Pastor Elwin Ahu
August 11, 2002 - W0232

Some of these outcasts were people with incurable diseases and banished from society. One such disfiguring disease was Hansenís disease, commonly known as leprosy. Those who had leprosy carried a bell or two pieces of wood to clap loudly to announce their presence in public. They also had to yell ìUnclean! Unclean!î That way, no one would go near them.

There is a place known as Kalaupapa, located on the tiny island of Molokaëi. In the 1800s, it was designated as a leper colony. It was suspected that foreigners brought in leprosy and, paired with the weak immune system of the native Hawaiian people, it soon became an epidemic. The ruling king at that time, King Kamehameha V, enacted a law that sent all people who contracted the debilitating disease to Kalaupapa, regardless of age. Thousands were taken from their families and shipped to this isolated settlement, a judgment nigh unto a life sentence.

Father Damien, a compassionate and selfless priest, was Kalaupapaís caregiver. In his memoirs, he writes: ìThey were victims all around, bodies were in ruin, there were faces that were ravaged, smashed by the voracious disease. Their breath was offensive and nauseating, their bodies were in the state of corruption and exuded a very foul odor.î One of Father Damienís first encounters was with a little girl, one whole side of her body had been eaten by worms.

Although condemned and outcast, these leprous Hawaiians were treated no differently from the sick and undesirables in Jesusí day. The Bible tells us that the world segregated them as well. They were taken from society and though still alive and breathing, were declared dead and banished from society.

Amazingly, Jesus gives us very specific instructions on how we as Christians are to treat those who are the ìleast of these.î And though Jesus provided detailed examples of acts of service and for these, the interesting thing is He never defined who they were. The reason He never told us who is ìthe least of these,î is because He left this up to us to define who they were in our lives.

Who is ìthe least of theseî? Simple: They are those people we think the least of. Obviously, this could be a man on the street, or a woman covered with disease, but it could also be a person at church or at work. ìThe least of theseî could be those in your neighborhood or they may just be right under your roof.

Question 1: Who is the ìleast of theseî in your life? Why is the Lord bringing this person(s) to your attention?

Jesus gave very clear instructions about followers being separated as sheep and goats: ìHe will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 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.î

Jesus makes a strong point that it is how we treat the ìleast of theseî that defines our eternal identityówhether weíre going to be sheep or goats. Weíll also be seen as either true followers of Christ or just pretenders. When we serve ìthe least of theseî we show how we truly feel about Jesus and....  

1. WE REVEAL OUR TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

ìThen the righteous will answer Him, saying, ëLord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?î (Mt. 25:37-39)

In this Scripture, it is none other than His sheep, the righteous who are speaking to Jesus. These are the people who have already been divided and stand on the right hand of God. The Lord points out that if we have hearts full of righteousness, we wonít even realize weíre doing acts of kindnessówe will simply act out of an overflow of love for Jesus Christ.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing acts of kindness. However, Jesus is not looking at our kind acts but at the heart with which we do these acts. Otherwise, if weíre caught up in pleasing God only by our acts, then we become like the Pharisees, whom Jesus declared: ìWoe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead menís bones and everything uncleanî (Mt. 23:27). Volunteering is always welcomed and greatly needed, but it should not be a means to gain brownie points. Itís the condition of our hearts that makes all the difference to our loving God.

While doing good deeds, we could stand out and make ourselves look good, but weíll be no different from goats. By nature, goats hang out in the same flock, but theyíll always step up on a rock to set themselves above the rest of the flock. We would be goat-like if we made a difference in othersí lives only to point the attention to ourselves. The heart with which we do things is what God cares about. Acts of kindness are natural ways of living for those who are overflowing because of a deep relationship with a loving God. Itís based on a lifestyle that Jesus is looking foróan almost unconscious, reflex action that reveals our true relationship with Him.

Question 2: What motivates you to do good deeds and acts of kindness?

Question 3: Itís natural to desire appreciation or acknowledgement for good deeds, however, in your spiritual growth are you noticing less desire or need for this? If so, why?

Pastor Wayne once said, ìThereís a little bit of Pharisee trying to come out in each of us.î I can relate to this because during high school, I was a Pharisee-in-training. After being in ROTC for four years, it was time for officers to have our pictures taken for the school yearbook. We were to wear our uniforms and full regaliaóany ribbons and medals we had earned. Well, I didnít have any, but my brother who went to the same school as I did six years earlier had some, and so did my cousin. I decided to put their medals and ribbons on and showed up for the picture taking! Not only did I have this picture taken, but I also listed activities in the yearbook that I was never involved in: highest honors, student counsel and the car club (I donít our school even had a car club).

It didnít stop there. I had always wanted a Hawaiian middle name. So at graduation, we filled out this card with our name and gave it the announcer. I wrote down Elwin Kalaniëanaëole Waialae Iki Nui AhuÖ and they actually read it!

As I went over the things I had done in high school and even on into college, my wife Joy had the best laugh and I realized that I was a goat. I asked her if I was still a goat and she replied, ìNo, youíre just the black sheep!î

How impressive your resume is doesnít concern Jesus, neither does the amount of kind acts youíve done. What matters to Jesus is the heart with which we engage in these acts of service. Godís eyes take notice of those moments when we are unaware of our acts of service. The ultimate mark of an authentic Christian is not in his or her belief, faith, or Bible knowledge, but in the genuine love he or she shows for those who are ìthe least of these.î

ìBy this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one anotherî (Jn. 13:35). Some might say that there is a whole string of people who are ìthe least of theseî in their lives. If you know people around you like this and wonder, ìHow do I love these people?î then the answer is simply in this next point:

2. WE TAKE OUR EYES OFF OURSELVES AND SEE GODíS VALUE IN OTHERS.

The only way weíll get over issues that hinder us from loving ìthe least of theseî is by seeing how God values these people. God is faithful and Heís poured value in every single one of us. When we begin to see Godís value in ourselves and in other people, we then see things in the proper perspective, the way God wants us to see them. This is when we begin to learn valuable, life-changing lessons that will make a difference.

For the people who lived in Kalaupapa, society didnít see any value in them, so they were shunned. Yet, there could have been so many lessons learned from these people. The book of James says, ìDid not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?î (Jas. 2:5)

This Scripture reminded me of a journal entry I made while in Kalaupapa with the Menís Ministry a few weeks ago: ìThe tiny village here sits so tranquil and peaceful, almost as if resting in the palm of the Lordís hands. The people here are unique; material possessions are limited and isolation has almost acted as a barrier that has shielded them from the distractions of the world. By comparison to the rest of us, they have very little. And to think how they have suffered through the pain and the ridicule, the embarrassment of such a disfiguring disease that leaves a person deformed and shameful in the eyes of society. Yet despite all of this, they possess such a richness in faith that I have never experienced.

ìHis name is Makia, also known as Elroy and he travels the country telling stories of his experience living in Kalaupapa. He is a patient with fingers that are barely stubs, but long enough to hold on to a cane and the collar of his dog. Makia swims everyday in the deep water of the bay, circling until he reaches the ladder by which he pulls himself out of the water. Makiaís life is a perfect reflection of a person living by faith. He not only has Hansenís disease, but Makia is also blind. Through the richness of his faith in the Lord, Makia sees through the eyes of his heart. He has nothing by our standards, but his faith in the Lord is perfect. And by the Lordís standards, he is rich.

ìRichness is measured by the condition of our faith, not by our personal wealth. My daily investment should not be in the ways of this world, but in the market that will increase and build up my faith. Jesus, thank you for this Kalaupapa experience, my eyes have truly been opened through the richness in peopleís lives. They have so little, yet they are so rich in faith. Father, guide me in my investment so that everyday I am not seeking growth in personal investment of the world, but increasing my faith in You.î

Makia is blind but yet he swims in this harbor which is twenty feet deep and crystal clear to the bottom. He yells to find his way to the ladder by the echo that bounces back. As he hears the echo getting closer to him, he knows that he is closer to the ladder by the wall. Not only is he blind and has stubs for fingers, but he also plays the piano. Heís earned two college degrees at the University of Hawaiëi. If you know anything about leprosy, it damages your nerve endings, along with any feeling that you have. This is why if these people get cut or burned, they canít feel anything. So how does Makia go to school because he canít even read by braille? He tape records every lecture and listens to it over and over.

When I witnessed the strength and courage of Makia to step out of his world and enter into the realm of our world, I think to myself, Gosh, whatís my problem? Whatís holding me back? Whereís my faith? Our loving God surrounds us with people who we may think ìthe least of,î and gives us amazing lessons to learn from them. When weíre stuck and focused on ourselves with a ìwoe is meî attitude, all weíre doing is becoming goats and weíll never see the lessons that God wants us to learn.

Question 4: When was the last time your small group did a good deed together? Are there any ìleast of theseî the Lord is showing your group, and what practical ways can you help?

So we not only take our eyes off ourselves and see Godís value in the other person, but if we extend ourselves out to those we think the least of, weíll receive back more than we can ever give.

3. WE RECEIVE MORE THAN WE GIVE.

ìGive, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.î (Luke 6:38)

When we give out to others, God uses that same measure to pour into your life and more. We cannot ìoutgiveî God. As much as we try to serve Him and do things for Him, we cannot out do Him. His reward may not be in finances, but Heíll pour back into your life by revealing more of Himself. Youíll discover more about the heart of Jesus when you give of yourself. ìI want you to share your food with the hungry and... [help] those who are helpless, poor and destitute. Clothe those who are cold and donít hide from relatives who need your help. If you do these things, God will shed His own glorious light upon you. He will heal you... goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. ëYes, I am here,í He will quickly reply...î (Is. 58:7-9 TLB)

Godís design is for us to extend ourselves to others, to help people all around us, especially ìthe least of these.î This begins with the three steps of loving the least: by revealing our true relationship with Jesus, seeing Godís value in others and by giving of ourselves. Then youíll see that your life and our world will change because you were able and willing to make a difference.

Question 6: Are you willing to make a difference for Jesus? How so?

Final Q: What impacted you most and how can you apply it to your life?

Summarized by Doreen Rabainoóa faith-filled, works-overflowing volunteer!