the distressing disguise of the poor

Jesus came to our corps last night, but we didn't recognize him.

We had just had a Bible study thinking about William Booth's famous "I'll Fight" speech. (I've given up trying to determine the authenticity of his words; whether he said them or not, he certainly lived them.) We read Isaiah 43:18-19 and Philippians 3:12-14, and then talked about the theme that our Territory is focusing on this year, "They Need Christ" (Gowans & Larsson song). One of the women cried as she spoke about her life, and it was very poignant to have read these words, "while women weep, as they do now" just moments earlier. We have a lot of drunkards at our corps, and we talked a lot about our need to love them without fear, acknowleding that many years ago a soldier of our corps was killed by a homeless person. We talked about an Estonian woman in England who may be the victim of Human Trafficking, and the SA's efforts to help her. We talked about the fact that we truly are in a war, and while it is a spiritual war, there are at times physical casualties, such as Colonel Brekke and our soldier Lembit.

It was my first Bible Study leading all in Estonian. (My New Year's promise is to speak ONLY in Estonian when I'm at the corps! What was I thinking?!) And it went okay. I'm really proud of the heart change I have seen in our corps people.

Then we had NELK, which is our Women's Ministries program. I kept thinking I heard little noises, but had a clear view of the whole first floor from where I was sitting, and didn't see anything. Later, other women said they also heard things, but thought it was the tram going by outside.

Tim came to pick me up, and went upstairs to put in a load of wash because our washing machine is at the repair shop. When he went upstairs, he also heard a noise, and went into the Youth Room to investigate. There he found a man hiding behind a couch. Tim was SO angry; his face was ashen! He brought him downstairs, and we heard that he was homeless, didn't have any money, needed clothes, etc. But the strange thing was, he didn't look homeless! He was dressed like a businessman -- dress coat, dress shoes, dress clothes, hair combed neatly, etc. I thought he smelled funny (had he been drinking?), and Tim said it was cologne!

Tim was about ready to call the police on him, or at least throw him out like the bar scene from "It's a Wonderful Life"! But I got him a hat, mittens, and candles that he asked for. I showed him the paper saying where there are homeless shelters, showed him the paper explaining about our homeless day center, told him to come back the next day to talk to our social worker, etc. I felt I had done all I could for him at that moment.

But I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. Neither has Tim! We have dozens of homeless men who come into our building each week asking for help. Why was this one so different? He was NOT dressed for the weather at all; he didn't look prepared to spend a night out in freezing temperatures. But we just showed him the door and said good-bye.

This is a puzzle with a lot of missing pieces. Why did he sneak upstairs instead of walking into the dining room to ask for help?

But this morning, I realize that again this was Jesus coming to us in the distressing disguise of the poor. And I'm not exactly sure it's guilt I'm feeling -- more like fear! We kicked Jesus out the door, and Scripture says he ain't gonna like that!! On the other hand, what more could I have done for him?

"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 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, 'I tell you the truth, 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."
(Matthew 25:31-46)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
[you know the story of the good Samaritan, which Jesus tells here]
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
(Luke 10:25-37)

Mercy triumphs over judgment!
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
(James 2:13-26)

May God have mercy on us, and give us another chance!