Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church

Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church "I am the Good Shepherd...I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10
Lewis Allen, Pastor

12/18/2022

Our sermon text for this morning is Titus 2:11-14. I invite you to read this scripture.

GOD HAS APPEARED
In Paul’s letter to Titus, his envoy and co-worker, he comments that we are to live godly lives “while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The Advent season is all about waiting, expecting, planning, and preparing. One week from today, our wait will be over, at least for this year. But in a sense, our wait has always been over. God has appeared on earth, in the incarnate form of a man named Jesus. When the Christ Child was born, he brought salvation to the world.
The primary meaning of the word “salvation” in Hebrew and Greek was victory in battle. When God is the agent of salvation, it refers to victory or rescue from danger, defeat, distress; the meaning is overwhelmingly physical rather than spiritual, and in this life rather than the next.
Way back in the first and second chapters of Genesis, we find the story of Creation. After everything else was made. God made humans, a man and a woman, as the crowning glory of the earth. God gave the man and woman dominion over the earth, because the earth was to be our natural home. In all the stories that follow, God is always with people, leading them, guiding them, protecting them. God’s plan was for us to enjoy the abundance of this earth, trusting in God’s providence. And the providence of God never failed. God led Abraham from his home to the promised land, and built of his lineage a great nation. Because Noah was a righteous man in a sinful world, God led Noah to build an ark. When the floods came, Noah and his family were saved. God raised up Moses to lead the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt, and God guided them through the wilderness, providing for them until they reached the end of their journey. Time and time again people were rescued from their own folly by the hand of God. Their lives were made better when they trusted in God and obeyed God’s will.
Finally, God sent Jesus into the world, to be our agent of salvation. In Jesus, the Christ, the grace of God was born in human flesh. He was known as a great healer and teacher before it began to be understood that he was the Son of God. When Jesus healed someone, so often he said, “Your faith has saved you”, and the person was well and truly restored to health. It wasn’t “wait, and you will feel better in heaven”. It was AT THAT MOMENT!! We know (I hope) from experience that when we have hurt or offended another, and done what we could to repair the damage and asked and received forgiveness, we feel better immediately.
We long for heaven, where we will live for eternity and where, it is fervently hoped and believed, we will be reunited with those loved ones whom we have lost for this lifetime. But while we wait, we continue to live ON THIS EARTH. Our home is here, and here is where we do the best we can to be the people God wants us to be. It isn’t just a place for marking time. It is a place where God wants us to experience abundance, love, courage, happiness, and compassion. So yes, we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. But that hope has already been realized for the people of God. Our salvation has already come, not just in the form of eternal life someday, but today, and every day we live, because we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Every day we live we can wake up expecting blessings, and every night go to our rest knowing we are in the hands of the Lord. Our lives are infinitely enriched, knowing the peace of Christ, by following the commandment to love God, ourselves, and our neighbors, and by sharing God’s love with each other and the world. It’s not something we have to wait for. It’s here.
One week from today is Christmas Day. Our wait for the coming of the Christ Child is nearly at an end. As we celebrate his birth, we celebrate our salvation. We celebrate the incarnation of God, here on earth, in Jesus the Christ. He is our messiah, the anointed one of God, who brings us joy, peace, love, forgiveness, compassion, and salvation – every day we live. In Jesus, God has appeared, and in whatever valley or on whatever mountain we find ourselves, our God will never abandon us. In Jesus, that blessed little baby born in a stable, we have salvation, both now and throughout eternity. Have a blessed Christmas!

12/11/2022

Our sermon text for this morning is Isaiah 40:1-11. I invite you to read this scripture.

COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE
The scene is a heavenly council. Present are God, various and assorted angels, and one mortal; a prophet whom we will call Isaiah. As we open the door and slip quietly into the visitors’ gallery, God is speaking to the assemblage. The words we hear fill us with wonder. After all, we live in a world gone mad, a land shattered by insanity on a global scale, a time in which we are manifestly aware of human sinfulness. So God’s first words to this heavenly gathering are music to our ears; they fill us with wonder, amazement, and incredibly, hope:
Comfort, O comfort my people. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
And cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid,
And that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
We stand there dumbstruck. In the midst of the confusion of our lives, in the midst of all the pain and trial and anxiety that we believe to be the result of our own or the world’s sinfulness, God is urging the angels and Isaiah to bring us comfort and the good news of our release from bo***ge. We have been punished enough. We are no longer slaves to our own iniquity.
Just imagine the feeling; hearing God, the Eternal Lord of the Universe, saying, “Comfort my people.” The way Isaiah reported the scene in his book, it was. “Comfort my people, says your God.” My people – your God; covenant words, harkening back to the Exodus from Egypt and God’s promise to Moses:
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now, therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:4-6)
Now one of the angels speaks up, proclaiming the coming of the Lord on earth. To the people of Isaiah’s time, it was well understood that for a king to come, certain preparations must be made. This angel, here in the heavenly chamber, understood that God, not content merely with urging the angels and the prophet to comfort humanity, had decided to make a personal appearance, as it were – to come to earth in the flesh, so that the divine glory would be revealed to all humankind.
In preparation for the advent of the One who will comfort God’s people, an “advance man” is needed to alert people to this divine appearance on earth. So now a second angel turns to Isaiah and says, “Cry out!” Proclaim! Preach! Tell the world!
And in Isaiah’s response, we who are observing this spectacle at last feel like we can relate to the proceedings. Isaiah is one of us. We can identify with him. We can tell he’s a person just like us, because he answers the angel exactly the same way we would answer. He asks, “What shall I cry?”
I would guess that there are two good reasons why we would feel inadequate to “cry out” as the angel urged Isaiah to do. They are the same two reasons given by the prophets in the Bible who, when they were called by God to cry out, resisted. Isaiah’s reason, or at least the one he used in this scene, was that he wasn’t sure he could make any difference.
Humanity is so insignificant when compared with the majesty of God. Like grass and flowers, like the leaves on the trees, we are transient. Ours is but a short time here on earth, and our abilities are no match for those of the Lord. The problems of our world, and sometimes even the problems of our own households, threaten to overwhelm us. There’s not a thing in this world we can do, we think, to stop the violence which seems more and more pervasive in our country, to stop our poverty epidemic, pollution, disease, or the destruction of the rain forests. We can’t stop the effects of aging on our own bodies, can’t cure our infirmities and illnesses. We don’t have the power to stop the physical, s*xual, and emotional abuse suffered by so many women and children, We can’t stop homelessness and hunger. We can’t stop death.
Isaiah knew what he was talking about when he compared mortals to grass. There’s really no point in our crying out. We can proclaim all we want to, preach till we’re blue in the face, but nothing will change. We simply don’t have what it takes.
Then there’s a second reason why we ask, “What shall I cry?” Isaiah didn’t mention this reason, but I guess that it’s probably closer to the way most of us feel than we want to admit. It is that we have no idea what to say. And besides that, we’re not about to go around talking about God! Do we want people to think we’re weird? Or worse yet, religious fanatics? Geez, we don’t even want to be called on to open a meeting with prayer!
If someone came up to you and asked you to explain your faith, could you do it? Would you even try? If someone asked you why you’re a Christian, what would you say that you feel would be an adequate answer? By the way, “it’s personal” or “none of your business” doesn’t count as an adequate answer. Could you witness to your faith for more than five seconds at a time?
My friends, as we all know, Presbyterians are pretty special people. But if there is one area where we need a little practice, it’s in being able to articulate what we believe and why, and why that is important to us. We just don’t seem to be too good at saying what makes us come to church every Sunday. It’s like we want to keep it a secret. But Presbyterianism is not a secret society! Christianity is not a secret society. It really is okay to discuss it!
You may be sitting there thinking, “That’s easy for her to say. It’s her business to discuss Christianity!” You might assume that talking about what I believe and why comes easily for me. And it does, now, much more so than when I started. In fact, at times I find myself talking away about God and Jesus and faith, and suddenly realize that the person or persons I’m talking to look acutely uncomfortable and embarrassed. It’s as though I were talking about s*x!
I grew up in a Christian home, and went to Sunday school and worship every week, with my whole family. But religion and s*x were the two topics we simply didn’t discuss. We could talk about politics all day long, and sometimes did, but on religion and s*x we kept quiet, with the exception that we could talk about what we had learned in Sunday school class, and ask what various words in the Bible meant.
However, our job as Christians is to make our faith known and understood, in as many ways as we can think of. We are commanded to spread the good news. Isaiah was told to go up to a high mountain and to proclaim, “Here is your God!” He was to tell the world that the Lord of all creation was coming to earth. The Lord would be like a shepherd, carrying his lambs in his arms, gently leading us and caring for us. Isaiah was to tell of both the power and the love of God.
It makes an impression on people when they see us attend worship every week, and participate with other churches in community activities. But perhaps they have questions about why we worship, and we need to be able to answer those questions clearly, when the situation calls for it.
Don’t get me wrong. I do not advocate stopping people on street corners to ask them if they have been saved. That is soooooooooooo un-Presbyterian! I mean, we do have a reputation to maintain, as God’s frozen chosen! But we do need to know what to say when we are asked what this good news is all about. Everyone in this room should be able to stand up here in my place and talk for at least five minutes about your faith. I promise that I will NOT start calling on you, but it is up to all of us as Christians to feel confident in proclaiming the gospel. Put simply, the gospel is this: God loves us unconditionally and eternally, and wants nothing for us but abundant life on this earth and eternal life when this life is ended. Jesus came to say that we are to love God, ourselves, and our neighbors, to forgive, to go out of our way to make the lives of others better. Jesus didn’t believe in guilt, or judgment, or exclusion. His message was the same as the message God spoke to the assembly of angels, and Isaiah: “Comfort, comfort my people.” God will feel the flock like a shepherd; God will gather us in the divine arms and carry us to life eternal. As we prepare for the coming of the Christ child, let us prepare ourselves to share the glad tidings.

10/30/2022

Our sermon text for this morning is 2 Thessalonians 1:4, 11-12. I invite you to read this scripture.

WORTHY OF OUR CALL
When I was serving the church in Neoga, Illinois, the United Methodist pastor was a friend of mine. We were talking about preaching one day, and he remarked that if I didn’t use football to illustrate points, none of the men would come to church! I replied that an all-woman congregation would be interesting, because aside from knowing that the plan was for each team to carry the football and run across a line while the other team tried to stop them, I was pretty ignorant of the game.
Now, I do know a little bit more than that about the game. I know that each player on the team has a specific job to do, and if they don’t do their job, the team loses games.
One night I was watching the Texans lose to someone, and heard the commentator mention a name I had never heard before. He remarked that this player was 38 years old, and had played for the Texans for fourteen years. The thought struck me that here is a guy who has been doing whatever he does on the team for fourteen years, and his name is unfamiliar. He is just some random player, doing his job, helping his team; perhaps not a player who receives a salary in the millions of dollars, not a high-profile guy, but a guy whose position needs to be filled, in order for the team to accomplish its mission. I suppose he does what he does for the love of the game.
So what does all this have to do with our text for this morning from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian Christians? First, in this part of the letter Paul says that he is continually praying that God will make the church worthy of God’s call. Secondly, further on in the letter, Paul says, “Now we command you, beloved, in the name of Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness…anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.”
Everything that happens in the church happens because someone realizes it needs to happen, and then takes steps to see that it does happen. If no one is charged with the responsibility, either someone voluntarily accepts the job or it doesn’t get done. It is the same with every charitable organization in the land. Someone saw a need, and decided it was up to them to fulfill that need. They gathered others who were willing to pitch in, gathered whatever money and supplies were needed, and went to work.
God calls us as a church to be the body of Christ; that is, to carry on the activities that Jesus would be engaged in if he were still on earth in human form. Those activities involve sharing God’s love, teaching, visiting, healing, caring, and worshipping. Each of us has something we can do to contribute to those activities, some talent or desire or skill we can use to share the responsibility and joy of being the church.
Now, I can almost hear you thinking, “Yes, I used to have some ability or gift, but I am old, and it someone else’s turn.” My friends, carry that thought to its logical conclusion; if everyone feels that way, no one does anything. The church falls into disrepair, those who cannot attend regularly are forgotten, our commitment to mission falls by the wayside, and if anyone does show up for worship on Sunday, there is no one to lead it. At some point, Presbytery notices what is going on, and steps in to lock the doors. We are no longer a church.
We do what we can for the church, and here I mean the church universal, not just our congregation here, for the same reason. We love the church. We love Christian fellowship, worship, singing hymns, sharing joys and sorrows, working together for a good cause, studying God’s word together. We love knowing that lives are made better because we cared enough to reach out and share what we have.
A few years ago, the Session decided that we would stop receiving an offering at worship services, because we have enough money to operate while continuing to give to mission causes we feel strongly about. At that time, I had heard from several of you that you had either individuals or organizations that you helped support financially, and we all agreed that that was an excellent use of our money. I trust and believe that you all continue to help various causes to the extent you can. We as a church give regularly to Casa Hogar, the orphanage just across the border from El Paso, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Sutton County Food Bank, and the annual School Supplies Drive sponsored by the United Methodist Church, as well as other giving opportunities that arise from time to time. Yes, we are aging as a congregation, and we are small, but what we lack in numbers and energy we make up in sharing the resources we do have with those who need them. We help our church with maintenance, record-keeping, attendance at worship, and willingness to take on requests for assistance from our community. All these are ways in which we reach out to share God’s love with the world, and I know that our willing spirits will continue.
Paul wrote to his friends in Thessalonica, “To this end we always pray for you asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you…” We can pray the same prayer for ourselves, asking God to make us worthy of our calling, and also asking God to fulfill by the Divine Power every good resolve and work of faith that we do, to the end that our Lord will be glorified through our efforts.
God is not going to abandon this church. Instead, we feel the leading of the Holy Spirit guiding us as we work, worship, and pray together. Through our determination and commitment to our Lord, we will do our part to see that the church remains worthy of its call. Some wise person once said, “Give what you have. To someone it may be better than you dare to wish.” When we give what we have, no matter how much or how little, to further the work of the Kingdom of God, Jesus continues to be an ever-present blessing to us and to our world.

09/18/2022

Our sermon text for this morning is Jeremiah 8:18-9:1. I invite you to read this scripture.

BALM IN GILEAD
Jeremiah was heartsick. He could see the doom that was coming upon his people, and he could do nothing to stop it. He had done his best to warn them of the events that were on the horizon, but they did not listen. The people of Judah were complacent; they were sure that they had God’s protection, because they had God’s law. They were God’s chosen people. So surely the warnings of Jeremiah didn’t apply to them.
To help us understand what caused the prophet’s lament, let me share a little background. For several years, Israel to the north and Judah to the south had been dominated by the Assyrians, a mighty country and a greedy one. It saw the tiny countries of Israel and Judah as simply lands to be conquered on its way to Egypt, its ultimate goal. Neither Israel nor Judah could stand up to the Assyrians, and their attempts to form alliances with countries who could protect them had failed. But finally the Assyrians themselves had been conquered by the Babylonians, and Israel and Judah breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Their peace was short-lived. Now the Babylonians were on the march toward Egypt, and their way led straight through the Promised Land. Israel fell to Babylonia in 604; and by 587, Judah would be destroyed and her leaders, artisans, and scholars would be exiled to Babylonia. The temple would be destroyed; nothing of value would be left. Judah’s days as a nation were over. Jeremiah had prophesied for several years that this fate would overtake the land, and saw it as a judgment on the people for their refusal to be the people God intended them to be. Yet the Judeans refused to pay heed to Jeremiah’s warnings, and the prophet cried out in anguish as he saw catastrophe unfolding before his eyes.
It was the end of the world, as far as Judah was concerned. Reality was that the lives of the Judeans would never return to the way they used to be. Those who lived long enough to return to Judah found that their land had been taken over by the few who stayed behind. Their cities were unrecognizable. Former friends and neighbors were gone. And they themselves were changed, in countless ways. The words, “You can’t go home again” were never truer than for the remnant of the Jewish people who straggled back to Judah after the exile in Babylon.
Yes, Jeremiah was heartsick. But what made him so sure that the disaster looming on the horizon was the fault of the Jewish people instead of a random whim of Fate? Just this: he understood that the simple fact of possessing the Law of God could never, in and of itself, guarantee that the people’s behavior was pleasing to God. They prided themselves on being the chosen people, but that didn’t give them a free pass to do as they pleased. More was needed than simply knowing what was right; they also had to do it!
The Jews were outwardly agreeing to a written code of conduct, but were inwardly determined to avoid, whenever possible, its more demanding requirements. They were giving lip service to the law, while in their hearts they were ignoring its implications for their lives. People had become lazy, doing as they pleased without regard to the commandment to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God. The laws of hospitality, charity, and care for one’s neighbors were more often ignored than obeyed. By blaming God rather than themselves for their misfortunes, they could convince themselves that their tragedy was in fact God’s doing, because God was an irascible deity. The Jews refused to recognize that they were ultimately responsible for the consequences of their own actions.
And my friends, I regret to say that not much has changed. Even today, far too many people think of themselves as devout Christians, while completely ignoring Christ’s more rigorous demands. People lie, cheat, steal, bear false witness, and move through the world creating hate and discontent, all the while priding themselves on their Christianity. They can clearly see the speck in another’s eye while somehow totally missing the fact that there is a log in their own.
The heart of sin lies in the perverseness and corruption of the human will, not in outward signs or actions. It is not inadvertent errors that anger God, but rather the extent to which human hearts and minds are bent on achieving evil ends. Obedience to God must involve the entire personality, and derive from a deep and abiding love of what is right, not merely outward adherence to the law for fear of getting caught. We obey traffic laws in order to be safe on the road and prevent accidents, rather than because we might get pulled over and have to pay a fine. And if we are caught in a traffic violation, we cannot blame the police officer for our recklessness.
Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” He also said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate.”
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Those words could well be spoken by the prophet as he looks at the world of 2022. We still make the assumption that with God on our side we have it made. The fact is, our world is hurting, and it’s not God’s fault. Greed, jealousy, lust for power, and a ferocious individualism that ignores the needs of others as we pursue our own goals, have created a world that would make Jeremiah weep.
As I look out at you all, I see people who are doing their level bet to be the body of Christ in the world. We all slip once in a while, but we work hard to correct our errors, and vow to do better in the future. Yet we all get heartsick every time we watch the evening news, at the way people behave toward each other. There are times when I wonder, with Jeremiah, is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
The answer is yes. There IS a balm in Gilead; we are it. We are the physicians. If our country and our world are to recover from our communal sickness, it will be because we as individuals and as a faith community stand up and declare that the present conditions are unacceptable. It will be because the Christians of the world agree to stop killing each other. We must accept that we are responsible to God for the way we live our lives. Our lives are the result of our own choices, be they good or bad. God calls us to be planners and architects of our world, while at the same time constantly relying on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the life and teachings of Jesus for guidance.
I am convinced that we CAN make a difference. In our own families, with our friends, with the children whose lives we touch, we can begin to change the world. We can, to the very best of our ability, live lives dedicated to the service of God through service to others. We can refuse to bow to the prevailing wisdom when it contradicts the law of Love. In Matthew’s gospel, chapters 5 through 7, we find the clearest possible roadmap for the path that we as Christians are to follow. There we are told, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid…in the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” If the health of God’s people is to be restored, it is up to God’s people to do it.

07/10/2022

Our sermon text for this morning is Luke 10:25-37. I invite you to read this scripture.

THE MAN IN THE DITCH
It could happen just as easily in this day and time as it did in the first century on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. You’re driving along on a hot summer day and you have car trouble. Someone stops, ostensibly to help, but instead beats you senseless and steals your car, your cell phone, and your wallet or purse. You are left bleeding and unable to move on the side of the road.
In shock and tremendous pain, you haven’t even begun to gather your wits about you when another car stops. A man gets out and comes over to you, offering to help. The man is very dark, and speaks with a Middle Eastern accent. You are terrified, but have no choice. You can’t move; you can’t do anything. Gently the man takes you to his car, produces a clean towel, and wipes some of the blood off. Talking quietly to you, he heads in the direction of the nearest town. You are completely at his mercy, but right now it doesn’t seem to matter much. You are in so much pain you almost don’t care what happens.
What does happen is that he takes you to a hospital emergency room. Because you have no identification, and cannot provide proof of insurance, the hospital balks at admitting you. But the man won’t take no for an answer. He signs the admission form that says he will be responsible for the cost of your treatment, and offers his insurance information as proof of financial responsibility. So you are admitted.
All that afternoon, as you are being treated, you are vaguely aware that the man who saved you is hovering somewhere around the fringes of the activity. You hear his voice talking to the doctor. You hear him explain to the police officer who arrives that he found you on the side of the road. Finally you are put in a room, and the stranger accompanies you. He asks whom he can call, and what other arrangements he can make for you. He stays with you during police questioning, and finally takes his leave after assuring you that he will be back.
Sure enough, the next morning he is there, checking on you, giving you a report of what the police have done and whom he has notified. He’s in and out all day, smiling, not getting in the way but making sure you are well taken care of. By this time you have recovered enough to wonder what this guy’s game is. He has told you only his first name; you know nothing else about him.
For the next two days, the routine is the same. The man checks on you twice a day, chatting briefly each time. On day four, the police come with your wallet or purse, less money and credit cards, and the keys to your car, found abandoned and out of gas. The stranger has paid to have the car filled with gas, and has also paid for the minor repair to the problem which caused you to stop in the first place. More good news; the doctor releases you to go home. Your rescuer comes in as you are preparing to leave, and you ask how you can repay him for all his trouble and expense. To your absolute astonishment, he refuses any payment at all! He simply says that it was his good deed for the day and asks that you help someone else out when they need it. He wishes you a speedy recovery and leaves, without ever telling you his last name. You never hear from him again.
How would you begin to process what has just happened? At first, you were in too much pain to think much of anything. Then you were probably frightened, being taken who knows where by who knows whom, having to trust this total stranger with your life. Furthermore, he’s not like you. He’s different. He’s another ethnicity.
The fear and wonder begin to morph into suspicion when you are safely in the hospital, being cared for by professionals. This man has gone to extreme effort for you, a stranger. Why? What’s the payback he’s going to demand? You begin waiting in fear for the other shoe to drop.
But IT NEVER DROPS! Even when you offer to pay him, he doesn’t accept. He asks nothing in return for his kindness, except that you help out someone else in their time of need. Who is this guy? What is his motive? You’ll just have to wonder, because he vanishes from your life, but certainly not from your mind. You will never forget him. You tell the story over and over again, and vow to do your best to fill his request that you help someone else who really needs help.
It sounds like a fairy tale, doesn’t it? No one living would go out of his way like that for someone he doesn’t even know. Part of the charm of the Bible story of the good Samaritan is that it is simply so unreal. People just aren’t that good. Jesus gave an extreme example to get his point across. Or did he?
This isn’t a fairy tale, my friends. There WAS a man who was that good. When we needed him most, when we were at our most vulnerable, he came to us and gave everything he had to save us. He gave us love, compassion, care, and a new way to live our lives. He gave us shelter from the storm, a new perspective on what life is all about, and all without requiring a thing from us in return. Jesus gave his very life for us, strangers in need, and asked nothing except that we help someone else when they need it.
The best news we’ve ever heard is also perhaps the hardest to accept. Jesus had no ulterior motive in giving his life for us. He gave us this incredible gift of salvation with no strings attached, simply because he loved us. And he didn’t even know us! He didn’t care about our background, our position in the community, or the size of our bankroll. He was simply there for us when we needed him, and continues to be here for us every day, in whatever condition we find ourselves. We have salvation, free of charge. All Jesus asks in return is that we share his love with others. He doesn’t DEMAND; he simply asks. We are free to go and do as we please; to live for him or simply for ourselves and our own pleasures. But we will always know that there is a debt we can never repay, unless we do our best to help others, whatever the cost.
Who is our neighbor? Anyone in need. Who is our neighbor? Anyone who helps us out in our own time of need. How do we repay our neighbor for their kindness? How do we repay our Savior for our salvation? Go and do likewise.

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