Comfort the Broken

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18, NIV

I want to focus on this simple, straightforward promise of Jesus, which lets us know that He understands exactly how painful it is to feel alone and that He will come to us personally. 

Jesus cares deeply about us and even more deeply about the brokenhearted. He wants them to be welcomed into our churches and our gatherings. We are not to burden the weak and heavy-laden with further rejection. We are not to shun those whose mannerisms make us uncomfortable. It is the older and wiser of us who will answer for the way these little ones are treated. Will we treat them as welcomed guests or that they are in the way?

When I was in the Marine Corps, every Thanksgiving and Christmas the local churches invited us to come and eat with their members in their homes. I had the opportunity to go on some occasions and, I must admit, the food was terrific. Just being in a family setting was great. They were polite and kind and I always left with a smile on my face.

But the next Sunday when I visited their church, the welcome mat was gone. I was greeted and treated kindly, but no one invited me to share a hamburger, to join them in some Sunday activity, or even asked me to attend their church again. Nobody even said goodbye as I walked away.

Are the broken ones welcome in your church and mine? Are they invited back? Are they preferred and honored? Or rejected, either openly or subtly? Do we invite them out for pizza or hot dogs? Do we open ourselves to them or close up tight?

I know of a beautiful young person who was served as an angel of light to a brokenhearted family. No better picture of being like Christ could ever be painted. She has labored in the background not asking for fanfare, thanks, power, or privilege. She just wanted the opportunity to serve. She gave and gave; even as I write this, she is still giving. Yet she feels unwelcome in her church, rejected by the other members, and therefore, by Christ.

Jesus knows what it feels like to be left alone. Like Jesus, let's make sure that our churches welcome the hurting and broken. Please make sure that you personally are part of the solution. Make sure this type of story never occurs again. Let’s give this beautiful young woman and the many others like her the room to grow into the fullness of Christ. That way, we give comfort to Christ. Shame on us all if we fail!