Is He Like Joe?
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." – Matthew 5:14
At the Bowery Mission in New York City, there was a man named Joe who didn’t have a platform or a microphone. He didn’t preach sermons or lead Bible studies. He cleaned the bathrooms. He scrubbed floors. He served food and carried those too weak to stand. And he did it with gentleness, grace, and joy. Joe’s life was the message.
One day, a visitor asked one of the men staying at the mission if he knew Jesus. The man paused for a moment, then replied with a question that flipped everything upside down: “Is He like Joe?”
That one question should stop you in your tracks.
We often think of representing Jesus as knowing the right things to say or defending our beliefs with passion. But the people around you are not watching your knowledge as much as they are watching your character. They are noticing the way you treat people who can do nothing for you. They are watching your tone, your patience, your joy, and your humility.
That’s what made Joe unforgettable. He didn’t just point people to Jesus with words. He reflected Him with the way he lived. His transformation did the preaching for him.
So what about you? If someone doesn’t know who Jesus is and they look at your life, would they be drawn to Him or confused about Him? Would your attitude, actions, and character help them see the beauty and grace of the Savior? Or would it make them want nothing to do with religion?
The world doesn’t need more flashy sermons. It needs more Joes. People who live with such kindness and authenticity that someone might honestly ask, “Is Jesus like that?”
At the Bowery Mission in New York City, there was a man named Joe who didn’t have a platform or a microphone. He didn’t preach sermons or lead Bible studies. He cleaned the bathrooms. He scrubbed floors. He served food and carried those too weak to stand. And he did it with gentleness, grace, and joy. Joe’s life was the message.
One day, a visitor asked one of the men staying at the mission if he knew Jesus. The man paused for a moment, then replied with a question that flipped everything upside down: “Is He like Joe?”
That one question should stop you in your tracks.
We often think of representing Jesus as knowing the right things to say or defending our beliefs with passion. But the people around you are not watching your knowledge as much as they are watching your character. They are noticing the way you treat people who can do nothing for you. They are watching your tone, your patience, your joy, and your humility.
That’s what made Joe unforgettable. He didn’t just point people to Jesus with words. He reflected Him with the way he lived. His transformation did the preaching for him.
So what about you? If someone doesn’t know who Jesus is and they look at your life, would they be drawn to Him or confused about Him? Would your attitude, actions, and character help them see the beauty and grace of the Savior? Or would it make them want nothing to do with religion?
The world doesn’t need more flashy sermons. It needs more Joes. People who live with such kindness and authenticity that someone might honestly ask, “Is Jesus like that?”
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1 Comment
Wow ! AMEN ….