Isaiah 58
Will you help the one I send you?
We got into his little red Nissan taxi and met Marcos for the first and only time. As we went on our way I immediately heard a thought in my mind from the Lord saying, “Tell the driver about me.”
In my mind I responded to Jesus, “Lord I don’t know what to say to him. Show me what to do.” This was the beginning of one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen Jesus do.
Ileana and I had flown to Costa Rica on December 15, 19 95. It was January 5th, 19 96, and the last full day of our trip.
Ileana took her mom to go say goodbye to relatives, and Ileana’s unofficially adopted sister, Annia-Ruth, took me to see other relatives. It took all day to say goodbye to everyone.
We had just left the last relative’s home, and were on the east side of the capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica during rush hour.
We were standing by a main artery of the city waiting for at least 20 minutes. All the taxis were full with rush hour passengers coming out of downtown on their way home.
My tired arm was out at waist level waving. After hundreds and hundreds of taxis had driven past us, out of the corner of my eye a taxi stopped way down the street and let someone out.
I prayed a quick prayer, and sure enough the taxi did a u-turn and headed for us.
We got in, and almost immediately a thought from the Lord hit me to tell the driver about Jesus.
This felt awkward and uncomfortable. I responded in my mind, “Lord, I don’t know what to say. What do I start with?”
The wait seemed like an eternity, but it was only seconds. I heard the thought, “Look, He has pictures of Me, and of Mary on the dash. Ask him to explain what the pictures mean.”
Marcos replied with a very insecure answer, after I had asked him about the pictures. He said, “Im Catholic but I go to mass only on Christmas and Easter. I don’t know much about God.”
As clear as day I heard in my mind, “Explain about Me to him.” It didn’t seem like it was going well about 5 minutes into our discussion about Jesus.
All through this process there were pauses and I would give the next direction as we approached landmarks and turns to get to my mother-in-law’s house.
The next shock hit me. I heard a thought in my mind so clearly saying, “Ask him to give his life to Me.” Without delay I asked Marcos if he wanted to give his life to Jesus.
To my surprise Marcos said yes right away and with a quiet confidence. It was almost like he knew all along Jesus was pursuing him.
We were on the main highway that went around the city, and had reached the round-about that took us toward downtown.
After Marcos gave his simple yes to my question, I had to give the next instructions to go down the hill and turn left after we reached the bottom.
For some reason I include that we would take that street a little ways and then turn left on a side street.
Marcos immediately got nervous and stopped talking. His demeanor changed. I thought to myself, “Lord, what’s going on? Did he change his mind? Why is he so quiet and nervous all of a sudden?” But, I didn’t hear any answer in my mind.
We turned left at the bottom of the hill, and drove down this drug infested street where I had seen people before doing heroine out in the open.
Marcos was increasingly nervous as I gave the next instruction to take a left onto a small level street next to a slope with little block houses going up the side of the slope.
The people living in this area had no direct access to their block homes. Walkways went up the side of the slope and houses were on either side of the walkway.
By now, Marcos was trembling and sweating profusely and wouldn’t say a word. I told him, “There, pull up there, on the left, by that staircase. My mother-in-law’s house is up the stairs.”
I asked the Lord in my mind what to do next. I heard in my mind, “He is having an affair. Tell him.” [shockingly] “What? You want me to tell him he is having an affair?”
I was out of time.
Annia-Ruth got out of the taxi. I had to pay the bill. Marcos didn’t say anything and I swallowed hard and went for it.
[Slowly and quietly] “You’re having an affair aren’t you?”
I held my breath.
Marcos turned and looked back at me face to face.
“Not only am I having an affair, this is where I meet her every time.”
[shock] “What? Excuse me? Say that again.”
“I’m having an affair, and this place right in front of your mother-in-laws stairway is where we meet every time.”
Sweat was pouring down his face. This confrontation was making my head spin.
How did this happen. Marcos chose long ago to secretly meet his mistress in front of my mother-in-law’s house every time. I’m convinced now that Jesus inspired Marcos to choose it.
Years later here we are in need of a taxi out of hundreds and hundreds that went past us.
Marcos dropped off someone and did a u-turn to come back and pick us up.
Jesus had me talk about what Jesus did to offer forgiveness for Marcos’ sins.
He had me ask Marcos to give his life to Jesus.
Marcos drove us to the very spot where he always met his mistress.
Marcos was unwilling to say a word about his affair as he sat in that spot.
Then, Jesus told me to tell Marcos he was having an affair.
The power of God amazed me.
I proclaimed with great passion, “Marcos, you need to give your life to Jesus. Look what He has done.”
“Jesus has brought you to the very spot where you meet your mistress and confronted you. He loves you so much to confront you this way. He wants to forgive you of your sins, if you’ll love and follow Him.”
He sat there processing it all.
He told me he lived on the east side of the capital and she lived on the west side. They considered where to meet in secret and chose somewhere in the middle.
They would go down that drug infested street into my mother-in-law’s poor housing area and park right in front of her walkway that went up to her house.
A taxi pulled up next to us. My mother-in-law rolled down the back window, and spoke out to me, “Roberto, help us with our taxi driver. We are talking to him about Jesus.”
I rolled my window down, and replied, “I’ve got my own situation here.”
Ileana and Eva led their taxi driver to Jesus right there. His name was also Marcos, and he was a satan worshipper.
My taxi driver, however, didn’t know what to do. How could it be so difficult to follow Jesus after such a supernatural confrontation.
I asked my Marcos, “Are you ready to give your life to Jesus?”
Sadly, in that moment he couldn’t do it. There was something holding him back. I got out of the taxi and paid him for his time and he drove away.
Marcos knew Jesus loved him and had supernaturally gotten his attention, but he didn’t know what to do.
I asked the Lord why Marcos couldn’t decide that day. He told me in my thoughts, that Marcos had two families and the difficulties were significant.
Everyone would suffer if he confessed and revealed what he was doing. Marcos wasn’t ready to trust God with unravelling his sin.
In conclusion. What happened?
First, Jesus had prepared my heart to be willing.
Second, even though I felt clueless, Jesus directed each step of the way.
Third, Jesus offered the taxi driver an answer for his spiritual hunger.
Fourth, Jesus offered forgiveness and a way forward.
Fifth, hunger isn’t satisfied until you follow Jesus.