Ministering To The Hurting World ( 2)
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you 36 clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
GOd is interested in the affair and welfare of humanity. He has given man the responsibilities to care for his neighbours. The parametre for God judging the world, especially Christians, is based on our caring for His world. As I said last week, our community is sick and needed a man that will stand in the gap to minister healing through caring and visitation.
The third aspect of ministering to the hurting world is through our hospitality to a stranger. No doubt, our society is evil, and even to accommodate or entertain visitors is very difficult. But the scripture was written in an odd environment like today. Jesus Christ affirmed: “I was a stranger and you invited me”. Some are outside there looking for someone that will host them and extend a hand of compassion that will bring life transformation. Christians should be accommodating and ready to create inclusiveness in their community. We need to break the barriers between us and the sinners around us. Jesus Christ extended invitation to the sinners. He said; “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” ( Mat. 11: 28). We need to bring those that are stranger to the matter of the
Kingdom to the knowledge of Christ. Are you far from your Creator? Christ is calling you into a deeper relationship with Him today.
Fourthly, Jesus said, I needed “clothes and you clothed me.” God called believers to cover the shame of those that were unjustly humiliated by sin and bad governance. Some are naked spiritually and physically. Some are denied access to basic life amenities, including their children. God’s blessing in your life is an avenue to put smile on the faces of others. Stop accumulating mundane things; be a channel of blessing to the needy in and outside the body of Christ. The rich man was procrastinating on the day to help Lazarus out of his predicament, but he could not do it until he and Lazarus left the world. He wanted to correct what he failed to do here on earth while he was in hell fire. It is not too late to clothe someone as we celebrate the risen Lord. Remember that, whatsoever you do to your brother, you are indirectly doing to the Lord.
In Proverbs 19: 17, the Bible affirmed, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Also, Proverbs 22: 9 says, “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” May the Lord bless us to bless humanity! Amen.