What Have You Given To Jesus Lately?
Good Morning Friends,
Mother Teresa inspired so many people because she lived out today’s scripture from Matthew with her life… going to the dying in the streets of Calcutta…going as if to meet Jesus with the personal commitment to care for others. Today’s parable puts us on notice that we too are to have a personal commitment to others. We are to do all the good we can…in all the ways, places and times we can. We are to help all the people we can for as long as we can. We are to discover the true meaning of Jesus being born into the world is also His birth in ours. It is a time when our hearts grow and produce fruit and we too find strength to serve…to have our light shine through acts of simple service that embodies who we are with God’s grace. Here we discover that Jesus demands our personal involvement if we are going to call Him Lord. Here we discover that God is the only one who can provide our redemption. Here we discover that we need to be careful that our faith is not misdirected to His provision instead of toward the Provider. Here we discover that the Christian life is much more than embracing a hope of deliverance. It is a great mystery that is not about our effort. It is about the fruits of God’s labor for us and in us. What Have You Given To Jesus Lately?
Scripture: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Matthew 25:31-40 (NRSV)
but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, so that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
Leviticus 16:10 (NRSV)
The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 (NRSV)
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’
John 10:11 (NRSV)
Message: God blesses us with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be a blessing to others and in these acts of kindness, God blesses us again as our spiritual energy is replenished. Here we experience God not so much in terms of a social consciousness but in the personal good news we share with another individual. I know for I have looked into the eyes a runaway child. I have gone into the jails to share the good news. I have fed the hungry and welcomed the refugee and the migrant. Here I discovered, and you can too, what the Kingdom of God intends for us. Here we come into the presence of the King. Here we are Christ’s fellow workers… for by serving others in Christ-like ways we light a spark in our own spiritual lives that in time spreads into our economic life and the very social institutions that we influence. When we discover that we do not take Christ into the lives of those in need but simply acknowledge His presence already there, then we become true disciples. In these moments we bear His presence…in these moments we share the most precious gift in the world….the memory and witness of His presence. It is the very essence of why we do what we do. Friends, we have been blessed to be a blessing. Don’t cling to money in a tight fist. This way wastes needless effort. Be a person of the open palm always ready to give to Christ and be surprised by the joy and challenge of discovering God in loving others. Here small acts of kindness offered daily to others make all the difference in the world. Know we have been called out, as Christians, to look into the eyes of another human and engage with them in recognition that the dignity of walking on this planet is a gift from God. And because God has blessed you and because God favors the poor, the lonely, and those suffering from separation, He asks us to feed them and give them drink as if it were Jesus Himself we were touching. We are to give our very best here… not a reluctant gesture but a total commitment to the interaction. We are to share the most precious gift in the world, not try to hoard it. So do you visit with others… even strangers, the overlooked, the ignored, which are in need of His love? Discover that such action brings out the best in them and us. Indeed when guided by the Holy Spirit we can end up talking with people that look a lot like what the world would call goats. But God and only God can recognize the sheep from the goats. It is His job… not yours or mine. Our job is to recognize people in need and respond as if they are part of the community of faith not separated from it. Respond as if the person needing help is Christ. Here we discover the difference between a fake and real Christianity. Here we discover the power of giving simple things. Here we discover the right motives. Here we discover the love we recycle when we give to Christ as Christ is giving to us. Friends, take hold of that gift and live. Share the most precious gift in the world to those in need and this love will be returned to you magnified through the love of Jesus.
Pray we understand what is truly priceless in our lives. Pray we understand that Jesus is the treasure we seek. Pray we understand the cost of winning. Pray we are focused on a personal mission and vision that God has purposed and developed in us. Pray that we all have the opportunity to show others the love of God.
Pray that when we do good acts of service in Christ’s name that we subtract from the despair and brokenness of the world so Jesus Christ can be added to it. Pray that we find sufficient energy and drive to meet the needs that come our way. Pray that we build each other up in God’s saving grace. Pray that we become one in heart and mind learning to pool our resources so that others might survive. Pray we learn to live a life of worship. Pray we answer the call to service that God has placed on our hearts. Pray we give thanks for the gifts we have received but also pray with thanksgiving for the simple gifts we have given in love of Christ. Pray we discover the greatness in the kingdom of simple acts of kindness. Pray when the money is in our still in our hands. Pray when we realize that we are in His hands.
Pray we realize we are his hands. Pray we give our best. Pray we lovingly spend ourselves on others. Pray our service of God and our service to the least of humanity be one. Pray we never forget that we have been blessed to be a blessing. Pray that each and every act of kindness we share has the energy and drive as if we were serving Christ himself.
Pray that we are ready when God puts opportunities before us. Pray that we live life beyond ourselves. Pray that we dare to care. Pray that we have a heart for the poor. Pray that we discover we are ministering to Christ when we respond to the poor with the dignity, intimacy and knowledge that we are serving…suffering with Christ himself. Pray we learn how to please God. Pray we realize that Jesus is the Good Shepherd but also our Scapegoat and Lamb of God…Pray we believe in Jesus.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 