Meeting Jesus in Lisbon

Last month I had travelled to pick my daughter up from school. She is a junior at Framingham State, but had spent the semester in Edinburgh, Scotland. So this pick up took a little longer than years past and was a lot more fun.

We had lots of windy weather

I had the privilege of seeing where she had lived and the sites and sounds of the city she briefly called home. We were also able to do some travelling together before returning to the US. Our last stop before coming home was Lisbon, Portugal. On our second day there we were meeting a large group for a tour.

As we waited to board the bus that would take us to our sightseeing destinations a gentleman was walking around the edges of the praca, looking in trash cans and occasionally finding something to eat. He seemed to be somewhat out of it – maybe he was overtired, maybe he was high or drunk. When we made eye contact, I smiled awkwardly.

Although I have been a Christian my whole life there are very few moments I can point to where I would say with certainty – the Lord spoke to me or even that I clearly sensed the spirit moving me toward or away from something. I don’t know if that makes sense but I feel like it is important context that for what I experienced with this man that sunny afternoon in Lisbon.

After the hopefully friendly but definitely wary smile I offered I looked back at him and this time we both smiled and nodded. Before I could return my attention to my daughter, he moved closer and asked if we had any money. In that moment I had a very clear thought that did not seem to originate with me.

That man is Jesus

You are smiling at and then ignoring Jesus

Jesus has asked for your help

Jesus looks hungry

What will you do?

We didn’t have cash with us, but we had just been to Starbucks. When the man came closer I asked if he was hungry. He said he was. I offered him our Starbucks pastries (my daughter insisted he have hers) and he accepted with a broad smile. As he dug into the treat he told me I had pretty hair – maybe I am too vain, but I think that compliment repaid me 10x over for the small gift of food we gave him.

Such a simple thing

                  Someone who was hungry

                  Someone with a little extra

                  A kind word

                  A connection between strangers

But for me the impact was huge. I have tried to live my life based on how I think the Lord calls me to do so, which I discern primarily from my reading of scripture. I fail more often than not, but in moments like this one in Lisbon I am reminded of what I am aiming for – a deeper love for God and others, a willingness to be disrupted by the spirit, a progress toward living justly. And the Lord and this stranger gave me a chance to see Jesus and to offer some little bit of what I had to him. I pray for more opportunities to see and offer what I have to Jesus as I meet him in friend and stranger alike.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “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.’ Matthew 25: 31-40