The Greatest of These
The Christian Faith is about love. It was founded in love. Jesus left Heaven and came down to dwell on earth because of love. Because of love, He gave His life a ransome for many at the end of His earthly life. It was love that moved Him to redeem us. He showed us how to love by loving us first, even in our sinful state.
The Scripture says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love"; 1 John 4:7-8. God wants to see His love in us flow from us to others. He wants us to reach out to people through love. If we cannot love others, then we do not know the Lord. The mark of our relationship with God is His love in us which overflows to others.
1 Corinthians 13: says, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity". "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth", 1 John 3:18. Let's begin to love others. That's the greatest message we can preach to them. Let's use the opportunities the Lord gives us each day and care for others. Let's tell them much more in deeds that Jesus loves them.
It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the Church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow Church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the Church. As I got closer, I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the Church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you couldn't see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet, with holes all over them. His toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the Church.
We all enjoyed fellowship for a few minutes, and then someone brought up the man who was laying outside. People snickered and gossiped, but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me. A few moments later Church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place, and to give us The Word, when the doors to the Church opened. In came the homeless man, walking down the aisle with his head down.
People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit. When he took off his hat and coat, my heart sank. There stood our preacher. He was the "homeless man."
No one said a word. The room was silent and still. Then the preacher took his Bible and laid it on the stand.
"Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I'm preaching about today." Then he started singing the words to this song...
"If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody that he's traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain."
Story Author: Unknown
Posted: February 27, 2018 11:20 pm
Share this post on social media.