April 22, 2007: Third Sunday of Easter

Unless you are a regular attendee for Tuesday's Holy Week readings, or use one of those bibles that puts all of Jesus' words in red, you may not realize that this vision of the Final Judgment Day given in today's Gospel reading is the climatic end of a very long answer to a question Jesus' disciples have put to him. Their question comes after a long day of Jesus jousting with the Pharisees and Scribes in the temple just a few days before his death. As they leave the temple Jesus predicts not one stone of the temple buildings will be left upon another. All will be thrown down. Once they all arrive back at the Mount of Olives for a mid Holy Week respite, the disciples come privately to Jesus and ask The Question: “Tell us when will all this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

So Jesus gives them signs of the coming of the end that, unfortunately for us, have been present in every generation since his death. Well, Jesus says, there'll be folks claiming they are the Messiah. There'll be wars and rumors of war, famine, and earthquakes. Christians will be persecuted, and fall away from the faith. False prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Perhaps it's because all the signs Jesus gives continued to be present with us that he also goes on to give six long parables and warnings about the need for his disciples to live responsibly so as to be ready when the end finally does come: the lesson of the fig tree, the necessity for watchfulness, keeping awake for you do not know the day or the hour, the parable of the ten bridesmaids with their oil lamps waiting for the bridegroom, the parable of the master entrusting talents to his servants when he goes off on a long journey. All stories that illustrate the fact that our lives are not dress rehearsals and any of us can loose our life at any moment. And no one but the Father knows when Christ will return for the Day of Final Judgment.

But, but Jesus says in today's gospel here's what will happen on that final day:

Folks will be directed to move to either the right or the left of the king's throne, depending on whether when I was hungry, did you give me food? When I was thirsty did you give me drink? When I was a stranger, did you welcome me? When I was naked did you give me clothing? When I was sick, did you take care of me? When I was in prison, did you visit me?

If your answers are yes you are directed to the right where you will inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world and go to eternal life. If your answers are no, you're led away to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and go to eternal punishment.

Now maybe it's those lawyer habits that are still so ingrained in me that make me want to split hairs here. But if any of us were to truthfully answer these questions most of our responses would be yes and no. Yes, I did go to the Night Shelter and feed the hungry, but not as many times as I could. Yes, I brought food on Sunday for the Servant Center , but not every week. Yes, I did give money to help with clean water projects in third world countries, but not as much as I could afford. Now, true I never visited anyone in prison, but through our congregation's provincial fair share I helped to support a fulltime Moravian chaplain who did! And so goes our lists of yes and no answers to Jesus' questions. Sometimes we did and sometimes we didn't.

What's a passing grade when life is rarely as clear cut as Matthew paints it in today's gospel? When the truth is we live in a world that is often not black and white, but infinite shades of gray, and where the best answers are often of the both/and variety rather than the either/or?

I don't have an answer for what's a passing grade other than the answer we've all been taught. Christian belief is we can't earn our way into eternal life. It is a gift from Jesus we can only gratefully accept or reject, and show by our gratitude how it changes us to follow the example and teachings of Our Lord. Or in the words of James this morning, it is only in our actions that our faith is made real and alive. It's where the rubber meets the road on what we say with our mouths, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” What has long distinguished Moravian Christians from other denominations since our very beginning 550 years ago, is the primary emphasis we place on orthopraxy, correct practice, how it is we live our life as disciples of Jesus. Rather than placing primary emphasis on orthodoxy, correct belief.

C.S. Lewis says much the same thing in his book The Screwtape Letters imaginative letters from the devil to one of his apprentices, Wormwood. The devil instructs Wormwood to keep Christians from doing the good in the world that Christ commands us by keeping us occupied with using fire extinguishers when there's a flood. Or said another way, keep us focused on the petty church fights and doctrinal disputes that embroil so many Christians these days while over half the world goes to bed hungry every night and 60% of the diseases in third world countries are caused by not having clean drinking water.

But what strikes me about this gospel passage is how on the Judgment Day both groups of people, both on the left and the right, seem surprised at Jesus' judgment of their actions towards him. Those who fed the hungry, gave the thirsty a drink, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, or visited the prisoner seem shocked when Christ thanks and praises them for caring for Him. In fact I can just see some of you in my imagination saying to Jesus, “Lord I volunteered at that Night Shelter for over 20 years but I never remember seeing you there!”

And similarly those who Jesus says didn't act to give him aid when he needed it are also shocked. No doubt they thought they were spending their time with very worthwhile activities for Jesus—and maybe they will respond in this tone of voice:

Lord when was it that we saw you needing all these things and did not take care of you?” Or said another way, Lord we helped a lot of deserving people, good hard working fellow Christians, people who but for the grace of God could be me, what do you mean we didn't take care of you?

One group is shocked that they had in fact helped Jesus. The other group is shocked they did not. What's going on here?

Maybe, maybe it's a confusion about what Christian discipleship is. Christian discipleship is not about who you are, what you know, or even what you do—yes all important values in our American culture, but not in the Christian life. What is important in the Christian life is one thing and one thing only. How do you embody God's love in your life, particularly to “the least” in our society and world? The people our society and world look down on for one reason or another?

Did we either ignore them as not our problem or treat them as objects? Means to an end? Whether objects of our Christian duty to help so we can prove our faith, or objects of some economic, political or social agenda? Did we relate to them out of fear, or out of love? Did we relate to, treat them as we would like to be treated were we in their shoes? Did we treat them with respect and love? Did we relate to them as we want Jesus and others to relate to us if we suddenly found ourselves counted among the least? If our answers are yes, then we met Jesus, because where love is, there is God also.

Just as God makes no distinction in loving God's children, just as God shows no partiality neither should we. God loves because love is God's very essence and when we love as God loves, when we act as God acts in caring for people and when we do so we encounter our risen Lord.

Today's gospel lesson shows us God's presence is found in tiny, seemingly insignificant acts of charity towards people of no account, persons who have no status with us. These acts of kindness done to “the least of people” is meeting, coming face to face with Jesus Himself, because they are done with love in the name of love.

This Saturday we in this congregation have a myriad of opportunities to love as God loves. They are all listed in your OperationInAsMuch insert. No matter your comfort level, no matter your skill level, no matter whether you can afford to give one hour of your time or several hours, there is ministry you can do this week. If you are unsure, talk with Marian Carter or one of the team leaders. Just come and be counted among the sheep of Jesus.