Change from one beggar to another

Song for today: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)/Artist Chris Tomlin

Today I did something sinful. I confessed my sin and acknowledged (not with as much gratitude as I should have) the forgiveness I have received and I asked for God’s help not to repeat that failure.

But as we drove to Lakeland to retrieve our children from my parents I spent some time thinking about it. What struck me was this thought and question: My heart finds pleasure in writing here. Would my heart find the same pleasure if instead of writing about God I wrote of the profane things in life? If my actions that bear fruit are not matched by attitudes that bear fruit, I am like a Pharisee and my religious activity an affront to God.

That line of thought held and manifest became the conviction of self-ambition and pride. A concrete lesson waited for me at the exit ramp from the Polk Parkway. I spotted a pedestrian at the intersection where we were getting off while we were still a long way off. When they didn’t emerge from the other side of the vehicles like someone crossing the street with purpose I figured it was someone panhandling and so I locked the doors. As we decelerated and came to the intersection I discovered I was right. I generally don’t give money to panhandlers because I don’t want to enable whatever addiction they’re suffering under. My heart began to melt.

It’s amazing how fast our mind can work. I went from disdaining this guy to thinking that I would just give him the change in the door handle of K’s van (I don’t think we had any cash or I probably would have given that too) and I thought I would add some spiritual words of comfort or encouragement. As he got closer to the van I finally got the window rolled down and the change in-hand. I looked him in the eye, gently placed the change in his hand—neither he nor I even looked to see how much it was. I think he said “Thank you, God bless” and went on to the truck behind us. My weak, soft response to his gratitude was “you’re welcome.” That was it; I had nothing else to say…nothing else to offer at that moment.

In that short amount of time I learned something. A friend from a church we used to attend would frequent say about ministry that “we are just one beggar telling another beggar where to find some bread.” In truth, I don’t think too much about being a beggar myself, but I enjoy telling others where to find some bread. I would much rather direct others to bread than admit my own need for even crumbs. This afternoon I shared in that beggar’s abject poverty and bankruptcy—he and I are on equal footing before God. He and I are deserving of the same judgment from God. We’re spiritually bankrupt and except for the work of God we would be separated from Him for all of eternity.

That panhandler probably has less to overcome spiritually to enter the Kingdom of God than many religious people. They think they have the answers and don’t see their poverty. He may drink or drug himself into a stupor, but he is probably not deluded into thinking that He should be inheriting the eternal presence of God Himself. See what the Bible says in Matthew 21: 28-32. In verse 23 we see that the King was being challenged by the chief priests and elders of the people while in the temple teaching. After a short discussion on Jesus’ authority, the King told a parable:

Matthew 21:28-32 (NASB95)28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. 31 “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him."

Pray for me, that I would be reminded of my own spiritual poverty and the amazing grace that comes from God. To quote today’s song: “The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun forbear to shine. But God, Who called me here below, will be forever mine, will be forever mine. You are, forever, mine.”