Daily Scripture:
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, accompanied by all the angels, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. 33 The ‘sheep’ he will place at his right hand and the ‘goats’ at his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. 35 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 made me your guest, 36 I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the people who have done what God wants will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and make you our guest, or needing clothes and provide them? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 The King will say to them, ‘Yes! I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did them for me!’
41 “Then he will also speak to those on his left, saying, ‘Get away from me, you who are cursed! Go off into the fire prepared for the Adversary and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 a stranger and you did not welcome me, needing clothes and you did not give them to me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, needing clothes, sick or in prison, and not take care of you?’ 45 And he will answer them, ‘Yes! I tell you that whenever you refused to do it for the least important of these people, you refused to do it for me!’ (Complete Jewish Bible).
Reflection Questions:
People so poor they don’t have enough to eat or wear, who can’t afford good (or any) care if they’re sick, who are in prison, who are outsiders in your community—most of us are willing to do a little something to help them. Jesus called people like that “these brothers and sisters of mine.” To truly “buy into” in God’s renewing work in the world means seeing that the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the aliens are not “them”—they’re “us.” Jesus calls us to build a legacy of doing his work as one human family, bound by mutual caring and sharing.
O God, keep my eyes and my heart open to see your face in the faces of hurting people around me who need your touch through me. Amen.
Read today's Insight by Ginny Howell
Ginny Howell serves as Resurrection's Mobilization Program Director, helping people get engaged in the life of the church. She's a mother of three amazing daughters and lover of all creatures great and small. Her favorite parts of her job include creating fun and engaging community events, overseeing the ReConnection team and spending Friday mornings with our bulletin stuffers!
I so admire Jesus words in Matthew 25:40 referring to the "least of these" as "brothers and sisters of mine." Jesus claims, as family, the hungry, the poor, the sick, the stranger, the imprisoned...and in doing so sets the example for us to do the same.
I've been fortunate to spend time serving with mission teams all over the world. I served porridge to school children in South Africa and sifted sand in Nicaragua with rural families gaining access to clean water. I cleaned floors in orphanages and cooked breakfast for Native American school children. I put my sewing skills to work in Palestine at a school that needed curtains to help the kids focus on what was going on inside the classroom, and hopefully forget the chaos that often swirled just outside their windows. In Guatemala, I learned to tie rebar and in Cape Town I learned to lay bricks. In the Gaza Strip, I sat with preschool-aged refugee children as they waited to receive food. I learned about the value of community in Costa Rica as the entire church showed up to help our team of teenagers paint their church building. I stood outside an Immigration Detention center in Chicago in 7 degree weather praying with brothers and sisters from many other denominations and faith backgrounds for reform that offers more dignity than our current system provides. I prayed with a very pregnant mother of two whose house had been destroyed by a tornado in Baxter Springs just 24 hours before. And in Joplin, I found a matted and torn $5 bill as I sorted through the rubble of what was left of the middle school, and imagined that someone's misplaced lunch money was the least of their worries in the aftermath of the devastating tornado.
These experiences have been some of the richest moments of my life, not because of where they took place, or the new skills I might have gained, but because of the people I encountered. People often seen as unwanted, a burden or "less than" have shaped my life time and time again. So often, I hear people tell me, "They are so lucky to have you...." or, "Aren't they fortunate your team went..." but the blessing has always been mine. I know I am a better mother, daughter, sister, friend, disciple...because I have had the privilege of walking through life, even in small moments, with those who live very differently than I do. I've never learned more about being joyful and praising God than I have when I'm worshiping with people who appear to have nothing, at least by our Western society standards.
You don't have to leave home and serve on a mission team or take on big time financial commitments to reach out to the lost, the lonely, the hungry or the poor. Join a FaithWork event and help serve a meal in our community. Sign up for Bless the School or Schools Furnishing Hope and pour into the lives of young people in Kansas City. Volunteer at VBC and show the children in our own community how much they matter. Cut your elderly neighbor's lawn or buy the coffee for the person behind you in line. Every encounter you have with people is an opportunity to demonstrate love like Jesus, and to experience the blessing that caring for others brings into your own life.
Like this post? Share it!
You might also like:
People so poor they don’t have enough to eat or wear, who can’t afford good (or any) care if they’re sick, who are in prison, who are outsiders in your community—most of us are willing to do a little something to help them. Jesus called people like that “these brothers and sisters of mine.” To truly “buy into” in God’s renewing work in the world means seeing that the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the aliens are not “them”—they’re “us.” Jesus calls us to build a legacy of doing his work as one human family, bound by mutual caring and sharing.
- In this parable, “the king’s” word surprised both “the sheep” and “the goats.” The goats’ question (verse 44) meant, “If we’d known it was you, of course we’d have helped.” But the hungry, hurting, outcast people they ignored, maybe every day, weren’t like Jesus—weren’t worth helping. What can give you eyes to see the face of Jesus in the faces of all those you meet, especially those who are outcast or hurting? When have you found the freedom and joy that comes from helping others because it’s the “God thing” to do?
- Resurrection is in a process of thinking about specific ways we aim to change the world in the next 12 years, by 2030. Make that process personal. In what specific ways can you personally join in Christ’s purpose, through Resurrection or other means, to change the world in the next 12 years? Invite Jesus in prayer to fire your imagination and give you big dreams. Write out those God-given dreams, and put them where you will see them often.
O God, keep my eyes and my heart open to see your face in the faces of hurting people around me who need your touch through me. Amen.
Ginny Howell serves as Resurrection's Mobilization Program Director, helping people get engaged in the life of the church. She's a mother of three amazing daughters and lover of all creatures great and small. Her favorite parts of her job include creating fun and engaging community events, overseeing the ReConnection team and spending Friday mornings with our bulletin stuffers!
I so admire Jesus words in Matthew 25:40 referring to the "least of these" as "brothers and sisters of mine." Jesus claims, as family, the hungry, the poor, the sick, the stranger, the imprisoned...and in doing so sets the example for us to do the same.
I've been fortunate to spend time serving with mission teams all over the world. I served porridge to school children in South Africa and sifted sand in Nicaragua with rural families gaining access to clean water. I cleaned floors in orphanages and cooked breakfast for Native American school children. I put my sewing skills to work in Palestine at a school that needed curtains to help the kids focus on what was going on inside the classroom, and hopefully forget the chaos that often swirled just outside their windows. In Guatemala, I learned to tie rebar and in Cape Town I learned to lay bricks. In the Gaza Strip, I sat with preschool-aged refugee children as they waited to receive food. I learned about the value of community in Costa Rica as the entire church showed up to help our team of teenagers paint their church building. I stood outside an Immigration Detention center in Chicago in 7 degree weather praying with brothers and sisters from many other denominations and faith backgrounds for reform that offers more dignity than our current system provides. I prayed with a very pregnant mother of two whose house had been destroyed by a tornado in Baxter Springs just 24 hours before. And in Joplin, I found a matted and torn $5 bill as I sorted through the rubble of what was left of the middle school, and imagined that someone's misplaced lunch money was the least of their worries in the aftermath of the devastating tornado.
These experiences have been some of the richest moments of my life, not because of where they took place, or the new skills I might have gained, but because of the people I encountered. People often seen as unwanted, a burden or "less than" have shaped my life time and time again. So often, I hear people tell me, "They are so lucky to have you...." or, "Aren't they fortunate your team went..." but the blessing has always been mine. I know I am a better mother, daughter, sister, friend, disciple...because I have had the privilege of walking through life, even in small moments, with those who live very differently than I do. I've never learned more about being joyful and praising God than I have when I'm worshiping with people who appear to have nothing, at least by our Western society standards.
You don't have to leave home and serve on a mission team or take on big time financial commitments to reach out to the lost, the lonely, the hungry or the poor. Join a FaithWork event and help serve a meal in our community. Sign up for Bless the School or Schools Furnishing Hope and pour into the lives of young people in Kansas City. Volunteer at VBC and show the children in our own community how much they matter. Cut your elderly neighbor's lawn or buy the coffee for the person behind you in line. Every encounter you have with people is an opportunity to demonstrate love like Jesus, and to experience the blessing that caring for others brings into your own life.
Like this post? Share it!
You might also like:
- Investing for the master’s purposes, not hoarding
- Wise life choices shape our legacy
- Prayer Tip: What Would Jesus Say About Building a Legacy?
- My ways allow you to build a substantial, durable life
- “Treat people in the same way that you want people to treat you”
- Or download this week's printable GPS.
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
No comments:
Post a Comment