confirm it. If not, share the answer at the end of the sermon). I share that riddle today because we are at a point of an ending with a

Transcription

1 Date: Sunday November 20, 2011 Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46 Title: Endings and Beginnings The Message of Scripture (Sermon Thesis): Jesus talks about helping, and not helping, members of his family. The Sharing of the Good News (The Sermon Purpose): Today, we are all blessed to be able to help. Let us give thanks for the opportunities we have to share. (Remember, it s all about God!) Today we begin with a riddle. I am the beginning of eternity and the end of every place. I am the middle of the end, but the beginning of every ending, and the end of time and space. Who am I? (The letter e. If someone guesses the answer confirm it. If not, share the answer at the end of the sermon). I share that riddle today because we are at a point of an ending with a beginning on the horizon. In fact, we have come to the end today; the end of year A in the Revised Common Lectionary Cycle. Next week we will begin with Year B. Granted, you won t notice much difference except that our Lectionary cycle always begins a new year with the first Sunday of Advent and ends the Sunday before Advent, which is today and is designated as Reign of Christ Sunday. So next Sunday there will be more reference to Advent and next Sunday we will shift away from the Gospel of Matthew that is focused on during Year A of the lectionary. Thank goodness we are finishing off with Matthew and this long string of parables. In these previous weeks the parables we have looked at have been

2 perplexing, amusing, maddening, frightening, and unsettling. This concluding parable in Matthew, the one we read and heard today, really does bring us to an ending point; the final judgment if you will. It is a passage that has both encouraged and alarmed Christians over the centuries and in our 21 st Century is being lifted up more and more as a defining application of Christian life. It is a clear statement of the basis upon which we are to measure our efforts in the name of Jesus Christ. By placing it just before Jesus betrayal, arrest, and murder, the author of Matthew gives it added importance. So what is the basis upon which our lives are to be judged? The words are, 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 (Matthew 25:35-36). And alternatively, for 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 (vs ). That kind of sounds like another riddle and you might ask who is the I. Well, the I is Jesus, but it is also Jesus present in the least of these who are members of my family (v.40). There have been many tedious debates over the centuries, I m sure, about who qualifies as a member of Jesus family. I had a conversation just this week with a person wondering if another person who had been to prison could be welcomed back into a church. My answer is yes. I believe that all the harassed, hungry, and

3 broken human beings are included in Jesus family. Jesus Christ is, after all, the one whose love knows no bounds. And there we have it; the ultimate measure of our lives is the way we come to the aid of, or fail to come to the aid of, those who are part of Jesus Christ s family (Daye) and that family excludes no one. There was a couple who was taking a tour of the Scottish countryside. But by the time their bus arrived in the remote village that they were headed to, the sun had gone down and it had begun to rain. It turned out that the bed and breakfast they were supposed to stay at was already full for the night. The couple was given the address of another place in town to go to. When they finally got there, they were wet and cold, and the house was all dark. Finally, after the couple knocked on the door, an older man greeted them with a rather surprised look on his face. He was forced to tell the couple that he was sorry, but that his guestroom was already taken for the night. Now when the couple heard this, their faces fell, and a look of panic came over them as they began to wonder where they would be able to spend the night. Then the owner of the house said that he would try to work something out. He invited the couple to step inside a moment as he went to take care of a few things. A couple minutes later, the man returned and he led the couple to a warm and cozy room, where they immediately climbed into the comfortable bed and went to sleep. The next morning the couple realized what had happened. You see, that man had given them his room. And he had spent the night sleeping on a couch in the living room.

4 That was an act of extravagant welcome extended to strangers. We could also call this radical compassion. As we see from this example, compassion can mean caring for other people, even, and especially, when they don t deserve that kindness from us. Compassion means caring for other people, even when that care involves some real sacrifice on our part. Compassion is what this passage in Matthew is all about; Feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, providing welcome and shelter to the homeless and doing so compassionately. But ultimately, our compassion offered to others is simply an extension of our response to the compassion shown to us by Christ. After all, Jesus purpose on earth was to show that we are welcomed and cared for in God s kingdom, not because we deserve that welcome, but simply because God loves us. The question then becomes is whether we accept the invitation to share the compassion first shown to us by being part of God s kingdom. Reverend Edward Bowen writes about a man who had a little sign on the mirror in his bathroom that he looked at each morning. The sign read, Good morning, God. What are you doing today? How can I be a part of it? That s also a message from the passage in Matthew. God is at work in the world compassionately feeding the hungry and caring for those who suffer. Are we a part of God s work in the world? Some people answer with a responding Yes. Some might even add that they believe they are doing everything they can. People should be thanked for the efforts they make. Others might be more realistic and answer No. Some could even go

5 on to say that they do nothing or far less than they could be doing. They are to be congratulated for their honesty. Both responses connect to the story of a man who was visiting a friend s office. The office was way up on the 16th floor of an office building in the downtown part of the city. The man looked out the window and was impressed with the view, the skyline, and all the lights he could see spread out across the land. At first he stood there thinking about how truly wonderful the city was and how fortunate he was to be living in that city. But then he started to take a closer look. Instead of just seeing the gleaming buildings and bright, flashing lights, he began to notice the beggars sitting along the street. He began to hear the sounds of sirens both near and far. He began to notice people aimlessly making their way to and fro. He realized that in the midst of some good, many hurts and needs remain. We see and hear what we want and we respond the same way. Our new mission statement here at Immanuel, is printed in your bulletin, and I ask that you read it with me: IUCC is a faith community called by God to nourish others by sharing gifts of love, humor, and compassion with all God s people. (IUCC Bulletin). There s that word again, compassion and we are doing a great deal in this regard. It seems as though when I think back over this year we have been collecting or gathering or putting together kits and packs and meals all year round to be shared with others. We are on our way to fulfilling the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25. But, I have to say, we are not there yet. As I shared in a sermon two weeks ago the number of people living in poverty

6 in this country continues to increase. The income of the wealthiest Americans has grown by a larger percentage than any other income group in the past three years. While the needs of many in this country should be decreasing they are instead increasing at too rapid of a pace. That s not good news. However, there is always good news and the good news today is that we are blessed by God to live out God s call to care for those around us. We are people of compassion God s compassion and as a faith community we live out God s call of compassion. That s not something we have to do, it is something we just do because of who we are as children of God. That will never end and for that we can give thanks. To conclude, I have one more riddle. (If no one guessed the letter e from the first riddle, share that answer now). This riddle goes, What is greater than God, the rich don t need it, the poor have it, and if you eat too much of it, you will starve? The answer is nothing. And today I stress the part of the riddle I like the best. Nothing is greater than God; the Alpha and the Omega, the true beginning and the end, the One who was, is and shall always be and the one whom we serve as we compassionately feed, cloth, welcome, and visit all in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us pray.

7 Lord, We also ask what you are doing in the world this day and how we can be a bigger part of your endeavors. Guide us as we undertake what we perceive to be your mission and thank you for blessing us in the ways that allow us to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is in the name of Jesus Christ we act and pray, Amen. Offering: We give in gratitude for God s gifts to us and to grow God s realm. Let us give generously and joyfully. The ushers will please... Dedication: God of Great Abundance, we give this offering as our commitment to give back to you and to care for your children. Accept and bless what we share today. Amen. Benediction: Go forth knowing that God s faithfulness in us is great. Go forth as faithful children of a loving God. Amen and Amen. Sources: Lectionary Homiletics; Daye, Russell; Bowen, Edward; Holy Bible New Revised Standard Version; Harper Bibles: San Francisco; 2007