PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME

Below is a sample chapter of my new book, The Perfect Gift, published by Our Daily Bread. It’s a twenty-five-day Christmas devotional, with morning and evening meditations. You can order on Amazon, or click on the link at the end of the article.

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Late one night I popped into the grocery store for a gallon of milk. I grabbed my carton of 2 percent from the dairy case in a dimly lit corner of the store. As I clutched my milk, a shadow loomed over me. When I stepped back, a huge man reached in and took one as well. Tattoos covered his arms, and he sported a host of piercings in places I didn’t think were pierceable. 

He thrust his huge hand out. “I’m Mike.”

“Barney,” I squeaked.

I turned to walk away. He followed—closely. I wondered if my sojourn on earth was about to come to an abrupt halt. As I looked for possible escape routes, he spoke again. “You live near here?”

“Yes,” I replied, intentionally vague. I wasn’t in the mood to be stalked.

“Where ya work?”

“I’m a minister.” Surely this would discourage further conversation.

A huge smile engulfed his face. “Really? Me too! I’m planting a church for people who look like me. Because people who look like me probably wouldn’t go to your church.”

My holier-than-thou judgment evaporated quicker than water vapor on the sun. He was right. Our community needed a scary-looking guy to plant a church to reach scary-looking people. We prayed together, embraced, and I safely exited Safeway.

This Christmas lesson probably stretches us more than we wish. Jesus was born, as my new friend said, for “people who look like me.” In Luke 19:10 Jesus described his reason for coming into the world: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” This is why Jesus was born—to rescue “people who look like me.” All of us.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but just as I judged Tattoo Man, there’s a good chance I’d have judged Mary, Joseph, and Jesus that night in Bethlehem. The Messiah isn’t supposed to look like that or be born in such squalor. If I’d been there, I’d have looked at him and thought, You really think he’s gonna save the world?

Maybe Jesus was born in an animal stable to dismantle our prejudices, break down our self-righteousness, and open our hearts to embrace “people who look like me.” I’m glad God showed me how easily I judge others in a dimly lit corner of Safeway at midnight.

Principle

Jesus was born to save “people who look like me.”

Ponder

• What type of people do you tend to misjudge?

• How can you open yourself up to allow God to break through these judgments?

Pursue: For a deeper dive, study the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1–10.

 Lord, forgive me for the times when I look down on people and judge them without even thinking about it. Please remind me you were born to rescue “people who look like me.”

Taken from The Perfect Gift, Copyright © 2024 by Barney Cargile. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread Publishing®, P.O Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. All rights reserved. Further distribution is prohibited without written permission from Our Daily Bread Publishing at permissionsdept@odb.org  

Click here to order: The Perfect Gift