SATURDAY OF ADVENT 3

 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.

matthew 25:42-43

There’s a story making the rounds about a pastor who had been called to serve a church. On the day he was to be introduced, he disguised himself as a homeless person and walked around the sanctuary for about a half hour before the service began. He was greeted with cold stares and for the most part, ignored. Even when he went to sit down in the front an usher told him to go sit in the back.

When it was announced that the new pastor was present, the congregation applauded with joy and anticipation. But imagine the surprise when this disheveled man began walking to the altar.

He took the mike and began to eloquently recite the Gospel reading assigned for today, known commonly as the parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

When he finished the parable, he introduced himself as their new pastor and told the congregation what he had experienced that morning. Many began to cry and bow their heads in shame.

“Today I see a gathering of people here, but I do not see a church of Jesus,” he told them. “The world has enough people that look the other way. What the world needs is disciples of Jesus that can follow his teachings and live as he did. When will YOU decide to become disciples?”

Whether this story is true or apocryphal, the point is that Jesus appears to us in the same way – only and always in the need of those around us.

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus was most criticized for who he spent his time with. The Pharisees challenged Jesus over and over for sharing meals, going into homes, healing those who were unclean, who were considered unfit for society. 

Jesus spent time – real time – with sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, people that most everyone else reviled.

When it came to relationships, Jesus was sincerely interested.  Jesus cared.  Jesus showed what real love is. 

When the love of Christ lives in us, we also can be this kind of loving person. We can embrace the hurting people in this world.  We can do it without even realizing that we’ve done it. 

A few years ago, for a time, I was drawn to a show called Undercover Boss.

Each week this show followed a different executive as they left the comfort of their familiar surroundings in their corporate office and went on an undercover mission to examine how their company really functions. 

They worked alongside their employees, who had no clue who this person was; and the executives would see the effects that their decisions had on others, where the problems lie within their organizations, and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.

The CEO would reveal his or her true identity at the end of the show, to the utter surprise of the employees, and would then share observations, much like the pastor in our opening story.

The point of this parable, and the pastor’s story, is to make us see the importance of the decisions we make, the actions we take, or the words we speak. 

So often those things seem pretty small in the larger scheme of life; and yet Christ cares deeply about them.

This is an invitation for us to embrace a suffering humanity, just as Jesus did. 

Where do we look to meet Christ?

When he came to us that first Christmas, it wasn’t as a king or some sovereign descending down from the clouds in majesty.

No, he came as a baby born in a barn and laid in a feeding trough for animals.

Rather than sentimentalize Jesus’ birth, may we instead keep our attention on him – who comes to us in the suffering and the poverty of our world.

And may God’s love fill us and move us to share it with those who are hungry, lonely, poor, starving for safety, security and love.

Let us pray:
Loving God, open our eyes to see your presence in every person, especially those in need. Help us move from belief to action to make a difference in the world. Amen