the least of these

Posted on October 25, 2001 by Dana

Mother Teresa reminded us, “Jesus announced which will be the criteria of the final judgment of our lives: we will be judged according to love. Judged according to the love we have shown the poor, with whom God identifies. ‘You did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-46)”

I had food and drink. I had clothes and shelter. I was not in prison, but I sure was sick. Perhaps, for a while, I qualified as one of the least of Jesus’ brethren. I sure didn’t look like Jesus. I didn’t even look like myself! My mind was often so dull I couldn’t think. Sometimes, I probably forgot to say ‘Thank you’ to those that took care of me, but that didn’t stop them.

I am not used to being grouped with the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, and the imprisoned, but I am not ashamed. Our common trait is that we are in need. Some may say we brought these miseries on ourselves. Maybe I did do something that brought cancer into my life. Maybe my faith was too weak to believe God would heal me. But those that cared for me passed no judgment. Those that loved me loved in spite of my weaknesses.

In Jesus’ parable, the righteous were quite surprised to learn that when they took care of the sick, fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and visited the prisoner, they actually served Christ. How can this be? How can Jesus be sick or weak or misplaced? Oh that we could realize what Mother Teresa and her fellow workers saw to be true: “We should not serve the poor ‘like they were’ Jesus. We should serve the poor ‘because they are’ Jesus.”

As the Son of God came in disguise the first time – the baby of a peasant girl and the son of a carpenter – so He comes in disguise today. Shall we recognize Him? How many times have I missed Him? How often could I have served my Savior by recognizing Him in the hurting? Now that I know a little more about suffering; now that I know what it means to be helpless, I think I see the beauty of God’s call. He chose to love me in my sinfulness and shame. He chose to rescue me when I could not help myself. Will I now choose to love Him?

The words (and actions) of Mother Teresa challenge me in a healthy way: “Jesus continues to live His passion. He continues to fall, poor and hungry, just like He fell on the way to Calvary. Are we at His side to volunteer to help Him? Do we walk next to Him with our sacrifice, with our piece of bread – real bread – to help Him get over His weakness?” “I see God in everyone, and especially in those who suffer.” “Jesus is everything to me.”

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the Body of Christ

Posted on October 18, 2001 by Dana

One of the great blessings in my sickness has been to see the Body of Christ as I have never seen it before. Many of you are among those who wrote notes, sent cards, gave gifts, prayed, and poured out the love of God to a hurting family. I cannot describe the encouragement I received from the Body of Christ and I cannot describe the beauty I saw in God’s people. Christians from Atlanta, where I live, from Chattanooga, where I grew up, and from many other places prayed for us and helped us. Christians from Brazil and West Africa and South Africa and Russia and Mexico and Europe and Jerusalem prayed for me to recover. Friends I grew up with, people that taught me, students I have taught, players I have coached, parents of students and players, people I have gone to church with, fellow workers, children, and some people I don’t even know prayed for me and loved my family in incredible ways. I am sure not worthy of such love.

One day, if God will help me understand it, I may try to write about the power of prayer, but today I want to share something about the Body of Christ. Much debate has taken place over the years about who makes up this Body. There’s really a pretty simple answer. The Body of Christ is made up of the friends of Jesus who have put true faith in Him. Jesus revealed through parables the separation that would come at the end of the age (see Matthew 13:24-43), but that’s not our job. “The Lord knows those who are His.” Our job is to love one another. It is this love that I witnessed in the Body of Christ.

Now it is true that if all those Christians who prayed for me were put in the same church building and told to worship together, disagreements might surface. But here’s something I believe to be true: If my hospital bed had been moved to the center of a large gym and all these friends had come to visit me at the same time, I don’t believe there would have been a single argument. What friend of mine, standing next to a dying man, would want to argue with another friend of mine?

Perhaps this illustrates a bit of the wisdom of our Father. If the children would just gather at the Cross, where would be the division? What friend of Jesus, standing next to the Cross, wants to argue with another friend of Jesus? At the Cross we’re all the same. We know we’re the ones that put Him there, yet He shed His blood for each of us. We’re sure not worthy, but He calls us friends.

“I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 “…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21

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grace

Posted on October 11, 2001 by Dana

After learning of my illness, some friends told me, ‘Your faith is strong. You are ready for this trial.’ I may have had a similar thought at the outset, but in the midst of the storm, I found myself in the same boat as the disciples. Though Jesus is right beside us, we cry, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” And Jesus asks, “Where is your faith?”

God does call us to spiritual preparation. The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 makes it very clear some will be prepared for His return and some will not. But if we think our faith is strong, beware. Paul warns, “So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” At times, we may be tempted to boast as Peter did, “Lord, if all desert you, I never will.” It is true that Peter recognized the Messiah when many didn’t. It is also true that he left everything to follow Him. But Jesus knew Peter’s faith was not as strong as he thought it was. Just a few hours after his proclamation, Peter denied he even knew his Friend. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.

Spiritual preparation should not lead to boasting about faith. Spiritual preparation leads to humility. If we let Him, God will teach us to put less confidence in ourselves and more in Him. We’ll learn to pray, ‘Lord, if you don’t fill me with Your Spirit, I won’t make it. Lord, if you don’t give me your grace, I will surely fall!’

If anyone is prepared for a trial, it is by God’s grace he is prepared. If anyone endures a hardship, it is by God’s grace he survives. If anyone is “more than a conqueror”, it is by God’s grace he is victorious. All such blessings are found in Christ, God’s magnificent Gift of grace.

Jesus shared with His disciples that things would get so difficult at some point before He returns that “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.”(see Matthew 24) In other words, things could get so bad that the person with the stongest faith would not endure. So who wants to boast? Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Today, there are Christians in many parts of the world enduring hardships I can’t imagine. Many are remaining faithful in the flames of persecution. It is by God’s grace they stand. Today, many have been delivered from sin by an all powerful Savior. Though living in an evil world, they resist the devil and stay unspotted. It is by God’s grace they walk in righteousness. Because of His grace we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear. He will always provide a way of escape. One day, as in the days of Noah, swift destruction will come upon the world. By God’s grace, some will be safe in the ark of Christ Jesus. Believe in Him and possess the oil of the wise virgins. Remain in Him, as the only place of true safety, and remember “it is by grace that you have been saved”. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

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proper thinking

Posted on October 4, 2001 by Dana

As I walked between buildings at school the other day, I caught myself in a state of mind that ended up troubling me a bit. “What a beautiful day! Everything is finally back to normal.” It was almost as if I had never been diagnosed with cancer. A year of difficulty seemed a distant dream.

In a way, such a feeling is an answer to many prayers. Last year, I often longed to just be a normal husband and father again. I’m also not complaining about peace of mind. Such a blessing is from our God and I’ve learned this peace can come in moments of ease and in moments of great distress. So why was I bothered by such a happy thought?

When the storm comes, there is an urgency awakened within that can be a great blessing. This is not the type of urgency that leads to worry or panic, but rather it is something that can lead to ‘proper thinking’. When life and death become real, the trivial things that consume our minds become clearly ridiculous. When you are about to die, who cares who wins the Monday Night Football game? Such things don’t matter! What does matter are those things that are truly important.

As Christians, we know life is but “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”, but do we live that way? Do we realize that our moments on this earth are ordained by the Creator of the universe? Is there hope to become properly focused while in these physical bodies?

Jesus knew that He and His Father were One. It was this Oneness that allowed our Savior to walk with ‘proper thinking’. His focus was being “about My Father’s business”. So, Jesus healed the sick; He fed the hungry; He touched lepers; and He hung out with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus lived with His Father’s perfect urgency. He lived in the common village, but His life was very uncommon. Jesus celebrated at weddings and enjoyed the company of children. His words were full of grace and truth and He served His fellow man. To keep Oneness with the Father, He did everything He was told, so His life ended on the Cross in a fulfillment of perfect love. God raised Him from the dead and Jesus now calls us to walk in His steps.

My hope for ‘proper thinking’ does not lie in the crisis of sickness or war. Such things may jolt me to an awakened state, but if I don’t know the Source of Life, I’ll eventually drift right back to the trivial. My hope for ‘proper thinking’ is Oneness with Christ. As Jesus dwelt in His Father, so I must dwell in Him. As I dwell in Christ, He promises to dwell in me. What a happy thought!

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 (read Jn 14-17)

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rescue

Posted on September 27, 2001 by Dana

‘If I can just get my strength back, I’ve got to find Jim.’ I said this to my family soon after I got out of the hospital. When you don’t think you have long to live, the important things come clearly into focus. We’re probably all supposed to live with such clarity.

Several times, since we’ve known each other, Jim has tried to escape a life of drug addiction. I knew he was back on the streets of Atlanta and I knew things needed to change. When I got a little stronger this past summer, I went to find him. For three weeks I searched for him to no avail. “Lord, you love Jim more than I do! Why can’t I find him?” Even in our most noble pursuits we must depend on God to be at work. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”

Jim heard I was looking for him. He was sick of the life he was in – no home, no food, no future. He started turning away from the things he knew were wrong. He went four days without drugs while praying that I would find him. God heard our prayers.

What a reunion of friends! A weak, bald-headed cancer patient and a skinny guy with long hair, owning only the clothes on his back, hugged on the street corner. Jim came home with me. He knew he had a difficult path before him, but he also knew God gives hope.

Some of our best friends have opened their home to anyone in trouble. For several weeks, Jim has lived with a wonderful family who has offered nourishment for the body and soul. Jim has stayed clean over two and a half months. He is working, he is walking with the Lord, and he is surrounded by people who really love him. His Hope is our Hope and I’m so thankful Jesus rescued my friend.

Jim’s story is not much different than mine. I struggled with different sins, perhaps, but the end was going to be the same. A Good Shepherd came looking for me. He picked me up, put me on His shoulders, and rescued me. When I repented the angels in heaven rejoiced! He put me in a wonderful family and He has surrounded me with incredible love. He has saved me and He has given me work to do. I am so thankful. I want to be just like this Good Shepherd.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” John 15:16

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:3-7

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