Mark 9:35 (NLT)
He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
Despite its short length, I hope we didn’t miss the point of yesterday’s exercise- to reach out in a simple way to another. Practicing it, not simply preaching it. Today’s lesson picks up there and begins with a question:
Have you ever uttered the following prayer (or one similar): “Jesus, I pray that you send me (us) the least, lost, and broken so that I (we) can minister to them. Lead them to you. See them changed. And praise you because of it.”
Those of us who have soon discover that we had no idea as to the consequences of our actions. We figure out that beyond (and in) our little personal world, there are people with issues, hurts, hang ups, habits, and histories. They’re loud, annoying, dirty, stinky, selfish, ungrateful, complaining, arrogant, depressed, dishonest, and in denial. Just to name a few. But let’s understand something here- hurting people are the ones who need help! Jesus says in the Gospels, “Its not the well who need a doctor, but the sick. That‘s what I‘m here for” (Jason’s paraphrase). Those who grace the doors of Refuge don’t do so because their lives are perfect. Rather, we come because we are hurting in some form or fashion, from a literal pain to emotional scars to feeling homesick for our digs in heaven.
Let’s get down to the heart of the matter. Most of us don’t even pray for the least. Period. Fewer still pray… but honestly don’t want their prayers answered, for fear of dealing with the mess that comes with working with the least. There is wading through the garbage of the past, evicting skeletons from the closet, confessions and amends and relapses. There are inconveniences and phone calls and mentorship. It’s a spiritual janitor job. Scrubbing and polishing and cleaning and restoring.
And truth be told, everyone fits into this category, for it is the church. You and I.
In the words of Matthew (of Hope Ministries, not the Gospel writer), “If you’re willing to minister to the hurting, you’ll always have an audience.”
