Our missionary partner (Phil Aspegren) sat in the circle at team time, looked around the circle and asked the students if they knew how Jesus separated the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25:31-46. He went on to tell them the truth of that passage, and that Jesus desires for us to look after those that are in need, the widows, orphans, those who are hungry or thirsty, etc., and that the consequences of not doing these things is potentially to stand before the King of the universe and hear Him say:
"Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Maddy and Sydney (twin sisters) got sun poisoning. Their faces swelled up so much that their eyes could barely open. The sun felt so much closer in the mountains of Costa Rica. It was hotter, brighter and, apparently, capable of more than just burning us. So despite their desire to continue on and help with the sidewalk, we made them stay inside and rest (after of course calling a local doctor and taking all necessary precautions). At some point that day, they had walked up to the kitchen with their adult leader and were sitting at the table inside. Well, the door to that part of the building almost always stayed open. So as they were sitting there, a man walked by, having seen a bunch of Americans working furiously and joyfully down the street he had just passed. He stopped and asked the girls what was going on. They told him and he walked back to the street where we were working. He sat down at the corner, about 40-50 yards away from us and just watched.
Eventually, he waved me over, and in broken English, asked if I could give him some water. Of course! I obviously didn't have to think twice about that decision! So I went and filled up a water bottle and brought it back to him. I sat down on the curb with him and tried to have a conversation in his terrible English and my terrible Spanish. It wasn't going great. His name was Ricardo. I thought I understood that he was a Christian and that he attended the church where we were staying. Realizing that this conversation was going nowhere, I called Lori over to translate. I told her what I thought I knew, and she asked him to confirm. As it turned out, he said that he used to be a Christian and that he used to attend the church, but that now he was an alcoholic and had just been through a divorce. He was in some very hard times and had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. He felt that God could not possibly love him after the things that he had done.
We told him the gospel. How we were all at one time, enemies of God and were all way too sinful to merit His love. But that while we were still sinners, still God's enemies, totally deserving of His wrath, He sent His Son and punished Him, instead of us. All we have to do is believe in Him and live for Him. But Ricardo kept shaking his head. "No. No. God cannot possibly love me. There is no way that God could love me!" We repeated over and over, "Yes. Jesus loves you. No sin is too great for Him to forgive. Jesus loves you." Tears poured from his eyes as he began to weep, still shaking his head. "How could God love me? Doesn't He know what I've done?" "Yes, He knows exactly what you've done, and He still loves you, more than anyone ever could." We prayed with him. He prayed for us. He knew the truth of the gospel. All he had to do was believe it. Unfortunately, we don't know if Ricardo believed it or not. We didn't see him again after that conversation.
That conversation really hit me in a strange way. First, the realization that Ricardo never would have heard the gospel that day if Maddy and Sydney hadn't gotten sun poisoning, was an amazing insight into the total sovereignty of God. There is a reason for suffering. Even if I can't always see it.
Second, the thought that I also am so undeserving of God's love. I think one of the reasons that Jesus commanded us to care for the oppressed, is to give us insight into His love for us. The poor and needy in this world have done nothing to deserve our care or love for them. But we love them and care for them anyway. Not because they've earned our help, but because it's who we are as followers of Christ. He loved us when we didn't deserve it. What we did deserve, was His wrath, because we had greatly offended Him with our sin. But He loved us anyway. So much so, that He died for us. Am I willing to do that? Are you willing to do that? To love people so much, even if they've greatly offended you, that you would die for them? The very least we can do, is to give them a cold drink of water. A hot meal. A new set of clothes. To visit them when they're sick or in prison. Because they've earned it? No. Then why? Because we know what it's like to be loved when we didn't deserve it, and because it gives us an opportunity to address their greatest need - their need for a Savior.
