Sometimes Giving Someone Jesus Begins with Listening
Welcome to Grace Across Borders.
Hi, I’m Tameka, and each week we pause together to reflect on God’s grace in everyday moments, drawing wisdom from Scripture, lessons from folklore, and reflections from life’s journey.
This past Sabbath, I had the privilege of preaching a sermon called Show Us the Father. As I reflected on the message afterward, I found myself wondering how God might continue to use it in my own life.
What I did not expect was that a few days later, God would preach the message right back to me.
Sometimes the lessons we teach are the very lessons God is still teaching us.
Let’s dive in.
Scripture Reflection: The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)
One of the most beautiful stories after Jesus’ resurrection is the account of the two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus.
These men were heartbroken. They had believed Jesus was the Messiah, but then they watched Him suffer and die. Everything they thought they understood seemed to have fallen apart. Discouraged and confused, they left Jerusalem trying to make sense of their pain.
As they walked, Jesus Himself joined them.
What amazes me about this story is that Jesus did not immediately reveal who He was.
He listened.
He asked questions.
He allowed them to tell their story.
He gave them room to express their disappointment, confusion, and grief.
Only after walking alongside them did He begin explaining the Scriptures. Only later were their eyes opened to recognize who had been with them all along.
The risen Savior could have started with a sermon.
Instead, He started with presence.
Before He taught them, He walked with them.
Before He corrected them, He listened to them.
Before He revealed Himself, He entered their pain.
Sometimes ministry begins the same way.
Sometimes people need our presence before they need our answers.
Folklore Reflection: The Rabbi’s Answer
An old Jewish tale tells of a village that often wondered why God seemed distant whenever people were hurting.
One winter evening, a widow’s roof began leaking during a storm. Before she could even ask for help, several neighbors arrived carrying blankets, food, and tools. Together they repaired the roof and made sure she was safe.
Later, one of the villagers asked the rabbi, “Why doesn’t God come Himself when people are suffering?”
The rabbi smiled and replied,
“Who do you think sent the neighbors?”
The lesson is simple.
God often chooses to work through ordinary people.
Sometimes the answer to a prayer arrives in the form of a listening ear.
Sometimes it arrives in the form of compassion.
Sometimes it arrives in the form of a neighbor willing to stop what they are doing and care.
My Reflection: Giving Someone Jesus
A few days after preaching Show Us the Father, I was reminded of that truth in a very unexpected way.
The week before, while rushing around making final preparations for a trip, I noticed several neighbors gathered outside speaking with a woman who lives across the street. There were hugs, conversation, and concerned faces, but I did not know what was happening. I simply waved and continued with the many things that still needed to be done before leaving.
Several days later, after returning home from my trip, our flight was delayed and we did not get in until around 2 a.m. Later that same morning, we had an 11 a.m. appointment.
Running on very little sleep, we stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way home before finally heading back to the house.
I had not been inside a Trader Joe’s in a very long time, and certainly not since moving to Illinois. It felt like a small, ordinary stop at the end of an exhausting day.
We only bought two items: a half gallon of lactose-free milk and Trader Joe’s Korean Style Beef Short Ribs that I was genuinely looking forward to trying.
As we walked toward a cashier who had no one in line, he stepped away from his register and called another gentleman over. The man looked more like him and not like us, and he had a full basket of groceries. He seemed surprised and even responded, “It’s their turn. They were here before me.”
The cashier insisted that he come anyway.
I remember standing there thinking, “Did that really just happen?”
It bothered me.
My husband noticed it too. He also noticed the staff who showed up in every aisle we walked.
For a moment, I considered responding differently. I could have called attention to it. I could have let my frustration grow. I could have carried that feeling with me for the rest of the evening.
Instead, we went to another cashier, paid for our groceries, and continued on our way.
I still do not know what was in that cashier’s heart. I only know what I experienced.
And I know that I had a choice about what I would do with that experience.
Would I carry irritation into the rest of my day?
Or would I leave it there and move forward?
At the time, I had no idea that choice would matter only a short while later.
When we arrived home, I expected to grab the groceries and head inside.
Instead, before I could even open the car door, the same neighbor from across the street walked over.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m not doing good.”
She shared that her dog of thirteen years had passed away.
The pain in her voice was immediate and unmistakable.
As she spoke, I finally understood what I had witnessed several days earlier. I remembered seeing neighbors gathered around her, hugging her and talking with her before I left town. At the time, I had no idea what was happening. Now I understood they had been comforting her through a loss I knew nothing about.
What I expected to be a brief conversation became nearly an hour.
I listened.
I found myself silently praying that God would guide my thoughts and words and give her peace.
As we talked, I realized that her grief was about more than the loss of a beloved pet.
There were deeper layers.
Loneliness.
Family concerns.
The reality of returning to an empty house.
What began as one story unfolded into many.
This neighbor is Jewish. Out of respect, I have always tried to be thoughtful about how I share my faith with her. Yet whenever I speak about God or tell her that I am praying for her, she receives it graciously.
As I sat there listening, I realized something.
Sometimes giving people Jesus means listening long enough for them to tell the whole story.
I never preached a sermon in my driveway.
I never opened a Bible.
I never even prayed out loud with her.
But I hope she left knowing that someone cared.
And perhaps that, too, is one way God allows us to reflect His love to the world.
By the end of our conversation, her countenance had changed.
The circumstances had not changed.
Her loss was still real.
But she seemed lighter.
She seemed heard.
As I write this reflection, it is nearly one o’clock in the morning.
In fact, it was while writing this blog that I suddenly remembered something.
The groceries.
The milk and the Trader Joe’s Korean Style Beef Short Ribs were still sitting in the car.
My husband forgot them.
I forgot them.
Everyone in the car forgot them.
So here I am, standing in my kitchen, pouring milk down the drain and throwing away beef short ribs that I was genuinely excited to try.
And yes, I am disappointed.
The groceries mattered.
I wanted those ribs.
I still need milk.
But as I stood there thinking about the day, another thought crossed my mind.
Earlier that afternoon, I had a choice.
At the store, I could have carried frustration.
Later, in my driveway, I could have carried exhaustion.
Instead, by God’s grace, I was able to be present for someone who needed to be heard.
That does not make me special.
It simply reminds me that we all have choices.
Every day.
Every encounter.
Every interaction.
We do not always get to choose how people treat us.
But we do get to choose what we carry into the next encounter.
And sometimes that choice determines whether people experience our hurt or experience God’s grace through us.
This week, God reminded me that sometimes people see the Father through the way His children treat them.
Sometimes they encounter Jesus through compassion before they hear His name.
And sometimes giving someone Jesus is as simple as staying long enough to hear the real answer when they say,
“I’m not doing good.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the opportunity you place before us each day to reflect Your love.
Help us to slow down long enough to notice the hurting people around us.
Give us ears that listen, hearts that care, and wisdom to know how to respond.
Teach us how to carry grace into every encounter, even when we ourselves have been hurt, overlooked, or disappointed.
Help us to be people who reflect Your compassion in our words, our actions, and our presence.
May others catch a glimpse of You through the way we love them.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Continue the Conversation
If you would like to hear the sermon that inspired this reflection, Show Us the Father, I have included the church service video below.
I am always learning and growing, and I welcome your thoughts and feedback.
Have you ever experienced a moment when God used an ordinary conversation to remind you of His presence?
Grace Across Borders: Biblical Lessons and Global Legends 
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