WHO IS HE?
As a quiet man
walked into a crowded café with a long line of customers, all heads
turned as he quickly made his way to the front counter.
The busy restaurant staff was struggling desperately to fulfil the needs
of customers. Discerning their harried circumstance, this man stood up on
a chair and called out, “Who will join me in preparing and
serving food for all of these people?” At once, several people emerged
from the crowd and raced toward the counter, offering their assistance.
This impromptu leader (let’s call him Joshua) smiled warmly and quickly
tutored them on what they needed to know to be effective preparers and
servers. In the middle of all this commotion, a young boy started
choking. Joshua quickly rushed to his aid and dislodged a cookie
from the small child’s throat, heroically saving his life.
As the morning rush
subsided, Joshua walked outside for a break, where he noticed a homeless man
lying on the sidewalk. Joshua had compassion on the man, and offered him
leftover food from the cafe. The incredibly grateful man thanked Joshua
and vowed to return his good deed. As people learned what Joshua was
doing, they surrounded him, and listened intently while he shared valuable
lessons about the purpose of life, and how they should live accordingly.
Many people followed Joshua back into the café and the crowd continued to
grow in number and curiosity. Joshua asked the staff how much food they
had left and they anxiously informed him that there were only two scones and
five croissants remaining. He assured them that this would not be an
issue, and began dividing up the food, placing it on plates to be handed out to
the people. When everyone was fed, the staff came and offered him twelve
plates of leftovers.
After Joshua shared his powerful stories, followed by eager questions from the
crowd, another man entered. He had a very stern countenance and
disposition. This man (let’s call him Jude) walked straight over to Joshua and
inquired demandingly, “Where is your uniform?” Joshua looked startled for
a moment, then he explained that he was merely offering assistance during a
time of genuine need. Jude identified himself as a Health
Department Food Safety Officer and summarily proceeded to inspect the
café. All the while, he questioned Joshua’s authority and demanded to
know what he had been up to in the café that day.
Jude informed
the crowd, “This man poses a serious risk to your health and safety!
He has no right to prepare food; he is totally unqualified!” The
crowd murmured quietly as the food inspector continued. “Not only could
he have given you food poisoning, who knows whether he will be able to pay
for all this ‘free’ food?” The crowd became terribly agitated. The
inspector scowled at the man, “You may never come into this cafe again!
Now leave!” he demanded. The people began to push Joshua until he
fell to his knees, and then stumbled toward the door.
The door closed on
him and the people sat there, talking, ignoring and totally rejecting Joshua.
With tears in his eyes, he had left the premises. Three days later, the
café door swung open. This time, the café owner was standing there,
hand in hand with his beloved son, Joshua.
The father simply declared, “This café belongs to my son and me.
Just eat heartily and enjoy your meal; I have already paid your bill!” The
people rejoiced as they celebrated the magnanimous generosity of this father
and son. They apologized profusely for the earlier rejection of the son
and offered their eternal gratitude for his many kindnesses. Soon, the
good news regarding this free café spread everywhere, and predictably, it was a
remarkable hit. All of their joy and contentment was directly due to the
boundless love of a man called Joshua.
Is Joshua
reminiscent of anyone you’ve encountered? If not, check out Romans
10:8-10. If so, are you striving daily to be more like Him?
Sisters and
brothers, be continually blessed and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE
READY TO MEET YOUR SOON COMING KING.
Maranatha!
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