“‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” (Matthew 25:44-45, ESV)
Tom is a Links Player. I count it a privilege to be one of his friends. He is a man who does minister to the sick.
Seven years ago, Tom called me about making the trek to the Payne Stewart Cup in St. Andrews, Scotland, one of the things on his lifetime bucket list.
Tom’s speech was slow as he told me his friend Brett, an avid golfer, was in the fourth stage of cancer.
“Why don’t we invite Brett to St. Andrews?” I said. As soon as the words came out of my mouth I thought, Oh no, I should have thought before I spoke.
“That would take a miracle,” Tom said.
That miracle happened.
Tom and Brett showed up together in St. Andrews. The first night all of us present heard Brett’s story of his battle with cancer and his friendship with Tom.
Tom fulfilled his dream. But more important he had the joy of doing it with Brett.
You might think of Links Players as a ministry to influential, often powerful people who gather at golf clubs. That’s part of the story. But it’s also a ministry to the poor.
Sometimes the poor are the poor-powerful. Sometimes the poor are the poor-poor.
Sometimes the poor find themselves destitute of their health, as Brett was. And we, followers of Jesus, are to visit them.
Jesus says he resides with the least of these.
The neediest.
Brett lived five more years. In the summer of 2016, about the same time the Payne Stewart Cup took place at Royal County Down, he died. A sad loss for Tom and many of us, but we rejoice that Brett received his ultimate healing.
Gene is another Links Player. Links Players are permanent apprentices of Jesus who kindle, by the power of the Holy Spirit, care for “widows and orphans” (James 1:27-28).
In January of 2017, Gene guided me onto a half-acre plot of land in Bor, South Sudan, where an orphanage was to be built. As I stood there watching Gene hop over footings showing three other friends and me his vision, I thought, This orphanage wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for Gene and golf. It was Gene’s initiative and help from Kenny, a friend of his at his club, that were making it happen.
Because they cared for some of the least of these. According to the K in LINKS, they kindled compassion for the poor and needy.
Links Players “train themselves in godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7, NIV). They kindle compassion of Jesus Christ within them, as Tom and Gene did.
—
Jim Hiskey
April 9, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES:
Behind LINKS: The Big L
Behind LINKS: The All-the-Time I
Behind LINKS: The Friendly N
Behind LINKS: The Ambassadorial S