BUT.
He has a loaf of bread in his hands and his stomach has just been filled with a couple bowls of warm, thick, savory, nutritious soup. The warmth is still working its way into the rest of his body.
And the look on his face; joy!!! Oh, inexpressible joy!!!
And then he meets another beggar. A friend who knows him well, and notices the joy on his countenance.
“What are you so happy about?” the second beggar inquires.
“You are hungry right?” the first beggar says. “Go around that corner over there.” pointing behind him. “Then turn right at the second street. There are people giving out food in the old deserted building next to the bingo hall.” A grin spreads over his face. “Good food too.”
Three quarters of an hour later you see a similar encounter. This time it is the second beggar spreading the news to a number of his beggar friends. In a short while the old building is brimming with people, all receiving good food from the hands of generous people.
“One beggar telling another beggar where to find food.”Does that saying look familiar to you? I have heard it many times before, but have not really thought about what it means. Tonight I finally did.
We, church people, are the first beggar. We know of a place that serves good food. In our case, we were brought up in a place that serves good food. And truthfully, spiritually we look just like that beggar does.
The implications of this are HUGE. Are we sharing the joy we have received with the second beggar? A friend. A neighbor. Someone you meet at school. A teacher maybe. What about a stranger on the street or the girl behind the counter at the grocery store or at our favorite coffee shop?
Are we fulfilling our calling, given to us by Christ, and spreading the amazing JOY of Christ?
And what about the second beggar. I personally think we should respond more like that second beggar. Telling more than just our one friend, telling many friends.
We have the love of Christ, WHY are we holding it back????
