Title: The preciousness of a small neighbor
The importance of small neighbors
Text: Matthew 25:40
“The king answered and said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
This is a story that happened one day when Sir Michael Costa, the famous orchestra conductor, was giving the orchestra rehearsal. A piccolo runner, one of the members of the orchestra, is playing, and looking from the side, the trumpet player makes loud and high notes magnificently. However, I was just pretending to blow the piccolo without blowing it, thinking that it would be better not to have it, since I was only making a poor sound with this little instrument. At that very moment, Sir Michael Costa stopped conducting the entire orchestra and said, "Where's Piccolo?" It is said that the audience cannot distinguish which part is loud and which is small, but the conductor's ears are different. Being a great orchestra doesn't just have to sound like a big instrument or a beautiful violin. When both the squeaking sound and the slight mosquito-like sound are harmonized, it becomes one magnificent and moving music.
The conductor is known because several people blow with their mouths open, but they are listening and watching closely, both blowing and not blowing. Often, the wrong thoughts of us humans are what if we don't do it alone, there are a lot of people who are desperate for what kind of power a human being like me has.
There are tens of thousands of blood vessels and cells in my body, one cell. When the capillary ruptures or becomes clogged, the body celestial body becomes paralyzed and leads to death. A group is one person. No matter how many people there are, there are duties, missions, and responsibilities given to me. Anyone who cares about me is useless in any organization, and any organization that includes such a person will collapse. Therefore, Jesus said that those who are faithful in the smallest things can also be faithful in the great things.
The human body has many parts. Eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hands, feet, sore throat, liver, appendix, etc. However, there are members who are usually insignificant among them. However, if you lose it, you may become sick or even lose your life. That's why the Bible says, "The eye will not be able to say to the hands that I have no need for you, or the head and feet will say that I have no need for you, or the head and feet will say that I do not need you. 12:21-23) and “Therefore, putting away falsehood, let each one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).
There was a small pond next to a deep mountain trail. Now, there is only dirty water and nothing lives there, but in the past two pretty crucian carps lived in this pond. But one day, the two crucian carps suddenly bit each other and fought.
Eventually, one animal died and floated on the water, and the flesh of the dead crucian carp rotted. Then the water from the pond also rotted in. The crucian carp that I thought had won, thought to live alone forever, ate the rotten water, and after a while, the crucian carp died as well. So, in the small pond next to the deep mountain trail, there is now only dirty water and nothing inhabits it.
“Let each one of us please his neighbor, for the good and for the edification” (Romans 15:2).
Written by Mother Teresa. One evening, a gentleman came to our house and said,
“A Hindu family has eight children, and all of them have not eaten properly for a long time. Please do something for them.”
I took some rice and ran straight away. The children looked exhausted from hunger. However, the mothers of the children who received the rice quickly divided in half and went out. When she returned, I asked, "What have you been doing?" She answered in one word. “They are hungry too.”
She knew she had hungry neighbors in addition to her family. I no longer brought rice to the Hindu family that day. It was because I wanted that family to enjoy “the joy of giving.” How well do we know the pain of our neighbors? Do you have time to know? No, do you have time to give someone a warm smile?
There is a saying that those who love others love themselves, and that helping others is not only helping others, but ultimately helping yourself. However, I think that the opposite is also true. In other words, hating others is ultimately hating yourself, and if you kill others, you will eventually die too. In a world of intense competition for survival, the saying that I have to kill others to live seems like the truth, but the way for all of us to live well is to help each other live well. Without this path, there is no way to live.
“A man without wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding is silent” (Proverbs 11:12).
There were two trees in a garden. One tree was large and full of leaves, and the tree of my friend standing next to it was short and had weak branches. Without that tree, it would have grown wonderfully. It's a big tree, but it's useless and it's harmful to me!" he complained. Then one day, a woodcutter passed by, and the small tree asked him to cut down the big tree with an ax and take it away. When the big tree fell over with the woodcutter's axe, the little tree rejoiced and thought, 'I can grow nicely now.' However, when the large tree that provided shade and shelter from the wind disappeared, the small tree could not bear the scorching sunlight and strong wind and fell.
We live without feeling well and without gratitude, but in fact, everything around us lives helping each other.
There is nothing in this world that we can think of as useless, annoyed, pointed and teased. When we encourage and give courage to those we think are a little behind, we too can grow beautifully.
* Prayer: God of love, help us remember that those who love God love our neighbors. He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Do good to everyone whenever you have the opportunity, but more to the families of faith. Please forgive me for not loving properly even my brother who believes. Now that we repent with all our hearts, forgive and heal our shameful aspects, and let the saints who profess faith in Jesus as Savior truly live as you want them to live. God, may we now be more mature believers, loving our neighbors and being sent to the world as a letter of Christ. Since we became brothers and sisters through the blood of Christ, help us to encourage and bless each other's faith. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen