Jesus came to this earth as the Messiah and died for the sins of people that, by the
majority, had no idea they needed saving. He went out of his way to talk and give the good news
to those that were not only undeserving but were actively living a life adverse to the Word of
God. These people had nothing to give Jesus, no way to repay Him for His good deeds, and often
did not even think to thank Jesus for the various miracles He performed, good word He gave, or
selfless actions He performed. Yet, despite this, He still carried on serving out of love. He made
time for those He knew needed Him.
We are called to emulate what Jesus did with His time on Earth. Making time for others
the way He did is particularly important. We must shine His light in the darkness of the world,
and there are so many people desperately lost in that darkness. Nonetheless, Jesus’s impact was
so immense that even those who do not serve Him know His name and the general idea of His
ministry over two thousand years later.
Our submission to His call to make time for those who need a listening ear, food to eat,
clothes to wear, water to drink, or simply just a friend is imperative. Often doing so will be very
inconvenient or uncomfortable for us. We may doubt our own ability to connect with someone or
fear we may be taken advantage of, and these things may very well happen. We may have
awkward conversations, or our help may not be received with thankfulness, or we may very well
be taken advantage of. Jesus calls us to be present for those in need regardless. We must
remember there is a very good reason He is calling us to serve, and that the fruits of our labor
will come in time. We may not see it with our own eyes, but we are called to serve all the same.
The effects of Jesus’s ministry have infinitely far-reaching impact, so we must trust that He will
do great things with our participation in the advancement of His kingdom. Even something as
simple as a word of affirmation or a simple friendly conversation can be used by the Lord to
have an impact that we could not even begin to foresee.
Let us pray to have eyes to see and ears to hear in the direction His Spirit is moving, and
the strength to participate in that movement with joy and thanksgiving.
Additional Resources:
Reading Along with the Gosepl of John 12 RightNow Media
Jackson, such wonderful and heart-pricking words. I especially love the thought that “we may never see the effects of our labors, but are called to do them, just the same.” So very true, and I think more often than not we do not see the effects. We cannot control how a heart receives our efforts. But, the joy in the effort is loved by the Father, and haven’t we all experienced the rewards of a parent who is proud of us? Thank you for these precious thoughts!!
Two things that you said stood out, Jackson - one is the use of the word "imperative." That is so true - it is imperative that we do what Jesus asks and follow his example. The other is "Jesus calls us to be present for those in need." It's so easy to turn our eyes away from that need. Like Jamie said - we need Jesus' light to shine through us - always. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Jackson. I pray today for Jesus' light to shine through us all.