“It made me think of a Gary Larson cartoon I once saw. Two women are standing behind their locked door peeking out the window at a monster standing on their doorstep. One of the ladies is saying, “Calm down, Edna. Yes, it is a giant hideous insect, but it may be a giant hideous insect in need of help.” (Pema Chodron. When Things Fall Apart (Shambhala Classics) (p. 36). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.)

“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Matthew 8:2-4

How do you respond when you see someone standing by the exit of a mall or grocery store, holding a sign that says “Homeless, need food or work – anything will help”? Do you look the other way? Do you hand them a dollar? Do you stop and pray for them? Too often, when people encounter someone who is asking for help, they look at them like the creature on the women’s doorstep in the “Far Side” cartoon: like they are “A Giant Hideous Insect.”

As a pastor, I have heard many, many stories about the difficulties of life. I have had people stop at my church telling me their parents threw them out of the house; their car has run out of gas and they need to get to the next state; they have no job, three kids and no money for food; even they just got out of the hospital and have no place to stay. That is just a few of the stories I have heard – and it has taught me an important lesson — everyone has a story.

You and I are just one tragedy away from needing to share our story with an organization or a pastor or some social program. And when we do, do we want them to look at us with compassion? Or, do we want them to look at us like we are “A Giant Hideous Insect”?

Maybe we need to rethink how we view that person who is asking us for a handout…and ask the question “What would Jesus do?” As far as I can determine, Jesus never turned away from someone in need – so why should we? I have often said: We must serve the greedy if we are to serve the needy.

Pastor Dave