36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37 "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Mercy is an expression of what Christ has done in our hearts - because we have been shown mercy by God, we can in turn show His love toward other people. The mercy of the Lord can help us to be more sensitive to people's needs, regardless of their socio-economic background, the sin by which they're ensnared, or the bad choices they have made. The transformative power of God is released as we develop a giving spirit.
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From 2nd Corinthians 9, we can gain insight into the operation of God:
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Sabrina Drude is a 7th grade teacher at Scobee Middle School in the San Antonio area. She, like so many other teachers this time of year, was out buying school supplies at a local Walmart recently when something unusual happened...a man behind her in line stepped forward and took care of the bill, which came to $97.
Apparently, this man, referred to as a "good Samaritan" by a local television station, was satisfied with being anonymous in his generosity, and that's OK - sometimes we can do things for which we receive no credit. But, according to that station, KENS5 television, social media helped to find him.
He's Lester Brown, a father of five, a re-entry specialist for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and a pastor. He was not reticent to share about his motivation for doing what he did.
He said, “It was the right thing to do. It’s what God said to do and it’s that simple." He continued the story: “I paid it and then she started to cry,” adding, “And then she was going to make me cry, so I looked away.” Brown related, “I remember I had this hundred-dollar bill with the intention of responding to something in need, and God said to respond."
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Sabrina Drude is a 7th grade teacher at Scobee Middle School in the San Antonio area. She, like so many other teachers this time of year, was out buying school supplies at a local Walmart recently when something unusual happened...a man behind her in line stepped forward and took care of the bill, which came to $97.
Apparently, this man, referred to as a "good Samaritan" by a local television station, was satisfied with being anonymous in his generosity, and that's OK - sometimes we can do things for which we receive no credit. But, according to that station, KENS5 television, social media helped to find him.
He's Lester Brown, a father of five, a re-entry specialist for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and a pastor. He was not reticent to share about his motivation for doing what he did.
He said, “It was the right thing to do. It’s what God said to do and it’s that simple." He continued the story: “I paid it and then she started to cry,” adding, “And then she was going to make me cry, so I looked away.” Brown related, “I remember I had this hundred-dollar bill with the intention of responding to something in need, and God said to respond."
Drude said, "He inspired me and so many others to be kinder and do whatever you can for your fellow human."
Brown has some wise counsel that can help our society as a whole: "You want people to live better, love thy neighbor. Love thy neighbor means do your part." He challenges people to do what they can afford to do, perhaps to volunteer at a school or help a family.
I don't know how many people get to hear Lester Brown preach on your average Sunday, but this pastor's act of generosity has resulted in the message of God's love being shared in a viral way.
This story hits home for me, of course. My wife is a 2nd-grade teacher and is still in the first month of the school year. There is much involved in getting the school year started. And, teachers make so many sacrifices for the sake of the children in our communities. It's an incredible expression of love for so many of them, including Beth, who loves her job and loves her students. For the Christian teacher, that profession becomes an incredible mission field. So, if you have kids in school, make sure that you hold up their teachers in prayer and look for ways to be involved. Before she went back into teaching, Beth was active with PTA, and this year, for the first time in 7 years, I am not serving with a school parent group, since we now have two kids in college.
I think it's interesting that Sabrina Drude's school supply bill came to $97...Pastor Brown had a $100 bill, and he says that God directed him to respond. This really calls to mind that God will give us the resources in order to respond to His direction. In 2nd Corinthians, we're told that He gives seed to the sower. Brown possessed the resources and the willingness; he needed God to give him the direction, and God received the glory!
I also want to say a word about this man's comments about how loving our neighbors can help people live better. I don't know if he was referring to physical well-being, or maybe spiritual and emotional health - no matter what, we can admit that the love of God is transformative. I believe that recipients of the love of Christ can actually be changed as the result of a believer doing good works for them. We can look for ways to be conduits and communicators of this powerful love.
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