Jesus is in the lowliest of places with the lowliest of people. Just a few moments ago I heard of a story that was on my wife's FB page that just broke my heart and it reminded me of this.... It breaks my heart to remember there was one time a man was waiting to get into the church building one Sunday morning when I went to unlock the doors. He was a black man that had a mental disability and he had been sleeping on the park bench all night by the doors of the church. As I approached the doors with church keys in hand he said to me (with an usher standing near), "can I come in and help serve?" I said "sure! We would love to have you." the usher pulled me aside and said "you have to get him out of here. He is scary looking." and I can't help but think of the passage in Matthew 25:33-46 where God separates the sheeps from the goats.....
"He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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 clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
We must never forget what Jesus has done and always be mindful that Jesus always ministered to people like that in the lowliest of places!
Neighborhood ministry is a Missional Church and our mission is to bring hope and be a light to at-risk neighborhoods in Northwest Indiana. We do this by partnering with churches and other Christians.
