Dear Christian friends:

During these Wednesday evening Lenten services I am preaching about the theme: CELEBRATE LIFE. Most of our sermons urge us to celebrate life by helping the poor. One reason why we fail to help the poor is because we do not realize who comes to us in the poor. We think it is only a poor ugly person or a beggar. And so we do not want to help that person. But if Jesus himself appeared to you and asked you for food, you would quickly give it to Him and you would feel happy and proud to help Jesus. Perhaps you think, "Oh, that will never happen to me. Jesus will never appear to me and ask me to help Him." You are wrong, if you think like that.

In our text Jesus tells us that He does come to us in the poor. In the face of a poor, needy person we see Jesus Himself. So let us attend to our text and ask God to help us see and believe. Then we will


In our text Jesus very plainly tells us that when we help the poor and hungry people we are really helping Him. Jesus tells us how He will come on the Last Day with power and great glory to judge all nations. He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the goats from the sheep. He will put the believers on His right side and the unbelievers on His left side. Then He will say to the believers: "Come, you blessed of My Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed Me; I was thirsty and you gave Me water; I was a stranger and you invited Me into your homes; naked and you clothed Me; sick and in prison and you visited Me." Then the believers will be surprised and ask Jesus, "Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You drink? Or a stranger, and help You? Or naked, and clothe You? When did we ever see You sick or in prison, and visit You?" Then Jesus will tell them: "WHEN YOU DID IT TO THESE, MY BROTHERS, YOU WERE DOING IT TO ME." (Verse 40) Jesus says that the poor and hungry and lonely are His brothers and that when we help them we are really helping Him.

One day a husband came home and said to his wife, "I saw Jesus today." His wife was surprised and asked him, "Have you lost your mind? "No," he replied, "I stopped at the nursing home this afternoon to deliver some drugs and I saw an old lady sitting in a wheel chair. She seemed very sad and lonely, so I said "Hello," to her. She quickly became alive and talked to me about her past life. I listened and asked her some questions and she enjoyed the visit very much. That's how I saw Jesus today." His wife said, "oh, now you are preaching to me." But she knew that her husband was referring to Jesus’ words here in our text.

So, we must remind one another to celebrate life by seeing Jesus in the face of the poor. When we during this Lenten Season bring our offerings for world hunger we are really bringing them to Jesus. He sees it and is pleased very much. He knows that we do it because we love Him Who first loved us and died for us. Because we are sinners we are like poor, hungry beggars before God. Nevertheless He does not refuse to help us. He gives us daily food, clothes, fine houses, good government and many other blessings for the support of our body and life. He also shows great mercy to us and daily forgives all our sins and gives us hope for eternal life. So, we gladly ought to show mercy and love to the poor and hungry in the world. And thank God that He lets us be a giver instead of a receiver. Except for His mercy, we would be the poor and the hungry.

Oh, Jesus, help us always see You in the faces of the poor.

Amen.