The other day, as I was leaving Wal Mart, I saw an older man dressed in raggedy clothes, standing at the street corner with a sign asking for help. My first thought was, Oh No another bum begging for money and then to ignore him. I could easily justify not giving to this man, because after all he was probably going to use the money for booze or drugs. Or maybe he’s just making a living by begging. As I was justifying my decision not to give, the light change green, and I left him on the corner. The verse found in Matthew 25:40 popped into my head, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” When you read these verses, there is nothing telling us how this person should use what is given. So, I made a U-Turn and returned to this traffic light where this man was still standing. As I handed this gentleman some money, He said to me, “God Bless you.” I thought to myself as I drove off, God has surely Blessed me. Then I asked God to forgive my selfishness and thanked God for opening my eyes. Maybe we all need look at this world a little different.
I hope you enjoy the following inspirational story. Jesus Came to Dinner… Author Unknown
Jesus Came to Dinner
Ruth looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter one more time…
Dear Ruth,
I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon, and I’d like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.”
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. I’ll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.”
She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Seven dollars and forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk…leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt satisfied as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
“Hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
“Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.”
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. “Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”
“Yeah, well, OK lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.” The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. “Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the man her grocery bag.
“Thank you, lady. Thank you very much!” “Yes, thank you!” It was the man’s wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.
“You know, I’ve got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street . . .without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you, lady! Thank you very much!”
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit, and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. “That’s odd. The mailman doesn’t usually come twice in one day.” She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
Matthew 25:37-40 – “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Jesus Came to Dinner… Author Unknown
What a powerful and meaningful story. Sometimes I think we all could use a little bit of attitude check. Time is short! We all are standing at the door to eternity. Jesus tells us to help others and the poor. The question is this, are you judging and justifying others before helping? This all starts with a relationship with God. How is your relationship with God? Is it good?
If you never had a relationship with God, or maybe you have lost fellowship with Him. There’s no better time than the present to renew your relationship with God. Just take a moment now and dedicate yourself to Christ Our Savior.
All you need to do is ask the Lord to come into your life. Please… if you don’t know Christ or have fallen away, please pray… Tell God you believe His Son Jesus paid for your sins and rose again. Tell God you are sorry and want to start Living for Him. He will forgive your sins and mistakes and give you Everlasting Life with Him… and place His Spirit deep within your heart. In 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I pray that God will truly Help and Bless you. If you would like for me to pray with you, please email me at Bob.L@magnificentPromises.com. May God Bless and Keep!
I thank you for reading my blog. I do not claim to be any expert or affiliated with any religious organization. All I can say is that I’m affiliated with my Lord Jesus Christ. This is one man’s opinion and observation. My hope is I stirred up some thoughts for you to think about. There is one place that we can find all the answers to life. That road map is Commonly known as the Bible. If you want the answers to life all you have to do is read. If you would like me to pray with you or want to send a comment, please email me at Bob.L@magnificentpromises.com
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Dear Jesus Christ, I would like you to come for dinner your friend Andy