Matthew 28:16-20, Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

My eyes took in the figure of a man. Dressed in warm layers, he pushed a heavy, warped, rusty grocery cart over a cement sidewalk. The cart was nearly overflowing with dirty glass bottles, rusty cans, and tins of various kinds. I took in the image from the window of my car, and God used the image to speak to my heart.

Beloved, look. Look and see.

To the conformity of the world, this man was an outcast. As he rummaged within the depths of blue plastic bins seeking his treasures, passersby avoided crossing his path. The cart would soon be overflowing at the rate of his picking.

An odd grape. But he breathes the same air, basks in the same sunshine, and drinks the same water as I do. The image I took in represented the nitty gritty of what we call the Great Commission:

Doing The Lord’s work doesn’t just mean using our voice, but using our hands. And sometimes that means rolling up our sleeves to help sort through dirty bottles and rusty cans. Sometimes that means pulling the cart while they are pushing it. And it most certainly means not trying to avoid their path… but running right into it.

Father, thank you for showing yourself in such real moments like this one. May we continue to keep our eyes fixed on you… and our hands open to do your greatest work. Amen.

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