The Least of These

I am so inspired by people who help people. When I hear of it, read of it, see it, it makes me wish I could do more,  that I could do SOMETHING!! Today I drove by "The Jesus Center" and saw the homeless congregating on the steps, waiting for a meal. I saw a shopping cart full of blankets and sleeping bags parked out on the sidewalk. I had the reaction in my heart of wishing I could do something for these people, thinking maybe my junior/teen class at church could collect socks for them. Down the street a ways brought us to a man. Obviously homeless, walking numbly, with a black blanket wrapped around himself. Probably heading to "The Jesus Center" as well. These are the least of these. Jesus says whatever we do for them, we do for Him. And whatever we fail to do for them, we fail to do for Him. How special to His heart are the poor.


Tonight I watched a movie and in it was a poor pastor whose mission it was to save the drug addicts and the homeless. He gave food; his church, that was very poor, ran a homeless shelter out of their fellowship hall. That is ministry in it's truest and most beautiful form. To hand a hungry man a loaf of bread while telling him that God loves him-now that is ministry.


In my own church, this past week, there were a few homeless  men that visited with us. To be honest, I was a little put off by their odd behavior, the way they talked. Maybe even a little nervous around them. Yet I need to minister to them. Find out more about them to see if I am able to help somehow. I really feel like I need to pray for guidance and opportunity to be His hands to these people.


Just a couple of days ago my daughter and I were driving on a country road when a lady practically jumped out in front of the car, waving her arms frantically. We stopped and I rolled down my window. She began telling us she drove her truck into a ditch and needed to use our cell phone to call someone to get it out. So I got out of the car. She was obviously a meth addict aka tweaker: very dirty, very skinny, her face was sucked-up and she didn't have any teeth. After her call she thanked us and started walking away. I had been thinking-what can I say about God to this lady? Well she asked me for a smoke and I told her I quit many years ago. She muttered, "Wish I could quit." I said, "You can." She shook her head, "No, I can't." I said reassuringly, "You can." Then she asked how I quit and I told her I prayed. She was a bit surprised; I could tell. I told her it was the only way I could quit. I hope that she will pray to quit. Not only the smoking, but more importantly-the drugs. That she may come to know God and just how much He loves her. Then she can be free from her prison of addiction and have her life back. Who knows? Maybe she'll show up at my church this week. 


Matthew 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats 

 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."