Love

Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
A Samaritan Woman (John 4:3-26)
Matthew the Tax Collector (Matthew 9:9-13)
The Little Children (Matthew 19:13-15)
Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

Read those stories. What do you see? Read them again, but reflect on them through the eyes of Christ. Now what do you see.

I've been praying recently for God to allow me to witness to others. Co-workers, friends, strangers, whoever. I want to share God's word and see lives changed. So...God answered my prayer. But not in the way I expected.

Instead of finding myself in a situation to share a word from God with someone. I found myself moved to love.

I met a young girl who had a newborn baby in a car seat. She kept peeking under the blanket and looking at him. I asked her if it was her first child and she said yes. I told her that I knew it had to be her first because of the way she kept looking at him. I told her that I remember spending hours holding my babies when they were new and just staring at them. Loving them. God loves that young girl.

I met another woman. I asked her how her day was. And she said it was alright. There was something in her voice that broke my heart. God loves her.

I met an aunt buying clothes for her twin nephews. She said her brother was in the military and had been overseas for a while. He was home for a bit and then he would ship out again. He missed their birth and would miss their first birthday. God loves that man.

I saw a friend who I hadn't seen in a while. I was filled with joy. God loves him too.

See, in none of these situations did God move me to say anything to these people. I wondered why, but soon found my answer. My heart was stirred with a love for these people that can only come from God. And that is where true witnessing must begin.

The apostle Paul wrote, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1)

All the talking in the world will not lead anyone to Jesus if it is not done out of love. They say that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Well, if you can't love someone the way Jesus did, then don't say anything either.

Blind Bartimaeus called out to Jesus. While others wanted to shut the man up, Jesus was moved by love. How desperate must the man's cry have been to the Lord's ear. Did His heart break at the sound of it? I'm sure it did.

The Samaritan woman was sinful and an outcast. She went for water during the day. Not in the evening when the other women would be drawing water. How they must have sneered at her for having had so many husbands. But Jesus saw her there drawing water and He loved her. He spoke to her. He gave her the answer for her deepest need.

Matthew the tax collector. He had a job that was looked upon as worse than shoveling manure. How many walked by and looked away from him? How many jeered at him when they paid their taxes? How many put him down and told him to do something better with his life? How many loved him? One did. Jesus loved him. He saw an outcast. A sinner. A person scorned by most that new him. Jesus loved him and called him. 'Follow me.'

The little children came to Jesus. The disciples thought Jesus had no time for them. They tried to keep the kids away from the Lord. Children were not important to them. But they were important to Jesus. He had just finished teaching about divorce. Then He saw the children. His heart broke for all the kids whose hearts were ripped apart along with the marriages of their parents. And He loved them. 'Let the children come to Me.'

Zacchaeus. Little Zacchaeus. A man too short to see through crowds. He just wanted to see about this man they were calling the Savior. He couldn't see above all the people. No one made room for him either. Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector, but a chief tax collector. Why should anyone let him to the front of the crowd to see Jesus? But he wanted to see the Savior. Jesus saw him up in the tree. His heart was moved. The man was isolated from all the people. Driven up into a tree like a scared animal. Who could ever love him? Jesus could. 'Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down. I'm gonna hang out with you tonight.'

What joy must have filled each one of these people's hearts when Jesus spoke to them! Healed them! Called them! Spent time with them! Blessed them! LOVED them!

Will you love them too?