How We Love

A friend once told me a story that happened to him and I’d like to share that story with you today. Rob was at his house with his parents and they were throwing a big party for a whole bunch of people they knew. Everyone was having a good time and at one point during the party there was someone who showed up late. It wasn’t unusual for people to come and go and so when this guy showed up Rob happened to be the one who was by the front door and he invited the man in. It was clear to Rob by the look on the guys face that this was the first time he had been to their house. Rob brought the man to where the food was and helped him get a plate of food which the man loaded up on. Then he brought him to the drinks and he got himself something to drink. The man thanked him and sat down and ate. A while later the man came up to Rob and thanked him for everything and walked out. A little while after that Rob’s parents walked up to him and asked him what he had been up to, and he told them about this man. His parents told him that they didn’t see this man at all and they didn’t ever see Rob interacting with him and when Rob described the man they couldn’t figure out who he was. Rob then told me that he was convinced that he had just hosted an angel.

Then he quoted our Bible verse today, “Keep loving each other like family. 2 Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it.” I am convinced that Rob was right. He opened up his home to a guest and showed this person hospitality even though he didn’t know him. He didn’t ask probing questions about who he was or why he was here. He just let the man in and gave him the most basic needs that anyone needs; food and water. I cannot think of a better example of what it means to serve our neighbor. Service to our neighbors, true service, doesn’t have to be big or flashy or fancy, it just has to be authentic and get at the real needs of the person we are serving. How many times do we assume we know better than the person we are serving especially if we are in a position to help and the other person is unable to provide for themselves? Seeing and knowing that person involves treating them like the equal they are. Just because they are in a slump in this part of their life doesn’t mean we know their needs better than they do. It kind of reminds me of that Bible verse where Jesus says that we would never give a child a rock when they ask for bread or a snake when they ask for a fish…because it goes on to say that we should treat people the same way that we would want to be treated. Whether it’s a child or a stranger we should serve our neighbor in a way that truly helps them in the way that they need to be helped.

If we take a look at the text from John we see that Jesus asks the man if he wants to be made well. He engages with him and talks to him about what ails him. While the man doesn’t directly tell Jesus that he wants to be made whole, we can understand that by being by the pool this man is clearly doing everything he can to be made whole again. So Jesus responds to his story by healing him. Jesus engages with this man and with so many others through one on one conversations. Through that conversation Jesus employs love and compassion for what is happening to the person and responds to their need in an appropriate way. In fact if you look at most if not all the healing stories you will see the way that Jesus listens to the needs of the people that surround him. I could be wrong but I believe the only instance of Jesus healing someone without talking to them first is the man with the withered hand, but then again we are presented that story as a story about the legality healing on the Sabbath and not focused as much on the man directly. Even then we can see how Jesus is focused on the importance of serving others and less about a strict interpretation of the law. What is the need that exists and how do I serve that person over serving the status quo of the institution?

The story of Jesus in his hometown reminds us that not everyone wants to be served. As much as we may want to help them and think we know what’s best for them we cannot help those who do not want to be helped. Mark makes it clear that he was not able to do any miracles because the people were unwilling to see Jesus for who he was and what he came into the world for. Yet at the same time it does say that he was able to place his hands on some sick people and heal them so we cannot assume that an entire group of people does not want our service because of a vocal majority. We reach out to individual people to care for them in the way they need to be cared for. Then we move on and serve the next person we are able to serve.

And service can be done in big and small ways. Which may be another way to understand Jesus visiting his hometown. No miracles were done but some healings were as we just talked about. Don’t think you need to serve in a way that changes the whole world. Maybe service is simply being there for a neighbor who doesn’t have anyone else in their life and all you are called to do is be a neighbor to them. To love them as they are and bring them out of solitude into relationship with you. Maybe service is handing out one of the care kits or hygiene kits we make each year, after all that is what God’s Work, Our Hands is all about. Service to our neighbor, in ways that love them and make them seen and heard. This year we are doing more and different service projects than we have in the past and I hope that if you are able you will find a way to serve on a project.

I want to leave you with this today: I was watching Jimmy Kimmel Live on YouTube and a music artist by the name of Jelly Roll was hosting on Jimmy’s behalf. I had no idea who Jelly Roll was until then and maybe you don’t either. He is a former rapper turned country music artist who has a difficult past. During his monologue that night he said some things that really spoke to me and speak to our series we’ve been studying. I would love to show you the clip but YouTube does play well with our worship software. He said this: “I want you all to know that despite the fact that I cuss and I tell jokes I truly am a man of faith. And I can’t read the gospels without being confronted by the words of Jesus himself when he said, “when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me a drink, when I was a stranger you welcomed me in. That’s what Jesus said. He also gave us two commandments: Love God with all your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself.” He goes on to talk about how Jesus didn’t put an asterisk after that statement. He just said to love your neighbor and that he hopes that is the standard he holds himself to and that he will try each day to do better than the day before.

I believe this is the kind of life we should live. To love our neighbor as ourself and to serve those who are hungry, thirsty who need a place to stay, and to welcome everyone that is in need of love. Service to our neighbor is a way to live out our love for God, to let God know that we see all people the way that God sees them. May we all know the deep deep love of God so that we may serve our neighbor with that love, so that we can lift each other up to a point where there is no longer a stranger, there is no longer hungry or thirsty. All are loved, all are welcome, all are cared for, because we all deeply experience to love of God as found in Christ Jesus. Amen.