Salvage Jerry

It is apparent that Jerry has been done the wrong road a time or two.  When he focused in on me at the salvage yard, I could hardly discern what he was thinking...yet it was apparent that when he narrowed in on me, he was hoping for something.  

a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.40But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  (Luke 10:38-42)

Cordial greetings led way to generic responses offering a window into the heart.  Jerry could hardly voice that he was "okay" without a dose of wishfulness that he was better.  As he probed me to know my occupation, I reluctantly released that I was a pastor (usually a conversation killer...), but this time around it was only the beginning.  For approximately the next 20 minutes he and I talked and listened to one another as the Word of God was spoken over his addiction, his selfishness and his broken life and relationships.  All around us, others were busy about their work, which was good, but Jerry sat and listened to the Lord's teaching.  At one point, an apparent coworker of Jerry made a snide remark to him in hopes of getting him back into action...Jerry's response was a humble whisper of "Yeh, but I am doing what is better."  

I don't know if Jerry was brought into the family of God this day...he already had some Scriptural knowledge, though it was skewed at best.  I was able to listen through his meth induced rambling and follow up with encouragement and instruction through the teachings of Christ.  Good as the entire interaction was, it was the closing comments which stick with me today.

Jerry looks me in the eye as says, "You've listened to me.  Others have seen me and had a lot to say about "I this...I that."  But you have listened through my stuttering and rambling."  Without a doubt, I could see the gratitude in this man from another person taking time to listen.  And apparently there was another man in Jerry's past who had shown great compassion for him during a previous season, because he spoke John's name with great respect and great remorse...as though maybe Jerry had not valued John fully until that moment.

Studying the gospel of Mark combined with my daily encounters is really doing a work on me today...

Mark 1:  Jesus calls disciples to be "fishers of men."

Mark 2:  Jesus shares a meal table with "sinners."

Mark 3:  Jesus has diseased and hurting pressing in to "touch him."

Mark 4:  Jesus says to sow the Word liberally in order to harvest some.

Apart from the things God has revealed in these passages...Jerry may have been brushed off as just another strange man to avoid.  Instead, the life of Jesus was recalled to mind as Jerry and I shook hands and parted ways.