The Challenge Series: Love the Least of These

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 took me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited 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 take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’⁴⁰ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25: 35-40

My area of the world is really nice.  I live in a nice home out in the country.  I have running water, food, clothes, a washing machine and means to clean myself. I am well cared for and in a place in my life where I am well loved.  Last Monday evening, I packed up my youngest kiddo and we drove just fifteen miles south into downtown.  Like most downtown areas, there's a lovely "trendy" part and then there's the part where no one wants to go.  The part that we "suburbians" try to stay away from. The part of the city where you only go because somehow you took a wrong turn, I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about.  My little guy and I arrived to a large church plopped right there in the middle of the rough part of town.  I could already see the line forming, the line of the least of these.Most of them were stinky. Most of them didn't have proper clothing. Most them had matted hair and unkept bodies.  Most of them looked like life had been really hard.  All of them came empty-handed, ready to be cared for.  The Independence Boulevard Christian Church served them well. They sat them down at tables and served them plate after plate of delicious home cooked food.  Servers took their drink orders and brought them ice cold beverages on a hot summer night.  Volunteers helped to meet medical needs, clothing needs, hygiene needs and more.  They kept pouring in the door, one after the other till over five hundred were served in an hour and half.  They walked out with a bag of clothes, hygiene items and full bellies. Some of them met upstairs in an AA meeting, most of them enjoyed just sitting at the table. Sixty of them were children, most of them suffering from lack of care due to lack of resources and hard times.  I was blessed to see this small church body use their large church space to audaciously love and provide for the least of these, and they do this every Monday night. Every Monday night they feed and clothe no less than five hundred people!  I mean I can't even imagine the impact they have had over the fifteen years they have been doing this!I could fill this blog with scripture after scripture that supports feeding the hungry and helping those in need.  It is a well covered topic in scripture and honestly there is just no way around it. It's not a calling for just you or just me or a calling for someone else.  No dear friend, it is a calling on all of us. There is no "who" but only an "I". I am called to feed the hungry and and satisfy the afflicted one.  I am called to do this for the least of these. The question I have for us is; Are we putting yourselves in places where we come into contact with the least of these? God loves us in our wretchedness and so should we love others right where they are even in the most unappealing ways and places.  When we do this for the least of these we act in the precious name of Jesus and for his glory. We miss out on this great honor when we skip the doing part.It was my great honor to serve the hungry not just food that Monday night, but also love and compassion.  It was also a reminder of my selfishness, pride, arrogance and self righteousness.  May we ALWAYS be putting ourselves in places where our heart is breaking for our fellow man and we are reaching out to serve them and meet their needs.  Jesus lived like this, he loved like this and calls us to do same.  In your city there is great need, go be the change.  Show up for them, you are called to that. We are all called to audaciously love and serve the least of these.Are we willing to say;"Here am I Lord, SEND ME!"Active Love Challenge:

1. Reflect first on how much God loves you despite (blank) sin in your life. Even when we have nothing to bring to the table, wrecked in sin, he pulls out a chair and says child sit and be fed.
2.  Ask God to reveal how you can get involved with actively serving and loving the least of these. Be prepared for him to answer, because I promise if you are willing he will show you the way to his hurting and hungry sheep. Don't sit back! I challenge you to rally your troops and do the hard work.  It means less screen time and more face to face time. It means sitting across from someone in a totally different life space than us.  It means WAY out of your comfort zone. If you are really comfortable everyday, friend, you are missing out on a great blessing and teaching from the Lord!
3. Serve without posting about it. (I'm naturally an includer, so this challenge is 100% for me too!) Boast only in Christ