Galatians 2:6-10
And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.
In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In The Glass Castle, author Jeanette Walls talks a lot about being poor. It’s not that her parents weren’t capable of earning a decent living and providing for Walls and her three siblings. But both were poor managers - and a little unstable mentally and/or emotionally – and they pretty much chose not to work. Their theory was that “allowing” the children to fend for themselves would build character and develop lifelong survival skills. You probably cannot imagine your parents doing this…but I’ve worked with enough children and families to know that a somewhat “subconscious” form of this mindset exists more often than we want to believe.
Whether children learn survival skills as a result of this upbringing or not isn’t as important as how this treatment affects them psychologically. Walls describes how she and her siblings ate out of the garbage cans at the school cafeteria when no one was looking. They had no lunch money - and their mother absolutely forbade them to accept “free lunch” – so they would pretend they were not hungry. Then they would secretly steal away to the garbage cans and pilfer leftovers. Their clothes were ratty, and they even painted their skin to try to camouflage the holes in their garments. They were frequently cold… Walls’ brother, Brian, once turned a boat upside-down over his “bed” to keep the rain that dipped through holes in the roof from hitting him while he slept.
Like countless children throughout the world, these children simply wanted to be accepted…to fit in…to feel loved and nurtured. A college professor once accused Walls of not understanding the plight of the homeless, and she did not respond out of a fear that her own situation would be uncovered. Today, Walls is a successful author. She is married…and quite wealthy. Her father died from the ravages of alcoholism. Despite Wall’s efforts to provide her with a home and what most would consider “creature comforts”, Walls’ mother is homeless – by choice – on the streets of New York City.
What does this have to do with Paul’s words to the Galatians…and what is the message in this passage and illustration for us? If you read the verses again, you will see that God used Paul to preach to the Gentiles…and Peter reached out to the Jews. Both were serving God, but they were doing so out of their respective backgrounds. Sometimes, we can put ourselves in the other guy’s shoes…and sometimes, “it takes one to know one.” Does this mean that we cannot minister to the poor if we have never done without? Absolutely not! To the contrary, we must ask God to give us compassion for others, regardless of who they are. I’m not talking about pity…I’m talking about a true love and caring for others that transcends race, creed, color, sexual orientation, addictions, income levels, intellect, and more.
But there will also be instances where we can help others because of personal knowledge and insights. If you have gone through a divorce or nasty breakup…you can reach out to someone else who is experiencing this - and share how God got you through it. If you are battling an illness, you can offer support to someone else going through the same thing. If you struggled with college Algebra, you can help someone else in the same boat. Who can better counsel and comfort someone who is grieving a loss than those who have experienced this in their own lives? If you have overcome financial troubles and become debt-free (or close to it), you are in the perfect position to offer concrete, first-hand wisdom and encouragement to someone else who is struggling with this.
In addition, we need to stop and realize that none of us truly knows what is going on behind the scenes. Countless families like Jeanette Wall’s make every effort to “put on a good front”. We have no clue that there are problems at home…that kids are cold and hungry…that parents are suffering from illnesses and addictions…that there are relationship conflicts, abuses, and financial troubles. Sometimes, the cover-ups are “successful” – and no one is the wiser. Sometimes, things blow up at some point…and the results are devastating and ugly. OUR JOB as Disciples of Christ is to be awake and alert…to be loving, full of grace and mercy, kind and compassionate…and to offer others a safe “soft place to fall” if they decide to seek help.
How you demonstrate the love of Jesus in your daily living may make the difference between a child who suffers in silence – and one who feels comfortable enough to say, “I am in trouble, and I need your help.” Your kindness to someone who is disheveled and dirty or cold and hungry may allow him/her to stick around long enough to discover the love of Christ – and His power to create lifelong changes and improvements. Your willingness to listen to someone who has opinions and ideas that are different, at best – and maybe downright preposterous in your estimate – might be the catalyst for this person’s willingness to consider an alternative mindset. If we are quick to judge and suggest that it’s “our way or the highway”…we may permanently alienate the very people who desperately need to see and hear Jesus through us.
We need to smile more…to exude an air of kindness, grace, mercy, and acceptance…to honestly emulate Jesus Christ and His unconditional love for others. I saw the photo of a T-shirt on Facebook that said, “Love Thy Neighbor…thy homeless neighbor…thy Muslim neighbor…thy black neighbor…thy gay neighbor…thy white neighbor…thy Jewish neighbor…thy Christian neighbor…thy atheist neighbor…thy racist neighbor…thy addicted neighbor”.
What if we really did this? Paul tells us in this passage from Galatians 2 that God has equipped each of us to do this. He has tailored our individual “skillsets” to reach specific people. Have you determined yours? Do you know who – and how – God is calling you to share the love of Jesus with others? Are you selective in your witness, or do you genuinely desire to serve wherever God sends you – and to whomever He chooses – even the poor? Just how serious are you about your faith and discipleship? How willing – and eager - are you to share God’s love and the message of Jesus Christ with others? Don’t you think it’s time you knew?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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