34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[c] you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
S(cripture) - “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
O(bservation) - All of life is sacred. Every moment is an opportunity to worship the life-giving living God. Jesus' parable speaks clearly about those who will inherit the Kingdom - a final judgement. The kingdom will be give to those who love the least, the last and the lost because, Jesus identifies himself with them. And so we can find Jesus in the places cast off by society. And perhaps he is more there - with the marginalized - than in our safe sanctuaries?
There is in all of us a great desire to make Scripture palatable to our situation or to look at it through a lens from another piece of Scripture. In this case, Jesus isn't saying the kingdom is reserved for those who believe in him. He says it is reserved for those who show mercy and compassion. I am tempted to overlay Paul's beautiful words to the church in Ephesus onto this text - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
Clearly I cannot be good enough or do enough to earn my way into the Kingdom. But just as clearly, I can't sit around on my duff holding onto my "I believe in Jesus card" either. We start with grace - salvation is a free gift of God, but we shouldn't cheapen it, by living less than righteous lives. Here's the kicker - why shouldn't we want to hang out with the poor and imprisoned and sick IF THAT'S WHERE JESUS IS? And why wouldn't we open our homes to strangers if there is an opportunity to commune with Christ?
A(pplication) - We're talking about the Simple Life that is anything but simple in terms couched by the world. The Kingdom Life is a life of simplicity not simpleness. It is the opposite of duplicity - being pulled in more than one direction. From texts like this one, it is pretty clear where God wants to pull us. The tension, the duplicity, is in our own selfish desire for our time and to not enter into relationships which could get messy. I mean who invites strangers into their home?!? And this is the rub - the one we all need to wrestle with. Simplicity will cost you.
On Saturday mornings, I deliver food to some guys living in a home - all with varying disabilities, but all some of the gentlest guys I know. To be honest, there is a selfish part of me that wants to stay home and get work done in my own home or recreate with my family. But more often than not, when I am faithful, God shows up in that house. There are too many stories to share here. One young man especially is waiting for me every Saturday and we talk and I try to help him figure out life. We're friends - an unlikely pair. God smiles with us and laughs with us when another resident tries to leave the house with his pants on backwards! It's good stuff - good stuff for the soul. Time slows down. I feel God's good pleasure.
P(rayer) - Abba, show each of us where to serve in this world. We can't save it all or love it all or serve it all - that's Your job. But You are calling each of us to somewhere and someone where You are already present. Are we to be a tummy filler, a thirst quencher, a hospitality giver, a clothing provider, a prison or hospital or nursing home visitor? It is Your call, help us to listen. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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