From the Least

 Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)

Apparently I am one who thinks a lot, perhaps a little too much – at least according to some family members. This little piece must begin with that confessional, however, because the opening thought is so elementary, so basic, that everybody in the whole wide world already knows it, and why do I waste time typing out some further thoughts on that? Why? Because I just received a refreshing insight about that very old truth.

The old truth comes from a most familiar portion of scripture. It is so familiar that even those who never read the Bible may know about it, especially when feeling some spiritual insecurity. The scary one is Matthew 24 with warnings and signals about end of time, verses which once were regular fare utilized by fire and brimstone preachers (Not so much at present. Most sermons these days are the feel good variety). Anyway, next is chapter 25, still on end-of-life, and end-time topic, but presented less timorously, quite helpfully I think, kind of personal (Check it out. Read it. It wont hurt! 😏). There is undeniably an end awaiting all of us! What will we do about it? Matthew 25 is about that day, including judgement, sheep to the right and goats to the left ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ The way you have treated others is the way you have treated God. It's as simple as the heading above. 

The end of our days will be very much about us, each one of us. Also very much about others - how we have related especially to the hungry, the strangers, the destitute, the prisoners, the losers. The person of true faith will prove it by … doing all these good things. This is so undeniably true that anybody of healthy demeanor will agree. It is a humanity point also supported in other parts of the Bible, (eg Luke 10:27, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  and James 2:20, faith without deeds is useless), and arguably also emphasized by other faiths. Muslims, for example, claim takat (charity) a surefire qualifier, one of the very important conditionals for getting into heaven!

I just read a neat article a few days ago. Very very refreshing. It fully endorses the above, affirming our important actions of charity (and an obvious dis to those not so inclined). To all of us thinking only of the logic of doing good, doing it to the least of these, Mackenzie Nicolle (Rejoice!, MennoMedia, Vol 58, no 2) speaks of Jesus in among all this charity. “By loving our neighbors and enemies, we remember the core elements of our faith that we are called to” (p.36). In other words, think of what you love and what brings you childlike joy, even as you “do good things.” If done with bad attitude or out of obligation or legalism it is as useless as walking on the other side of the street. Jesus on one occasion demonstrated this to all his diligent listeners asking him to explain many things. He took a child in his arms and said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3).

In the last several years I have encountered many homeless especially as I walk considerable daily steps to hold my Type 2 at bay. This habit of mine has led to my being designated a distributor of gift cards as provided by a local group of our city’s interfaith council, which I am a member of. In short order I discovered that these cards, although readily received, can become extra valuable currency if accompanied by some conversation (blogpost “Hey What’s your name,” Apr 15, 2021). By now I know several of these better than the neighbors on my street.  Similarly, I am a volunteer working among immigrants coming from several East African countries. Even as relationships and program efforts have met with Corona or other untold stresses and interruptions, by now several of these are close friends. Even after major hiccups and curve balls in fundraising or project efforts and I’m licking my offended wounds, these are the ones who will call for the little favors or just to have coffee, quite beyond the regular scheduled social habits organized in orb of my church community. Yes, life and love is being bestowed on me by those very persons I have been trying to help. 😉 No problem, life goes on.

Even as I commit to that very believable mandate to give heed to the least of these, the reminder for this year ahead is to pay attention to and receive from those who offer unconditional love. That life-giving love is a gift available from the greatest or from the least of these.