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 2)

Tova7

on Aug 10, 2006

Dealing with Time donated can never lead to corruption

Is that because its considered worthless?

The reason I ask is because donated time can be corrupted...by the person giving it or the person receiving it.

The person giving it could agree to 3 hours and only give one and that half heartedly, the person receiving it could take it for granted.

I find corruption comes individually and spans many facets of life, not just money.

Gideon MacLeish

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.

I am not smearing another Christian, KFC. I am challenging the pedestal you put her on. I do not feel her actions are appropriate.

I have been turned away by many people in the course of my life, bacause my hair is long and my clothes are well worn WalMart specials. I am sure that many of them walked away just as smug and sanctimonious as that, demanding that their "discernment" kept them from enabling an addict, or something to that nature.

The man had a simple request: THE NAME OF A PASTOR. She could have/should have supplied it.

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.

Gotcha, KFC. If a verse says something you don't like, rationalize it away. When He was pressed as to the "greatest commandment", was He speaking of end times, too, or was He speaking to ALL of His followers? Did he say "woe to the rich, for you have received your reward in the Lukean beatitudes only to address the end times, or was He speaking to US? For a professed literalist, you sure seem to have a very difficult time accepting scripture.

I sympathize with the man because I know the pain of being turned away when I was in need. I know the uncertainty of walking five miles with a gas can in 100 degree temperatures praying to God I wouldn't die of dehydration out there while cars passed me by without a second thought. I know the humiliation of having to literally BEG to receive federal public assistance because every church in town had turned us away when we were struggling to pay the rent with a newborn baby after a completely unexpected layoff. And I am sure that, in every one of those cases, the "good" Christians went home, to their churches, and to their social clubs thankful they didn't muddy their hands with this piece of human refuse. And I will NOT be party to EVER treating anyone else intentionally like that again. If they ask for the name of a pastor, by golly, I'll give them the name of a pastor...and if the pastor has a problem with it, maybe we ought not be attending their church!

As I told stute, I do not know the woman that you're speaking of. I will give the benefit of the doubt in assuming she THOUGHT she was doing the right thing. But if she thought she was doing the right thing, she's not being taught right!

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 10, 2006

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

Oh, so the fruit of the Spirit is NOT "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control"? Gotcha. Without your help I wouldn't know what parts of the bible are inspired, and which are not.

God calls us to an ACTIVE faith, KFC, not a passive faith. The difference is, in an active faith, we will continue growing and learning. NOWHERE have I ever said works were a means of salvation; but they ARE a fruit of salvation.

The words I quoted were Jesus' words, not my own (except in the "KFC Standard Version, of course). There is a clear and consistent call for ACTION on the part of the faithful, not for passivity. The word "believe" in John 3:16, for instance, means a lot more than a basic head knowledge in the original Greek text.

lostintexas

on Aug 10, 2006

God did come to earth in the form of his Son Jesus Christ and was rejected my his own. Why does anyone think that it would be any different today. I am just grateful that He sent his Son to die for my sins so that when I am not prefect I can still be washed whiter than snow in his blood and therefore expectable in Heaven! As for as the lady who just directed the man to a place to get a room. That was not all he was asking for. He also was asking to speak to a preacher. She had an obligation to get him in touch with a preacher. I also believe that if a man asked for your shirt you should willingly give him your coat too. We never know when that person we are helping is an Angle or just someone trying to get one over on us. That is God’s judgment not ours. If someone is always asking for help we are not helping by just giving to them all the time. We may need to step in and help them learn how to manage their money or help them find a better job. But I don't believe in choosing the church you attend my what they can or will do for you. We are to attend church for the purpose of worshiping God not for what the church can do for us but what we can do for the church (bring lost souls to slavation). I judge a church by the standard that God set forth in the Bible.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 10, 2006

If someone is always asking for help we are not helping by just giving to them all the time.

I agree with that wholeheartedly. After you get to know them, you can more readily assess their needs. But if you come across a stranger on the road, you cannot possibly know the circumstances that put them there.

That was not all he was asking for. He also was asking to speak to a preacher. She had an obligation to get him in touch with a preacher

Right. It's quite possible he had a spiritual need he didn't feel comfortable discussing with her.

We are to attend church for the purpose of worshiping God not for what the church can do for us but what we can do for the church (bring lost souls to slavation).

I agree with this also. Many times we bring lost souls to salvation through our actions. The old saying "actions speak louder than words" was never more true than in the area of evangelism.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 11, 2006

I wouldn't be as blunt as LW in my reply, KFC, but I would encourage you to prayerfully consider some of the advice being offered you by fellow Christians.

My "door" is always open if you want to discuss these things privately, KFC.

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on Aug 18, 2006

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Jewbu

on Aug 20, 2006

My fear would be that he would be invited to Church then offered ham salad and cheeseburgers at the luncheon.

Be well.

Dr Guy

on Aug 20, 2006

My fear would be that he would be invited to Church then offered ham salad and cheeseburgers at the luncheon.

How about Tofu Burgers and Potato salad?

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