"The Broken Ones"

 "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.' Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? Or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? Or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'"

Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.' Then shall they also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?' Then shall He answer them, saying, 'Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Matthew 25:31-46

Wow. I don't know about anyone else, but a sense of solemnity comes over me when I read this. To think that the very thing that distinguishes the sheep from the goats is their reaction to the needs of those around them shakes me to my core. 

As indicated multiple times in the Old Testament and throughout the life of Jesus, God has a deep love and concern for those who are in need. Widows, orphans, hungry, thirsty, inadequately clothed, homeless, sick, and imprisoned souls have a very tender, special spot in the heart of our dear Lord. 

As I read this passage of Scripture tonight, my mind returned to various times throughout my life when I was in need. Here is a brief glimpse into just two of the multiple memories that flooded my mind.

I was a little girl with ponytails, sitting in the back seat of our car, parked in a parking lot near this Sears and Roebuck building in Dayton, OH. 

Source

Dad was out of work, and we were completely down on our luck, with literally nowhere to spend the night. I remember how sorry I felt for my dejected Daddy as he stood at the phone booth calling my uncle to see if they could put us up for the night.

Many years later, I was in my late teens, sitting in the parking lot of the bank where I worked, again, with literally nowhere to spend the night. I remember sitting there trying to figure out a way I could sleep in the upstairs department where I worked and not get caught by my co-workers when they came in to work the following morning. The sense of utter hopelessness that washed over me was beyond overwhelming.

Many other situations are far too personal for me to share but suffice it to say that I know what desperation feels like. I know how it feels to be looked down on, to not fit in, to feel insecure and unprotected, and to be judged by the very church people who should show the most compassion. I learned early on that just because someone "should be" kind certainly doesn't mean they will be. 

 Standing at this viewpoint, I realize that many of my life experiences have fostered a deep sense of empathy in me for those who are suffering, poverty-stricken, and ostracized. While I would never wish some of the things I have gone through on anyone else, I have learned to be thankful for the deep lessons they have taught me.

Maybe that is why I was so drawn in when I first heard the Talleys sing a song called "The Broken Ones." I loved this song from the first time I heard it, and recently, I sat down with my guitar and recorded it. Later, I added photos and lyrics, and this video is the result. I hope the powerful message of this song ministers to you and inspires you the same way it has blessed me. 

And, may we all ever keep Matthew 25:31-46 front and center in our minds. I surely want to be counted among "the sheep" on His right hand, and I long to hear Him say, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."