Doing Something for Jesus

I have just written to a man in a California prison.* He has
just started on a 44-year prison sentence. After that, he has 35 years waiting
for him in an Idaho correctional institution. His children live with their
mother in Florida. He is not a Christian. I am sending him a Bible and books. I
am his only correspondent. We send Bibles and books to many people in prison at
their request. We correspond with some of them and take collect calls from others.
If you were here, you would think it is our only ministry. It is only a minor
part, but biblically it is a very important part.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-40,

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep 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, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you
did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Notice the words, “you did for me.” Isn’t that wonderful?
Would you like to do something for Jesus?

Feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the
naked; invite strangers into your home, visit the sick, and visit prisoners.
Suppose it is not Jesus you visit; it is a con man, a panhandler, or a thief.
That is not a reason at all to choose to be with the goats and not with the
sheep. Have I been conned, cheated, ripped off? Yes, several times. However,
the blessing of giving and receiving has been much more than any negative
experience.

*Written September 1999.

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