A couple of months ago, I would describe a “homeless” person much different than I do today. I would have said that a homeless person is well, someone without a home and most likely without a job. God has captivated my heart in the past few months with UHBC’s Bridge Ministry. The third Friday of each month, myself, a bunch of college students, and a group of adults drive to downtown Houston to feed and clothe the homeless. We hope that while encountering these people that we have an opportunity to share the Good News. For the longest time, I thought I was going to Bridge to help people and to be the one teaching them about Jesus Christ. This past Bridge, I was the one being helped and the one being taught about Jesus. From who? A homeless guy.
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. - 2 Corinthians 6:10
This man understood all three points of this verse Paul is writing. I want to introduce you into these three points. That though are hearts may ache, we always have joy. Though a homeless guy may be poor, he gives spiritual riches to a guy like me. Though he may own nothing, because he has Jesus Christ…he has everything.
The first part of the verse is “Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.” This homeless guy didn’t have a lot to be happy about. After all he’s homeless right? He can’t provide for his family. He’s hungry. He’s cold. And…he always has joy. How? A month ago, if you told me I had to live on the streets of Houston, could not provide a family I love, be super hungry, and then be cold too, I can asure you that I would not be a joyful guy. But this man understands the gospel. Happiness is temporary. Joy is eternal. How to we obtain eternal joy? By putting our faith and hope in Jesus Christ (see John 3 or Romans 10). This homeless guy is a joyful man because he knows that he has eternal life is Jesus Christ. Yes, his circumstances are unfortunate and maybe not the most happy situation, but he understands that God has given him a joy because He has redeemed him, He has saved him, and He has given him eternal life. Maybe you’re going through a phase in your life where your not “happy”. In fact, your “heart aches”. But you can have a joy. You can have an eternal joy in Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
The second part of the verse is “We are poor, but we give spiritual riches.” This homeless guy was obviously poor. But the moment he encountered me, he was ready to tell me about the “spiritual riches” in his life. He has Jesus Christ and he is definitely not ashamed of it. In fact, he’s ready to tell anyone in the downtown area. He will even invite them to church (he continually invited me during our conversation). I’m not a poor guy…but I am a college sophomore that doesn’t have a lot to offer, except one thing: Jesus Christ. I am on a campus with thousands of college students with their hearts aching and they are feeling poor. They are lost and feel as they have nothing. This homeless guy reminded me that night that having Jesus means having everything…which will lead us into our next part of the verse.
“We own nothing, and yet we having everything.” This homeless man didn’t own a lot. Maybe the clothes on his back and the bible he kept on him. But this man has been adopted into a family. God has adopted this man as his son. God has given this man life. God has captivated this man’s heart. Because of what Christ did on a cross for me and this man, we have everything. Here’s a homeless guy that has everything and can minister to the thousands of homeless people throughout Houston. Here’s me, just a college student, and I can minister to the thousands of college students around me at least 5 days a week. I can’t give them happiness, but I can lead them to an eternal joy through Jesus Christ.
Yes, Houston has many homeless people. But some of Houston’s homeless are richer than any millionaire or billionaire in Houston because they have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They follow Him. They are adopted into His family. They have eternal joy. They are poor, yet they give spiritual riches to others. They own hardly anything, and yet they have everything. Come join us next month on February 17th as we go to the downtown area to share our eternal joy, give spiritual riches to others, and help homeless people learn how to have everything in the free gift of salvation from Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2).
