In the weeks at the end of November, the readings from Matthew’s gospel seem to offer the harsher side of Jesus’ teachings, and that makes me uncomfortable. I keep reminding us that parables are not to be read in isolation from the rest of what we learn from Jesus’ life and teachings, and they are not to be read literally.
This final week before we move into Advent and its preparation for Christmas is another real challenge. Jesus talks about the “Son of Man” (the messiah or savior) sorting people like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. Sitting on the heavenly throne, the sheep on his right and the goats on his left, he’ll tell those on his right they are inheriting the kingdom prepared for them from the very beginning, “for 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, 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.” Those welcomed in don’t seem to remember the encounters and ask when they did these things for him. His response: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did to me.”
Conversely, those on the left hear they are sent away into eternal, “for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I 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.” Those rejected don’t remember the encounters either and ask when they neglected to do these things. His response: “Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to me.”
This passage offers a powerful description of how we are to care for each other. As followers of Jesus, we are called to notice the struggles and needs of the people around us and do what we can to ease their difficulties. We are encouraged to see in each other the very presence of God, realizing that all the people we encounter matter so much to God that our care for them is equal to care for God.
I think it is important to realize our actions have implications. We have responsibilities to the people in our lives. Yet, I struggle to make sense of this teaching; I cannot imagine that those who fail to care for others are sent away from God forever. I am so deeply committed to the idea of the unconditional love and forgiveness of God, I must insist that even these kind of failings will be healed by the love and compassion of Jesus. So, I live in the struggle. I believe in God’s radical love for you and me and everyone, no matter how flawed we are. I also believe that how we act towards each other matters, and that I am responsible to live in the ways Jesus taught – not to earn my connection to God, but to reflect that connection. Not to save myself from eternal rejection, but to ease the burdens others face here in this life when I can. We are called to serve and care for each other as if we are serving and caring for Jesus himself.
Peace,
weekly prayer | Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25