The Gospel for the Rest of Us

There is a lady who work in the housekeeping department of the small hospital near us.  Her body is bent and twisted and her face shows that life has been hard, with not much kindness.  To many she is ‘invisible.’  In my visits, whenever I encounter her, I stop and speak with her, exchanging greetings. She remembers me and the fact that Bev has been a patient there.  She always ask the same thing:  “How’s your wife?” But, the best part is that I can see that the attention I give her, though very small, makes her happy.  A smile breaks out when I call out to her!

Our world is not generally kind to those who are deemed ‘broken’ in some way.  Ask the kid with some disability about his daily experiences at school.  Ask the girl who does not meet the beauty code! Ask the man whose business failed.  Ask the person with chronic disease. Ask the elderly person who cannot move or think as quickly as they once did.  A few weeks ago I counseled with a person who has lived with a mental health issue for many, many years.  She sought acceptance in several churches over the years and has met rejection or been ignored in each one.  Is she easy to deal with? No, and she knows it. Does she act in ways that make others uncomfortable? Sometimes, and she knows it. But, her deepest pain comes from being ‘that’ person, the ‘invisible’ one, too broken to love.

Jesus was always aware of the needs of those others considered ‘broken.’  He touched lepers.  He engaged with those who were devil possessed. He let prostitutes into His company-  a scandal, right?  He looked up into a tree and saw a social outcast, a man short in stature, whose heart was aching for love, and He went to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner. As Jesus became more well-known, the rich came to Him, but He was not seduced by their money, power, or influence. He remained the champion of the broken.  His mission statement was not just for publication, He lived it.  Quoting Isaiah, He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:18-19, NLT)

The radical Gospel follows His path which is, truly, the ‘narrow road and few find it!’  Many Christians develop romantic notions of ministry to some needy part of our world. They are going to feed the hungry, house the homeless, love the orphan – and they do, for about 6 months. When they find that the pit of human need is bottomless, that people do not always (I might even say seldom) respond with gratefulness. Change is slow in coming.  When their ‘service’ loses the shine, when excitement fades, too many retreat to the company of the whole, the together, those that fewer demands.   It is even worse when the Church takes the broad road of the ‘world’ and only loves the lovely! 

Let the words of James guide you today and always.  He learned from the Lord of the Lowly and teaches us to care for the invisible. Let’s do it, for God’s sake

"My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.

If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, “Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!” and either ignore the street person or say, “Better sit here in the back row,” haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted?

Listen, dear friends. Isn’t it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world’s down-and-out as the kingdom’s first citizens, with full rights and privileges.

This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind?

Aren’t they the ones who scorn the new name—“Christian”—used in your baptisms?  You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: “Love others as you love yourself.” But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it." (James 2:1-9, The Message)

Jesus offers a Gospel for the rest of us!
Yes, in the end, we are all imperfect, broken by sin, scarred and marred - and He loves us wholly!