The face of Jesus

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 16, 17, 18

Matthew 25:31-40 (NIV)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on His left. 34 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. 35 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. 36 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.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Good morning!

It was a chilly, rainy morning when we saw Him pushing a shopping cart down the street nor far from our church. He moved slowly, maneuvering his body against the strong gusts of wind and rain. I noticed that His jogging pants were soaked through. The fabric clung to his thin legs like dripping ice cream melting in a child’s hand on a hot summer’s day. The intense rain dripped from his eyebrows and collected on the thin scarf wrapped around his neck. My friend Penelope saw him before I did. “Oh my,” she exclaimed, “What is this?” Slowing down, she pulled her automobile toward this person, so that we could offer some assistance. At that point, neither of us were sure whether this person was a man or a woman. We simply could not tell in the pouring rain.

Penelope rolled the passenger window down and said, “Honey, can I give you a ride home?” Both of us gasped for breath when he looked into our eyes. There was something about His face – there was no doubt in my mind that we were looking at the face of Jesus. The light radiating from His face was incredibly disarming. This gentle soul possessed a peace that day that neither Penelope nor I could even begin to comprehend. She asked again, “Honey, can I give you a ride home?” “I am home,” he replied, pointing to his rain-soaked shopping cart. Looking into his wet face, I could see that he had something to offer me. More than anything else, I wanted to share His sweet spirit and the peace that He obviously possessed.

Penelope continued, “Can I get you something warm to eat? May we take you to breakfast?” He grinned and said, “I have my breakfast right here, thank you.” I looked at Penelope. We shook our heads in disbelief. Who were we talking to? Where did this man come from? Neither of us had seen him on the streets before today. We were only a ¼ mile away from our warm church building. Penelope looked at him and said, “Can we take you someplace warm, where you can dry off? May I offer you some money?” By this time, the stranger was grinning from ear to ear. “No, thank you, ladies,” he replied in a gentle tone. “I have everything I need.” That was more than apparent to me. He had everything a person could ever hope for – He was walking with God. And then it happened. This beautiful, amazing soul reached out toward us and said, “May the Lord bless you today!”

Have you ever seen the face of Jesus up close and personal? He was standing just a few feet away from my me. His eyes were filled with love. Even in the blinding wind and rain, He could see me so much better than I could see myself. I’ve never experienced such love flow from a person’s face, and I’ve met some incredibly loving people along life’s journey. As we drove away, I turned to my dear friend Penelope and said, “I am convinced we have seen the risen Christ today.”

We just wanted to help this man get warm, even if it was only for a little while. He warmed our hearts in ways we will never begin to understand. Our Savior is alive! He is here – on the streets where we live! He resides in the shelters for the homeless! He is eating in the soup kitchen down the block. He is sleeping underneath a cardboard box in the alley behind the bar. He is in the face of every child who sleeps in the backseat of an abandoned automobile because he has no bed to lay his body on.

Who will be Jesus to them? When did we see our Lord hungry and give Him food to eat? When did we see Jesus thirsting for something to drink, and offered Him clean water? When did we see our Lord shamefully naked and cold, and offered Him something warm to wear? When did we see our Savior in shackles? Were we willing to go and visit Him, locked behind the barbed-wire fence inside His concrete cage?

Jesus said, “Whatever you do for one of the least of these, you have done unto me.” Have you seen the face of Jesus today? Look around. He may be pushing a shopping cart along the sidewalk near your church. Will you stop and offer to help? Turn around and take a long, hard look with your spirit. Do not miss an opportunity to see the face of the Lord this morning. Reach out in love today as you look into the eyes of His children. You may find yourself face-to-face with the Lord.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: eyes to see and ears to hear! Will you help feed the hungry, offer water to the thirsty, provide shelter for the homeless, and visit the captive ones in prison? Will you be Jesus to them? Will they be Jesus to you?

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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