What if Jesus Christ Came to Your Town?

Published on August 9, 2006 By Gideon MacLeish In Religion

A recent response on an article of mine got me to thinking.

The response was centered around someone who came up to a woman and asked her if she knew the name of any local pastors. When pressed for what the man wanted, the man said he needed a place to stay for the night. The woman pointed him to a $10 a night flophouse and felt she had done her Christian duty. The man, according to the tale, walked away in a huff because she hadn't given the name of a pastor, as he had requested. After all, that HAD been his request.

And so, I got to thinking: what if Jesus came to your town? Would you recognize Him? Would you give him room and food for the night? And how would you recognize Him if you said that you would?

Hebrews 13:2 admonishes Christians to: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares". In this tale, the man was certainly a stranger, and a response consistent with the Christian call would have been to have helped him in any way she could. Certainly it would have been no burden for her to provide him with the name of a pastor, or even try to do so if indeed she didn't know the names of the pastors in town.

How will this lady give account when she stands before judgment? Will she be able to honestly say she lived a Christian life? Frankly, unless she repents, the answer is not what she would like to here, but is, instead, a clear and resounding NO. In Jesus' own recorded words (Matthew 25:31-46), He not only says that those who have fed the hungry, given drink for the thirsty, taken in the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and imprisoned will inherit the kingdom, but that those who FAIL to respond to this commission will NOT. He clearly states: "inasmuch as ye did not to one of the least of these, ye did not unto me", and follows with the prophecy: "and these shall go away into everlasting punishment".

Many in the church want the church to be a social club. They want to purchase their "stairway to heaven" by giving tithes, but they don't want to stop and help the stranger on the road to Damascus. They don't seem to realize that no amount of money can replace the touch of a hand that loves unconditionally and obediently. They don't seem to realize that their decision to follow Jesus is a call to action on their part to be transformed into the type of person that embodies Jesus in their everyday actions.

I'm FAR from perfect. I regret so many missed opportunities, so many people I could have and should have reached with my actions. But I can't go back and change that. All I can do is ask forgiveness, and in my repentance, strive to make my actions more consistent with my faith. And I can, and should, act as a watchman, warning the church and all in it that many are failing to heed what Jesus called one of the two commandments: loving one's neighbour as onesself. And I can, and should, entertain every stranger as if I were entertaining Jesus Christ Himself.

Because I just might be.

What about you, fellow Christians? Can you truly say that you have treated every stranger as you would treat Jesus, and that you have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited the sick and imprisoned? Can you truly say that you have lived the life that honors God consistently (and thus demand that you are "right with God"? If not, then you should prayerfully consider repenting and changing your actions in the future.

Comments (Page 1)

Jythier

on Aug 09, 2006

All I can say is, "God, thank you for Your grace and patience with me." I know I miss lots of opportunities to show Jesus's love to the world for Him.

I don't know about the flop house story. Why did she ask why? It's not her business. She should've given him the name first instead of asking questions. And if he goes and murders the pastor, then the pastor will be in heaven. So where's the bad side?

Dr Guy

on Aug 09, 2006

All? By no means. Some yes. But then some are not what they seem either. I do not have the wisdom of soloman, but when I see the same beggar at the same spot day after day after day, I suspect that is his "job", and not a need.

Texas Wahine

on Aug 09, 2006

I'm not a Christian, but when to help and when to hold back certainly troubles me.

I do feel bad about missed opportunities.

A while back a woman stopped me as I was going in to Blockbuster and asked for money for food. I didn't have any cash on me (I rarely do since I use my debit card for everything), so I smiled and told her, "Sorry, I don't have any cash."

There was a grocery store nearby, and I could have EASILY gone and picked up some bread and peanut butter or other non-perishable items and given them to her.

Of course, I didn't think of this until much later.

I've become pretty jaded, though. Around here poverty is often caused by drug problems (Meth is HUGE here), and it's scary dealing with those people. It's difficult for me to know when to give and when not to, simply because if I always gave everytime I was asked or I thought I saw a need, my OWN family would be living in poverty.

Interesting thread, Gideon.

Tova7

on Aug 09, 2006

Can you truly say that you have treated every stranger as you would treat Jesus, and that you have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited the sick and imprisoned? Can you truly say that you have lived the life that honors God consistently (and thus demand that you are "right with God"? If not, then you should prayerfully consider repenting and changing your actions in the future.

I can say when I see a need and can fill it, and when I am sure it is the right thing, then I do it. Though of course I am sure there are times I miss the boat.

I have stepped in and helped before Gid thinking, "Oh God wants me to do this." Before even a quick inner prayer about it. I had a girlfriend in Delaware whose husband was cheating on her, he moved in with girlfriend and gave his wife and kids an "allowance." IT wasn't enough to meet the bills, her dad moved in with her to help out....all kinds of things changed.

When she told me she didn't have money for school clothes I jumped right in to help. She was new to the faith, found it because of the affair actually. I didn't want her to suffer.

Later she told me she didn't have money for school clothes because she was spending all her money for herself at the mall. Spending was her "weakness" and when under stress, (the affair), she spent it all.

I really don't care because once I gave it to her I left the stewardship of it between her and God. So I never felt taken advantage of.

So while I bailed her out with the school clothes issue, someone else bailed her out with other things, and it wasn't until we were all done giving to her that she hit rock bottom. And her faith actually started growing because she knew God HAD to provide, everyone else was tapped out.

Jesus said the poor will always be with us. I can't meet all their needs. But I can and do listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. But sometimes what I hear is "be still."

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 09, 2006

I do not have the wisdom of soloman, but when I see the same beggar at the same spot day after day after day, I suspect that is his "job", and not a need.

Yes, but I don't feel it is that beggar with the claimed "spot" that Matthew 25:31-46 is addressing.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 09, 2006

I'm not a Christian, but when to help and when to hold back certainly troubles me.

But at least you CONTEMPLATE what you could do to improve the situation. You may miss opportunities, but at least you try to do the best you can. And, personally, I believe that's all God asks.

I really don't care because once I gave it to her I left the stewardship of it between her and God. So I never felt taken advantage of.

Bingo. It's God's money, not ours. And it should be God who is offended, not us. We need to stop jealously holding on to our purse strings.

Yes, discernment is needed, but I do not believe God will EVER condemn us for erring on the side of generousity.

Tova7

on Aug 09, 2006

but I do not believe God will EVER condemn us for erring on the side of generousity

I agree 100%. When in doubt, GIVE.

sushiK

on Aug 09, 2006

I don't understand, the Lady in question is judged not worthy to enter Heaven because she did not give the guy the name of a pastor?

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 09, 2006

I don't understand, the Lady in question is judged not worthy to enter Heaven because she did not give the guy the name of a pastor?

I didn't say that, sushi. I don't judge. God judges. And, thankfully, He is righteous. I used the example of this woman only because her response was used as an example of Christian virtue when in fact, her response was contrary to everything Christians are admonished to do in scripture. She was asked for the name of a pastor. Why could she not have given the name of the pastor. She ASSUMED that because this man was unwilling to pay $10 for a night's stay at the flophouse, he was a beggar. Maybe he was robbed of the money he had. Maybe he spent his last $50 to get a tire to get him further down the road. Maybe his daughter was in the hospital and the community was too small to have a Ronald McDonald House. We cannot know, but all of these would be legitimate reasons why someone would want to speak with a pastor about their situation.

Let me give another personal explanation, one that severed my ties with another church: when we headed back to my hometown recently, we did so on tires that were three months old. Little did I know how extremely crappy they were, but I found out about 40 miles from our destination (and 160 miles from home) when one of them began leaking and I noticed the other was showing steel. I put on my spare tire, only to discover that the geniuses at WalMart (160 miles away) had put the wrong spare in my trunk and it was useless. I drove the last 40 miles into town very carefully, and went to the WalMart in town to replace the one tire and to repair the other (I didn't want to drive the 200 miles home on a tire worn down to the steel). The tire was irreperable, so we would need to replace both. We had the money to replace one and repair the other, but NOT to repair both. It was Sunday, and many tire shops were closed. I drove all around town looking for two used tires in my size, but could not find them. Finally, in desperation, I called the church we had visited. They refused to help, assuming we were simply begging, and we were forced to repair only the leaky tire and drive 200 miles on a tire that was ready to blow, with no spare. I was not able to contact the pastor directly, but was forced to speak to one of the administrators of the church instead.

We had been considering exploring the possibility of a church plant under that congregation, but their response negated that possibility. Their ministry missed an opportunity for growth because of 50 measly bucks.

Dr Guy

on Aug 09, 2006

Yes, but I don't feel it is that beggar with the claimed "spot" that Matthew 25:31-46 is addressing.

Often, it is not easy to tell the difference.. Thus my reference to soloman.

KFC Kickin For Christ

on Aug 10, 2006

Why are you doing this Gid? I already told you this woman is one that would take off her shirt for another? Why are you smearing another Christian? Especially knowing you were not there and have no real sense of what went on.

This same woman owned a motel for years. She gave out free rooms all the time. I told you she has good judgment as well as heart. I also told you that I wasn't there and don't know exactly the whole story only the main parts of it. So why do you present this as exactly as how this happened?

Obviously you are very taken and maybe God is speaking to you on this subject especially on Matthew 25 because you keep bringing this up.

But did you not know Matt 25:31 and on is part of his discourse on the end times? This whole section is on the tribulation. This is a judgment of those Gentiles who survive the trib and whose heart relationship to God is evidenced by their treatment of the Jews (or disciples in general) during that time. Notice he's sitting on his throne when this takes place. Much different than in Thess 4:16-17 when he comes back in the air.

While you can apply it as you are, the real interpretation is these he's talking to are coming out of the trib and that period is unlike any other.

It seems as tho you are saying unless one does these things they are not going into heaven. That does not jive with the rest of scripture that says

"for grace are you saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works least any man should boast." Eph 2:8-9

Scripture is clear. Our works are evidence of our salvation not a way to earn our way in. Just like Jesus' works were evidence of who he was. Ours is evidence of who we belong to.

kingbee

on Aug 10, 2006

would you leave him to die like
a tramp on the street?

bakerstreet

on Aug 10, 2006

I think it is pretty obvious from this and previous discussions that He'd be rejected and despitefully used. Why? Because if He comes back in a way that doesn't meet the interpretation of the people who arrogantly foretell the future He CAN'T be Jesus. They KNOW that they can't be wrong, so anything that presents itself that doesn't sync with that is not of God.

Granted, what they overlook is the fact that the Pharisees and others who rejected Jesus believed the EXACT same thing. Jesus wasn't the militant messiah so the zealots rejected Him, and He wasn't in line with the theology of the religious of the time, so they did too. In the end, they served their vain philosophies and not God.

You don't have to look very far to see that kind of self-inflated hubris right here.

Tova7

on Aug 10, 2006

I agree the church can't give to every single person who asks.

Why?

Because lots of people who profess faith don't tithe. Lets face it, if every one who considered themselves Christian in this country gave 10 percent or more back to the church, or some Christian aid organization, this wouldn't even be an issue. The cup would be flowing over and Pastors wouldn't have to decide who is and who isn't worthy of help.

Our disobedience with giving back is the root of the problem imo. And until its rectified Pastors have be be as savy as a snake and innocent as a dove when dealing with con men and God's money.

sushiK

on Aug 10, 2006

Dealing with Money will always create correuption.
Dealing with Time donated can never lead to corruption.

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