I first posted this on August 4, 2013- my how time flies! Today I am posting this for my “Rooted” group; I think this pretty well sums up our last session…
This morning a wonderful Christian friend shared this with me and I thought we should all give it a little thought…
Pastor Jeremiah Steepek (pictured below) transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service….only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food….NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.
As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation……..”We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek”….The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation…..The homeless man sitting in the back stood up…..and started walking down the aisle…..the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him….he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment….then he recited
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning…many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame…. he then said….Today I see a gathering of people……not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples…when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week…….Being a Christian is more than something you claim. I’ts something you live by and share with others.
via Facebook.
Life Project Blog 
Good spiritual message, but sadly (or maybe not sadly), a fictitious story. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pastor-present-2/
That is a very interesting question, isn’t it? According to the story in your link, it was actually an actor playing the part of a pastor acting as a homeless man, yet the result is the same either way, and, at least as I see it, so is the lesson because either way, someone is acting the part of a homeless person. Have I missed something?
The lesson is valid. But we need, especially in these days of fake news, to make sure that our fiction is labeled as such. Apparently there is no Pastor Jeremiah Steepek, even if he does have a Facebook page. Which makes the megachurch fictitious and peoples’ reaction to the “homeless man” fictitious.
When Christians start blurring the lines between fact and fantasy the world takes note, and discounts or rejects the Truth of the Gospel as just more fairy tales. Jesus spoke in parables. They were fiction and his audience knew that – but they are powerful stories with a timeless spiritual message.
When we tell parables we need to ensure that the audience knows they are not true, because apparently people aren’t as discerning as they were back then.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I agree with Don. Whether or not this was an enactment or real, the results are the same–people wouldn’t accept a homeless man in church like that because he wouldn’t “fit” the profile of a churchgoer. He couldn’t be “one of us”. Sadly, I think this is what the body of Christ is facing today–we show up and act friendly, but we don’t know how to be true friends to those who need to see Jesus through us. Thanks for this.
Thank you, I appreciate it. The funny thing here is that my older sister witnessed this very thing in church back in 1969 or 70, only the guy was asked to leave. The next time she attended a Sunday worship service was 2018 where I was the pastor. So very sad.
The truth – Jesus used Parables – they were not real stories but people could relate. Some get it and others don’t. My sister in law had a homeless guy that was treated badly and because of that she was disappointed in organized church. So there are truths in all these stories.
it doesn’t matter if it is in a church or on the street, as Don said what we do for others is what we do for the Heavenly Father, so we all should treat each other as we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot, we do it in the name of Christ’s to for personal recognition