Will work for a Savior!

One of the most challenging things for a pastor is working with people in social ministry. Most of these people are homeless, and come knocking at your door. My first experiences with this were at my intern congregation. My intern supervisor was known for helping so many in that area that it seemed like we were the preferred center for getting help.

One time a guy came in who claimed he was a fire fighter and asked for One Hundred Dollars. I was a poor intern, but remembered the words of my supervisor, “Who knows--they might really need it.” And so I gave it to him. He promised to come right back. I never saw him again.

Then there was this one time--it was a Friday, and my supervisor was not in on Fridays.  This guy came in who claimed he needed gas money. I told him I didn’t have anything to give him. He jumped up in a rage. He told me that if he killed fifteen people on Main Street it would be my fault. I felt horrible, but didn’t know what to do.

Another time I met this guy who wanted me to take him to the north side of town. I agreed and drove him over there. As we were on our drive he asked for food, so I gave in and pulled into Subway. He said, “Well, I was really hoping for a burger.” Wow, I thought, for real, Dude.

Later I spent time in larger ministries with all kinds of social ministry policies, so I was not involved in it most of the time.

But social ministry is a difficult situation! How are we to know the hearts of these people? Who really has a need and who doesn’t? Now I am often able to evaluate the validity of these requests, but still the question always goes back to what my intern supervisor said, “What if they really need help?”

Yesterday a lady was in the middle of the road and her car was dead. I had just finished soccer practice, and had all three of my kids in the car, with supper resting on the seat. She opened her door to wave me to the next lane. My first thought was, I have so much to deal with right now. But I remembered my friend who almost always stops to help people; he helps me all the time.  So I rolled down the back window and asked her if she had help coming. She quickly responded that Triple A was on the way, but she wasn’t sure why they were not here now. I realized that in the center of West County that might make her think I was going to yell at her for not getting out of the road quickly. Honestly, I was relieved that she had help coming, because the only thing I could do with three kids along was to call someone for her. But it reminded me that we all need help.

Sometimes the thing we want or ask for may not be the thing we really need. I know some of you can’t ever imagine rolling up to a church and asking for money, but there are other things you call on to relieve your world, your pain, and your sin. Unfortunately, it is not always Jesus.

James was the brother of Jesus. I can’t imagine being the brother of Jesus. But it meant that he looked at his older brother and then found out that He was the Savior of the world. That may have been a hard pill to swallow, so when it came time to believe in his brother being a savior he struggled with it. But when he finally did get it, it became something he wanted everyone to know. That is why he wrote such a convicting and challenging book. James believed that when you see Jesus, you want to respond to Him. Whether we know it or not we all need a savior, and when we find our true Savior in Jesus, we can’t help but work for Him. Sure there are tough days, but it is much easier to look at the lady on the side of road and help her. She may need Jesus too, and we just might get the chance to share it with her. James had that passion for the Gospel, and that is why he wrote the book he did. 

In hearing the message of Jesus there are those moments where we stop and say, “Will work for my Savior!” because we need Jesus so badly, and want other people

to know His love.