasy.

A couple of years ago he told me he was lonely. Not in a come on kind of way. Just in conversation. I don’t think he has many, if any, friends. Just his parents and the people he sees when he’s walking or venturing out. That is sad. He yearns for that connection and yet can’t seem to find it.

Different is not popular in our culture. We want cookie-cutter people to live cookie-cutter lives. When someone doesn’t fit in, well, that just upsets everything and we turn away. It’s easier.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here. Never, ever put yourself in a dangerous situation or trust a stranger. But being kind, well, that’s different. We should always be kind. Compassionate. Treat people as Jesus would.

It is easier to ostracize those we don’t understand. To ignore them. Like refusing to meet the eyes of someone who is homeless, someone in recovery, someone unemployed. They make us uncomfortable so we reject them. And call ourselves Christians just the same.

But Jesus tells us that others will know that we are His disciples by the love we show to others. Jesus didn’t qualify that. He didn’t tell us to only love the people “like” us or the people we want to love. Jesus told us to love each other. Do you really think Jesus meant only the people we want to love, the people who are easy to love, the people who are part of our group?

I likely will never know this man’s story. I don’t feel comfortable, safe, venturing into a friendship with him. But he is someone Jesus loves. Showing this man kindness is an easy way to let him know that Jesus cares and sees him where he is.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Are You Telling Jesus No?

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

-- John 13:5

What is beneath you? What job or chore have you vowed never to do? What are you determined not to do for someone else? What is the one thing you will not do for Jesus?

Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t see that question coming? It may not be pretty. It might not be filled with glory. But Jesus clearly showed us that we are to do any task He calls us to -- including washing the dirty feet of those around us.

Uh-oh. That really wasn’t what we had in mind. We’d rather be the person who heads the committee and tells everyone else what to do. We’d rather write a check or go shopping for supplies or attend a fancy luncheon to hear someone speak about a worthy cause. We’re willing to do a great many things so long as we don’t have to get dirty.

Except that doesn’t fit with what we were called to do. Jesus never said that following Him would always be pretty. He didn’t promise glory or riches or a life of ease. In fact, He indicated that following Him wouldn’t be easy. And, sometimes, it’s dirty. Because helping people in need sometimes requires us to leave our comfort zones and actually be Jesus’ hands and feet.

So what would you do for Jesus? Would you clean the bathroom of an elderly person too feeble to do it for herself? Would you visit an old man you do not know because he’s lonely and sick and has no one else? Would you invite a homeless person who hasn’t had a bath in awhile to sit beside you during church services? Would you comfort a young girl who just found out she’s pregnant? Would you visit a teenager in the cardboard box structure he calls home?

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

-- John 13:14-15

Jesus didn’t call us to a comfortable life merely sitting on cushioned pews. He called us to go out into the world, representing Him and helping people who are hurting and in need. So I’ll ask you again: What is the one thing you will not do for Jesus? Go do it today.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

We All Betray Jesus

Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.

-- John 13:26

Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? Maybe a spouse or parent, a friend or co-worker? It hurts. It shakes that foundation of trust in a way that sometimes can never be rebuilt.

Jesus understands. His disciple, His close friend, betrayed Him to the very people who wanted Him dead. Jesus knew who would do this awful thing. Jesus knows everything and when He looked at Judas He saw His betrayer. Still, He sat at the table between Judas and John. He ate the Last Supper with the twelve. He even washed the feet of Judas. Would you do that for a person you knew would betray you?

We tend to picture the Lord's Supper as the Leonardo Da Vinci painting. It really wasn't like that. The table was u-shaped and the head of the table was actually on the side. I learned this from Adam Hamilton in his study 24 Hours That Changed the World. I also learned that John was likely seated on Jesus' right, in a place of honor. And on Jesus' left was Judas, his betrayer, also in a seat of honor.

It's easy to get upset, even angry, at Judas for his betrayal. But before you judge, before you condemn, think about it. How many times have you betrayed Jesus? How many times have you let Him down with your words and actions? How many times have you turned away from Him in favor of the world?

Judas may have been the one who accepted money to betray Jesus but each and every one of us nailed Him to the cross. Our sins led Him on that path of agony, abandoned and alone. We betray Jesus every day and sometimes in ways we don't even realize or understand. Next time you accept communion, remember that His body and His blood saved you, a sinner, a betrayer, from death.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Serve Others In All Things

"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."

-- John 13:5

I doubt Jesus' disciples ever expected the man they knew to be the Messiah would wash their dirty feet. Yet, He did. He came to serve and to teach and to save the world by sacrificing His life. This was His example to all of us. Serve. Humble yourself. Consider yourself no better than anyone else.

I am amazed sometimes at the people who refuse to do the menial tasks in life. I'm talking about people who label themselves as solid Christians leading good christian lives. They'll be glad to write a check. Need a speaker, host a luncheon, say a prayer -- no problem. It's the other things they have trouble with.

A few years ago a good friend lost her mother. Her father, grieving his mate of more than 65 years, came to live with she and her husband. This elderly man needed help. He had accidents during the night. Bathing alone was difficult. His son-in-law wouldn't help. Flat out refused. Oh, he'd stay with him at home. He'd feed him and talk with him. But he wouldn't do any of those personal things. In less than six weeks, the old man was dead. He'd gone home to be with his wife.

The other man was a solid source of comfort for his wife as she grieved. Fast forward to a year or so later. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor that would later take his life. But during the months of battle, then decline, this man came to know something of what his father-in-law had felt. He understood how humbling it is when your body fails and you have accidents in the night. He learned how it felt to have a loved one change your adult diaper and bath you in the shower. I wonder if he ever wished he could have a do-over with his father-in-law.

It's so easy to shove aside the needs of another. We don't want to be the friend that does the laundry. We don't want to be the relative that stays the night -- night after night. We don't want to be the volunteer that takes out the trash. And we don't want to be the caregiver that changes the adult diapers. And, yet, how can we follow Jesus without being available to do all those things and more.