(The topic of our city prayer last month was two parts, we prayed for those who were victims of a crime and the people who committed the crime. That is a lot to digest, so if you missed it, I encourage you to go back and read it. I mentioned in that March 3rd post, that there is a third part to pray about that we will cover today: The family and friends of those in prison.)
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. (John 19:25-27 KJV)
The sorrow of family and friends gathered around Christ as he pays the highest legal price, loss of his freedom and life, is unimaginable. Mary who once held him as a baby can give him no such comfort now. His friends want to help him but they do not know how. Jesus does not fail, even in this agonizing moment, to show us how to care for the family of prisoners.
Jesus never wants the prisoner forgotten. (Matthew 25:39) At the turning point for Christianity, when he is about to remove the eternal impact of our sins, he has one more lesson for us. To have compassion for the loved ones of those in prison. Someone needs to care for them and acknowledge their great loss.
It is important to note, that with over 2million* people in prison in the US, there are children, parents, siblings, and friends, who are affected. A guestimate on my part, there are about 10 million people in the US, who mourn the loss of interaction with their loved one.
How many people in your city are missing…
Hugs
Everyday advise
Daily interaction
Holidays
Birthdays
…with their loved one?
How many people in your city are experiencing the loss of…
Being raised by their parent
Raising their child
Financial support
… (from) their loved one?
Comprehension of their sorrow is not as important as compassion leading to action.
The lost opportunities that tick by with the sentence, are opportunities to extend help. A word of acknowledgment combined with a listening ear to the family member or friend is one way to fill a void.
Jesus cared for his mother, through another, because he was not able to any longer. The Lord of lords and King of kings, required a mere human to help him help his mom.
Lord, thank you for the action of prayer. Open my heart to helping people in my town affected by imprisonment. Comfort and provide the friendships and support needed during this extended time.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
* This number includes Prisons, Jails, Juvenile, Territorial, Tribal, Military, and ICE facilities. My guess of 10 million family and friends comes from simple math. If on average, each inmate has five close family and friends, multiply each inmate by five and you get ten million.
It’s your turn. 🙂
I would love to hear from you! How are you being affected by and seeing the people in your city after reading devotions designed for your city?
Until next week, keep Walking on Mustard Seeds!
Michele Marie Weisman
PS The drawing winner for the March devotional is Eileen! A Mustard Seed Faith will be at its new home! Congratulations! And thank you to all who shared my blog, Walking On Mustard Seeds, with a friend. I appreciate it.
Images by 愚木混株 Cdd20 from Pixabay
this is why I like to sign up in the Angel Tree program at Christmas. A lady from my church collects requests from prisoners who ask for people like me to buy a Christmas gift for their children. The past two years, I’ve received requests for art supplies for three children, and with my love of arts and crafts, I ran off a wheel, spending far more than I needed to, knowing that those kids would enjoy those supplies as much as I did when I was growing up. (Besides that, I get to find out what’s new in the art supply world – this past Christmas, I discovered colored pencils that are solid color, no wood!
I love this idea of a way to bless a family. Something they will never forget. Thank you for sharing a creative way to show the love of Christ!
My reply is missing. So I will repeat myself. :•) That is such a creative way to bless families. And one they will never forget. I love knowing about this option to help. Thank you for sharing it.