Matthew 25:40 NIV
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
I remember going to fetch some late night snacks at the Petrol Station close to my house when I lived in South Africa.
South Africa was a country undergoing a massive financial crisis, and it was very common to have people begging for money at almost every corner. One should be careful, especially at night.
We used to say that it wasn’t safe to be on foot wandering around town after 18:00. But there I was, in my car, going to the Petrol Station. When I parked the car at the Petrol Station, right on the side of the entrance to the convenience store, I saw a homeless person sitting beside the trash can.
I parked the car and noticed that the homeless person was reading something with a lot of intent, even though there wasn’t much light where he was. I went into the store and came back outside with the late night snacks, passing by the self-absorbed homeless person sitting beside the trash bin, and sat in my car.
For a few moments, I observed this man, still trying to read the small book in his hands. His behavior was unusual, to say the least. A homeless person at that time of night, sitting beside the entrance of the convenience store at the Petrol Station, would typically jump at every opportunity to beg for some food. But not this man.
Despite being intrigued, I switched on the car, and when I did, the Holy Spirit spoke strongly to my heart, saying, “Take care of my servant.” It was a very clear and strong instruction, and I started asking both myself and the Holy Spirit as to how I should approach the man.
With no answer as to how to approach, I decided to just go for it. I switched off the car and hopped outside, walking towards the man. When I approached, he kept his eyes fixed on the book and didn’t even bother to acknowledge my presence.
I then asked him, “Sorry sir, what are you reading?” He replied, pointing to the book, “This is the source of my joy, my wisdom in difficult times, a fountain of life.” He continued, asking me, “Do you know the Bible? Do you know Proverbs? You need to read this! You have to read it!”
As he spoke, I felt a deep sense that this encounter was more than just a regular meeting. It felt like a divine moment, similar to the encounters with angels mentioned in the Bible, where people often didn’t even realize it.
At the same time a sense of shame she confusion rang through my mind, because after all, of course I know the Bible. After all, I am a pastor. And after all, it took me a strong prompt of the Holy Spirit to attend to the needy.
It had not been something spontaneous. Because of that, I felt a deep sense of shame, followed by the silence in sharing my so about my calling.
In a state of awe and shock, I could only nod at the man. And my reaction was emptying my pockets of everything I had and giving it to him. Surprisingly, he didn’t even look at what I was giving him.
Instead, he smiled at me, a smile that felt truly divine. He placed the items I had given him to the side and reminded me not to forget the fountain of life and wisdom found in the written words of the Bible.
Filled with emotion, I returned home and couldn’t stop crying as I told my wife that I believed the man I encountered was (possibly) an angel, or maybe even Jesus himself (a belief I still hold). Determined to help further, I gathered blankets, food, money, and even chocolates.
When I returned to the spot where I met the man, he was no longer there, leaving me feeling desperate. I began asking people at the petrol station if they had seen the beggar who was there just ten minutes ago, but no one had seen anything or anyone.
Heartbroken, I got back in my car and drove around, hoping to find the man (whom I strongly felt was Jesus). Eventually, I noticed someone walking towards a closed street, with no other path to follow.
As I approached the person, I realized it was a different beggar. I asked him if he had seen the specific person I described, and he smiled, replying that it might have been one of his brothers.
As I observed him, it looked to me that this beggar was the same man I had conversed with at the Petrol Station. I was filled with a sense of wonder as I inquired about his whereabouts and the location of his brother.
He informed me that they were constantly on the move, never staying in one place.
Concerned, I asked him where he planned to sleep for the night. He reassured me, saying he would be joining his other homeless brothers. Despite my persistence, he refused to disclose their sleeping spot. In an act of compassion, I gave him all the belongings I had brought with me.
He smiled gratefully before continuing his journey towards the end of a closed street, where he would join his “homeless brothers.”
I might be wrong, but to me, Jesus tested my heart that night. And it might even be that it was Him or an Angel in person I had encountered.
Hebrews 13:2 NIV
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
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