What Would Jesus Do?
One brisk afternoon in Seattle, I went to a local restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat. Before I exited from my vehicle, I notice a stubby man coming around the corner of the restaurant. He appeared in desperate need of hygiene care from head to toe and I thought to myself, ‘another beggar on the street.’ I sat in my car for a moment and a scripture came to me.
“’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 clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothes you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine (first to the brethren and secondly those in need), you did for me'” (Matthew 25:35-40 NIV).
I got out of my car to talk to the man and offered to buy him lunch. Because there was a chilly Seattle breeze, I asked if he would like to come in out of the cold. He said he wasn’t allowed in that restaurant, so I took his food order, went inside, and ordered my lunch as well as his. He was waiting patiently outside the restaurant in the cold, I gave him his order, and we parted company. Before I left I told the gentleman that Jesus loves him.
I realize that the spirit of giving comes from my mom who is in Heaven with the Lord. When I would ask her about different situations, her reply would always be “What Would Jesus Do?” Her drilling that truth into me as a teenager has become a part of my mindset, even when giving is inconvenient at the time. Sometimes, it’s so easy to look the other way and pretend we don’t see someone in need. What would Jesus do?
“’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 clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothes you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine (first to the brethren and secondly those in need), you did for me'” (Matthew 25:35-40 NIV).
I got out of my car to talk to the man and offered to buy him lunch. Because there was a chilly Seattle breeze, I asked if he would like to come in out of the cold. He said he wasn’t allowed in that restaurant, so I took his food order, went inside, and ordered my lunch as well as his. He was waiting patiently outside the restaurant in the cold, I gave him his order, and we parted company. Before I left I told the gentleman that Jesus loves him.
I realize that the spirit of giving comes from my mom who is in Heaven with the Lord. When I would ask her about different situations, her reply would always be “What Would Jesus Do?” Her drilling that truth into me as a teenager has become a part of my mindset, even when giving is inconvenient at the time. Sometimes, it’s so easy to look the other way and pretend we don’t see someone in need. What would Jesus do?