Loving God of all people, walk among the needs and life of this dear reader in all that they may need or be facing today; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Here is our text for the conclusion of Matthew 5: Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Again, Jesus, with the unexpected? Give, love, pray? That sounds like the title of some book only women will read! I can almost hear His voice: "Yes, do the unexpected. Live the better way." All of what Jesus taught caught the unexpecting world unawares. Give, love, pray. Go, Do. What a list! And this conclusion of the first part of the sermon Jesus is teaching on our caring for one another in somewhat difficult ways. The poor have always been with us, Jesus taught, so He was aware and was concerned about beggars. They placed themselves by the entrance to the Temple, and at places where high volumes of people would be present, just in case one of them might want to help them. Now in our city they're on street corners with signs. Are these begging or asking? I remember the first days of my new job in downtown Houston, walking to my office in a suit and all the street people that were loitering in that neighborhood. One man caught up with me and kept demanding, "Give me fifty cents, brother. Show me some kindness!" I refused and he told me where to go! Other times I would have money and would help and I would get, "God bless you!" Our call is to help when we can. What the recipient does with our generosity is between them and God, not us.
Then love? Our enemies? And pray? For those who go out of their way to make our life miserable? Yes, again, the call to believe and the call to be a disciple is a higher calling. One the world cannot and will not understand until we make it believable by our actions.
PRAYER: Lord, You've made it difficult but You've made it better. Help me to be the person You want me to be. Allow me to be a person who gives, loves, and prays. Yes, Lord, even for the ones that I don't usually give, love or pray for. I ask all this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUEST: For those traveling to the Southwest Texas Annual Conference in Corpus Christi today and tomorrow. May the Holy Spirit grant all of us traveling mercies and may we be God's people in all that is before us.
