Matthew 25:37-45

“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” vs. 40

There are a growing number of believers around the world who are beginning to refer to themselves as Matthew 25 Christians. For them that closing parable in chapter 25 of Matthew’s gospel is the defining teaching of Jesus’ entire ministry. In their estimation these words can become the unifying dynamic of a world-changing movement that can actually eliminate poverty. They look toward a day when religions will no longer be identified by their separating creeds but by their life-affirming deeds of compassion and love. There’s nothing difficult or complex in what these believers propose. A child can understand the basic principle. Whatever we do to the least of these, we are doing to Christ! That means that when we see the hungry, we will feed them. When people are thirsty, we’ll give them water. We clothe the naked, welcome strangers, and visit those who are in prison. Christ doesn’t exist in some far off realm with pearly gates called heaven. Christ exists here in this world right now–the poor and the needy are his embodied presence. And those who take the words of Jesus to heart will discover that in their actions they receive unparalleled blessings. It will be as though we are entering into the joy of the kingdom of God.

Thought for the Day: Is my faith community a Matthew 25 congregation?

Matthew 25:31-46

“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.” vss. 35-36

Matthew concludes his account of the teaching ministry of Jesus with a parable depicting the last judgment. All nations are gathered before the throne of glory and the king separates them into two sections. With these words Jesus spelled out the basis for the separation as clearly as he possibly could. Everything depends on giving food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick, and visiting those in prison. We’ve spent a lot of time in our denominations building churches, developing complex theologies, and figuring out the secret of eternal life. And what Jesus tells us is that NONE OF THOSE THINGS MATTER! All that really counts is taking care of the poor and needy, what some folks call the social gospel. Amazingly enough there are some pious people who disparage the social gospel and who say that it distracts believers from true faith in Jesus. Obviously, faith in Jesus is important, but so are the words of this text. To have true faith in Jesus is to do exactly what he directs in his final words to his disciples. His intention cannot be mistaken!

Thought for the Day: What is the Social Gospel?

Ephesians 1:15-23

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ… may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you…” vss. 7-8a

Paul doesn’t seem to have known the people that he was writing to, but he has certainly heard of their faith, and he regularly includes them in his prayers of thanksgiving. He wants them to know that they’re on a journey and that they’re in for the ride of their lives. The Holy Spirit has called them into the Church, which is the body of Christ, and in that community they will continue to grow in wisdom as the Spirit enlightens them. These phrases should be familiar to us–it’s what most of us believe about our own call to faithfulness in Christ. We don’t get the full package of understanding in the beginning–it takes a lifetime to fully know Christ and our role in his Body. But bit by bit as the years pass, enlightenment does come–the Spirit is infinitely patient–and gradually we get a sense of the hope to which we have been called. And what a wonderful thing it is when that hope becomes a permanent part of our daily living! It’s better than the best Black Friday has to offer, a free gift from the Holy Spirit, and one we will cherish until our dying day.

Thought for the Day: What is life like without hope?

Luke 17:11-19

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.” vss. 15-16

The ten lepers were not healed instantaneously. Jesus had only told them to go and show themselves to the priests, and it was as they were on the way that healing came. And then only one of them came back to give thanks to Jesus, and Luke makes a point of saying that he was a much despised Samaritan. It’s Luke’s way of saying that it’s the most unlikely folks who are the most thankful! We see that too. On a day like today, a national day of Thanksgiving, often the ones most likely to give thanks to God come from the category of “the least, the lost, and the lonely.” Those whose tables are daily filled with the richest foods and the finest wines seem least likely to acknowledge that they are in any way beholden to God for their luxurious circumstances. But those who struggle, who don’t see themselves as among the favored ones, are often mindful that the good which comes their way is from God, and their thanksgiving is from the heart. Perhaps today we could take at least a few moments for reflection on who we are, where we’ve come from, and the incredible blessing that it is to be alive today and eating well. And if we have family around us, all the better! Thanks be to God!

Thought for the Day: My most thankful Thanksgiving!

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

“When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them…Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.’” vss. 12, 17

The book of Deuteronomy, presented in the form of a sermon by Moses as the Israelites are about to enter the promised land, anticipates that the people will enjoy a rich and full life. They are reminded to regularly give thanksgiving to the Lord and to never imagine that they have earned any of their wealth. Some of us are in that position now on the eve of our national Thanksgiving holiday. We live in fine houses and will be eating sumptuous feasts–there’ll be so much food that we can’t possibly eat it all. Whole villages in some parts of the world could eat well from our leftovers! As we take time to reflect on our material wealth and national prosperity, it would be good to heed the warning of this text. We live in abundance for a lot of reasons–some work hard, most are just lucky–but everything comes from God. Just that recognition is often enough to spark generosity in our hearts, and trigger a desire to share what we have with those who are hungry and homeless. It’s not that we need to wallow in guilt as we sit down to our overflowing tables, that does no one any good. But perhaps, as we head into the season of sharing, we can find new ways to share our wealth.

Thought for the Day: Many are asking, to whom will I be giving?

Psalm 95:1-7a

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” vss. 2-3

Thanksgiving is on everyone’s minds today. At least the eating and drinking part! Most of us are preparing for an amazing feast, and in most of our homes we’re going to be eating pretty much the same things. It seems we all have our favorites and we have the idea that this holiday is for nostalgia, experiencing the same tastes and fragrances that we have in the past. Heaven help us if we forget the recipe passed down from our grandmother–even if the kids won’t eat it, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. And maybe there’ll even be a special prayer at the meal! Sometimes even dad will pray, and give thanks for family, friends, and country. It really is a special feast, full of memories and traditions. And it’s a particularly good time for remembering our great God. After all, that’s the greatest blessing of all! And it’s important to remember that our God is more than we even imagine. God is, and there is nothing that is not God. We encounter God with every breath and God is present wherever we are. All things came into being through God, and in God all people are born and live and have their being. Wow! No wonder the psalmist insisted on songs of praise. Our God is greater than great!

Thought for the Day: What Thanksgiving tradition is most precious to me?

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

“I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.” vs. 16

Ezekiel describes the Lord as a loving shepherd who one day will seek out the lost and strayed sheep, and bind up the injured and the weak. But then he adds these disquieting words, “the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.” It seems Ezekiel has the prophet’s nose for sniffing out injustice in places we’d rather ignore. He believed that the fat and strong sheep were responsible for the miserable condition of the injured and weak–and one day they would be punished. It’s tough to read Ezekiel’s words, and most will include them with other bible verses they choose to ignore. But like them or not, Ezekiel’s insight deserves to be taken to heart. The rich and the prosperous of any time or culture, including our own, have gotten to that position at the expense of the poor! The well-off exploit the disadvantaged at every opportunity with minimal wages, inadequate healthcare, insufficient benefits, and horrible working conditions. And because the poor have no power or clout, they seldom receive the advocacy they need and deserve. We may not like to hear that, but Ezekiel was no fool, and he prayed that one day the tables would be turned.

Thought for the Day: Where in the flock am I?

Matthew 25:19-30

“Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” vss. 24b-25

The one talent slave brought back the money that he had been given by the master, but he had done nothing with it, and his excuse was fear. He was so afraid that he had gone and hid the money in a hole in the ground. The master was not pleased, and the parable has a catastrophic ending for the slave. The story of course has little to say about the nature of God, but it has a whole lot to say about how things are in the world. It’s true that those who have an abundance seem to end up getting more, while those who have only a little end up losing even that, not because God wants it that way, but because in the world wealth begets wealth. But it’s also true that fear is the enemy of excellence. All of us have been blessed with incredible gifts; some have more than others–and they use their gifts without fear. It doesn’t seem to bother them when they make mistakes or earn the ridicule of others. They simply smile and go on living. But uthers are paralyzed by their fears and refuse to risk failure. So they slink about, keeping their mouths shut, and no one ever knows what blessings they have to offer.

Thought for the Day: When has fear kept me from using my talent?

Matthew 25:14-19

“After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.” vs. 19

Most of us have at least a passing familiarity with what is known as the Parable of the Talents. It’s the story of a rich man going on a journey who entrusts his property to his slaves. One gets five talents, another two, and the third receives just one. When the master returned, he summoned his slaves and settled accounts with them. The parable reflects a pretty basic reality within any population: not everyone gets the same amount of anything, but everybody gets something. Humans are not all the same; we have very different gifts, some more than others, but all we have comes from God. And all of us are accountable for what we have been given. Some don’t really like the notion of accountability. They’d like to believe that it doesn’t make any difference how they choose to use the gifts that they’ve been given. They’d like to be able to squander away all they have with no thought of consequences. The result of that kind of behavior has been appalling. Lives have been ruined, families destroyed, and probably worst of all, the environment has been damaged almost beyond repair. Fortunately many people, knowing that they are accountable, have invested their talents and abilities in the common good, and in their presence, life flourishes. Truly, these saints are a blessing to us all.

Thought for the Way: To whom have I been accountable in my life?

1 Thessalonians 5:6-11

“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” vs. 11

Paul knew that all would be well with that little congregation in Thessalonica because they understood that life is communal. We’re not on our own in this world, a bunch of singles laboring toward a celestial goal, but we are one body in Christ. The Holy Spirit has called us into a community of faith, and for better or worse, we are enmeshed with one another. Now for those who love their privacy, that may seem a burden, but in the long run there is nothing better than knowing we have brothers and sisters who will be present for us when times get tough. Likewise, there is nothing more sad than seeing people trying to deal with adversity on their own. In community, when problems come to one member of the body, others quickly respond with encouragement and support. If we stumble or fall, someone who loves us will be there to lift us up, and hold us close. Many people move frequently, and they may even welcome getting away from childhood homes, but the wise realize that the sooner they make connections, the better it will be for them. As Genesis puts it so succinctly, it is not good for humans to be alone. We need companions on the journey, and if they share our faith, all the better!

Thought for the Day: How has community been important for me?