Matthew 25: 31-46
There is a whole world of Christians out there who take Matthew 25 seriously.
- Who believe that when we feed the hungry…cloth the naked…and care for the sick we do so to Jesus’ own self.
- We even have this great slogan:
- God’s work…our hands.
- No question.
- The work many of us do serving the poor is informed by our Christian faith as well it should be.
- We are the only feet and hands that Christ has so we are to be little Christs out in the world.
So…I could preach a homily about how actually caring about the poor is part of following Jesus.
- But most of us already are on board with that.
- And when we read this Matthew 25 text we are inclined to think:
- Look! Even Jesus agrees with us!
- We are probably missing something.
OK then…we are tempted and prone to move forward with a social justice kind of…” here’s what Christianity REALLY means checklist.
- And we end up not really needing Jesus so much as needing to make sure we successfully complete the right list of tasks.
- Because in the end we leave Jesus idling in his van on the corner while we say:
- “Thanks Jesus…but we can take it from here.”
So…while we as people of God are certainly called to feed the hungry and cloth the naked.
- That whole Christian “We are blessed to be a blessing” thing can be dangerous.
- Dangerous when we think we are placing ourselves above the world.
- Waiting to descend on those below so we can be the “blessing” they have been waiting for like it or not.
- It can easily become a well-meaning but insidious blend of benevolence and paternalism.
- It can easily become hustling the poor so that we can feel like we are being good little Christs for them.
Jesus says: I was hungry…and you gave me food…I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
- Which means…Christ comes not in the form of those who feed the hungry but in the hungry being fed.
- Christ comes not in the form of those who visit the imprisoned but in the imprisoned being cared for.
- And to be clear…Christ does not come to us AS the poor and hungry.
The poor and hungry and imprisoned are not a romantic special class of Christ like people.
- And those who meet their needs are not a romantic special class of Christ like people.
- We all are equally as Sinful and Saintly as the other.
- No…No…No…Christ comes to us IN the needs of the poor and hungry.
- Needs that are met by another so that the shining redemption of God might be known.
- And we are all the broken and the needy and the ones who meet needs.
Years ago…I met James Crumley…at the time the current church-wide bishop…at a synod retreat I was hosting when involved in Outdoor Ministry.
- We sat together at the closing worship celebration.
- That weekend I discovered that his wife had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
- During a particularly un-sing-able hymn that I totally disliked…
- I realized he was crying.
- So…throwing my snotty opinions about church music aside…
- I just had to sing that terrible hymn twice as loud because my grieving brother in Christ could not sing.
When the liturgy ended…even though I was a very young pastor he had just met…and he was a bishop…
- I asked him if he would like me to pray for him and anoint him with oil.
- And his eyes teared up and he said thank you…yes.
Well…I committed to pray for him every day and checked in occasionally by phone (no text and email then).
- After we prayed…I asked him:
- “Who pastors Bishops?”
- He whispered: “no one.”
So…here’s the thing.
- I don’t really think I was the one who allowed Christ to be revealed in this encounter.
- It was Bishop James Crumley.
- Because James Crumley allowed himself to bear a need that someone else could…however imperfectly meet.
- And when the grief of our brother was cared about Jesus was cared about.
I am not a good example of this.
- I do not like asking for help.
- And I don’t mean setting up chairs and tables.
- I mean…if I am hurting or in pain it’s like torture to admit it and even worse to humble myself to ask for help.
- It’s as though I think that I am not deserving of the care I give others…which…of course…is totally arrogant.
So…I wonder…in this Christ the King text…about how we withhold Christ from each other when we pretend…we have no need.
- When we are only the ones being the blessing to others…
- We keep Christ from being revealed in our own needs that could be met by another.
I just do not think the giving of grace includes two separate classes of people:
- The ones who hunger.
- And the ones who offer food.
- The fact is…we are both bearers of the Gospel and receivers of the gospel.
- We meet the needs of others.
- And we have our needs met.
- Remember that those who sat before the throne and said:
- Huh? When did we ever feed you Lord?
We never know when Jesus will come and touch us in all of this.
- All that we have is a promise.
- A promise that our needs are holy to God.
- A Promise that Jesus is present in the meeting of needs.
- And that he is a different kind of king.
- A king who rules over a different kind of kingdom.
Because it looks more like being thirsty and having someone…we do not even know…or not even like…give us water…
- More than it looks like polishing a crown.
- That is the surprising scandal of the Gospel.
- Jesus bumps us out of our unconscious addiction to being good.
- So that we can look at Jesus as he approaches us on the street and says:
- “O brother…O sister…you look broken…you look like you could use a cup of cold water and a good meal.”