Open
Your Doors
William
F. Maddock
(reprinted
by permission)
I
was driven to think about Lazarus. As I walked those paths and trod
those rows, I was driven to think about Lazarus. I was also driven to
think about slander and judgment, condemnation and death.
I
saw how most who come into these areas only do so to get their idea
of exercise by watching others who are getting actual exercise, but I
also saw some few that live their lives in the service of those
others who find themselves in need.
Jesus
used the story of Lazarus and the rich man to teach. He used it to
teach about self-praise and self-righteousness, and the unfounded
condemnation of others, and the dangers that attend such attitudes.
It
is very easy—and
very
deadly—to
assume
that you know the contents of another person’s
heart and the intentions of their soul. During the time I have been
on this adventure I have seen varying reactions from those who have
known me before—accusations
of sin to frustration and coldness all the way to joyful surprise at
what God is doing in my life.
The
major thing I have found is the depth of my own misconceptions about
those others who are living this adventure. I have lost nothing—and
(Oh!)
the things which I have gained! For more than a brief time I have
watched as wicked people have fought tooth and nail against anyone
who would stand to help those who are in need, instead striving to
keep them swept under the rug, out of view and out of the minds of
those whose votes they would buy and do crave.
The
Lord brought me here and has protected me here and will continue to
work to see that His will is done in this dark, wicked, and
sin-filled world. Do you think the arm of God is too short to also
protect you? Do you still dare to call yourself a person of faith? Do
you preside over a church that claims that its treasures are in
heaven, yet still bars and locks its doors on earth against those who
are in need? Do you still refuse to see how many needy people could
be sleeping in those pews? Trust me, I do know that many of you are
in areas that simply do not show such a desperate need among those
who live around your church. I do also know, however, that there are
those among you who cower in fear for the earthly possessions that
you—simply
for
matters of convenience—keep
stored
and mounted in the sanctuary of your church while refusing to trust
God to protect those very things that you insist upon leaving mounted
in that church.
Do
you really not see the sin from which you suffer? Does your pride run
so deep? If I—who
ran so far and so long from the path I now walk—can
find
myself so thoroughly and completely supplied and protected, then
surely one so righteous as yourself need have no fear from the
powerless, needy and hungry people of the world.
Think
about this; ponder upon it and weep: there are so many congregations
that are so proud of their “missionary” efforts (they will go to
the ends of the earth to find converts for the Lord, and are so proud
of that that they even put “missionary” in their congregation’s
name),
yet how few of them are so proudly willing to venture into the center
of their own cities to serve the desperate who are within their own
grasp!
A
few days ago, a youth group was bussed in to serve food and clothing
to the poor—so
that
they could be photographed and their parents could ew and ah and coo
at the photos of their children working for the Lord! Would they have
still come if there were no cameras involved?
Those
who seek to serve out of the sincerity of their hearts do not seek to
have the event recorded for posterity. They do it because it needs to
be done—not
to
receive the applause and accolades of their friends, family and
neighbors. The Lord sees the desires of their hearts and the content
of their characters—and
that is enough for them.
Those
who fight against the needs of the poor and who fight to keep the
downtrodden swept under the rug and out of sight/out of mind are not
good people; they are people who are openly and fervently fighting
against God. They are not people that you should vote for, applaud,
or follow.
Why
do you complain about the government that rules over you—the
government
that you have elected—when
you
keep on voting for people such as these. If you really want good,
righteous government, then stop listening to carefully crafted sound
bites and start listening to God. If you would listen to God—really
listen
to Him—and
vote
for those who really do know God personally, then what possible room
for complaints could there be? And if you steadfastly refuse to do
so, then what possible right for complaints could there be?
Those
who do the will of God will find the blessings of God, while those
who steadfastly fight the will of God will suffer the consequences of
those misguided and wasteful efforts.
How
can it be sinful to follow the calling of the Lord upon your life?
Does God not know all of the circumstances surrounding that call? If
He does not then why do you call Him God?
He
knows.
He
knows.
He
knows all things and will deal with all things. There is nothing that
resides beyond His power. There is nothing that resides beyond His
reach. Thankfully, there is nothing that resides beyond His grace.
All
things are within Him and through Him and because of Him. All things
are therefore within the reach of His power and His mercy and His
grace. There is nothing that is beyond Him. He has accomplished all
things. That, quite necessarily, includes all things that are of such
dire concern to you and yours.
If
you really are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, then this leaves you
with only one reasonable response: obey Him. Listen to His call,
follow Him and obey Him. Show the trust of Him that you claim is in
your heart and open your doors.
