Matthew 25:31-46
Thank you,
God, for seeking us when we are lost. Rescue us, feed us, shepherd us, and
strengthen us, and help us learn how to follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
We are going to start this morning by brainstorming
together.
How do we show our love to God?
Go ahead, shout out your responses, and I’ll write as
many as possible on the whiteboard.
Prayer,
coming to worship, singing, volunteering, financial giving, caring for others, following the
commandments, being who God created you to be, reading the Bible, being welcoming…
OK, now what are some ways in which we show our love
to other people?
Family, friends, strangers, whoever. Shout out your
answers again so I can write them on the other side of the whiteboard.
Forgiveness,
listening, visiting the sick & lonely, praying, hugs & kisses, spending time together, money/gifts/food, patience & tolerance, random acts of kindness...
Today’s Gospel reading basically says, everything on
this side of the whiteboard – all the ways in which we can love others – are
ways in which we can also show our love to God.
“I was
hungry and you gave me food,” Jesus says, “thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing, I
was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:35-36
NRSV)
The
faithful are confused because they don’t remember ever seeing Jesus hungry –
after all, he’s the one who can feed 5000 people with just 5 loaves of bread
and 2 fish! But Jesus tells them, “just as you did it to one of the least of
these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (verse 40)
Whenever
we do something generous or welcoming or compassionate for another person, we
are also serving Christ.
It turns
out that this Sunday’s Gospel lesson was also the focus of the Confirmation
lesson this past Wednesday night.
The curriculum that we’re using in Confirmation these
days includes a couple of main points each week.
First,
obviously, it names the Bible reading that’s the focus of the lesson.
Then it
lists some key terms – words that the students will have to know if they’re
going to understand the point of the lesson.
Then there’s a “lesson focus” – a main take-away point
– and a “big question” – a way for students apply the passage to their everyday
lives.
For Matthew chapter 25, verses 31-46, here was the
Lesson Focus:
Jesus
expects us to care for one another.
And here was the Big Question:
Am I too
young to be able to help?
Remember, our confirmation students are middle schoolers, in 6th-8th grade. And I gotta hand it to them – they
had no trouble with the big question. They really understand how they can help
other people. I don’t think a single one of them believe that they were too
young to help.
One of the simplest examples they gave was if you see
someone who’s lonely, say hi to them, smile, because you never know when that
might make a difference in their day.
Clearly the confirmation curriculum was written by
adults who underestimated the generosity of children.
In my
experience, children don’t need to be told to help others, they do it
naturally, and they automatically assume that they can make a difference in the
world.
That
doesn’t mean that children always share
– but when they see someone truly in need, children tend to want to help out.
It is as we age, as we gain more possessions and build
a reputation and feel like we have something to lose… As we mature and we
believe we have more things of value in life, that’s when it becomes harder for
us to imagine giving those things away.
So, we’re going to spend some time thinking about the
lesson focus.
Jesus expects us to care for one another.
Will you to imagine something with me?
Imagine
that there has been a terrible fire, and your house burned down.
Everyone
is fine, but all that you have left in the world are the clothes on your back.
For some of you, this doesn’t take a whole lot of
imagining – I know that there are people here today who have experienced tragic
loss.
If it’s
easier for you not to relive your own tragedy, you can just imagine that it’s
my house that burned down.
OK? These are the only clothes I have left in the
world… I guess because I store my robe at the church, that was safe!
Now, we know that there are some great organizations
around that respond to situations like this – we support some of them – so
let’s say one of those places shows up and gives a survival kit to everyone who
lost their homes.
Here’s
what we get: toothpaste,
toothbrush, hairbrush, soap, socks, shirt.
That’s a little better, at least. But this is
obviously not going to keep us going forever. What are some of the other things
we will need? More clothes, bed, food, shelter, laundry
detergent, money, phone…
And
where do you think I can go to get all these things?
-
can’t go to the
store, no credit card or cash
-
could ask a
friend or relative for shelter, but for how long?
-
could ask someone
for food, but that’s embarrassing
How
would you feel if you were in this situation? If you were totally dependent on
others for your food, shelter, and clothing, it could make you feel
embarrassed, humiliated, sad, worthless, depressed…
If my house burned down and I was left with nothing, I
could go to my sister and ask her for food, and she’d probably say yes, but it
would feel awkward. What would be better would be if she offered before I
asked. If she said, hey, we're making lasagna for dinner tonight and we
know that’s one of your favorite meals – do you want to come over and join us?
The way
to keep someone from feeling self-conscious about their needs is to anticipate
those needs and to respond to them before
someone has to ask for help.
Better yet, find a way for the person in need to be
involved in meeting their own needs. My sister could invite me over to teach
her how to make one of my signature recipes. Then not only am I getting the
food I need, but I’m sharing my knowledge and made to feel worthwhile.
This is what Jesus wants us to do. Provide for the
needs of others even before they ask. When you see someone hungry, don’t wait
for them to beg for food – offer it without question, and find ways to make
them feel good about it.
That’s
why we support organizations like Lutheran World Relief and ELCA World Hunger
and the Refugee Resettlement program – these places put together resources so
that when disaster does strike, there will be help immediately available to
anyone in need.
Quilts, school kits, bedding baskets, personal care
kits – these are items that we’ve assembled as a congregation, that help us
meet the needs of others as Jesus asks us to.
Lately, in our community, there has been a lot of discussion
regarding the future of our ministry as a congregation.
How are
we going to keep our doors open?
Will we have enough kids for a Sunday
School or Confirmation program?
How can we find the money to cover the
costs of running a church?
Can we afford to continue paying a
full-time pastor?
These are legitimate questions for those of us who are
deeply invested in our church community. We’ve been here
a while, we’ve got some skin in the game, and we feel like we’ll be losing something
if this congregation drastically changes or even ceases to exist.
These questions are important to many of
us.
But these are not the questions that Jesus
asks.
To Jesus, one thing matters: are the needs of others
being met?
If so, you have church!
If the hungry are being fed, if the homeless have
shelter, if those who are imprisoned are treated humanely – then ministry is
happening whether or not it’s inside of a church building. Even if there’s no
Sunday worship, no confirmation, no Fall Festival, no baptisms – even if there
is no pastor, if you are meeting the needs of the world, then you are meeting
Jesus.
If not – if you’ve got the world’s greatest music
program and the biggest confirmation class and the best preaching, but the
needs of others are not being met – well, then, you are not meeting Jesus.
And
today’s Gospel lesson warns us that bad things happen to people who don’t find
Jesus in the people around them.
Remember the lesson focus from the Confirmation lesson:
Jesus expects us to care for one another. That’s the basic goal of following
Jesus.
Don't try to get out of it by listing excuses. Just like
the confirmation students are not too young to help, none of our excuses
hold water either. We are not too busy, or too tired, or too stressed out. Our
church is not too small or too old or too poor.
God doesn’t want our excuses. God wants our faithful
action. Jesus promises to meet us when we go out of our way to help people in
need. This is the most important thing that we could do as individuals and as a
church community.
Jesus expects us to care for one another.
And all of us are able to make a difference.
Amen.
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