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ByMark A. FinleyJesus’tCrythrough the open window, cupped hishands around my head, and pulled myface toward his. The stench of alcoholon his breath was overpowering. As Ilooked into those bloodshot blue-greeneyes, he quietly said, “Thank You,Jesus,” and turned and staggered away.Although years have passed sinceour chance encounter, his words havelingered in my mind. I have wondered:If Jesus were here today, where wouldHe be? Would He be basking in thecomfort of His suburban home writingbooks about reaching city people?Would He be preparing a “how-to”fully illustrated DVD to reach the cities?Would He be taking a demographicstudy to assess city needs? Orwould He be there in the context ofhuman need ministering to the poor,the marginalized, and the disadvantaged?Would He be there pointing theeducated, the sophisticated, and thewealthy to life’s true meaning?Whatdoes Jesussee whenHe looksat today’scities?among the people” (Matt. 9:35).The gospel record is too plain to bemisunderstood: Jesus immersed Himselfin the lives of people in cities. Hebrought hope to the hopeless, peace tothe troubled, forgiveness to the guilty,and power to the powerless. His heartoverflowed with love to broken, battered,and bruised people living in thecities. His ministry in the cities was notonly to those who were economicallydisadvantaged. It was also to the wealthywho were spiritually impoverished.The rich were attracted to Hisauthentic revelation of the Father’slove. Nicodemus, a respected, well-todoreligious leader, secretly soughtHim out one night. Matthew, a cunningtax collector, responded to Hiscall. A Roman centurion was transformedat Calvary. Jesus appealed toyoung and old, rich and poor, educatedand uneducated, religious andskeptical. Male and female, Jew andInto theCitiesGentile, were attracted to Him. Hiscare, compassion, and concern foreach individual was unequaled.Matthew’s Gospel states that He hadcompassion on the multitudes (Matt.9:36). Luke adds, “Now as He drewnear, He saw the city and wept over it”(Luke 19:41). You can never weep untilyou draw near. Your heart can never bebroken in love over the city until you“behold” it in its raw wildness.Cities are places of incredible contrast.They are places of sugarcoatedpleasure and heartbroken sorrow;abject poverty and staggering wealth;starry-eyed greed and selfless sacrifice;sheer excitement and absolute boredom;cultured sophistication and openrudeness. They are filled with honesthearted,committed believers, as wellas skeptics and those who could careless about religion. Jesus’ heart of loveoverflows to each one of them.Have you ever wept over the povertyof children who are not yourown, but His? Has your heart everbeen broken over the emptiness ofhollow lives consumed with greed?Have you ever wept “soul tears” formillions in the world’s cities attemptingto eke out a meager existence butwho do not know the meaning oftheir own existence? They have littleor no knowledge of God’s everlastinggospel to an end-time generation.Listening to Jesus’ HeartIf we pause long enough, we mayhear His sobs—the heartbroken, ago-Jesus and CitiesJesus loves the cities. He loves thecities because that’s where people are,and Jesus loves people. Cities have noshortage of one thing, and that’s people.They’re everywhere. Matthew’sGospel records: “Then Jesus wentabout all the cities and villages, teachingin their synagogues, preaching thegospel of the kingdom, and healingevery sickness and every diseaseWant toKnowMore?To learn more about Global Mission’s Center for Secular and Postmodern Studies,please visit www.secularandpostmodern.com.More than 50 percent of the world’s population now live in cities. To reach the peoplein these urban areas, the church is establishing centers of influence designed to meet theirphysical and spiritual needs and lead them to Christ. To help fund these centers of influence,such as the New Seed Church Project in Brazil, please support “Project Fund 9730.”October 2011 | Adventist World 21