Paul Revere and The Raiders: "Do Unto Others"

This is one American band which had success during the so-called British Invasion of the sixties. They covered many standards at first but by 1966, they were singing their own songs. Hear one of their greats here:

What a great world this would be if everybody just obeyed what they call The Golden Rule. Nobody would rob, lie, or kill anybody. In fact, crimes of all sorts would disappear.

Better still, people would do good to others because they cared about them. Jesus took that to the max in Luke 14:12-14 (Bible in Basic English). "And he said to the master of the house, 'When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward. But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.'"

Some folks in Christ's time assumed just keeping the law outwardly would get them into heaven. Jesus set one lawyer straight in Matthew 22:37-40 (BBE). "And he said to him, 'Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest rule. And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. On these two rules all the law and the prophets are based.'"

Better still, kindness to poor Christians is kindness to Christ. As he said in a parable about the Judgement Day in Matthew 25:34-40 (BBE), "Then will the King say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was: For I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in; I had no clothing, and you gave it to me: when I was ill, or in prison, you came to me.' Then will the upright make answer to him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you in need of food, and give it to you? or in need of drink, and give it to you? And when did we see you wandering, and take you in? or without clothing, and give it to you? And when did we see you ill, or in prison, and come to you?' And the King will make answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

If that blessed Resurrection event hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to post about how human pride ruins civilization.

Michael Black: "Don't Laugh at Me"

Thanks to my Kiwi friend, Maggie Rush, I know the perfect song to suit my blog. This is about disabled people and how normal children and adults mistreat them. Listen to this plea for tolerance here:

Holy Scripture certainly advocates for treating disabled folks with kindness. Leviticus 19:14 (Bible in Basic English) is but one example. "Do not put a curse on those who have no hearing, or put a cause of falling in the way of the blind, but keep the fear of your God before you: I am the Lord."

Another reason for being kind to disabled folks is in Exodus 4:11 (BBE). Moses didn't believe he was eloquent but God disagreed. "And the Lord said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth? who takes away a man's voice or hearing, or makes him seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?'" It's the Lord who decides what faculties we have or lack.

Inconsiderate and immature folks figure it's great fun to pull pranks on disabled people. But Deuteronomy 27:18 (BBE) admonishes, "Cursed is he by whom the blind are turned out of the way. And let all the people say, 'So be it.'"

Job 29:15 (BBE) models how able-bodied folks should act. "I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking."

We, whom the Father has given the burden of disability, were mistreated throughout history. Mark 10:47 and 48 (BBE) shows how the public had contempt for one blind man. "And when it came to his ears that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he gave a cry, and said, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.' And some of them, turning in protest, gave him an order to be quiet: but he went on crying out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me.'" Jesus did and the man saw.

Luke 14:12-14 (BBE) demonstrates Christ's care and concern for the disadvantaged. "And he said to the master of the house, 'When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward. But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.'"

If he who will bring our eternal reward hasn't come by Monday, I hope to post about God's persistence in the lives of sinners.

Who Should We Invite to Dinner?

With all of the lunches and suppers to which a person receives invites, it's no wonder this is called the festive season. In fact, many people find that they must choose which dinner to attend on a given evening.

But there are many people who don't receive an invite. Furthermore, our society in North America is so wealthy that being impoverished is considered a shame. As far as I know, nobody wants to be known as a moocher because they're too poor to repay their hosts.

The line between wealth and poverty is sharper in undeveloped nations. Likewise, it was the same in the first century. Those who were disabled had an especially hard time as they could only beg each day.

Since this was so, Jesus commanded his followers to care for less-fortunate folks. This is what Christ said in Luke 14:12-14 (BBE). "And he said to the master of the house, 'When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward. But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.'"

One objection I can immediately foresee is that most folks don't know individuals who fall into the afore-mentioned categories. We have so much in the way of government programs and charities that impoverished individuals seem to be invisible.

Christians can easily tell from this passage that we are the ones to do the work of hospitality ourselves rather than to leave it to somebody else. Not only is there the blessing we'll receive at the end of the age but we can make some excellent friends as well.

I'll be writing about the correct role of charitable acts in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Though Christmas is a family time, people can still invite those persons who society ignores because they're disabled. And why wait for Christmas? Inviting disadvantaged people at any time of year helps them out immensely.