The story is told of a pious Jewish couple. They had married with great love, and the love never died. Their greatest hope was to have a child so their love could walk the earth with joy

Yet there were difficulties. And since they were very pious they prayed and prayed and prayed. Along with considerable other efforts, lo and behold, the wife conceived. When she conceived, she laughed louder than Sarah laughed when she conceived Isaac. And the child leapt in her womb more joyously than John leapt in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary visited her. And nine months later a delightful little boy came rumbling into the world.

They named him Mordecai. He was rambunctious, zestful gulping down the days and dreaming through the nights. The sun and the moon were his toys. He grew in age and wisdom and grace, until it was time to go to the synagogue and learn the Word of God.

The night before his studies were to begin, his parents sat Mordecai down and told him how important the Word of God was. They stressed that without the Word of God Mordecai would be an autumn leaf in the winter's wind. He listened wide-eyed.

Yet the next day he never arrived at the synagogue. Instead he found himself in the woods, swimming in the lake 'and climbing the trees.

When he came home that night, the news had spread throughout the small village. Everyone knew of his shame. His parents were beside themselves. They did not know what to do.

So they called in the behavior modificationists to modify Mordecai's behavior, until there was no behavior of Mordecai that was not modified. Nevertheless, the next day he found himself in the woods, swimming in the lake and climbing the trees.

His parents grieved for their beloved son. There seemed to be no hope.

At this same time the Great Rabbi visited the village. And the parents said, "Ah! Perhaps the Rabbi." So they took Mordecai to the Rabbi and told him their tale of woe. The Rabbi bellowed, "Leave the boy with me, and I will have a talking with him."

It was bad enough that Mordecai would not go to the synagogue. But to leave their beloved son alone with this lion of a man was terrifying. However, they had come this far, and so they left him.

Now Mordecai stood in the hallway, and the Great Rabbi stood in his parlor. He beckoned, "Boy, come here." Trembling, Mordecai came forward.

And then the Great Rabbi picked him up and held him silently against his heart.

His parents came to get Mordecai, and they took him home. The next day he went to the synagogue to learn the Word of God. And when he was done, he went to the woods. And the Word of God became one with the words of the woods, which became one with the words of Mordecai. And he swam in the lake. And the Word of God became one with the words of the lake, which became one with the words of Mordecai. And he climbed the trees. And the Word of God became one with the words of the trees, which became one with the words of Mordecai.

And Mordecai himself grew up to become a great man. People who were seized with panic came to him and found peace and comfort. People without anyone came and found a friend. People with no exits came and found a way out. When they came to him, he told them, "I first learned the Word of God when the Great Rabbi held me silently against his heart."

Isa 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Lay your head on the heart of the Great Rabbi, Jesus. What do you hear?

Sandwiches and Chicago

I had set apart a week to just get away and seek God’s heart. One of the days I had set apart I decided to take the train into Chicago and just wander downtown and pray and observe to see what God might say. Before I left I felt compelled by God to make a few sandwiches to take and give away to some homeless people. So I packed a bag with 4 sandwiches and 4 bottles of water.

I decided to get off the train one stop earlier than I usually do. When I got off I began to walk. I traveled five blocks looking for homeless people. There was not one to be found. I walked over one block and began to return back. Still no homeless people. The bag was beginning to get heavy.

I was wondering about how one approaches a homeless person—what do you say? “Hi, I’m Mike, what’s your name?”

I was praying about this when there he was. He was standing on the street trying to sell a magazine called Streetwise. I walked up to him and asked, “Have you eaten today?”

“No,” he replied.

I handed him the whole bag and said, “This is for you.” He looked in the bag then back at me and quietly said, “God bless you.”

I put my arm around him and said, “I just want you to know that Jesus loves you.”

I turned and crossed the street into Millennium Park and I began to cry. Why? It was the understanding that I had helped someone eat one more day and wondered why I had not done it before. It was the thought of a man who felt stuck on the streets with little hope. And it was grasping the knowledge that the one I gave the water and sandwiches to was Jesus—“What you have done unto the least of these…”