On
Nov. 14, 2012 NYPD officer Lawrence DePrimo, was on regular counterterrorism
duty in Times Square. The evening air was chilly and no one noticed the
homeless man propped up against a building on 42nd street, except
for officer DePrimo. The first thing that the officer noticed was that the
homeless man had no shoes or socks on. The officer later said, “It was freezing
out, and you could see the blisters on the man's feet. I had two pairs of
socks, and I was still cold.” When the officer saw that pitiful sight his heart
was moved with compassion.
He
left his beat and then then returned with a pair of $100 boots he bought at a
nearby Skechers shoe store. The officer said, “I have these size 12 boots for
you, they are all-weather. Let's put them on and take care of you.” The officer
squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on
this man. It just so happened that about that time a tourist from Arizona who
witnessed this random act of kindness took out her cellphone and snapped a
photo. When she uploaded it to the internet it became a sensation.
The
lady who tagged the image said, “I have been in law enforcement for 17 years,
and I was never so impressed in my life . . . The reminder this officer gave to
our profession in his presentation of human kindness has not been lost.”[1]
I
don’t know if that police officer was a believer in Christ, but I think his
actions speak louder than any sermon I have ever preached on compassion and
love. Like the old preachers said, “There are actually five Gospels—Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John and You. By the way, most people will not read the first
four.”
When
I read what kind of life the Scripture calls us to I am often ashamed of my own
hardness of heart. We may even make excuses for not helping others in need.
“I’m too busy.” “They are just lazy and need to get a job.” “I can barely pay
my own bills, so how can I spare any money to help.” I know all those excuses
are pretty lame. But I’ve used them and so have you, if you’re being honest.
But look at what the Bible says about professing Christians who ignore the
plight of others:
1
John 3:17-18 says, “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in
need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
James
2:15-17 adds, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily
food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without
giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by
itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Ouch!
John questions if we have the love of God in our heart and James says our faith
is about as lively as a cadaver when we turn a blind eye to others in need.
That’s pretty stern stuff, but it’s true. The overriding principle in both
verses is this: if we have clean hands, then our hearts are probably empty of
faith and love. Show me the hands of Palmolive model and I’ll show you evidence
of a heart that is devoid of the compassion which moved Jesus to touch the
lepers and feed the masses.
What
if Jesus had the same attitude about coming to Earth and dying on the cross?
Just imagine the Son turning to the Father and saying, “I know you love the
humans, but just look at them murdering, stealing, and blaspheming. They are
dirty sinners that will never change. Think of how often they have grieved us.
And you want me to die for them? We’d be better off erasing them and starting
over!” I’m glad Jesus doesn’t think like us. He is able to love us through a
layer of mud and sin.
So
when was the last time you reached out and touched someone in need? That
toothless homeless guy that sits on the street corner with the sign, “Dreaming
of Cheeseburger,” is probably looking for more than just a handout. The single
mom who can’t pay her light bill is a mission field you can reach. The elderly
person who sits at home alone just needs a sacrifice of time.
Christ
has commissioned us to be His hands and feet in a world filled with people who
need a gentle touch to remind them of God’s love. While we don’t help others to
be put in the limelight, you never know who might be watching and what impact a
simple act of compassion and generosity might have on them. Jesus reached out
and took the outcasts by the hand (Mark 6:53-56) and if our witness is to
resemble anything like that our Master it will require us digging into our
pockets, rolling up our sleeves and walking across the street to meet the ones
that life has beat up.
[1]
Dylan Stableford, “NYPD Officer Photographed Giving Boots to Barefoot Homeless
Man Melts Icy Hearts Online,” Yahoo!
News, 29 November 2012 <
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/nypd-boots-homeless-man-photo-145219581.html>
accessed 5 August 2013.
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