Friday, October 12, 2007

The Last Shall Be First

I've been reading and thinking about the One organization for about a year now and to be honest I haven't really done a thing about poverty or about anything related to the poor and those that are suffering. But after attending the Catalyst conference last week God has been really dealing with me and seems to be directing me toward the things that Jesus said in Matthew 9 -28. From Tuesday until as late as yesterday everything that I have heard or read has been from the book of Matthew. It's really been strange. It's been as if the Father has been reforming my understanding of what following Christ means.

Jesus plainly tells us what to do in his teaching but if we remove the "red words" - in other words remove what he said and simply look at what he did then we have a basis to begin to understand. And once we "add back" His teaching then it becomes crystal clear what he's saying. I think last week for the first time I really began to hear what Jesus was saying!

He said that the poor and helpless are among us and that they are Jesus - remember Jesus told the people that they had not feed the hungry and thirsty or invited the stranger in or clothed those that needed it or looked after the sick or visited those in prison because 'I tell you the truth, whatever you didn't do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you didn't do for me.' Matthew 25:31-46.

Jesus keeps hammering the Pharisees that there desire to fulfill the law is good but less important with what they are living. From that I think that he's saying that our small out of the way actions for the kingdom to the least of these will yield more than our attempt to "build" our personal relationship with Him.

I'm for the first time challenged by what I am reading and hearing but more importantly I am ready to give my life to it - to Him. Not just my heart and mind.

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