How I Experienced Hospitality at its Best

It was a Sunday morning and after the worship service ended, my husband left church to visit a friend that was in the hospital (out of town). 

That meant that I would need a ride home. I thought of asking a friend who lives close to me, but she didn't sit in her usual place (down the isle from us). Instead, another friend sat next to us, who usually sits elsewhere. So after the service ended, I asked Myrian if she could take me home. She was happy to do so. 

We left the church and made the short five-minute trip to my house. But, I didn't get out of the car immediately because we had been engaged in conversation which now continued in the parked car in front of my house. In fact, we continued to talk for about an hour in Myrian's car. 

All this time, I was being nudged by the Holy Spirit to invite Myrian into my house, which wasn't in perfect condition - it looked lived in. But I just continued on with our conversation until I had to go into the house to feed the dog. Even then, I didn't invite Myrian in (I'm ashamed to say!). 

Once in the house and after feeding the dog, I looked around the living room area of my home and it hit me. What was keeping me from welcoming in my friend? The house simply looked a little lived in. 

Besides, it was lunchtime and I had an opportunity to feed the hungry - that was both of us. But what could I serve my friend? And then I remembered the homemade soup - delicious at that - in the refrigerator from the day before.

It was time for me to swallow my pride and obey the mandate given in Scripture to be hospitable. So back out to the car I went and finally asked Myrian to come in for lunch. She was delighted.

I put the soup in a saucepan to heat and while it was heating, I set about to make a simple salad to serve alongside the soup. Next on the table - after pushing aside the papers that were occupying the space we needed for our soup bowls - was some wonderful artisan sourdough bread and butter. Finally, the table was ready with a savory and delicious repast - the perfect meal that Myrian and I needed to nourish our bodies and satisfy our hunger. 

We ate and continued to enjoy the sweet fellowship we have in Christ. What a precious time we had, encouraging one another, laughing and be nourished by the love of Christ as we ate the leftovers from the day before. I've never had a better meal! And what the Lord taught me through this joyful appointment was priceless. 

At that time, I had been reading a book called The Gospel Comes with a Housekey by Rosaria Butterfield. It was the testimony of how the Lord had redeemed Rosaria through a Christian family's ministry of hospitality to her. I had been convicted while reading the book for having had a worldly mentality when it came to opening my home to welcome others. Now the Lord was showing me the joy of welcoming others, prepared or not, into my home, perfect or not.

Through this sweet time with Myrian, I've come to realize that all the busyness and frenzy to get my home perfect for guests had limited me in welcoming others into my home. My home is not a museum nor is it the White House and it especially is not to be shut up to others when it's not perfect. 

We live in our home and it looks lived in. When I thought about that, it hit me that life happens in my home. Productivity via life creates a mess sometimes. And sometimes people come to my door before that mess is cleaned up. Do I typically invite them in? No. Instead. I'll step outside and casually visit with them on the front porch. 

But the Lord has provided a home that should be His first and foremost. If He truly lives here, He would never hesitate to warmly invite anyone who drops by to come inside, no matter what life has done to my house. 

For a welcome mat to be laid at my doorstep and yet nary a welcome extended by me is paramount to hypocrisy. It is anti-Christ! How stingy I've been with what I've always said belongs to Him. 

What blessings I've missed because of the mentality that my house must have a "photo-finish" look to it for a welcome to proceed from my mouth. And how enslaved I've made myself to the flurry of cleaning and polishing this place I call home before anyone can enter in. What I've actually done is to pamper and polish a house instead of loving and caring for others in the lived-in home I have been blessed to share with them.  

And for the very reason I call it home (not "house"), it should be a home, not just a house. There are phrases that express the meaning of home: "being at home" means for one to have a relaxed sense of well-being, to be able to let all the agitating aspects of life go and simply calm one's self in a peaceful state of mind. Should this benefit of my home be only for me? Would Jesus want me to invite others in to "be at home" here also? Would He want me to use my home as a vehicle to minister to those who are harassed by life?

This, I believe, is what happened when I invited Myrian into my lived-in home. That was true hospitality! It was not me entertaining guests. It was the Lord Jesus ministering to both of us as He used a little piece of earth on which a shelter had been erected in 1941 to calm us, to enjoy one another, to bring laughter and to remind ourselves of the kind "welcome" the Lord Jesus has extended to us. This truly was God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven. In fact, it was "heaven on earth"!

My earthly father used to tell us, his children, about the most welcoming family in the church that he attended growing up (where his own father was the pastor). 

This family was not only the most welcoming in the church, but they were also the most financially deprived family in the church. There was hardly anything of value in their home. The couch was old, threadbare and broken down. Yet folks visiting there sat on that couch with no hesitation because of the warm reception they received from this family. Their feeling at home there had nothing to do with the furniture. Rather it was the Christ-like hospitality extended to all who entered.  

There was a great deal of laughter and love in that little ramshackle house. As a child, my father loved visiting there. The joy inside the home was contagious. It was the healing and strengthening joy of the Lord shared by all who entered. This family truly used their home to bring glory to God. 

I do not know the name of those saints, but you can bet that they are with the Lord now and He's welcomed them into His eternal home with the words we all long to hear from Him, "Well done, my good and faithful servants...enter into the joy of your Master."

And those are the words I long to hear my Savior say me when I meet Him face to face. And it won't be because I entertained others in my sparkling clean museum of a home. It will be because I welcomed others as Christ has welcomed me. 

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you to the glory of God. (Romans 15:5-7)

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

How I Experienced Hospitality at its Best

on September 07, 2025 0 comments

Six Things I Learned AT THE TABLE as a Child Concerning Respect for Others

My Dad used to say to us kids (in support of my mom who cooked the meals), “You kids have two choices for dinner this evening: Take it or Leave it."

If we chose to “leave it”, we didn’t eat anything till the next meal was served. No snacking allowed! If we chose to “take it”, that meant that we ate everything on our plates. I don’t remember ever choosing the menu option to “leave it”.

Sitting at the table daily with my dad and mom, older sister and younger brother (yes, I was a middle child), profoundly influenced me for good.

There were important things I learned at the table, such as respect for God, for the various people and their functions in the family, as well as respect for the family unit in general. Looking back, I realize that eating family meals together taught me these six things (at least):

Respect for my mom who prepared three meals every day. Lunches were packed daily for Dad to eat at work and for us kids to eat at school. Breakfast and supper were eaten at the table. Now that I prepare meals for my own family, I realize what hard work it is just to get good food put on the table. 

For my mom, there was the added challenge of finances. At times Mom had few food supplies in her cupboard and refrigerator, yet she made due. We weren't wealthy by any means and we often had only beans for dinner. However, Mom always made it seem like a meal fit for a king as she worked her magic in the kitchen turning even that meager meal into a delicious gift to her husband and children. 

I stand in awe of my mom who committed to serve her family in this very basic but extremely important way. (Learn here how we can serve our husbands and children by providing nourishing meals as did my mom.)

Respect for my dad who went to work every day to bring home "the bacon" and insisted that we all spend time eating that bacon together around the table. My father had some priorities as the head of the home and seeing that we all came together for meals was one. He knew that it was important that we connect with one another and also that we commune with one another. He understood the value of family "community". He was a wise man and I thank God that he was my earthly father.

Respect for the way things were done in our home for the well-being of all in our family. I learned that a family functions together. My dad, a Christian man, was committed to leading the family, even in this seemingly minor way. He grew up on a farm and knew the importance of real food, ie, eggs for breakfast rather than sugary sweet breakfast cereals, etc. As a Christian husband, he took the lead in this and my mom, being his complimentary counterpart, made the meals happen three times each day, every day. They functioned like a left hand helping the right more dominant hand. The example of how a husband and wife can work together in the home was lived out daily for me.

Respect for the food itself, as it was real, nourishing and was provided by God’s creative and loving hand. I learned that one of the first gifts God gave to Adam and Eve was food - delicious, nutritious food. Food is God's love made edible. He gave plant foods to man in the garden of Eden before man chose to disregard God's one directive (Genesis 1:29-30). Later, after the flood, God also added animal foods to man's diet. This is what real food is and this is what we ate every day at the table. 

Respect and gratitude toward God for providing all of our needs. This was the most important truth of all that I learned as we ate together. We kids grew up knowing that trusting God meant that we would never go hungry. 

King David expressed this very thing in Psalm 37:25 when he proclaimed, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread." 

And it was at the table that we kids heard from Dad and Mom of the stories of God providing, when often there wasn't money to buy what Mom needed for our meals. These stories informed us kids that we ate three good and nourishing meals each day, not because we had the money to buy whatever we needed, but because someone, unbeknownst to us (moved by the Lord), had visited our front porch, leaving there bags of groceries that contained exactly what mom had needed to make the meals she had planned but did not have the resources for when the time came to buy them. We learned at the table that the Lord met all of our needs and that He knew exactly what those needs were. 

On one such occasion, Mom testified at the table, as we ate "Cabbage Patch Stew" that she had all she needed for this stew except the cabbage. But she didn't even have enough change in her purse to buy the cabbage for our supper. Dad may have had that little bit of money, but he was at work and not due home till later. 

Sometime between Mom's discovery that she either needed cabbage or she needed to "punt" and plan for beans instead (though by then, it would have been too late to soak and cook beans), she discovered a bag of groceries at the front door. To her delight that bag contained a nice big head of cabbage. 

This is the testimony of our God's goodness that we heard as we sat and ate Mom's Cabbage Patch Stew. To this day I continue to love and make Cabbage Patch Stew partly because it's delicious but mostly because I remember what the Lord did to make this meal possible (get the recipe here if you'd like to try it).

Respect for the health of my own body and the health of my future children. That may sound a little strange. But again, my dad had his priorities and he was wise. One of the reasons we always had breakfast around the table was Dad wanted us to start out the day by being nourished so that we would have the nutrients needed to excel in body and mind. He would tell us that it was important for our health individually and for the health of the next generation, "What you eat now will have an impact on the health of your children in the future." And he was right. 

It stands to reason that if a child eats densely nutritious food and avoids eating sugary cereals, fast food, faux foods that are laden with preservatives, etc., that she will herself be healthier than a child deprived of nutritious foods. So many of the degenerative diseases that much of our society deals with in this day and age point back to a poor diet. 

Considering that the health of a child can be impacted by what she eats or doesn't eat as she grows up, when she's of childbearing age, her developing child will be benefitted or harmed by her choice of diet. It really is true that you are what you eat and that includes what the health of future children will look like. If I am malnourished, how would I be able then to nourish the child in my womb? (For more info about how to nourish your future children follow this link to the Weston A. Price Foundation to listen to an interesting podcast.)

Is this something that you desire to implement in your home?

The benefits that I mentioned in this article that came my way as a result of eating meals together with my parents and siblings (and as a result of my parents priorities for doing that), I so desire to see implemented again in young families. 

 

How I’d love to see moms and dads cooperating like this again. But I fear that this simple, slow-paced, thoughtful way of living has been hijacked by the almighty dollar and a general busyness that is ultimately unproductive. It saddens me that we may never recover such wise and skilled parenting.

However, all it takes is a desire, decisiveness and a determination for parents to once again implement these priorities in the home. This requires a knowledge of how to do that and a commitment to remain faithful to it. (If you want to explore what a real nutrient rich diet is, visit the Weston A. Price  website at this link.

Thank you, Dad and Mom! I’m so glad that you taught me to respect others at the table. And I’m so thankful that there were only two options on the menu for each meal. Your hard work and dedication will never be forgotten.

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

Six Things I Learned AT THE TABLE as a Child Concerning Respect for Others

on April 21, 2021 0 comments

Partiality - Not an Attribute of God

This is the second post on the Art and Heart of Hospitality (read the first post here). What you'll read below about partiality is crucial to truly being hospitable. As you read, ask the Lord to renew for you His heart of love and welcome to you when He drew you to Himself.

 

A sad exhibition of partiality

Most of you, by now, have heard about Susan Boyle and her incredibly beautiful singing voice. She stunned the Britain's Got Talent  judges and audience on April 11, 2009.  If you haven't seen the video, click here to view it on YouTube.

You may wonder what this video has to do with the topic of this post. To answer that question, I decided to post about Susan Boyle based on a text in James. That text, James 2:1-5, confronts the sin of partiality or favoritism:
"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

After having seen the reaction from the judges and the audience when Susan Boyle appeared on stage for her audition for Britain's Got Talent, it became even more clear to me how fickle the human heart can be. It was only after she began to sing that everyone who had disgracefully judged her just seconds before, changed their opinion of her and instead displayed their approval. It really was a sad exhibition.

Some apologized. But what if she had croaked out her song? The following comment, from a secular blog, pretty well sums up what I am thinking also:

"The unspoken message of this whole episode is that, since Susan Boyle has a wonderful talent, we were wrong to judge her based on her looks and demeanor. Meaning what? That if she couldn't sing so well, we were correct to judge her on that basis? That demeaning someone whose looks don't match our impossible, media-reinforced standards of beauty is perfectly okay unless some mitigating circumstance makes us re-think our opinion?"

As a Christian, would you even speak to this individual, let alone eat with him as did Jesus when He dined with sinners? Or would you and I shun him as one who is not worthy of love? Think about the fact that we were in no better condition when Christ welcomed us. Apart from His compassion, we all would still be in our sins, doomed to a life apart from anything good. 

A crucial question: does this happen in our churches?

It is sad to say that we, in our churches, do this very thing. If someone does not come up to our preconceived idea of what a person should look like, talk like, dress like, etc. we have no intention of going any further to discover who that person really is. We remain in our comfort zones, excluding that individual from the grace God would display through us, were we willing. And then we are relieved and think we are vindicated if that person turns out to be what we judged them to be in the first place.

God does not look at the outward appearance

The sin of partiality is wrong no matter what. We become judges with evil motives when this happens. God is no respecter of persons, "for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7b). He looks upon the heart. Since we cannot look on the heart as does the Lord, we must give way to love, compassion and mercy.

And consider what it means that God looks at the heart. What a very frightening truth! He saw me for who I really was before I knew Him. I was unlovely to Him, as are we all. All of us were guilty in His sight. All of our works were like filthy rags. We were altogether unclean, haters of God, lovers of sin. This is the condition we were all in when He chose to redeem us from our vain manner of life.

Our example, a compassionate Savior

Had God been a partial being, such as we are, He would never have chosen to save any of us. We would all face His wrath. And He would have been justified, judging us rightly. But God saved us in spite of ourselves.

Knowing that, can we as followers of Christ, learn from what we saw in Susan Boyle's appearance? Can we learn to look at others with compassion and kindness as our Heavenly Father looked upon us in our forlorn and ungodly state? Can we then decide to offer mercy and Christ-like love to the ones we find unlovely?

Jesus did this very thing when He "went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:35-36)

The "crowds" Jesus saw represented every human condition. People like ourselves, sick people, demon-possessed people, beggars, wealthy people (like Zacheus), prostitutes, government officials, criminals, various races, men, women, i.e., people from all walks of life. Two things they had in common was that they were all 1) all created in the image of God and thus were to be "image-bearers" of the God that gave them life, and 2) they had all been separated and alienated from God because of their utter disregard for Him (universal and personal sin).

This is why Jesus saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He was/is the Good Shepherd and they were without Him, though they followed Him. And He had compassion on them immediately, by healing them, by feeding them, by preaching the gospel to them and ultimately, by being crucified to pay the price that their disregard for Him cost. 

The word I am using here, "disregard", is a very mild term for how we all feel and think about God before we bow our hearts to Him. But our flagrant "disregard" for Him resulted in His condemnation and crucifixion on the cross. This is the greatest indictment of and proof for our inherent sinfulness - we brutally slaughtered the Lord of Glory, God in the flesh, when He visited us*. 

So, how can we have the same compassion that the Lord Jesus Christ had upon us?

As for me, I have been very convicted by all of this and am stunned when I think of it in terms of my acceptance before God. He has taken a poor, ragged, sinful wretch, welcomed her into His heaven and given her all the blessings in the heavenly realms. In Him, I have redemption through Christ's blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on me with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7-9)

I pray like Paul for those of us making a claim to know Christ:

"For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Once this kind of knowing is a reality, there is no telling what would come of it in our churches, homes and neighborhoods and who we would welcome, just as our Lord has indeed welcomed us!

*Note: If you do not believe this about yourself - that you took part in Christ's violent death, let me ask you, how do you think about God, in particular, Jesus? Have you ever resisted/disbelieved the truth about Who He is? This unbelief of Who He was in the flesh is what put Him on the cross. He was crucified because He claimed to be the Son of God which meant He was equal with God (John 5:18). Jesus was crucified because He was hated and called a blasphemer - He claimed to be God - and those who killed Him did not believe Him! We are all guilty for we are born alienated from Him and in enmity to Him. We all, because of our unbelief, were guilty of putting Him to death.

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

Partiality - Not an Attribute of God

on July 09, 2020 0 comments

The Art and Heart of Hospitality

We have no idea how wealthy we are just to have a roof over our heads. I take so much for granted. This struck home so profoundly to me today.

And it also struck me that our homes must be shared at all times, even (or maybe especially) when they look lived in. This is how these thoughts came to me:

My neighbor had texted me to ask for ice. When she came to my door, I gladly handed the frozen cubes to her. She then told me that she needed to drive her truck to the store just down the street so she could use the restroom there.

I know you think that you read that last sentence wrong, but you didn’t. You see, this neighbor and her husband, though they live across the street from us, do not live in a house.

Instead, these friends live in their tarped, broken-down truck. It runs, but barely. They have been our neighbors for three years, parked on the curb across the street from our house (though we’ve only gotten to know them better in the past two years or so).

My husband and I love these dear people. They are good friends and good neighbors. They are part of the “homeless” population by today’s standards though they themselves consider their truck to be home. But they do long to have a real roof over their heads as soon as possible.

But back to the story. Knowing that Estelle (not her real name), needed to leave quickly to get to the store to relieve herself, I promptly invited her in to use our restroom. She was so grateful.

As we entered the front door of my house, I apologized that the house was a little messy. And this was Estelle's response, “Please don’t worry about how your house looks. I would give anything to be able to say that.”

Did you get that? Estelle was saying that she would give anything to be able to make such an apology - to have a house that was a little messy to invite guests into, apologizing as I was. I can’t tell you how her response has sobered me!

The Lord has been impressing this message on me heavily for well over a year now. So what Estelle said has been that same message personified by the Holy Spirit through my neighbor. I must not ignore this!

My home (dare I say “our homes” since we are commanded to be hospitable many times in the Bible) must be open to others. We are even commanded to be hospitable to strangers.

Our homes are not museums where a janitor is constantly cleaning to make sure that the antiquities there remain dust-free so they can be admired by the visitors. A museum is a place where non-living things - even dead things - reside and people stare at them, awestruck, in order to connect with the past. Those who visit, walk through the museum till they reach the exit, never having rested all the while because museums are not made for resting.

Instead, my home should be a place where living beings reside, a place that is not constantly being cleaned but rather where people are productive and fruitful and also where they can rest from the living that happens there. Our homes exist for those who are living, not for the dead and/or inanimate.

Our homes should be fruitful and restful, and not just for us. They should be open for others to come in, sit down and find rest from their weariness (even if that means finding rest in the most humble room in our home - our bathroom). 

Our homes should also be a place where others can partake of the home-based fruits of our labors. Perhaps this would be lived out by providing a meal. And that does not have to be hard. It could be a meal of leftover soup from the day before (don't we say that the soup is always better the next day anyway?). Or that shared fruit could be a simple cup of coffee and an encouraging truth, ie., a spiritual fruit, that the Lord impressed upon you earlier in the day as you communed with Him through His written word. 

But back to the museum analogy, do I mean to imply that it’s wrong to clean my home? Of course not! It would be wrong for me to let my house go. What is wrong, however, is to operate under the misconception that my house must be “museum-clean” in order to have “guests” in. It’s wrong to think that my home must be picture-perfect for those who enter so that they can gaze in awe at the well-dusted, cared for and cherished furnishings (exhibits?) therein. 

The account of Zaccheus in the gospel of Luke helps me think deeper about how available my home is and, more to the point how available I am personally to serve others. This short little man, with a name that was bigger than he was, climbed up into a tree so that he could see Jesus above the crowds that obscured Him as He passed by.

We read in Luke 19:5, "When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, 'Zaccheus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.'"

Oh my! In reading this, I can't help but wonder what Zaccheus’ house looked like when Jesus invited Himself over to stay there. My knee-jerk reaction would have been to panic, race home and try to get things in order. But what does the little tax collector do? Luke tells us, “So Zaccheus came down at once and welcomed Jesus gladly.” (Luke 19:6)

"So Zaccheus CAME DOWN..."! I would have been tempted to climb higher to get out of sight. But Zaccheus came down. In fact, the text continues to tell us, "So Zaccheus came down AT ONCE..."! He hurried down that tree. But that's not all, "So Zaccheus came down at once and WELCOMED JESUS..."! He didn't stress that Jesus was coming to stay at his home. It was quite the opposite. He welcomed Jesus and it wasn't just any halfhearted welcome. Not at all! Read his entire response to Jesus: "So Zaccheus came down at once and welcomed Jesus GLADLY"! Zaccheus was thrilled that Jesus had invited Himself to his house. Knowing that your house was a little messy, would you have responded so enthusiastically? Would I have?

At this point, I am thoroughly in awe of the dramatic, comprehensive and instantaneous heart change that the Spirit of God makes within this one who has been so enamored with and enslaved by money. Neither the Lord nor his fellow man was on Zaccheus’ radar until Jesus transformed him. Now he was all about Jesus instead, with his enthusiastic, joyful welcome to the Savior.

Should not this be my response, your response as well? If we are each a child of God, has He not transformed our hearts also? And when we welcome weary ones into our home, do we not likewise welcome the Lord Jesus in? 

At this point, there are so many challenging thoughts swirling through my mind. There is so much to explore and my heart needs a constant transforming tuneup. I want to explore this further so that I do not forget and so that I do practice the art and heart of hospitality in my place of fruitfulness and rest - in my home. 

In the next few weeks (God willing), I will be posting more about hospitality as it is practiced and commanded in the Bible. But for now, I have been so blessed to have shared with my neighbor the smallest, most humble room in my home, a room where she found rest in her weariness. Thank You, dear Savior, for this unforgettable opportunity! And thank You that when Estelle came for this short visit, You came with her and spoke to my heart.

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

The Art and Heart of Hospitality

on June 28, 2020 0 comments

You Do Not Always Have Me

The study of the book of James has been quite an eye-opener for me. In chapters one and two, James brings up the topic of the poor several times. The rich and poor are mentioned in verses 9-10 of chapter one and as Christians, they are instructed in what their real treasure is - faith in Christ. In verses 26-27, James reminds us of what true ministry is - to visit orphans and widows in the distress of their grief and extreme poverty.

In chapter two James exhorts his Hebrew flock not to show partiality by catering to the rich man and neglecting the poor man. He reminds them that God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the needs of the poor. Robert and I have had the opportunity to help with a ministry in Uganda - a school for street children (the poorest of the poor) started by a dear friend of ours. And then there is always the reminder at this time of year of our own physical comfort as we hit the malls in search of that perfect gift. This contrasts so sharply with the needs of the poor all over the world. I just learned last night that worldwide, one child dies of starvation every three seconds. There are so many desperately needy people!

Of course, we are compelled by Scripture to minister to the needy. When we become aware of the reality of the poverty that exists, it often happens that our hearts are so touched that we get real busy - organize this and that, cover this need, don't forget that need. But the poor are everywhere. Where do we start? How do we meet the needs of so many? How do we even begin to really raise one such person out of the degrading dust of their poverty?

We begin with the One who became poor for our sakes. We begin at Jesus' feet. In Matthew 26:6-13 we read about a woman who came to Jesus with a vial of very costly perfume, equal perhaps to a year's wages. She broke it open and poured it on Christ's head in the worship of her Lord. The fragrance filled the room. But when "...the disciples saw this, they were indignant. 'Why this waste?' they asked. 'This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.' "

These disciples were so concerned for the poor (supposedly) that they actually berated the woman for worshipping Jesus. But Jesus commends the woman for her good deed toward Him and then says to the disciples, "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial."

Worship of our Savior must come before our work for the poor. If it doesn't, we do not have Jesus with us in that work! We will always have the poor, the Lord tells us. The opportunities are countless and demanding. But these very demands can crowd Christ out. Busyness will always grab our attention, but will we set aside those demands to worship the Savior first and foremost? Will we recognize that He is with us and fall at His feet in adoration?

Jesus kindly calls to our hearts, "...you do not always have Me." All too often we do not have Him in our day. Like the innkeepers in Bethlehem, because of our busyness (perhaps in even serving the needy), there is no room in the inner sanctum of our hearts for Him. Then it doesn't really matter what we tackle - how many poor we feed - for we do not have Him with us. Our busy work is of naught - wood, hay, stubble.
What a joy, however, when we do welcome Him adoringly. The fragrance of His life permeates our own life and spreads to others. He so motivates us and empowers us that nothing is impossible. When Christ is our most precious treasure and priority, we will be sent to His poor that they may become rich in faith, rich in Christ for eternity. No time, no resources, no energy will be wasted for we will be directed of the Lord, clothed with His compassion and love for the needy, and supplied with His strength and wealth. And how will this all end? As it began - in worship for our Savior for He will receive all the glory and honor.

As you enjoy this Christmas season of the year of our Lord, 2008, please remember the poor. But first of all make sure that you have Jesus with you. May this be to what you are committed. Then indeed you will have a joyous Noel!

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

You Do Not Always Have Me

on December 08, 2008 1 comments