The Least of These

The Speckled Paw Coffee Helping How it Could
(March, 2020)

Scripture

Reading Matthew 25:31-46

³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for 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, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (NRSV)

Devotion

Recently, I've had a lot of conversations with people who are worried that they aren't doing "enough."  The pandemic just how flawed many aspects of our society are.  People who are out of work are in danger of losing their homes, while those deemed essential often don't get the protection, living wages, or respect they deserve.  Our healthcare system is struggling to meet people's needs.  There is a shortage of quality childcare and bevy of issues to address before schools can safely reopen.  Then, there is the loneliness, isolation, anger, and hatred that plague society.  When confronted with so many problems, who wouldn't find themselves sinking into despair?   After all, no normal human being can possibly fix all that at once.

Jesus's parable about the sheep and the goats  offers us a word of hope by giving us a place to start.  Those who are singled out as sheep initially express shock and confusion when Christ says they took care of his many needs.  When they ask him when they did all these things, he explains that they did so whenever they gave aid to they least of his family members.  What they were able to do for those who were hurting and vulnerable may not have seemed like much to the world's eyes, but Christ noticed each seemingly insignificant action they took.  When combined, each person's efforts helped build up the Kin-dom of God. 

If Christ were to start separating the sheep and the goats in my community today, plenty of people would be surprised to find Jesus thanking them for their good and faithful service:

• Some focus on doing what they can to befriend and support individuals that other people in our community have given up on and are afraid of.  These caring souls despair that they don't have the resources, connections, or experience to do as much as they would like.  What Christ sees is that the care they demonstrate reminds folks who feel hopeless, helpless, and worthless that they are loved and valued by God.  Over time, that reminder can make a major difference in a person's life. 
  
• Some work to mitigate the harm caused by systemic issues like unjust housing practices, institutional racism, and generational poverty.  They stay up at night worrying that their efforts aren't enough to truly create a more just and equitable society.  Christ, though, knows their hearts and sees how their work combines with the efforts of others. If they could see through his eyes, they would rejoice in how their dedication will help transform the world into a place that is more just, merciful, and humane. 
  
• Some are deeply invested in caring professions or public service work.   They weep for the lives they were not able to save or the people they could only help so much. Christ knows how they efforts positively impact every single person they come into contact with.   He thanks them for the pain they helped alleviate, the comfort they give, and the understanding they show.
  

Each of these people is among Christ's sheep.  Each has done their part to build up the Kin-dom of God.  And each shall see the day when their good and faithful service when Christ helps them understand how their efforts have helped reveal his glory on Earth.

I'm not saying that Jesus gives Christians permission to focus on performing small personal acts to the exclusion of everything else.  After all, giving someone who is hungry something to eat while ignoring the systemic problems that left them without food means that we  have done nothing to help many who are among "the least of these."  What I am saying is that Jesus doesn't expect us to fix everything on our own.  When we keep our eyes open and help as we are able, Christ takes joy in our efforts.  He will combine our work with the efforts of others so that, together, we take part in something much bigger and grander than we could have accomplished on our own.

The next time you feel overwhelmed or demoralized by the world's suffering, try asking the Holy Spirit to help you answer a couple of questions: First, what are you reasonably able to do for the least of these?  Second, how might what you are called to do build up the Kin-dom of God?  You may be surprised to find that your actions are far more important than you originally realized.  You may also find Christ calling you to try something that you hadn't really thought about before.  Whatever answers God provides will help you make a noticeable difference in the world.  And when you meet Christ face to face, he will say to you, "just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

Prayer

Christ, thank you for caring for all of your children...and for giving us the tools we need to share your Good News in the way we care for others.  When we are blind or apathetic to the suffering of others, open our hearts so that we may take action.  When I we feel discouraged or overwhelmed, remind us that we do not labor in vain.  Help us to always remember that whatever you guide us to do for the least of those in your family, we do for you.  And may we soon see the day when you come in your glory.  Amen.