Under the lights of the Angkor Night Market here in Siem Reap, something awesome happened. My friend Riley and I were going out to chat and get some $1 kebabs and fruit smoothies. I’d come here a couple times, a tiny little food cart, and the lady that makes the food sets usually sets out seats for waiting. Its kind of fun to sit and people watch as all the tourists try to avoid local salesmen while on their way to Pub Street. But as Riley and I were sitting and talking, a man walked up to us and began to talk to us.
I’m not sure how it all happened. I quickly noticed the burn that covered his face and left arm. Beggars and drunkards are a common sight in this area, so it wasn’t uncommon for us to be approached, and I was happy to exchange a few words and then get rid of him (as most people would).
Me: “Hey man, what’s your name?”
Sok Wee: “Its Sok Wee. Man life just sucks. Ya know? This isn’t exactly how I pictured life going, living on the streets and scrapping for food each day.”
I was surprised at how well he could speak English, but I wasn’t really in the mood to listen to another sob story that could easily just be made up so he could get some help. Every reason to not help this man ran through my mind: “I just want to continue my talk with Riley. Could I even help this guy? To what extent and would it be worth it? He’s probably high or just looking for some drug money.” But the Holy Spirit was making war on my flesh.
Scripture and pictures of Jesus’ life began flooding my mind as we continued to talk. I began thinking of all the things Jesus did in his day, and the Holy Spirit convicted me asking if I truly believe these things.
Holy Spirit: “Do you believe that what scripture says is true?”
Me: “Yes”
Holy Spirit: “What does it say?”
Me: “That God shows his love for us in how Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). Jesus looked upon the helpless with compassion for they seemed like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Jesus constantly spent time looking at those who were overlooked. Through Jesus’ resurrection we have living hope (1 Peter 1:3).”
Holy Spirit: “Do you truly believe the Gospel message if you won’t share the hope it brings with Sok Wee?”
My heart was pounding, and heat was spreading throughout my body. I wasn’t even thinking about it being Good Friday.
Holy Spirit: “What about those songs you sing? The overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Does it really leave the 99 or is that just something you say to “worship” me. Aren’t you a vessel of my love?
Suddenly I got the urge to fall on my knees and yell proclaiming my undying love for God and then get up and start preaching the Good News to everyone around. Probably a good thing I didn’t do that, but I knew I needed to help this guy, even if it didn’t make sense and it made me uncomfortable. So Riley and I sat and listened as he talked.
We quickly realized that he was just in need of someone to listen and show him some kindness and compassion. Sok Wee had a tough life growing up, living in an orphanage with 2 brothers: one younger brother, who is autistic, and one older brother who got involved with drugs. He seemed to be honest, even if it was kind of obvious he was going through some withdrawal symptoms. He was tired, hungry, and hopeless. The exact person Jesus died for. The exact person Jesus would show kindness and compassion. The exact person Jesus saw pure as snow. The exact person Jesus restores hope to.
After some small conversation, I shared with him about Jesus and how we are about to Jesus’ death and Resurrection. More specifically I told him how there were times in my life where it seemed to suck. Deep depression in high school, a period of time when my family didn’t have a home, the time my fiancé left me…
It all sucked but I could have hope and peace in all of that because of Jesus. Sok Wee seemed caught off guard by this. The words “hope” and “peace” seemed to interest him. So I shared with him the verse that came to my mind when thinking about his life, Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He let Riley and I pray over his life, and at times it looked like he might cry while we were praying.
The prayer ended and the lady brought out my second kebab. Riley was speaking more life and truth into Sok Wee as I became aware of how I was eating and he wasn’t.
Holy Spirit: “He’s already taken you one mile, why not go two?” (Matthew 5:41-42)
Me: “But I’ve already shared about Jesus and prayed! Can’t I just go back to the hostel and go to bed?”
Holy Spirit: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:35&40)
If I didn’t invite this stranger to have some food, I would be denying Jesus food.
Me: “Hey Sok Wee, would you like to have some dinner?
He walked us to a local restaurant. Noodles sounded good to him. It was surprisingly difficult to order food, because the locals didn’t want to serve him anything. Conversation was kind of silent and awkward as we waited for the food to come out. I got up to check on the soup a couple times just because it was so awkward; Riley kept trying to talk to him. We got him to laugh a few times; they were pure and genuine laughs. It was good to see him smile. It didn’t look like he did that often.
Finally the food came out and we let him eat. As he was eating I noticed that he couldn’t bend the fingers in his left hand. He couldn’t move or flex them. It was burned and a little bit deformed. Then I felt the urge to pray for his hand to be healed. Of course, my mind came up with every reason not to. A simple prayer wouldn’t work, would it? This time I heard a different voice when the convicting came.
Jesus: “Taylor, do you believe that I healed people?”
Me: “Yes”
Jesus: I healed the deaf, blind, and mute. I healed lepers and invalids. I even restored a man’s withered hand. Do you really believe in this truth and power if you doubt that I can heal Sok Wee’s hand?
Me: “Hey Sok Wee, can we pray for your hand?”
Both Riley and I held his hand as we prayed for his healing. We asked it all in Jesus name, and when the prayer was finished he shyly brought his hand back to his side. I asked “Well? Try it out, anything different?” He stretched out his hand and began flexing his fingers. I looked over at Riley, she looked just as shocked as I was. We were dumbfounded at what we just saw. Sok Wee didn’t even look up, he had a childlike grin on his face as he observed how much he could bend his fingers.
They couldn’t move like that 1 minute ago. Our expressions of shock slowly turned into huge smiles as the truth of everything God had done in the past hour and a half became evident. I got up and paid for the soup, we invited him to church on Easter and then said goodbye. Looking back we saw him still sitting there, just smiling silently as he gazed at his hand.
The hope we have in Jesus is real, and his power to bring healing is true. But there is a point our belief will be tested. Jesus was obedient to the point of death on a cross. To what point will you be obedient in God’s calling? Remember that our flesh can “quench the Spirit,” as Paul warns in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. Take this time before Easter to really get with God and ask Him to really challenge you in what you believe about Him and His Word. Are you taking action in that belief? Jesus calls us to deeper action and deeper faith when we are confronted with the question of how far we will go for Christ. This Good Friday Sok Wee was smiling for many reasons: he had people actually pay attention and listen to him. We told him the truth of the value of his life. He got to eat food. It was all awesome. But his true smile came because two disciples took the time to show him the hope and healing of Jesus on the day of Good Friday.
