Monday of the First Week of Lent - February 18, 2013
Monday of the First Week of Lent
Matthew 25:37 – 40
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
The passage is part of the larger “sheep and goats” story Jesus tells. It resists simplistic interpretations.
I am struck by the repetition of the phrase, “Lord, when did we see you . . .?” Those who were commended for feeding the hungry, giving drink, caring for the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those in distress did not know they were doing so. They weren’t expecting the hidden presence of the Lord. They were surprised at the revelation of Jesus present in ordinary people.
In verse 44, those who did not give aid imply that they would have offered help if they knew the Lord was hidden in the needy ones. No surprises there. So would we. No doubt, if we knew God was showing up, we’d move heaven and earth to give a grand parade and throw a hip party.
The “sheep” did not respond to needs because they imagined God was the hidden presence in those who needed help; rather, they offered their resources because of these acts of kindness and hospitality flowed from tender hearts. They did not pose around their acts of charity. They were not doing religious duties in order to be rewarded. They acted because their hearts were inclined to give aid to other human beings.
This is not an either/or story, dividing the world into sheep and goats. This is a continuum story. We are all somewhere on the continuum between the extremes of sheep and goats, not all in or all out, but somewhere between.
To say it another way, within each of us lives sheep and goats. We are both.
Matthew 25:37 – 40
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
The passage is part of the larger “sheep and goats” story Jesus tells. It resists simplistic interpretations.
I am struck by the repetition of the phrase, “Lord, when did we see you . . .?” Those who were commended for feeding the hungry, giving drink, caring for the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those in distress did not know they were doing so. They weren’t expecting the hidden presence of the Lord. They were surprised at the revelation of Jesus present in ordinary people.
In verse 44, those who did not give aid imply that they would have offered help if they knew the Lord was hidden in the needy ones. No surprises there. So would we. No doubt, if we knew God was showing up, we’d move heaven and earth to give a grand parade and throw a hip party.
The “sheep” did not respond to needs because they imagined God was the hidden presence in those who needed help; rather, they offered their resources because of these acts of kindness and hospitality flowed from tender hearts. They did not pose around their acts of charity. They were not doing religious duties in order to be rewarded. They acted because their hearts were inclined to give aid to other human beings.
This is not an either/or story, dividing the world into sheep and goats. This is a continuum story. We are all somewhere on the continuum between the extremes of sheep and goats, not all in or all out, but somewhere between.
To say it another way, within each of us lives sheep and goats. We are both.
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