As you do to the least

When it comes to the most heinous criminals, many say. “Lock’em up and throw away the key.” Few talk about God’s judgment of such actions. In Matthew 25:34-40 Jesus said those who followed Him will be blessed because they gave Him food, water, clothes and help and visited Him in prison.The blessed wondered, “When did we do all that for you?”“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” He responded. To others, He said, “You get only a curse because you did not give me food, water, clothes, help or visit me in prison ” When they protested their innocence, He said, “whatever you did NOT do for the least of these, you did NOT do it for me.” Through the centuries many of His followers have heeded His words and have given folks food, clothing, a bottle of water or help in crisis. But ask us to visit or intervene for those in prison? Especially those who have committed heinous crimes? You have got to be kidding, right? That was the challenge when a Chinese prison warden approached Gladys Aylward. As a missionary she provided care for 100 unwanted children. She taught Bible stories to travelers at the Inn of Eight Happinesses and while serving as an official foot inspector after new laws forbade foot binding. One day a prison riot broke out with such ferocity that even armed soldiers feared entering the jail to stop it. Desperate, the warden came to Aylward and asked her to go inside and stop it. “Why me?” “You tell us your God is all powerful. Is He or isn’t He?” “He is, but I will only prevail through Him. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” said the 4 feet 10 inch high, middle aged woman. With that said, she walked into the prison of howling and screaming men waving knives and swords. Blood covered the ground. She walked to the center of the crowd and confronted a man with a raised meat cleaver. “Give me the cleaver,” she said. He did. “Now form yourselves into lines.” They did. She asked, “What is the problem?” She learned the prisoners did not have adequate food, clothing or shelter or the means to make money to buy anything. They needed something to do besides sit behind bars. Gladys took their complaints to the warden. Through her advocacy the prison improved. Weaving fabric on looms gave them something to do and funds to provide needs. She returned repeatedly to teach them about Jesus, hygiene and work skills. Some became believers. It all began when she trusted God and talked with the prisoners. During World War II Corrie Ten Boom spent months in a German concentration camp under harsh jailers. After her release she talked about her experiences in churches, auditoriums and prisons. One prisoner challeged her. “You don’t know what it’s like.” Ten Boom shared how after the war she met the harshest guard. He asked for her forgiveness. She chose to forgive him. That conversation led to the beginning of a prison ministry in that facility.In the 1970s Charles Colson, NIxon’s hatchet man, agreed that he deserved prison for his actions during the Watergate scandal. Just before he entered prison, he encountered Christ. That reshaped his worldview. After his release, Colson established what is now Prison Fellowship Ministries International. Stepping into the locked wards changed Ten Boom, Aylward and Colson. Through Christ’s empowerment they changed the lock’em and leave’em scenario by visiting those in prison. God used them to bring positive changes into the prisoners’ lives.