Believers - and non-believers - I am going to tell you a story. There was a baby that was brought into this world having nothing at all. His parents had to search frantically for shelter, he did not have a crib, he did not have any toys to play with - he had absolutely nothing at all. They were traveling. Which meant for the birth of the child, they had to find a place to rest, yet because of what was going on they were turned away. Left in the cold or extreme heat by many people who said they believed in God but oh well I don't have a place for you in my life. Until... There was one hotel that had no room inside but they had one outside, OUTSIDE, that they allowed them to sleep in even when it was against the rules. There were bugs and animals outside that were annoying to the parents - but they made it through the night and had a beautiful baby boy.
Now, this part is where it gets even trickier, this family was middle eastern family, so maybe their skin was a little darker or lighter - depending on what color YOU are! :) We just couldn't open our doors for this dark skinned family, who had no shelter, and she was about to give birth, right? We just couldn't allow them to come in and get a shower, or pay for their room for the night, because they didn't look like us, right? Don't dirty my sheets, because you know they carry disease right! Oh, and did I forget to mention that they were Jewish?
Ok, my story is over - how many of you know who I speak of? I am talking about someone most of you know dear to your heart. Someone who loves you more than you could ever possibly fathom. That's right people, Jesus Christ was born in a manger - which is a feeding trough for horses; with absolutely NOTHING! He was a Dark Skinned Israeli Jew and so were his parents - Yet, we refuse to see men who are on the street as people created in his image as well. Yet, we refuse to see the many colors HE created as beautiful as well. Yet, we refuse to step in and be the HANDS and FEET of Jesus to a broken world. The other morning I heard a story of a homeless ministry that a lady was running. She said that it was true to her heart because her uncle was homeless. His reason? Not because he didn't have any money. It was because when his twins were younger - one of them died - and he couldn't bring himself to get over that. His WOUNDS were to great on his heart and he couldn't recover. Why are we so selfish with our Jesus? Why do we want to put him in a box and only allow him to come out when it's convenient for us? or for who WE think HE should help? Our Jesus deserves to be introduced to everyone - made known to EVERYONE no matter their pain. If someone had just given that uncle their Box of Jesus Skittles - then maybe he would have found that emptiness to be filled with God's Love!
This video below is a perfect example of God sharing his love with us. This music artist went to make a music video and had his life impacted by a soldier of Jesus that is on the streets! Remember that Jesus started his life much like the man in this video!
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have the faith to say to a mountain JUMP and it jumps, but I don't have love, I am nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I have gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, no matter what I believe, no matter what I do - I am bankrupt WITHOUT LOVE! (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, this version taking from for KING & COUNTRY's song - "The Proof of Your Love") (The song is the first on the playlist, but only the radio version has the scripture!)
Here is what is crazy to me - we judge so many people who walk through the doors of our church, or up to us in the park, or up to us a the store - before we even know their story. For one - It's not our job to judge - Matthew 7 says - Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Secondly, Jesus was born to a dark skinned family - so that really eliminates the theory that Jesus was white - so, I apologize for bursting your bubble, you know when white people think other skin colors are misprints! You know, somehow their DNA strand forgot to put color in their body! OH WAIT - it did put color in their body because if I remember correctly, you can't color with white crayons! So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 Remember, Jesus died on the cross for EVERYONE, not just you or your color. The next time someone "different" walks into your church - get up and shake their hand, issue a hug, and tell them you love them - instead of giving them judgmental glances because REMEMBER "YOUR" Jesus was "Different"! Maybe if you remember him as the Dark Skinned Israeli Jew born to a family that had to seek shelter in a barn with animals and his first night on earth he slept in a feeding trough. Maybe this will help you remember what Jesus is all about? Maybe it will help you see people not based on the color of their skin or there outward appearance...but instead you see them as Jesus does. Perfect! Lastly, remember to "Love your neighbor," (Matthew 22:7) no matter who that neighbor is, because without love we have NOTHING! I love you all no matter who you are! Be Blessed!
