In our first session we considered God’s heart for the vulnerable in our communities as expressed by Moses in the Hebrew law, and then in session two we looked at a great example of that in the lives of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz.
In this final session we are going over to the New Testament to look at the attitudes and actions of Jesus towards those in his community who were on the margins. Jesus, God in flesh and blood, sent to earth to show us what God is like. As you would expect, there are lots of wonderful examples of his love, compassion and support to those who have no-one to speak up on their behalf. I’ve chosen two.
First of all, Jesus’s encounter with a widow. As I mentioned last time, widows were particularly at risk of poverty, unless they had a son who could look after them. On one occasion, as Jesus entered a town called Nain, he found himself in the midst of a funeral procession. The only son of a widow in the town had died, so this widow was potentially facing being destitute, and I love how Luke recounts the story. He says, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry”. Then Jesus interrupts the funeral procession and raises the son from the dead!! Imagine being an onlooker at that funeral! Luke tells us that the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” Two things to note from this encounter - firstly, Jesus sees this widow. She’s not overlooked, she’s not ignored. She’s seen. And secondly, his heart went out to her. His action was motivated by love. It wasn’t motivated by a desire to look good to the crowd, or by a sense of obligation - “Here’s someone else who needs my help…” It was pure, unadulterated love.
There are so many other examples we could use but I’ve chosen the one of Jesus healing a blind man called Bartimaeus. There was Bartimaeus begging by the roadside, invisible probably to most people, completely overlooked. But this day was different - he hears lots of excited chatter and a crowd going by, so he asks what is happening and is told that Jesus is in town. He starts shouting “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” trying to get his voice heard above the noise of the crowd. Those around him tell him to be quiet, but he shouts all the more loudly, and Jesus hears.
Luke tells us that Jesus stopped, and ordered that Bartimaeus be brought to him. And then Jesus does a wonderful thing. He doesn’t just assume what Bartimaeus needs, rather he asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?” And when Bartimaeus tells him that he wants to be able to see, Jesus heals him. Jesus heard, he stopped, he asked and he listened.
In these two encounters we find that Jesus sees and hears those who are weak who might otherwise be overlooked, he stops, he listens and he acts, all motivated by love. What a wonderful example for us to follow.
I want to land with one of the parables of Jesus. It’s the story of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus tells us that at the end of the ages, when all nations are gathered before his throne, he will separate the sheep from the goats. And He says to the sheep, "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."
The sheep however are a bit confused.... they don't remember doing any of these things for Jesus. And then Jesus explains, in the most amazing, profound way. And I love how the Message translation puts it.... "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it for me." Just take a minute to let that sink in… whatever we do for someone overlooked and ignored we do for Jesus! When you’re sitting with someone living with dementia in a care home, Jesus says you’re doing it for me. When you’re providing food for someone who is hungry, Jesus says that was me. What an honour, what a privilege!
So, as we conclude this session and this course, some questions for you to consider:
1. Have you ever felt truly seen or heard in a moment of vulnerability? What difference did it make?
2. What do you think of Jesus 'words that when we do these things to someone overlooked and ignored it's as if we are doing it for him?
3. What small, practical steps can you take this week to reflect Jesus’ love to someone who may feel unseen or unheard?
4. Who are the “overlooked and ignored” in your community today? How might your church or group respond to them in light of Jesus’ example?
In our first session we considered God’s heart for the vulnerable in our communities as expressed by Moses in the Hebrew law, and then in session two we looked at a great example of that in the lives of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz.
In this final session we are going over to the New Testament to look at the attitudes and actions of Jesus towards those in his community who were on the margins. Jesus, God in flesh and blood, sent to earth to show us what God is like. As you would expect, there are lots of wonderful examples of his love, compassion and support to those who have no-one to speak up on their behalf. I’ve chosen two.
First of all, Jesus’s encounter with a widow. As I mentioned last time, widows were particularly at risk of poverty, unless they had a son who could look after them. On one occasion, as Jesus entered a town called Nain, he found himself in the midst of a funeral procession. The only son of a widow in the town had died, so this widow was potentially facing being destitute, and I love how Luke recounts the story. He says, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry”. Then Jesus interrupts the funeral procession and raises the son from the dead!! Imagine being an onlooker at that funeral! Luke tells us that the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” Two things to note from this encounter - firstly, Jesus sees this widow. She’s not overlooked, she’s not ignored. She’s seen. And secondly, his heart went out to her. His action was motivated by love. It wasn’t motivated by a desire to look good to the crowd, or by a sense of obligation - “Here’s someone else who needs my help…” It was pure, unadulterated love.
There are so many other examples we could use but I’ve chosen the one of Jesus healing a blind man called Bartimaeus. There was Bartimaeus begging by the roadside, invisible probably to most people, completely overlooked. But this day was different - he hears lots of excited chatter and a crowd going by, so he asks what is happening and is told that Jesus is in town. He starts shouting “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” trying to get his voice heard above the noise of the crowd. Those around him tell him to be quiet, but he shouts all the more loudly, and Jesus hears.
Luke tells us that Jesus stopped, and ordered that Bartimaeus be brought to him. And then Jesus does a wonderful thing. He doesn’t just assume what Bartimaeus needs, rather he asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?” And when Bartimaeus tells him that he wants to be able to see, Jesus heals him. Jesus heard, he stopped, he asked and he listened.
In these two encounters we find that Jesus sees and hears those who are weak who might otherwise be overlooked, he stops, he listens and he acts, all motivated by love. What a wonderful example for us to follow.
I want to land with one of the parables of Jesus. It’s the story of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus tells us that at the end of the ages, when all nations are gathered before his throne, he will separate the sheep from the goats. And He says to the sheep, "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."
The sheep however are a bit confused.... they don't remember doing any of these things for Jesus. And then Jesus explains, in the most amazing, profound way. And I love how the Message translation puts it.... "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it for me." Just take a minute to let that sink in… whatever we do for someone overlooked and ignored we do for Jesus! When you’re sitting with someone living with dementia in a care home, Jesus says you’re doing it for me. When you’re providing food for someone who is hungry, Jesus says that was me. What an honour, what a privilege!
So, as we conclude this session and this course, some questions for you to consider:
1. Have you ever felt truly seen or heard in a moment of vulnerability? What difference did it make?
2. What do you think of Jesus 'words that when we do these things to someone overlooked and ignored it's as if we are doing it for him?
3. What small, practical steps can you take this week to reflect Jesus’ love to someone who may feel unseen or unheard?
4. Who are the “overlooked and ignored” in your community today? How might your church or group respond to them in light of Jesus’ example?
