A former reprint of Salt & Light....July 2009

A Call to Action

I had the day off yesterday, so I decided to treat myself to a big breakfast at my favorite morning place in downtown Greenville. After a very filling and satisfying meal, I cranked up my car and made my way into morning traffic to begin my errands. I had driven only a few feet out of the parking lot when my attention was diverted to a small white van, unloading boxes of fruit at the homeless shelter next door to the Ham House.

In front of me, in tattered and worn clothing, was a man of about 40. His was so tiny in stature, so frail and thin that when he turned sideways, he seemed to disappear. I found that in that next moment, my thoughts turned to pity as I wondered what might have led to his unfortunate circumstances ….I quickly uttered a prayer of thanksgiving, that but for the grace of God that could have been me; then, the light changed and I moved along with the flow of traffic as I began my busy day.

But all morning long, the thought kept coming back…. was my pity enough?

You see in many instances in the Scriptures, the Bible tells us that our Lord felt pity…..He felt pity in Matthew 9:36, “And what pity He felt for the crowds that came because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.” (The Living Bible)

Jesus felt pity for the people in Mark 8:2, “One day as another great crowd gathered, the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples together and said, “I pity these people for they have been here three days and have nothing left to eat.” (TLB)….or in Luke 7:12-13, “As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” (English Standard Version)

In each of these situations, our Lord felt pity….But, oh my friend, HE FELT SO MUCH MORE!!!!

If he had only felt pity or sympathy for these people, he would have checked his emotions and just moved on…. like I did yesterday…..but our Lord felt so much more and with His growing feeling of sympathy and empathy, His compassion became action.

Yes, Jesus took pity….but more than that, JESUS TOOK ACTION!!!!!!

To the multitude of the lost and aimless, He became our Shepherd….To the hungry, he fed them and became our Bread of Life….to the broken-hearted and forlorn, he became their comfort and our Resurrection to Life Eternal.

And now, where does that leave you and me and our feelings of pity?  Are we to feel pity, sympathy and compassion for those that Christ sets in our path…or are we just to observe that pain and sufferings, thank God that it is not us and pass by on the other side ….OF COURSE NOT!!!!

We are called to serve …called to mirror our Savior and to give our feelings….FEET and HANDS and a VOICE that proclaims the love of Jesus in and through our ACTIONS.

So, resolve with me today that you will not fall victim to Satan’s ploy ….when you encounter those that need a helping hand …don’t just pity their plight and leave them for someone else to show them compassion….simply ask, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

JESUS WOULD TAKE ACTION TO ALLEVIATE THEIR PAIN OR SUFFERING BUT MORE THAN THAT….. HE WOULD SHOW TRUE COMPASSION FOR THOSE WITHOUT A SHEPHERD…..

Striving to Minister for Jesus,

WPQ

Thought for the Day:

We should follow Christ’s example

With everyone we meet…

We should seek to show compassion

For we are His hands and feet.

For Christ would have us working

To care for those distraught;

To give ourselves unselfishly

Is what our Savior taught.

WPQ@ October 2010