THE CHARGE

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and all your reward will be great.”   Luke 6:32-38

Love, care, lend, do good;

Only with our closest friends

As they will for us.

How’s it possible

For persons, groups, or nations

To do—with no yield?

I thrive on return,

Wanting some instant pay-off

From my investment.

The promised reward

Demands trust and sacrifice

Calling forth great risk.

THE NEED

“for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.”   Matthew 25:31-40

We name it missions—

Those near to us or afar

Needing our succor.

The claim is constant.

The number overpowering

Now and evermore.

The voice of God calls.

The task is clearly stated.

Responding brings life.

THE DEED

“And who is my neighbor?’  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers—“ Luke 10:25-37

Good Samaritan –

The phrase is used even now,

As one who gives aid.

Most stop for car wrecks,

Children who are in trouble,

And the elderly.

None is dangerous

To us individuals

No bodily harm!

Then come prostitutes,

Druggies, street gangs, and derelicts.

Surely, not them too!?

I know the answer.

They are the most abandoned

Neighbors of them all.

THE GIFT

“…for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.” Luke 21:1-4

My thoughts do wander

Beyond the gift of two coins

Stopped by the word, “all”.

Gandhi, Schweitzer, King

Kagawa and Teresea—

They understood it.

To hold nothing back,

Models of expenditure

So others might live.

Each age and station

Declares this scriptural truth

Through its witnesses.

THE HOUSE

“…the winds blew and beat upon the house but it did not fall, because it had been founded on a rock.” Matthew 7:24-29

The foolish focus

On simplifying the Word.

They make it abstract.

Action is excused;

Surely, it’s not expected.

Words without deeds die.

Listen to the Word—

Find the universal truth

That spans the ages.

Once this is achieved

The deed is discerned, performed

Then no storm can shake.

Jenelle Dove   6/3/15