Have you ever had something click in your head -- that you had thought about before and never really understood?
I gotta confess that Leviticus is a pretty tough book to get through when you’re committed to reading though the Bible in a year. All those laws… which had a point — to show us that we needed Jesus — but I digress…. are exhausting to read. (Now that was a well put together sentence…. not)
After chapters about the difference in the kinds of leprous spots and skin diseases yesterday, check out this command in Leviticus 23 that I read this morning:
‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”
Think about it. The “poor” have always been around. Reasons for poverty looked a little different I’m sure. Most of the poor in Lynchburg, for example, are not poor because a strom ruined their crops or a coyote killed their sheep. Jesus even said “you will always have the poor among you” when Mary was chastised for pouring nard on his feet. But again, I digress.
The thing is - God always had a plan for the poor. It was his people who were not facing hard times that were called upon to leave their extra for the others He had a plan for the poor — and it was His people.
God still has a plan for the poor, and it is us.
I wasn’t intending to share this, but its pretty powerful.
My brother passed away last April after years of battling alcoholism and related health issues. He never really talked about faith until a few years ago — having definitely taken off like the prodigal son as soon as he turned 18. He stayed in good relationship with my parents, but wasn’t really connected with God until about 4 years ago.
Most of the emails and letters he sent me over the years were hilarious - full of his antics. He was a great people person. But as I was goign through old emails in my personal account trying to save them or delete them, I realized this is the last email he sent to me:
My mother send me a birthday gift that was a nice thought and a gift that you made happen through the internet. I’ve come to appreciate the gift.
It is a book that includes the 120 daily readings from "Breakfast with Billy Graham." Whatever you think of Billy Graham himself, these daily readings can be inspiring
This is the reading from my upcoming birthday on day 87 - if I did my math right, that’s the 87th day of the year. Here is the reading :
Why the Statue Had No Hands
The most eloquent prayer is often prayed through hands that heal and bless. One of the highest forms of worship is unselfish Christian service. We need fewer words and more charitable works. We need less talk and more pity, less creed and more compassion . . .
Doctrine is important. But the Bible teaches also the importance of doing the things our Lord Jesus commands.
In the City of Strasburg, Germany, is a church that was bombed during World War II. It was totally destroyed, but a statue of Chirst which stood by the altar was almost unharmed. Only the hands of the statue are missing.
The people of the church rebuilt their sanctuary, and the sculptor offered to make new hands to attach to the arms of the statue. But after considering the matter, the people decided to let the statue be, without hands. They said, “Christ has no hands but ours to do his work on earth. If we don’t feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, visit the imprisoned and clothe the naked, who will?”
Christ is depending on us to do the things that he did while he was on earth.
My brother’s last message to me was about the importance of being Christ’s hands on earth. Oh the irony and the blessing this is.
I wanted to play this song this morning …. so instead of looking for it somewhere else, why not listen to it and see some CarePortal slides in the background? But instead of viewing this as a recap of CarePortal, listen to the words and see how God’s plan from the beginning of time was for His people to care for the poor. And it was the plan for us as Jesus’ followers to be his hands and feet. Even my brother Nate had that figured out at the very end of his “wayward” life.
And in case you want to know a way to do so check out careportal.org and sign up. Or just check out the open requests and meet one. Such a cool thing to be part of!
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