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Monday
Matthew 25 v 31 -45
At the outset of our devotionals this week, I would like for you to understand that
the key to understanding Isaiah 58 is found in the understanding of THE MYSTICAL
VALUE OF PEOPLE.
Matthew 25 v 31 – 45 is a prime passage in this regard. Jesus points out, very
categorically, that He represents Himself in the poor and the downtrodden. If you
want to find Jesus today do not look for Him in the ivory palaces and the crystal
cathedrals, because Jesus is unlikely to be found there. But this passage would teach
us that Jesus is to be found in the prisons and the hospitals and the places where the
poor and under-resourced live.
I shared with you the fact that there are many great stories in our modern day life
which illustrate this beautiful truth. Won’t you read the story that Tony Campolo
shares with regards to the tramp that he met one very cold and dismal day in his
book ‘Let Me Tell You a Story’:
“One day, about the noon hour, I was walking down Chestnut Street when I noticed a
tramp walking toward me. He was covered with dirt and soot from head to toe. There
was filthy stuff caked on this skin. But the most noticeable thing about him was his
beard. It hung down almost to his waist and there was rotted food stuck in it. The man
was holding a cup of McDonald’s coffee and the lip of the cup was already smudged
from his dirty mouth. As he staggered toward me, he seemed to be staring into his cup
of coffee. Then, suddenly, he looked up and he yelled, “Hey mister! Ya want some of my
coffee?”
I have to admit that I really didn’t. But I knew that the right thing to do was to accept
his generosity, and so I said, “I’ll take a sip.”
As I handed the cup back to him I said, “You’re getting pretty generous, aren’t you,
giving away your coffee? What’s gotten into you today that’s made you so generous?”
The old derelict looked straight into my eyes and said, “Well…the coffee was especially
delicious today, and I figure if God gives you something good, you ought to share it
with people!”
I thought to myself, Oh man. He really has set me up. This is going to cost me five
dollars. I asked him, “I suppose there’s something I can do for you in return, isn’t
there?”