Dear Trekker,
With pen in hand, two New Testament scriptures this morning are whirling about in my mind! The first is from the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew, Chapter 7, verse 20 begins: “… by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!”
The second passage adds meat to the first! While discussing the coming of the Kingdom and a new age, Jesus declared (Matthew 25:31-40) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory… then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For 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.” When the “righteous” answer, “When did this happen?” the King replies, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers (and sisters) of mine, you did for me.”
I am reminded of a valuable lesson I learned years ago while working at the Pentagon. Who you know is meaningless! The key is who knows you! But even knowing is not enough! One must do! Is there any word in which knowing and doing are summed up? There is… in obedience we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, our role model. We do the Gospel! Living the “Good News” surely is the most authentic form of communication and reveals true faith!
But I am getting way ahead of myself. This past week was a bit of heaven on earth! Friend wife and I were hosted by some forever friends, Don and Deyon Stephens, founders of Mercy Ships International. (If you missed the “60 Minutes” segment on CBS this Spring, stay “tuned”…there may be more, and re-runs for sure). If anyone epitomizes “doing” the Gospel, Don and Deyon surely are that couple. “Mercy Ships follows the 2000 year old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor,” (Mercy Ships Mission Statement) mostly in Africa.
We were in Athens, Greece on a military attaché assignment in 1980 when our paths merged. How God has worked through the leadership of Don and Deyon! Following the model of Jesus, Mercy Ships seeks to… “love God, love and serve others, be people of integrity, be people of excellence in all we say and do” (Mercy Ships values).
Trekker, I personally believe it is significant that the public ministry of Jesus began with these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to redeem the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favors.” (Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 4:18-19, quoting Isaiah)
Does not the Church in our day have the same charge and anointing… to proclaim “good news” and do good for the poor, needy, blind and oppressed of our world? Service projects in Jesus name throughout the world are a good endeavor for young and old today, for we must be about our Father’s business.
Knowledge of Jesus becomes most relevant and genuine when translated into action. The merger of action, love and humility comes together socially in Micah’s words in the Old Testament: “… what does the Lord require of you… to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Knowledge (read “salvation in Christ alone”) must eventuate in action; theories must become practice; theology must become life. If we are to follow Jesus, trekker, we must hear and do and be Jesus today in our world! We are saved by grace not works, but God desires that we do good works. Eph 2:8-10 is pretty clear! And as the Apostle James says, works prove our faith.
This is the heart of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25, as well as the story of the good Samaritan. We are simply to act with compassion and mercy towards those in need. We can’t do everything for everybody, but each of us can do something for somebody. Only those who have compassion and act upon it are blessed and known by the Father!
Trekker, I believe “true faith” is a here and now proposition, not an expectation of some glorious opportunity to practice virtue in the “sweet by and by”. Yes, heaven will be glorious, but we are alive for a purpose and heaven awaits. The Savior wants us to live in His presence, in the present, to love and serve now… to touch the least in concrete circumstances of healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and food to the hungry. If we escape from involvement with others, we may one day hear, “I never knew you”. It is significant that in the Upper Room discourse on the night he was betrayed, he repeatedly said, “love one another”. “Love one another as I have loved you”, he said. In so doing, we will project the greatest witness the world has ever known!
Trekker, we most effectively will spread the Gospel when we become the Gospel, Jesus with skin on to our world. Will we respect all men, women and children as those of inestimable worth for whom He died? May our hearts be broken by the pain and suffering that ripped apart the heart of Jesus.
The Apostle James gives some powerful words which are our benediction this month: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:12,13).
Sobered this month,
Your friend,
Jim Meredith
