Socks for the Homeless
Socks are the item of clothing most needed in homeless shelters, but they’re the least donated. New socks contribute to better mobility and minimize the possibility of frostbite. New socks reduce the risk of cellulitis, impetigo, fungal infections, trench foot and skin breakdowns. Living on the street, many unsheltered people rarely take their shoes off. They walk often and don’t always have access to laundry facilities to clean their clothes. That’s why clean socks are a top requested item at homeless shelters.
In John 5:2-8, can you imagine how the man felt who hadn’t been able to walk for 38 years? The temple officials weren’t impressed by Jesus’s care for the man who had gone without help for such a long time. They accused Jesus of breaking the law that allows no work to be done on the Sabbath. (John 5:9-10, 16-17) The Pharisees saw rules where Jesus saw the need for mercy.
In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus begins His ministry by quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, which says that the Messiah would perform miracles. Christ’s miracles were proof that He was who He said He was. As evidence of His deity, Jesus pointed to the miracle He had just performed, saying that as the Father gives life, so does the Son. Jesus was telling the skeptics that He wouldn’t have been able to heal the legs of the paralyzed man had it not been for the power of the Father.
At this point, the man who was healed didn’t know who had given him new feet. It was only later that he would be able to say it was Jesus. John 5:13-15 says it was the same Jesus who would allow His own feet to be nailed to a tree that would offer that man – and us – the best news in the history of broken bodies, minds and hearts. Socks for the needy. Jesus has come to save all of us!
Prayer – Jesus, allow me to see and meet the needs of others. Amen.
Psalm 116:8-9 – “For you, Lord, have delivered me from death … that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”
By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: Jametlene Reskp & Marcus Kroegler, courtesy of Unsplash
