Small But Mighty

Small But Mighty

When King Herod had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” – Matthew 2:4-6

Have you ever looked at a situation and felt like you were too insignificant to do anything about it?

Mother Teresa was a nun teaching in Calcutta when, disturbed by the poverty all around her,  she decided to help. She left the convent, got some basic medical training, and went to live with the poorest of the poor. She didn’t set out to become famous or start a movement. She simply set out to care for the poor as best she could.

I can’t find the source, but I remember hearing a story about a man visiting Mother Teresa at her mission. At one point, someone brought in a baby girl that had been horribly neglected and was near death. Desperate, he took the child to Teresa and asked what he should do. She told him to hold her in his arms and love her.

He held her and tried to give her some milk, but she died soon after. He told Teresa what had happened and said he wished he could have helped the girl. Teresa told him he had helped her. She died knowing she was loved.

By No Means The Least
Bethlehem was a small town. It wasn’t a seat of power or wealth. There was no reason to expect anything great to come from Bethlehem, but it did. The king and savior of the world was born in Bethlehem.

We may not be the greatest, most powerful, or wealthiest, but God can work amazing things through even the smallest and least among us. It may seem small at the time and we may never even realize the significance of what happens, but we should never underestimate what God can do through our simple and broken obedience and love.

What Can One Person Do?
I’ll finish, today, with this. I used to have a shirt when I was in high school. On the front, it showed a single person asking, “What can one person do?” Then, on the back, it showed a crowd of people, each asking, “What can one person do?”

With God and together as the church, I think the answer may surprise us.

Heavenly Father,

You brought Your Son, our Lord and Savior into the world in the little town of Bethlehem. Remind me that no act of love is insignificant and that You can take my feeble effort and do amazing things. Help me to act. Help us, as Your church, to act, by showing Your love and sharing Your Gospel knowing it can change lives and change the world.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt