In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
“Whatever you do for the least among you, you do for me.” [Mt. 25: 34-46]
This is a favorite passage from the New Testament for many people. Jesus spoke these words along the side of a mountain overlooking the City of Jerusalem. On that day, He spoke to His twelve disciples about the future about the day He will return to this world for the second time. He encouraged them to remain strong in their faith and to put their faith into action. He ends their long conversation by sharing a story of how a Christian can keep his or her faith alive and growing every day.
He says: “When you feed the hungry and give drink to those who thirst; when you welcome the stranger, care for the ill or visit the forgotten and lonely; when you do these things for them, you are doing them for Me. For I tell you, whatever you do for the least among you, you do for Me.”
In other words, He is telling us that we have to be open to opportunities. Opportunities to extend a helpful hand to people who can’t help themselves. Opportunities to be that voice of kindness to someone who has no one to speak with. Opportunities to show love to those who have long since forgotten what it means to have someone in their lives who loves them; and opportunities to help someone who can’t pay us back for having helped them; and to do these things because it is the right thing to do.
He is talking about acts of compassion we can all do every day. These acts don’t depend on ability or wealth or education. They are simple acts that cost nothing and make a great difference in the lives of others. He is telling us that Christians do not neglect people who have deep-seeded needs and that it is our responsibility to serve where service is needed. That kind of service reflects God’s Love into our world.
So, let me leave you these questions to consider over this holiday weekend. The obvious questions from this passage would be:
• Have you fed the hungry or given drink to those who thirst or welcomed the stranger?
However, we should also ask ourselves:
• Have we built other people up with words of encouragement?
• Have we tried to mend strained relationships and bring peace where there was none before?
• Have we tried to comfort those who mourn?
• When we meet people, do they hear God speaking through us or see God working through us by what we say and what we do?
• Do we teach our children to store their treasures in Heaven or only in a bank account?
The closest thing to the Heart of God is helping other people and that is the lesson Jesus was imparting through this Gospel story.
Our Church believes that it pleases God when we sing hymns in His Name. It pleases Him when we gather for Badarak in His Name and receive Holy Communion in His Name. But nothing pleases God more than when we take care of each other.
So, in our prayers, let’s ask for opportunities to offer help where help is needed and to show love where love is absent and to help make our world a better place. Imagine if people took to heart this message from the Bible. History would have been different and our world would be different and what a better world it would be all around.
Something for us to think about. Let’s ask for opportunities to offer help where help is needed and to show love where love is absent and help make our world a better place. Have a beautiful weekend everyone.
Amen.
