What Are You Doing?
“The Spirit of the Lord is on
me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent
me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of the sight for the
blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” – Luke 4:18-19
“And I, when I am lifted up
from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
– John 12:32
Our Sunday school class has been studying Why I Am A United Methodist by William
H. Willimon. It’s a wonderful book that gets back to the basics of what being a
Methodist is all about. It’s also a good reminder that no matter what
denomination you claim as your own, we are called to something larger than
ourselves.
John Wesley preached to the least. He didn’t set up a single
preaching post in the wealthier boroughs of London. Willimon writes: He used
the Methodist movement as an example of how God begins with those whom the
world regards as lowly and of little account before God tries much with the
rich and powerful.
Do you think that might be because the rich and
powerful don’t always realize how much they need a Savior? Have you considered
that the folks who have so much might believe deep inside that their money, their
possessions, their abilities are what will save them in the end?
Wesley was all about people. He turned Anglican
beliefs upside down. Why? Because he believed that religion was meant to be
lived. It’s not enough to know that we should do good to the poor. We must live
our faith through our actions. Sounds a great deal like James, doesn’t it?
There’s one true thing about the broken and the poor.
There’s a common denominator among those who are sick and those who have lost
it all. We are humbled by our circumstances. We know how fragile life truly is.
We understand the limits of our human abilities. We are filled with compassion
because we understand that no matter how hard life may seem, we are still so
blessed by the Holy Spirit. We want to share the Good News. We want to share
Jesus.
Jesus didn’t come to save those who had all the
answers. He didn’t come to lift up those who considered themselves a little
above everyone else. Jesus came for the lost, the poor, the broken. He came for
you and me.
A local restaurant will head toward the coast this
Thanksgiving. The world has moved on but there are still so many people who are
homeless and broken in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. It takes a village
and a village has responded. Donations have poured in. Volunteers are lined up.
One meal has now become three. More than 750 meals in three different
locations. God’s hands at work.
We worry so much about having enough. We recruit the
wealthy, we beg for money, we don’t see a way. We forget in all our humanness
that we don’t need to worry about bank accounts and budgets. We only need to
ask our Savior for His will, knowing that He will provide for and bless what He
has ordained.
Jesus took a couple of fish and some bread and fed
thousands. We forget that, don’t we? We forget that when we offer our small
portion to the least, Jesus multiplies it for the masses. We don’t think we are
enough but with Jesus we can provide an abundance.
Jesus came for everyone. He said He would draw others
to Himself. We are His hands and feet. People who are hurting, people who are
lost, will know Jesus because of our actions. Reach out. Show them His love.
People need Jesus. What are you doing to shine His light so that all may see?
