I was reading something earlier about what it means to treat other people like Jesus. It really convicted me.
It asked what if Jesus was actually the stranger beside me on the bus, or that I passed by on the street, waiting for someone to do some random act of kindness to him. While I don't really think that would happen, it thought it was interesting. It made me think of how I should treat other people.
I just spent a weekend in downtown Cincinnati. I did give homeless people change as I passed them, but I couldn't help but feel completely helpless. I was wrestling all weekend with how I am supposed to treat them. I don't find any comfort, or self-righteousness in giving them change. Giving a homeless person change doesn't fix the problem of homelessness, it only gives them a temporary respite.
I don't know how to fix the problems of homelessness, but I do know that we need to do more than giving them change as we pass them.
What if all Jesus wants from us as we pass a homeless person is to love them as He loves them? The Bible says what you do to the least of these, you do to me, and to love your neighbor as yourself. I think we are always called one step further than what we want to take things.
It was easy, and comfortable for me to only give a homeless person change. I never sat down and talked to one of them. I never built a relationship. I never loved them as Jesus does, and I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed their were 1200 Christians at the convention in Cincinnati, and I never saw a Christian care for the homeless. Their are a lot of people out their that would take the bible seriously, and care for the poor to their utmost abilities, but they are hard to come by.
If we really treated them like Jesus, none of this would be a problem. We would invite the homeless to live with us, but it wouldn't matter because we were doing it for Jesus. We would gladly run myself into debt for Jesus, He is after all our Lord and Savior. It would be easy to put ourselves out there for Jesus, because Jesus is after all... Jesus.
Why is it so hard to treat people as if they were Jesus?
True
Comments (10)
reminds me of the Joan Osborne song, "What if God was one of us, just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on a bus, trying to find his way home."
don't know why ppl are so judemental.
Convert all of the expensive churches into homeless shelters.
That's what Jesus would do.
You have a good heart, Trav! Nice post!
Here's a sweet quote:
“…what can I say to an Islamic brother who has fed the hungry, and
clothed the naked? You say, “But he hasn’t a personal relationship with
Christ.” I would argue with that. And I would say from a Christian
perspective, in as much as you did it to the least of these you did it
unto Christ. You did have a personal relationship with Christ, you just
didn’t know it.”
-Tony Campolo
What would happen if you gave every homeless person a million dollars???
Would they invest that money in a Roth IRA, Traditional IRA or the Brown-Forman Corporation???
Your post is amazing!
@BeBiJeSs@xanga - You might have the best picture ever.
Answer: Because they are not Jesus?
Answer #2: And look what we did to Jesus!
I disagree that it "would be easy to put ourselves out there for Jesus". We would not, we do not; we would be as the apostles who denied, abandoned, and were puzzled. God have mercy on us.
Get involved at the homeless shelter many homeless people can be helped and many are mentally ill and have no where to go, You may find the one whom you are suppose to help.
love this post! this is something i've been thinking a lot about lately too..