“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, 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… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” ~Matthew 25:35-40
You can stop the world with these acts of mercy in the name of Jesus. You can bring the whole world to a screeching halt when you do these little things to bless others with the grace of our God that maybe they’ve never experienced.
You’re not going to stamp out illiteracy, but you can read books once a week at the elementary school in your neighborhood. You’re not going to solve the problem of world hunger, but you can buy a hot meal for those two guys down at the corner. You can’t stop all sex trafficking, but what if you threw a birthday party for a prostitute?
Seriously. What if your Bible class or your small group threw a birthday party for a prostitute? Can you imagine? That would interrupt the world. That would make the world pause and take notice and pay attention. Those kinds of things give the world a sign that there’s another reality here.
You can’t say anything to this world with an act of power. Big, loud acts of power and numbers and strength don’t say much. Jesus Christ stopped the whole world when he died. On a cross. The kinds of things that make a real difference have to come out of our weakness and submission, out of forgiveness and sacrifice and service.
A cup of cold water doesn’t sound like much. Apparently, it means a whole lot to Jesus. It’s not what you do, it’s what God does with it.
Peace,
Allan
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