April 8: I Was Thirsty and You Gave Me Drink
♫ Music:
Day 35 - Tuesday, April 8
Title: I Was Thirsty and You Gave Me Drink
Scripture #1: Matthew 25:34–40 (NKJV)
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
Scripture #2: Matthew 10:42 (NKJV)
“And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
Poetry & Poet:
“Business”
by Naomi Shihab Nye
“Syrian refugees go about their business in a refugee camp in Mafraq,
Jordan…”
Ropes on poles, jeans & shirts flapping in wind.
He sits on a giant bag of rice, head in hands.
Too much or too little, rips & bursts & furrows.
Something seared in a pan.
If you knew a mother, any mother, you would care
for mothers, yes? No.
What it is to be lonesome for stacked papers
on a desk, under glass globe,
brass vase with standing pencils,
new orders.
How quickly urgencies of doing disappear.
And where is the child from the next apartment,
whose crying kept him awake
these last terrible months?
Where do you file this unknowing?
I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME DRINK
Matthew 25 is a parable describing the Judgment Seat of Christ after His glorious second coming. The first judgment is when the good Shepherd separates the righteous sheep from the cursed goats. The royal King addresses the sheep first by the announcement of their great reward, this is the second judgment given by King Jesus. The sheep are called “blessed of my Father” and are invited to inherit the eternal kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world. This blessing is a direct result of what the sheep did for the King. Jesus recounts six ways the sheep served him by serving “the least of these.” These simple deeds of kindness may surprise most because they are humble acts that would often go unnoticed in the world’s eyes, but they are of utmost value to the recipient. Matthew 10:24 reiterates the idea that when we help these “little ones,” a reference to Jesus’ young or vulnerable disciples in the faith, we will be rewarded, even if it is just providing them a cold cup of water. The third and final judgment is given to the accursed goats who refused to help the oppressed. The Bible says, “How can the love of God abide in us if we have material possessions and do not show compassion for those in need? Our love should be shown through actions and not just idle words, or even worse, turning a blind eye or having deaf ears.
This concept of having deaf ears is seen in the poem written by Nye, “Business.” The writer describes the cold, apathetic person ticking off their “to do” list with their sharp pencils and stacks of paper on their desk, while their deaf ears ignore the cries of the child next door until there are no more. The poem ends, “Where do you file this unknowing?” Do we just sort it away and pretend it never happened? May it never be! James teaches us that faith without works is dead. We are not saved by our works, but it is the evidence of a life transformed, deeply rooted in Christ and living by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As a highschooler I was able to witness a love that compelled my parents to action by caring for a homeless couple that sought shelter near their pet store. At first, they gave a cup of coffee to warm the strangers and then a doughnut to fill their empty stomachs. As the relationship grew, so did the trust between my parents, myself, and this destitute couple. It was quickly learned that this man, Stanford, was a veteran of war who returned with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he did not know where to get assistance for his mental illness. My mom helped him get a P.O. Box so he could get financial support. His girlfriend Bridgette, had been raped, abused, and had several children taken from her and placed into the system. She had a mental disorder called paranoid schizophrenia. I recall she barely spoke and lived as though she was in her own safe world escaping the painful elements of her reality. Bridgette was invited to our home to live with us for several weeks while my mom tried to find her help. Stanford soon allowed me to shave his matted hair and wash his head and then he asked if I could also look at his feet. I removed his shoes and socks to uncover to my shock and disbelief, purulent, foul smelling and festering ulcers and wounds. I took him to a local hospital for treatment. My mom and dad, partnering with our home church, provided two weeks in a hotel so he could rest and heal. This experience has been deeply ingrained in my mind and I know the Lord was preparing me for the future. I became a nurse who would bandage wounds in a Burn ICU as an extension of God’s compassion and mercy. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance...” The focus here is that we are created “to do” because love is demonstrative.
Love in action is demonstrated in the beautiful hymn, “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.” This lone, foot-sore traveler is poor and filled with grief. The nomad pleads for relief from his suffering with such humility that I dare not ask his name, but there is something familiar about him that makes me love him. In the end, I realize by the piercings in his hands, the face of the lonely traveler is my Savior. “Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.” In each circumstance he has proven that another’s needs are more important than his own, even to the sacrificing of his life and reputation. In serving others, we become more Christ-like and more fit for His Kingdom.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Abba Father, you alone are worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. Your Word says in Rev. 22:12, “Look I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.” You do not come to punish the righteous because our sins are forgiven and cleansed by Your blood, but You will divvy out Your rewards accordingly. Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand. May we look for opportunities to serve and love others as you have loved us. As we cling tightly to You and abide in Your goodness, may the overflow of our hearts be pleasing to You, bring blessing to Your children and be a witness to the world of Your great sacrificial love for all mankind. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
Tammy Henderson, M.S.N., R.N.
Former Assistant Professor of Nursing and Alumna
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Art:
Untitled
Paul Jeffrey
Color photograph
Variable size
About the Artist:
A native of Vancouver, Washington, Paul Jeffrey is a photojournalist for the mission agency of the United Methodist Church. Jeffrey also provides coverage of emergencies for the ACT Alliance, a Geneva-based global alliance of churches responding to disasters. He has documented stories in more than seventy-five countries around the world. His work aims to link people in the global north to those in the global south, “not just because they share the same Gospel,” he says, “but also because they share an international economic system that manufactures poverty and injustice for the majority.” In this photo, a boy drinks safe water from a faucet in the El Rahmeh settlement of Syrian refugees in Bhannine, a village in the Akkar district of Northern Lebanon. Jeffrey’s images have appeared in a variety of media from the Washington Post, Boston Globe and Time to Sierra, National Geographic Explorer, and the BBC. They've also been displayed in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and used by organizations from the World Bank, World Health Organization, and UNESCO to the U.N. Population Fund, World Meteorological Organization, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
https://kairosphotos.photoshelter.com/about/
About the Music: “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” from the album Sunday Afternoon at Joshua Creek
Lyrics:
A poor wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way.
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow’r to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
Yet there was something in his eye
That won my love; I knew not why.
Once, when my scanty meal was spread,
He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread.
I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part again.
Mine was an angel’s portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste,
The crust was manna to my taste.
In pris’n I saw him next, condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.
My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,
He asked if I for him, would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, “I will!”, “I will!”
Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,
“Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto me.”
About the Composers: James Montgomery (lyrics) and Rev. George Coles (music)
James Montgomery (1771–1854) was a poet who wrote “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" (originally titled "The Stranger and His Friend"), a seven-stanza poem written in 1826. The words of the poem have since been adopted as a Christian hymn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Poor_Wayfaring_Man_of_Grief
Rev. George Coles (1792–1858) was an English-born New York City preacher who set the poem “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" to music. The hymn was adopted by some Christian congregations in the United States and the United Kingdom. He also authored A Concordance of the Holy Scriptures, Heroines of Methodism, and four other books.
https://hymnary.org/person/Coles_George
About the Performers:
Known for their story songs and soaring vocals, the Joshua Creek Band has released eight CDs in the last fifteen years, receiving local and regional airplay throughout the United States. Their song, “What Kinda Car,” hit No 1. on the Christian-Country charts in the south and their song "Love You Son" and "Promise You'll Stay" are staples on Sunday radio shows in the Rocky Mountain states. The band's newest album, Redemption's Road, was released in 2020. Joshua Creek is composed of Jeff Hinton, lead vocals/guitar; Quint Randle, backing vocals/bass; Ron Saltmarsh, lead guitar/musical director/backing vocals; and James Hollister, drums/cajon.
https://www.joshuacreekmusic.c...
About the Poetry and Poet:
Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952) is an American poet. Her father was a Palestinian refugee and her mother was of European descent. Her rich experiences with varied cultures have influenced much of her work. Known for poetry that lends a fresh perspective to ordinary events, people, and objects, Nye has said that for her, “the primary source of poetry has always been local life, random characters met on the streets, our own ancestry sifting down to us through small essential daily tasks.” Characterizing Nye’s poetry in Contemporary Women Poets, critic Paul Christensen noted that Nye “is building a reputation…as the voice of childhood in America, the voice of the girl at the age of daring exploration.” Nye received her B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and continues to live and work in that city. In addition to her poetry collections, Nye has produced fiction for children, poetry and song recordings, and poetry translations.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/naomi-shihab-nye
About the Devotion Writer:
Tammy Henderson, MSN, RN
Former Assistant Professor of Nursing and Alumna
Biola University
Tammy Henderson’s clinical interests include evidence-based research, infection prevention, and the value of suffering and spiritual care at the bedside. Her current research interests include spiritual care for patients and a nurse’s perception of spiritual care preparedness. Her teaching focuses on medical surgical, pediatric, critical care nursing, and preceptor/leadership. She taught in the B.S.N. program. Her classes included Medical Surgical Theory and Clinical for Pediatric and Advanced Medical Surgical. She utilizes current research in her teaching to include best practices for infection prevention, hand hygiene, and hospital-related infections. She integrates her faith in the clinical setting and is interested in the importance of spiritual care, pain, and suffering in relation to God's Word.