A few days ago, during my morning walk around the rice fields in Tome, I noticed a kitten lying motionless in the middle of the path. My first instinct was to keep walking – we already have two cats, and we simply can’t afford to care for a third. But as I passed by, I felt a gentle reminder: as Christians, we are called to care for God’s creation.
This tiny, helpless creature wouldn’t survive the rainstorm forecasted for the next few days. I couldn’t ignore that. So, I picked her up, brought her home, and took her to the vet for vaccinations and neutering surgery. She’s now recovering well, and we hope to find a loving home for her soon.
This experience brought to mind a powerful image from the Old Testament. Before the first Passover, God commanded the Israelites to bring a lamb into their homes. For four days, they were to care for it before offering it as a sacrifice.
“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.” (Exodus 12:3 NIV)
Just as the Israelites brought a lamb into their homes in preparation for sacrifice, Jesus, the Lamb of God, entered Jerusalem – destined to be the final sacrifice for all humanity. And just as each family had to choose and care for a lamb, each of us must make a personal decision: to invite Jesus, the true Lamb, into our homes and our daily lives.
Have you invited Jesus to live with you today? When we welcome Him in, we begin to experience the ongoing blessing of salvation – not just as a one-time event, but as a living reality that shapes our lives every single day.
Stephan Smithdorff
